I noticed this bird resting on the enclosed electric power cable in our courtyard. The first picture is of that position when the bird was facing east and the Sun which appeared in the horizon was brightening the sky. Immediately after, taking the first photo the bird moved on to be seated on a water pipe in a dark area. I gave up on photographing the bird as it looked a difficult task.
I have only a limited experience in bird photography.
Birds move, especially this one hardly sat in one place for a few seconds, surely not giving enough time to my ageing skills in photography. Most bird photographers use tripods, which has not been my practice because of my laziness to organise that. Bird photographers are usually ready at a particular spot with bird feeds placed in a prominent place to attract birds early in the morning, when they look around for the morning feed. My attempt to have a bird feed corner has not produced the desired effect. The telephoto lenses make a huge difference. The micro third camera and telephoto lenses I use have some limitations. I moved on to Panasonic system from Canon two years ago as the Panasonic mirrorless camera was lighter. Although I have a full frame mirrorless camera, the long telephoto for it lens is not yet available.
I have no sense of physics of light. I have gross limitations to use the manual modes in the camera. So I depend on the automatic system and most bird photographers consider that as a lazy way for bird photography.
All the above photos in this blog are grossly deficient in sharpness, exposure, background, colour contrast and composure.
What amazes me about this bird is the unusual colour complexion of this bird which is about 10 centimetres in length. Its bird song has an outstanding musical pitch. Its body movements are dexterous, although fast and jerky sometimes. It is a movement specialist considering all the different postures it took in that one minute or so the bird was on the second position while photographing.
From a distance of 100 meters under low light conditions without a tripod, I realised that this was the best that was possible. I confine myself to one cup of coffee a day in order to avoid tremors which have a propensity for those in the seventh decade of life. Now it looks like, even that one cup might be too much if I have to have a better steady grip on the camera.
I have poor skills in bird identification. Therefore I do not even try to identify them. However, this bird might be a male Purple Rumped sunbird.
What moves me is the elegance in body complexion and its visually pleasing moment behaviour.
Thebirds fly all the time. They begin the day not knowing where to find the daily food. And yet, except occasionally I do not notice a hurry, haste or anxious body language in the birds who visit us in our garden.
Take time to look at birds. They remind us of the truths Jesus of Nazareth referred to: '.. they do not sow or reap and yet their heavenly Father provides for them..'!
To me birds are messengers of goodwill giving us a sense of comfort and peace, although they are migrants and have no permanent dwelling place. They have the least of creature comforts and yet they soar high in the sky telling gall of us, that ' live is to experience of fullness of life'!
M.C.Mathew(text and photo)
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