Tufted Titmouse

Yes that's right, titmouse. Strange name for a bird it seems but an elegant looking species nonetheless. I was inspired to share this image because of the recent wonderful avain shots by Brad & Larry. Captured this on Sunday near one of my backyard feeding stations.

400 mm (640 equiv), 1/2000s @ f/6.7, ISO 400, AF, about 60% of FF

Funny thing that you posted a titmouse, Wayne. I've been seeing a lot of these guys around our feeder lately and have been wanting to photograph one. They have such beautiful plummage. The detail and light is exceptionally good in this. Nice work!

Hey, that looks like a bird not a mouse!

Looks good. Have fun getting close to those birds. I just do not have that kind of patience.

Nice capture Wayne. Thanks for sharing.

Great focus on your shot Wayne, thanks for sharing, I have never seen one of these guys.

Like many other birds they don't hang around long. Nice one Wayne.

nice one, Wayne, I've yet to get one to hold still long enough for a really good photo

Ah yes the delightful little Titmouse. Glad to see you enjoying some of our feathered friends as well Wayne. Nicely done.

Detail in head and face is great. What is that in his left foot???

Nit: I wish the tail feathers were in focus.

Bird photography is probably the ulimte challenge???

Great capture.

the fisch

The Tufted Titmouse is one of my favorite little birds to capture. They are close cousins to the Chickadee and, like them, are seldom still for long. Nice capture. Odd that the tail is a bit out of focus at f/6.7, but the higher magnification and distance off can dramatically shorten the depth of field, even on small birds. Still, the clear focus on the eyes and excellent pose make this a definite keeper.

Thanks for the comments everyone, they are much appreciated. I have been trying to get a nice shot of a Tufted Titmouse the last couple of winters. They are very quick and don't stay in one place very long so getting one framed with focus locked on the eye takes a bit of practice & luck.

A couple of you asked what the titmouse has in its claw. That's a morsel from the nearby feeding station but I can't specifically identify it. I purchase a special "winter blend" bird feed from an area specialty store (Wild Birds Unlimited) and the birds love it. They rarely flick the food out of the feeder like they would when I bought cheap mixtures at Walmart. So while it's more expensive by far, the birds are consuming every piece and getting much better nutrition in the process.

Thanks for looking and leaving a comment. May you have a safe and Happy New Year!

The tufted titmouse was one of the first birds to arrive at our new feeder last year. Not being a bird watcher in the past, I had to do a google image search to find out what it was. With all the good avian shots you guys have been posting, I may start any future searches here

This is a fine specimen and well captured, Wayne. I've never tried bird photography - I don't really have the necessary glass and doubt that I have the necessary skills. Thanks for sharing.

Nicely done Wayne. It's tough getting an exposure showing detail in the eyes without blowing out the lighter feathers.

Beautiful shot Wayne!