Cedar Waxwings.

I have an large scruffy Mountain Ash in the backyard outside my office window, which serves as a great place for birds to hide from the Coopers Hawk. This Fall it is (was) covered with bright orange berries. The Robins are frantically stripping the tree, and have been inviting their friends, the Cedar Waxwings. Even the house finches are snacking on the berries despite the nearby feeder.

This picture shows the "wax-wingtips", which are usually pretty hard to see.

Pentax 300mm at f8 and 1/180sec. That lens is somewhat less-than-contrasty wide open, but is nice and sharp by f6.7 or f8. I tend to use ISO 400 or more in order to balance the aperture and shutter speed with flash. The flash helps isolate the bird when the background is bright and gives me some eye highlights, but limits me to 1/180s.

The red and yellow fiber tips are interesting. As a non-birder, I did not know of them. The flash highlights on the berries above its back draw a little attention and might be cloned out, as a suggestion.

What a great shot! Love it! Sure wish I had some Mountain Ash where I live, but I don't have the greenest thumb around.

What a nice capture!

Very nice catch with the berry.
It's great to have an office where you can work and play.

Here's a house finch... I put a larger image up in the Avian Gallery "House Finch Mtn Ash", which I recommend as the feather detail is really great. I really love the way flash highlights a bird's feathers, and helps darken the background.

Nice job capturing this with a berry in the mouth Tom. I have to admit...I am not a huge fan of flash photography on birds, but have used it once in awhile to lesson shadows on a subject. With this, it seems to work fine except for the bright glare coming off the berries above the bird. if it were one, I might consider cloning out the glare.