Downy Woodpecker

Male Downy Woodpecker on October 28, 2020. In this part of Maryland, fall foliage has hit its peak and many trees are bare. The neighborhood trees still have hints of yellows and oranges despite the trees outside my home being bare. The upside to those much barer trees is that the trees across the street provide colorful backgrounds when shooting from the balcony. Over the past few days, we had our balcony doors open so the bird calls are easy to hear. When I recognize one nearby, I sit outside and wait for interesting shots.

Two days prior, there was a small flock of Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets passing through. Frustration kicked in fast due to forgetting how swift these small birds move, a chore to merely get in focus. When this Downy started calling, I jumped outside with my camera knowing it would be easy to keep it in focus compared to my prior photography session. It was slowly climbing a branch that was partially blocked by branches. Patience paid off as it did eventually move up to a clear opening, with the bonus of having a nice background from the foliage.

Lens - Tamron 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 @ 600mm on Nikon D500