By Cas Massengil
Birds are weird. Being an amateur photographer, you’d think I would opt for an easier subject to constantly shoot, but no. The past couple of months, I’ve been obsessed with taking pictures of birds. For every good photo I’ve taken, there are 100 that are out of focus because these guys do not sit still. I often question why I spend hours outside with nothing to show for it, but then remember it all once I finally manage to get a good photo. In my head, each new species I capture is like a new Pokémon added to my collection, maybe that’s why I like it so much.
I got my first legit camera from my dad as a graduation gift in May and have made it my goal to take pictures with it every day since. My dad was an architectural photographer for a living (up until a few years ago), so I learned just about everything I know about photography from him. The more experience I got, the more I learned that, unlike him, I love taking photos of animals and people, but especially animals. I’ve always loved backyard bird watching, so I decided to start going out to take pictures of the birds around my house.
All of the following photos were taken in my backyard, except for the cedar waxwing photo, which was taken at Seven Islands State Birding Park in Kodak, TN, which is a really neat place that you should check out if you like birds and/or state parks. These pictures are just a few of my favorites that I’ve taken of some very common birds in East Tennessee that I thought I’d share, alongside some additional comments about the photos and the birds. Enjoy!
Song Sparrow
These small birds are one of the most abundant bird species in East Tennessee. They stick around all year long and don’t migrate. They eat insects and seeds, and you can find them pretty much anywhere. From the tip of their beaks to the tip of their tails, these guys are about 5-6″ long, so pretty tiny. I took this picture on my back porch, practically lying down on the concrete. I wanted to emphasize how small these little sparrows are, so I got down as low as I could and made sure the watering can and grill were in the background for more of a sense of scale. Even though song sparrows are super common (especially at my bird feeder), they’re not the easiest to take pictures of since every time I try to get close, they all fly away.
Northern Mockingbird
Mockingbirds are yet another common bird in East Tennessee year-round, and you can find them almost anywhere. They’re known for mimicking other birds, hence the name mockingbird. These birds are a lot easier to photograph since they’re not usually scared of humans and will let you get closer than most birds would. I have so many photos of these guys, but this one is my favorite since it was taken close enough to see the texture in the wings.
Cedar Waxwing
To be honest, I didn’t even know what cedar waxwings were until I started taking bird photos and took a photo of one of them. They like to hang out in tall trees and are known for their yellow-tipped tails and bellies. They don’t migrate but do travel occasionally to look for food. I took this picture at Seven Islands State Birding Park in early January. I love how these birds look, with their yellow feathers and black mask-like coloring around the eyes.
Carolina Chickadee
One of my personal favorites is the chickadee. I have chickadees come to my bird feeder every single day, and I think they’re adorable. It took me ages to finally get a decent picture of one since they’re very tiny (5” from beak to tail). Like tufted titmice (my favorite bird), chickadees are part of the Paridae family of birds that are found in the northern hemisphere. Chickadees are easy to attract with feeders, and they’ll even land on your hand if you wait long enough with food.
Blue Jay
Out of all the birds I’ve photographed so far, blue jays were the most challenging. Until last weekend, every blue jay picture I’d taken was blurry or obstructed, so it’s been my goal to get a clear photo of one. On Monday, January 26, when it was snowing, I went outside with my camera to take some pictures of the snow and saw a few blue jays resting in my neighbor’s tree. Blue jays are very smart birds and are one of the few birds that can remember where they stashed food. They are also good at mocking other birds, like hawks, to scare smaller birds away.
American Robin
While robins in the north migrate during winter, they tend to stick around all year in Tennessee. These guys can be found just about anywhere and are some of the most common birds in East Tennessee. They can often be found foraging in large groups. Robins are highly territorial and will sometimes fight their own reflection. I took this picture from my bedroom window while my cat was meowing her head off behind me. The dogwood tree in front of my room has a lot of visitors, but mostly robins and squirrels.
