Birds

Confiding Kinglet in Central Park

October 23, 2009 by Corey 9 Comments

On a recent walk through Central Park with Daisy we were distracted, charmed, and entertained by a Golden-crowned Kinglet Regulus satrapa that was exploring each and every part of a fence for bugs, and occasionally hitting the jackpot when it found an old spider web with long-dead insects in it.  Though both North American species of kinglets can be seemingly oblivious to the presence of humans this particular Golden-crowned Kinglet was more so than most and it was rather simple to figure out that if we placed ourselves ahead of it along the fence it was foraging on it would come right past, so we did and it did, within inches.  Then we moved past the kinglet and waited again, and then we did it again, and again.  It was a game one could never grow tired of simply because watching a four-inch bird that sometimes hangs upside-down, sometimes hover-gleans, and is completely unconcerned about one’s presence is amazing.

So now I am sure that folks are drooling at the thought of the absolutely astounding pictures I must have taken.  And, well, I would have gotten absolutely astounding pictures if I had brought any lens but my 18-55mm.  However, even with a lens so unsuited to bird photography I still managed to get a couple decent shots which are below.  Not bad for such a short lens, right?

And, if you are interested, Daisy rejected both Regulus and Kinglet as names for our as-yet-unborn son.  He is going to end up named “Hey you” unless we figure something out soon!

This post has been submitted to Bird Photography Weekly #61.  Go check it out!

Written by Corey
Corey is a New Yorker who lived most of his life in upstate New York but has lived in Queens since 2008. He's only been birding since 2005 but has garnered a respectable life list by birding whenever he wasn't working as a union representative or spending time with his family. He lives in Forest Hills with Daisy and Desmond Shearwater. His bird photographs have appeared on the Today Show, in Birding, Living Bird Magazine, Bird Watcher's Digest, and many other fine publications. He is also the author of the American Birding Association Field Guide to the Birds of New York.