Jim Overfield
July 2026 - Eastern Kingbird
About the Image(s)
This Kingbird is a large tyrant flycatcher native to the Americas. It is a migratory bird with its breading range spread across North America and its wintering range in Central America.
Handheld SD Mark IV, 100-400 mm lens set at 349.00mm. 1/1600 sec; ISO 10000; Manual spot metering.
13 comments posted
Jim
Your photo is very sharp and the bokeh is dreamy. Nice timing also with the songbird's music in full display. Posted: 07/08/2026 14:47:31
Your photo is very sharp and the bokeh is dreamy. Nice timing also with the songbird's music in full display. Posted: 07/08/2026 14:47:31
Thank you Ted. Posted: 07/19/2026 14:41:46
Eastern Kingbirds are hardly good singers. But catching it mid-squawk is great. Your colors and detail are lovely. The diagonal tree branch is fortunate. Nice job. Posted: 07/08/2026 19:44:07
Jim, I think you're incredibly fortunate to live where you do and have access to such an amazing variety of birds to photograph. This Kingbird is another outstanding example. As Leslie mentioned, catching it right in the middle of its squawk absolutely makes the image-it adds so much personality and life. I also love the leading-line branch, which naturally draws the eye right to the bird. Your lighting is beautiful and really enhances the story the image is telling, and the bird itself is tack-sharp with wonderful detail. This is a terrific capture all around. Well done! Posted: 07/09/2026 00:17:50
Tom, thank you for your kind words. I haven't been out taking photo's for several weeks now, so my stock is running low and I'm starting to scrape the bottom of the barrel. My daughter and grandchildren are also visiting from Ireland for the summer, so photography is on the back burner for now. Posted: 07/19/2026 14:56:39
The mouth open makes this photo special and it is very well composed. What did you use to remove the noise? Posted: 07/09/2026 14:38:44
Thank you Michael. I used Topaz denoise. I find Topaz to be a better tool for me than Lightroom classic's denoise. It may be that I'm not using Lightroom's denoise properly. Posted: 07/19/2026 14:44:40
The bird's natural curve, the sharp clarity of its eye, and the soft background combine to create a truly impressive nature photograph. Posted: 07/11/2026 06:22:00
Thank you Veysi. Posted: 07/19/2026 14:45:13
One thing I really like about this photo is the spread tail with the white edges showing so graphically. That is one of the special diagnostic signs for identifying the Eastern Kingbird. Posted: 07/11/2026 15:06:50
One more slight comment. You could brighten it up just a tad in Photoshop Levels. Posted: 07/18/2026 15:51:57
Thank you Leslie. I followed up with your suggestion and using photoshop, I think did produce a better image on my computers screen. Not sure the attached really reflects the change I made. What do you think. In any case, your suggestion was a good one. Thanks again. Posted: 07/19/2026 14:47:12
oh, yes! perfect. It's such a lovely capture of the eastern kingbird Posted: 07/19/2026 14:53:49