Elijah Gildea
REDDING, CALIFORNIA
Equipment: Nikon D850, Nikon 200-500 lens
In 2006, Elijah spotted a pair of bald eagles— the first he’d seen in his life. He was so excited that he went out the next day and purchased a new camera. Soon he was photographing rufous hummingbirds nearby, then traveling to find even more species. “I am always in pursuit of capturing incredible or beautiful hummingbird moments,” he says.
“Hummingbirds initially caught my eye because of their iridescent colors, and they have kept my interest because of their incredible variety,” Elijah says. His hobby is now a parttime job. He shoots professionally for Perky-Pet bird feeders and leads tours in Costa Rica, while teaching local photography workshops.
In his own backyard, Elijah regularly welcomes six species. “I live on the outskirts of town, which is apparently a great location for hummingbirds,” he says. “I have 12 large hummingbird feeders up and spend my mornings drinking coffee, cleaning and refilling feeders, and watching the dozens of hummingbirds.” And his camera is always nearby, no doubt!
Bill Friggle
DENVER, PENNSYLVANIA
Equipment: Nikon D600, Nikon 200-500 lens
When Bill’s severe arthritis forced him into a power chair, he felt depressed by his limitations. Reading about another photographer who had similar challenges inspired him to return to the hobby of his youth. “On the days you can, you go out and do what you can,” he says.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June/July 2020-Ausgabe von Birds & Blooms.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der June/July 2020-Ausgabe von Birds & Blooms.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Sense or Nonsense? - Why some birds can taste and smell - but others can't
Does a porcelain berry taste like a blueberry to a gray catbird? Does a block of lard smell like frying bacon to a northern flicker? The short answer is no. While some avian species do have a well-adapted sense of taste or smell, they can't distinguish between flavors and odors the way humans can. They're not picking up every ingredient in the suet you put out, says José Ramírez-Garofalo, an ornithology researcher at Rutgers University in New Jersey and the director of Freshkills Biological Station in Staten Island, New York.
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