About "Wings"

Although part of wildlife, I have separated everything with feathers or wings from grizzly bears, moose and mountain lions. It gets confusing in the insect world (and with weird creatures like bats) so mistakes will be made. This isn't the Nat Geo channel.

Because most birds are small and far away, a majority of serious avian photographers rely on expensive lenses with a reach of 400 to 600 mm. Coupled with extenders, these lenses have an effective focal range up to 1200 mm allowing the photographer to “fill the frame” and provide the greatest detail and interest in something that is far away.

Without such lenses, I rely on sneakiness and learning as much as I can about animal behavior in order to get close enough for a decent picture. This involves laying in the grass or mud, climbing a tree, using a blind, and sometimes just being lucky. I have also created habitat in our back yard that invites creatures such as songbirds and hummingbirds. Some of the images in this gallery come from my own private wilderness of sunflowers.