Ahh, the Painted Bunting, the bird only a five year old could paint! I love these birds, easily North America’s most colorful birds. They are normally quite shy, but in the spring when the boys are out looking for love, they sing from any perch they can find.

One of the best places in the US to photograph this species is the Block Creek Natural Area near Fredericksburg, TX (which is also near Austin). Why is it good? The people are super nice, they love birds and they love photography. They have some outstanding blinds with well stocked feeders and the birds never refuse a free meal. All of these and many more species were photographed over a few morning sessions at the ranch.

I’ve started shooting some HD video with my Nikon D300S and I love it. Here is a short movie I made of the Painted Buntings at Block Creek.

 

Here are the images in an easier to view gallery…