Red-flanked Bluetail

[Paul Lagasi]

Some years there are rare birds that show up, all around North America. This year they settled on British Columbia.
I found the ABA Birding News article about the Bluetail. That on January, 13th a Red-flanked Bluetail (Code 4) was discovered in New Westminster, BC. I booked the flight that afternoon. Now all I could do was wait out the 9 days and hope for the best. Well as luck would have it, it waited for me.
As soon as I got off the airplane, I went in search of the Bluetail. It did not disappoint, very easy to find, getting a photo was another matter.
This bird was hanging out in Queens Park, it was rainy, overcast and under the trees there was almost no light. I tried various settings but the bird would not sit still for long and most photos were blurry. I boosted the ISO of my camera up to 6400, knowing full well the images would be grainy but it was the only way I could get a resonably sharp image of this bird. The bird seemed to fly in a circular pattern and all we had to do was wait.
A few minutes went by and the Red-flanked Bluetail was in the books. Species photo #632 for my files.
The photos are not the best but this is the first time a Bluetail has been seen in Canada and may never be seen again in my lifetime.

[Cheryl Slechta]

Paul, this must have been thrilling. It's a beautiful bird and I love the bird against that beautiful background. Your efforts were rewarded - you must be happy as a lark

[John Chardine]

You got it!!!!! Well done Paul. That's a big tick. I like the BG here and the way the blue tail shows so nicely.

[Paul Lagasi]

Thanks Cheryl and John....people who know me (but aren't involeved in birding or photography) think I am obsessed with birds, notably my wife . I can't describe the feeling when I see a new bird through my bins or get one in the lens. Time seems to stand still. Its a passion that few have but when you have that passion, nothing else matters at the moment.

Finding this bird after flying across Canada and it was still there was a high....John I saw this bird from over 300 feet and knew it was the
Bluetail.
My blog shows the good and the bad images....thanks for looking

[Wendy Kates]

Paul, I second all the comments. I love the bird against that background! Congratulations!

[Paul Lagasi]

Thank You Wendy

[Kerry Perkins]

Wow, it would be a thrill to even see this Eurasian vagrant, let alone get a nice image of it. Congratulations on the "lifer" and I love your image, very nicely done.

[Dennis Bishop]

Well done, Paul. Sounds like it was a big enough thrill you might not have needed the plane to fly back home. It's a beautiful bird and a beautiful image.

[Dan Brown]

Congrats, Paul! Love the treatment! I heard of this bird but didn't chase it, a little far for me!

[Nancy Bell]

Congrats on getting such a good bird! I also keep a list and know exactly how you are feeling! Great watercolor effect for a rainy day. You could consider toning down the bkgd just a tiny bit so the bird stands out more.

[Paul Lagasi]

Thank You Nancy, Kerry, Dennis and Dan

[laurie golden]

Love your processing on this beautiful bird. But mostly I appreciate your story. I find myself questioning my many trips to find that target bird and wonder if I am crazy. So nice to hear others finding joy in these same passions.

[Anita Bower]

Paul: I'm impressed by your commitment to photograph all the birds in the bird book. Good for you! What a thrill to see this bird. Nice treatment. I agree that toning down the bg colors just a tad would help the bird stand out more. I wonder if you can do something about the blurred area of the rock--it stands out in contrast to the sharper areas of the rock, and is noticeable because it is right under the bird. Maybe cloning to make that area sharper, or blurring the sharp areas to make the rock consistent. Good perseverance and good image.

[Paul Lagasi]

Thanks Laurie and Anita
I lightened the background...

[Anita Bower]

I think the lovely bird stands out better.

[Indranil Sircar]

This is excellent, Paul Fantastic capture! Lovely bg and so is your processing!

[Andrew McLachlan]

Hey Paul, congrats on the find and love the processing for this one too...beautiful work!