These birds are affectionately known as 'Groppers' here in the UK and are relatively scarce and unfortunately declining fast. I found some locally last spring. Two interesting features of them is that it is very difficult to get a photograph of them on a clean background (although I have got a couple) as I cannot think of bird thats like to stay deep in vegetation more than this species. Secondly their long sustained grasshopper type song actually cannot be heard by older people due to loss of high frequency hearing with age. I found this out when two 50 year old plus bird watchers were trying to locate the while I was out photographing them. 'Can't you hear them?' I asked... but they couldn't and so were unable to locate them. Fortunately I can still hear the 'groppers' so was able to take them to see a bird, with which they were overjoyed. When they do come out to sing, the song is very long and sometimes goes on for 5 minutes or more of continuous grasshopper churring before the dive back deeper into the vegetation.
This photo is one showing a bird in typical habitat in this case a large clump of brambles.
Photograph taken handheld with 1Dmk2N and 500mm lens at ISO 160 F5.6 0.33 EV at 1/250s
Very sharp image, incredible feather detail,nice lighting. You must have been rock solid to get this image handholding a 500mm lens.
Yours in Wildness
Ted
Thanks for your replies and comments. I admit it may have been a bit of a generalisation saying that over 50's cannot hear grassshopper warblers but certainly those of advanced aged do struggle with them.
Rich, this is a gorgeous image and thanks for the interesting information and story! Cleaner backgrounds usually look better, but in this case, I really really like the background and the colors are really nice. The only change I would wish for is the absence of that one out of focus branch that more or less outlines his back or topline. Overall, very very nice image!