This is a photo of a Red-winged Blackbird I took patch birding, and I was proud to share this bird photo on my social media channels.
I love the colors of the bird in contrast to the background.
And enjoy my time connecting with nature.
This photo isn’t Audubon quality, but I’m happy capturing the moment of this beautiful bird in my bird patch.
Sharing is Caring
I’m sharing this because I read a comment someone wrote on Facebook in a birdwatching channel that left me unsettled.
The person commented about a photo he posted on the channel.
“This is not a bird I would personally seek out, but its position and lighting were something that I couldn’t pass up. The Red-winged Blackbird is really common and fairly predictable in its habit making it less of a challenge to catch them in just the right light,” says the owner of a well-captured Red-winged Blackbird.
I’m an advocate of people expressing their opinions.
All Birds Matter
But a common problem I encounter in the birdwatching community is that some people are afraid or embarrassed to express their excitement over seeing a bird like a Red-winged Blackbird, or a House Wren or even a Tufted Titmouse because they think their bird is not a challenging enough bird to capture in a photo.
Or even worse.
They’re afraid people will mock them.
Remember the important saying we were taught as a child…
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Well, it still rings true.
Even for bird photos.
Bird Snobbery
And for the record, I believe taking photos of birds is more challenging than playing golf.
It makes me think there’s some unspoken birding rule that you can’t share a photo of a bird you’re really excited about seeing unless it’s an elite raptor or rarity.
There is nothing wrong with sharing photos of “common” birds.
Because “common” birds in my area in the northeast might be an uncommon or a rare bird for someone in another part of the world.
I call this practice bird snobbery.
Never Apologize for Your Bird Photos
We should support, congratulate and share in the happiness of people like us who are into birds, and not crush their spirit because a bird they think is special might not be of greater importance.
Because it’s important.
You should never have to ask yourself, “Is this photo good enough or is this bird popular enough?” before posting it.
Red-winged Blackbirds are beautiful birds.
They’re common once the warmer weather arrives, and they’re ambassadors of warm weather and provide a soundtrack for all our outdoor activities in the summer.
And no one should have to preface before posting a beautiful photo of this bird with a comment about it not being a bird I would seek out.
It’s as if you’re apologizing for sharing a photo.
Celebrating Uniqueness of Bird Photos
If it’s important enough to you, then it’s important enough to share.
And if you lose followers over a “lesser” image, then it’s no loss at all.
So if you love your image, even if it’s under-exposed, over-exposure, soft-focused, or blurry, go ahead and share it.
There are no rules to abide by when posting your bird photos.
And that’s what makes everyone photos unique.
Just share it.
Sharing Your Discoveries
At intoBirds we share feature snaps of the day on our Instagram and Facebook accounts when people tag them #intobirds.
Many of the images are taken by professional nature photographers, and they’re quite stunning.
Others are taken on iPhones in people’s backyards.
One isn’t better than the other.
And we post them all.
If we love nature and our feathered friends, we should celebrate people getting out and seeing birds and sharing their discoveries.
Not make them feel less of a person because their photo of a Northern Goshawk is not as “good” as a Black-capped Chickadee.
Connecting with Nature
Every time you share a photo with your story, it helps advocate for birds, and it connects us with nature.
And shows our love for the gifts Mother nature shares with us every day.
So don’t ever feel embarrassed or less of a photographer posting a photo you’re proud of and tell your story about a bird you enjoy.
You can be an inspiration to others and helping them discover the beauty of nature at new heights.
Now get out and see birds and enjoy sharing your photo of birds.
And if you want to share your bird photos with us on Instagram, or Facebook, we encourage you to please do so.
We love seeing your bird photos and sharing them with everyone.
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