While dexterity is often associated with hands, its broader meaning embraces agility, inventiveness, and nimbleness. That brought to mind the Steller’s jays that frequent my property. The hanging suet log I put out is designed for small birds that can easily cling to its bark and peck at the suet. When I first introduced it, several Steller’s jays came to investigate. They clearly wanted the suet??”but each attempt ended in failure, as the log swung away from them.
These jays typically avoid landing on vertical surfaces. But day after day, they kept trying. Over time, they developed clever techniques for grasping the swaying log and darting their beaks into the suet plugs??”an impressive demonstration of avian dexterity.
Technical details:
Sony DSC-RX10 IV | 207mm
f/5.6 | 1/800 sec | ISO 400
Handheld | Natural light
7 comments posted
Ally Green
I think this is a very dexterous Stellar jay and perseverance has paid off. Very nice action shot displaying its wings outstretched with lots of detail in the feathers and the determination in its eye to hang on. I might have toned down the background and used a bit of the lens blur tool to make the subject stand out more. Nicely done and a good example of dexterity. Posted: 07/16/2025 22:33:51
Bunny Laden
Thanks for your comments Ally! Posted: 07/18/2025 04:52:27
Nancy Armstrong
I always admire a well done bird photo as it's something I struggle with - I don't have the patience to wait for the right shot. And what could be a better example of dexterity than coming in for a landing and grabbing a target with your feet?! Posted: 07/20/2025 01:09:10
Bunny Laden
I learned the trick is to use a fast speed and burst mode. But for this image, I knew the bird would show up as soon as I stocked the log with yummy suet. :-) Posted: 07/21/2025 00:03:20
Lisa Salisbury Hackley
I appreciate both the broader definition of dexterity and your technical data Bunny. Learning/understanding bird behavior patterns is key to successful bird photography, and you obviously were ready when this guy showed up.
The only thing I might have tried is to lighten the background just a bit with a mask in Lightroom. That might create more separation between the jay's wings and the background. Well done. Posted: 07/23/2025 19:13:22
Bunny Laden
Thanks so much for your suggestion Lisa! Posted: 07/24/2025 01:32:08
Carole Kropscot
Imagine being so dexterous without any fingers! We humans are so lucky to have fingers to pick up our food! Very nice job of capturing the bird and the feeder. The busy background competes. I think a simple darkening of all the background would make the main subject stand out. And if you didn't want to bother with brushing over all those bright spots, a simple dark vignette would be a quick way to enhance the image. Posted: 07/28/2025 20:24:12
