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Birds of Barrington

Stuck at home, resident photographs dozens of birds

By Josh Bickford
Posted 7/7/20

Stan Chamberlain made the most of his time during the state's stay-at-home order.

Confined to his house and surrounding property, the Barrington resident photographed dozens of birds as they …

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Birds of Barrington

Stuck at home, resident photographs dozens of birds

Posted

Stan Chamberlain made the most of his time during the state's stay-at-home order.

Confined to his house and surrounding property, the Barrington resident photographed dozens of birds as they visited his feeders, compiling an extensive photographic portfolio.

Using his Nikon Z6 camera with a telephoto lens, Mr. Chamberlain captured images of cardinals, sparrows, chickadees, blue jays, grackles and many other birds in various stages of flight and feasting. He adjusted the shutter speed on his camera to one-five thousandth of a second to photograph a hummingbird as it hovered above a feeder in his yard: the normally blurred buzzing of its wings frozen in time.

"I took hundreds of photos," Mr. Chamberlain said during a recent interview. He said he was surprised by how many different species of birds frequented his Heritage Road home.

At times, Mr. Chamberlain would also bring his camera on trips to the Osamequin Bird Sanctuary located off the Wampanoag Trail. Careful to keep a safe distance from any other people visiting the sanctuary, Mr. Chamberlain spotted — and captured in flight — images of herons, egrets, osprey and mallard ducks.

"It kept me busy. It kept me occupied," he said, of his newfound interest.

Some of the images surprised Mr. Chamberlain: the spread of a bird's wings as it landed at a feeder, and the color of their plumage.

"The cardinal was brilliant, at least the male was," Mr. Chamberlain said.

"The woodpeckers are very beautiful."

Mr. Chamberlain considers himself a photo enthusiast. For years he has served as the photographer at conferences for the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), of which he is a member, taking photos of presenters and honorees.

Photographing birds, however, provided a different challenge. Mr. Chamberlain said he would sit on his deck and wait patiently for the birds to approach the feeders. He said he enjoyed the activity greatly.

More recently, Mr. Chamberlain's son has been visiting and he brought along his dog. Mr. Chamberlain decided to move the bird feeders farther away from his deck, reducing the odds for any dog-and-bird interaction.

It is the least he can do for the feathered friends who kept him busy during his time at home.

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