Black-billed Magpie

Gallery: AvianPosted April 5, 2010238 views28 comments

Pica hudsonia

This was taken in northern Utah last month, the pair of Magpies were busy nest building at the time. In this image the bird has a mouth full of mud which they use to line the nest.

D200, lens resting on pickup window, f6.3, 1/1500, ISO 400, EV +0.3 step, 200-400mm VR at 400mm, natural light. Cropped vertical from a horizontal. I was prefocused on the entrance to the nest. Larger version provided for evaluation of details & sharpness.

As always, I sincerely appreciate your comments and critiques. Thank you for looking.

Comments

28 comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on April 5, 2010 at 8:07 AM

This bird is quite an acrobat, looks as though it's doing an avian equivalent of a handstand.

You did an excellent job with exposure and the comp works real well. Very neat shot!

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on April 5, 2010 at 8:13 AM

A cool pose Mia, with the tail up like that. The larger version really shows all the wonderful detail you captured in this image. A perfect exposure IMO. Great details in the blacks and the whites are nice and white. Great eye contact and the mud adds interest to the image. Topped off with nice habitat and BG. Super overall comp, well done for sure.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on April 5, 2010 at 8:58 AM

You do very well from that pickup window i must say. Great light here and capture of the metalic wings Mia

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on April 5, 2010 at 9:05 AM

Excellent!

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Avi Hirschfield on April 5, 2010 at 9:40 AM

Mia excellent detail in the feathers with superb colour.
Love the action as well
AVI

Registered on November 1, 2003, 518 Posts, 2114 Comments

Comment posted by denise ippolito on April 5, 2010 at 10:22 AM

Nice behavior image and exposure looks good. I like the way you framed it.

Registered on December 17, 2009, 202 Posts, 1529 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on April 5, 2010 at 11:23 AM

Mia, most of the time we see only a hint of the magpie's iridescence and here you have a pose with him showing it off with a gentle up-swept curve! Anybody who has tried to capture an image of one of these guys has reason to be jealous.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Roy Bailey on April 5, 2010 at 12:46 PM

Fabulous detail in the blacks,very tough birds to get a good shot of, the documentation of behaviour adds even more.

Registered on November 16, 2008, 24 Posts, 486 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on April 5, 2010 at 1:09 PM

Fine work on the exposure of a notoriously difficult species. I also like the perch. The angle to tail implies he goosed himself on the thorns, accenting the perch. The chunk of dirt in the bill is a very good behavioral capture but isn't the most flattering thing to photograph...

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on April 5, 2010 at 1:18 PM

Thanks for the comments thus far on this magpie.

Jim, I am hoping that it is mud in the bill of the Magpie, it could be bison manure. They use that in nest building too and there are bison near the nest!

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on April 5, 2010 at 1:26 PM

An unusual image - the bird's position is unique and the color palette here is unlike any image I can recall seeing in Avian.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Stan Rose on April 5, 2010 at 1:48 PM

Interesting behavioral shot. Technicals all look great, which doesnt surprise me. I wouldnt hang it on my wall, but its different and well done!

Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments

Comment posted by Rohn B. McKee on April 5, 2010 at 2:12 PM

Mia,
Excellent Techs as always. I'm amazed you captures so much detail inside the blacks with only .3ev. I love how you capture behaviors so creatively.

Registered on November 18, 2008, 109 Posts, 415 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on April 5, 2010 at 3:17 PM

Excellent Mia. Love the mud in the beak, the setting and especially the action. I like how the whites in the wing form a curve.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Harbour on April 5, 2010 at 6:29 PM

Nice pose, great behavior. I like the iridescence your captured. I also like your crop.

Registered on January 4, 2008, 113 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on April 5, 2010 at 8:49 PM

Love the action pose, and great exposure for such extreme tonal variations. But my teeth feel gritty after looking at that mouthful of mud.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on April 5, 2010 at 9:02 PM

Very interesting behavior shot, Mia. This fine image documents the behavior extremely well. The pose shows off so much of the bird too! (I'm beginning to think that I should buy a pickup truck.

)

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on April 6, 2010 at 12:39 AM

Fine job on a tough species to photograph. Unique for the pose but also the nest building activity captured. I only seem to be able to photograph these guys when they are on roadkill.

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Sandra Hendrikse on April 6, 2010 at 1:55 AM

Great and well composed behavioural shot. Excellent detail and the exposure is spot on.

Registered on January 23, 2008, 48 Posts, 769 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on April 6, 2010 at 6:06 AM

Fantastic Mia - love the way the tail arcs back over the bird. Is that just in the process of balancing after landing? Unique colours.

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on April 6, 2010 at 7:12 AM

Rob,

I believe the Magpie was trying to get its balance after landing in this image. They seem to land, get their bearings then go through the tunnel they have created in the shrub to the base of the nest.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on April 6, 2010 at 9:18 AM

great pose, great iridescence and exposure, and I really like the comp. the mud in the bill is interesting too--neat to see them in the act of nest-building.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on April 6, 2010 at 9:19 AM

Outstanding MIa! Behavior, Pose, detail, lighting, its gat it all going on.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Nilanjan Das on April 6, 2010 at 11:44 AM

Outstanding :).

Registered on June 5, 2008, 94 Posts, 383 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on April 6, 2010 at 4:53 PM

Most interesting pose and behaviour. Exposure is perfect.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Matt Shellenberg on April 6, 2010 at 10:19 PM

I like that strange looking pose Mia. Great behavior shot with the mud in the bill. Excellent job on the exposure.

Registered on February 6, 2008, 168 Posts, 3118 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on April 7, 2010 at 1:38 PM

This is a great candid shot Mia! Wonderful in every way!

Registered on June 26, 2009, 181 Posts, 1558 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 7, 2010 at 10:34 PM

Sorry I'm late on this one, Mia. I'm catching up tonight. Beautiful image. I particularly like the behavioral aspect, but the composition and technicals are spot on as well.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments