Sage Grouse

Gallery: AvianPosted May 3, 2010261 views22 comments

Sorry for my lack of participation during the past week I just returned from a trip to Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Eastern Oregon. Photographing these Sage Grouse on the lek was a highlight for all of us. This was taken on a cloudy overcast day which is the best to shoot at in this location because they are backlit on a sunny day. Full frame, taken from my car window with the lens set on the window sill. The iso might seem a little high here but I wanted the shutter speed because I was also trying to catch him in full display.

MkIII 500F4 1.4X 1/640 F7.1, iso 1000 evaluative metering at 0.

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by Hali Sowle on May 3, 2010 at 6:04 PM

Great capture with fantastic detail in all those different feathers. There isn't alot of noise so the ISO seems just fine to me. Great dof, although the little bit of out of focus in the foreground is a bit distracting I'm not sure you could do a tighter crop without losing some of the visual impact by making the foreground to narrow..

Registered on January 9, 2008, 36 Posts, 582 Comments

Comment posted by David Chauvin on May 3, 2010 at 6:19 PM

What a fantastic display and I really like the inclusion of the environment.

Registered on August 5, 2004, 1007 Posts, 5595 Comments

Comment posted by Andrea Marzorati on May 3, 2010 at 6:34 PM

Really a perfect image of an incredible bird!!

Registered on December 1, 2005, 86 Posts, 589 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on May 3, 2010 at 6:51 PM

Wonderful shot, Nate. Great detail in this and the large version is a must see. Good work.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, Wi

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on May 3, 2010 at 6:51 PM

Sweet image, Nate, but it looks awful cold out there.

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

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on May 3, 2010 at 6:55 PM

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Dennis, it was unseasonably cold at Malheur, about 15 degrees colder than normal at that time of year. The first 2 days were cold and windy with a little bit of occasional snow. The sun came out Saturday afternoon after we finished with the grouse and it was still windy but we had a lot of photo opps the whole trip so we weren't complaining.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Graham Brown on May 3, 2010 at 6:59 PM

That's a beautiful bird captured in a beautiful setting. You really need the larger version to appreciate the detail throughout the image. The pose is striking and the colours subtle. Maybe the detail in the whites are visible in the original. Graham

Registered on November 20, 2007, 275 Posts, 1365 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on May 3, 2010 at 7:22 PM

Perfect pose and the comp is super Nate. This is a great habitat and behavioral image, really well done.

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

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on May 3, 2010 at 8:15 PM

The snow adds a lot to this for me. Very nice.

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

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on May 3, 2010 at 10:03 PM

What a handsome looking bird! Nicely captured!

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

Comment posted by Terry Sohl on May 3, 2010 at 10:42 PM

Beautiful...I'd love to get a shot of these guys like this.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 513 Posts, 6889 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on May 4, 2010 at 12:40 AM

This looks really good, Nate. I want one.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on May 4, 2010 at 12:46 AM

I want one, too! This is nice. This Lek is by the roadside - wow! Did you park your car before daybreak?

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

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on May 4, 2010 at 12:59 AM

Fantastic! This deserves a very large print! I really love the greenery and snowy setting.

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

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on May 4, 2010 at 8:28 AM

Nice one Nate - really like the way the small patches of snow complement the white speckles in the plumage.

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on May 4, 2010 at 9:48 AM

Thanks for the comments everyone!

Kwan, yes we parked before daybreak.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on May 4, 2010 at 10:47 AM

That is quite a display with the bulging neck and tail feathers spread out. Wonderful comp and background, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on May 4, 2010 at 11:26 AM

Nate, I like the cold look of this photo. The larger version really sets off the detail inthe image. Those birds are so cool...hope to see one some day!

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by Monica Siri on May 4, 2010 at 3:52 PM

Nate,
superb image of this bird. I really like every aspect here.

Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on May 4, 2010 at 4:34 PM

Impressive bird, impressive image.

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

Comment posted by Ken Archer on May 4, 2010 at 7:59 PM

Smoking Photo Nate!!! Considering the conditions of that morning you did excellent.

My fingers are crossed that I got something even close to this. (they're down loading now