juvenile roadrunner

Gallery: AvianPosted October 4, 2010105 views10 comments

This juvenile roadrunner fledged approximately 3 weeks prior to taking this last week. This is the smallest of 3 juveniles that are intermittently using the cemetery where they were hatched to feed. I was low to the ground, too low in this case because the quick moving roadrunner was heading for cover after being spooked by a car. The movement combined with my low position, brought the tennis court across the street into the background. I've tried to minimize it, but can't eliminate it. 7D, ISO 400, f/8, 1/1600, 359 mm cropped slightly

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on October 5, 2010 at 12:29 AM

Rob,
Tough bird to get close to but you nailed it. Nice low position as well. I've never been able to get a good image of these guys. Well done Rob.

Registered on February 20, 2010, 110 Posts, 1511 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on October 5, 2010 at 2:14 AM

Nice! I'm really enjoying your roadrunners in the cemetery! Sure wouldove to have some close here.
This is a fine shot, despite the top BG. With some really really careful cloning around the head, i bet you could extend the nice OOF brown grass up to cover the tennis court.

Sandy r

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on October 5, 2010 at 4:35 AM

Great view of a roadrunner in action.

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

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on October 5, 2010 at 8:31 AM

Really neat image Rob, I wish there were roadrunners closer to me, they are fascinating birds. The tennis court doesn't bother me, my focus is on the bird, its pose and the nice colors.

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

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on October 5, 2010 at 10:14 AM

Excellent detail and pose, Rob. The upper bg is odd, but not really a distraction.

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

Comment posted by Terry Sohl on October 5, 2010 at 4:45 PM

Neat Rob, great pose with the raised foot. So these are the ones that are around your area? Just wish they made it a wee bit further north, at least where I visit family on the Nebraska/Kansas border.

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

Comment posted by Rob Graham on October 5, 2010 at 10:39 PM

Thanks folks. If you had asked me in mid-May what I would be photographing this summer, I wouldn't have said roadrunners :). I'm still waiting to see if any stick through the winter. Sandy, I tried a bit of cloning, etc, and came up with only a mess. Way beyond my skill atm. Terry, you only missed them by a couple hours :), depending on where you were at. I'm in the very center of Kansas, and read about a sighting that was at least 20 miles farther north. Lots of roadrunners sighted in Kansas this year, with 2 separate documented pairs in my county; there had never been a documented nesting here. I wouldn't be surprised to see them near the Kansas/Nebraska line in the next few years if this year is any indication.

Registered on August 22, 2006, 842 Posts, 2824 Comments

Comment posted by Jay Miller on October 6, 2010 at 8:01 AM

Rob,
Great shot. The tennis court just adds to the motion/action of the roadrunner.

Registered on September 17, 2010, 50 Posts, 66 Comments

Comment posted by Randy Wilson on October 6, 2010 at 10:52 AM

Great job, Rob. I think the upper left background is fine, and if you could clone that across the upper right, you would eliminate the distracting elements there. If you haven't already, you could try using a very large brush size, large enough that you're capturing the full width of the band across the top with one clone. That ought to work out ok. I would also clone out the two blades of grass that are right up against the bird's tail.

Registered on June 25, 2009, 7 Posts, 85 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on October 8, 2010 at 3:23 PM

Great image Rob. Love the raised foot.
May

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