Marsh Wren + REPOST

Gallery: AvianPosted April 27, 2012140 views13 comments

My first trip to Ridgefield NWR in southwest WA State revealed a treasure of birds that I usually hear but never see. And in this case, I'd never met this little bird before. It was a rare and wonderful day. I hope to make more of them (and photos!) with return visits.

D700, 300/2.8 + 1.4TC, bean back on car door
f4.5, 1/2500, -0.33EV, ISO 800

Broken compositional rule on purpose... I only got a 2-shot burst before it flew away. I think it's a Marsh Wren. Will one of the experts here verify for me?

Thanks.

Comments

13 comments

Comment posted by Ken Archer on April 27, 2012 at 4:16 AM

Sweet environmental photo of this Marsh Wren Catherine. For one of the smallest birds living in the marsh, they are certainly big on attitude.
I was at Ridgefield Tuesday morning the 24th, wish we would have met. Perhaps next time.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Alan Murphy on April 27, 2012 at 10:29 AM

Nice habitat image. The comp would work better if the bird was looking into the right side of the image.

Registered on December 3, 2003, 192 Posts, 739 Comments

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on April 27, 2012 at 3:21 PM

Thanks, Ken and Alan for the comments.

Alan, how is this for the “correct” crop then? Better, huh? Btw, is that a Violet-Green Swallow, oof, on the left lower edge? I am known to see logs, sticks and clumps of grass as birds, too…

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Luca Mussato on April 27, 2012 at 4:08 PM

much better the repost. to me the "spot" on the left is a piece of stick/grass.

Registered on November 14, 2006, 118 Posts, 855 Comments

Comment posted by Hali Sowle on April 27, 2012 at 4:18 PM

I really like the crop you made for the repost, a pretty little bird I've never seen.

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

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 27, 2012 at 5:54 PM

Nice, Cathrine, and a very difficult bird to find fully visible. I think I do prefer the repost, though I don't mind birds smaller in the frame. The difficulty with the original was that the bird has less room the way it's looking and it feels like it's walled in. The blob does resemble a violet-green, but I don't think I've ever seen one down in the reeds-not their cup of tea, though I have seen young swallows (can't recall which species now) going after sand fleas on the beach at Foulweather Bluff in very high winds.

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

Comment posted by Craig Strand on April 28, 2012 at 8:12 AM

You have a wonderful shot of a Marsh Wren Catherine. I like the repost comp much better. It sounds like you had a nice visit to Ridgefield and it would be nice to get together there sometime for a drive around the auto tour route and shooting some birds. Let me know if that works for you. Craig

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on April 28, 2012 at 9:16 AM

Hi Catherine: Nice work getting one of these guys in the open enough to get a shot. I much prefer the repost. Feels more balanced to me.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on April 28, 2012 at 3:29 PM

Repost is much better IMO. Bird looks a bit oversharpened, but that is easily remedied.

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

Comment posted by Jim Hansen on April 28, 2012 at 9:07 PM

I've been feeling amiss due to not commenting on your beautiful wren image. After all, we are "wren mates" for this page. I really like the pose this bird provided for you, and the lighting is nice. Inclusion of habitat is always nice. Your repost is even better. It sounds like this is your first experience with marsh wrens. I have been struggling with them for a long time, and I am impressed with your success on your first try!

Registered on May 5, 2011, 161 Posts, 908 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on April 29, 2012 at 5:24 PM

Good to see you are at doing some bird photography Catherine, very nice image of a tough species, I like your repost.

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

Comment posted by Catherine Reilly on April 29, 2012 at 5:27 PM

Thanks everyone. I reel in my defiance of the "rule" and concede that the conventional crop is much better. I wasn't too sure the reeds and sticks would look good, and as it turns out, it looks much better than I thought.

Hi, Jim-- You're a good sport. I think we both got fine images of the marsh wren and gave our viewers an opportunity to appreciate what they look like in a couple of different lighting situations and habitat. I know mine was "beginner's luck." I hear them all the time but never see them. So, we are "wren mates" then.

Registered on August 16, 2006, 603 Posts, 9192 Comments

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on April 30, 2012 at 10:57 AM

Catherine, I really like this setting for this bird. The light looks great. I prefer the repost for composition, though I agree with Dennis about not minding birds smaller in the frame.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments