Spotted Towhee

Gallery: AvianPosted January 19, 2014780 views17 comments

Another Bosque image and this was another new bird for me. I've only ever seen the Eastern Towhee here in PA. I managed only 3 encounters, 3 different days, in different places around the refuge. This was the best of the 3, in that it came out of the twigs somewhat, and into the open. The others were deep in the brush and offered me only fleeting glimpses!

50D, 700mm, ISO 200, F5.6, 1/1250 LARGER version available. Thanks for your comments/critiques...I learn from all of them! Sharon

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by Scott Frye on January 19, 2014 at 8:48 PM

Great detail in blacks and whites - the eye draws my attention right to the bird so the branches are not a bother to me

Registered on February 3, 2007, 387 Posts, 1136 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on January 19, 2014 at 8:55 PM

Excellent. This is a higher elevation species here in the west so they only come down to lower levels during winter. But like most sparrows they like to feed on the ground so it is unusual to see one up in there clear like this.

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

Comment posted by Mark Jenkins on January 19, 2014 at 9:33 PM

Nice perch with sharp details. Branches don't bother me either. The only time I have seen these they were on the ground. Like the red eye. Nice shot.

Registered on April 20, 2008, 307 Posts, 604 Comments

Comment posted by Matthew Studebaker on January 19, 2014 at 10:31 PM

great job on the dynamic range of whites and darks. I lke the space in the composition.

Registered on December 21, 2013, 11 Posts, 82 Comments

Comment posted by Jefferson Silva on January 20, 2014 at 5:14 AM

Nice image, Sharon.
Beautiful bird. I liked the overall composition!

Registered on December 18, 2012, 162 Posts, 975 Comments

Comment posted by Randy Runtsch on January 20, 2014 at 7:19 AM

Nice composition, Sharon. The details of the bird show from head to tail. The goldfish branches go well with the orange on the bird's breast, too.

Registered on October 30, 2013, 50 Posts, 445 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Turner on January 20, 2014 at 9:35 AM

Stands out well from the dormant tree. I like the similarity of colors of bird to tree branches.

Registered on February 18, 2012, 534 Posts, 2755 Comments

Comment posted by John Neukirch on January 20, 2014 at 1:06 PM

A wonderful pose with some decent catch light in the eye. I'm glad you were able to get a shot without any annoying branches in the way. Well done!

Registered on July 9, 2012, 207 Posts, 1476 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on January 20, 2014 at 1:51 PM

Wonderful species. I fits very well in this setting, color wise. Pleasant shot Sharon ! Cheers, Hans

Registered on August 31, 2011, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments

Comment posted by Barb Pflaum on January 20, 2014 at 4:12 PM

Very nice image, Sharon! I like the comp, colors, and detail.

Registered on January 14, 2009, 316 Posts, 2724 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on January 20, 2014 at 8:08 PM

Not a bad find at all for this species, Sharon. they're notoriously shy. We have them in abundance here and I've only managed a couple of decent images. Nice pose and the cluttered habitat is very typical.

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

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on January 21, 2014 at 12:49 AM

Nice to catch one perched in a tree, as they are mostly ground-scratchers. A beautiful male here, and in a natural habitat.
Sweet!
Sandy

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on January 21, 2014 at 11:55 AM

I have yet to get a good shot of a spotted towhee. Nice job in getting this shot. This would probably work as a vertical crop as well but this works just fine, way to go.

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

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on January 22, 2014 at 11:45 PM

Love the setting Sharon

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

Comment posted by Ray Whitt on January 23, 2014 at 9:04 PM

Really like the way all the colors harmonize, nice work.

Ray

Registered on May 27, 2011, 92 Posts, 2619 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on January 23, 2014 at 9:22 PM

I just noticed this one, Sharon, and I like it a lot. It's tough to find these guys (a) in the open and (b) off the ground, so this is cool. I really like the setting--the branches create a sort of complex maze that evokes their crowded/busy habitat without feeling crowded or busy, if that makes sense. I might consider cloning the most oof branches that are in front of the head, but if it were me, considering it is probably all I'd do because I don't like spending the time cloning.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on January 24, 2014 at 5:45 PM

As Brian says "It's tough to find these guys (a) in the open and (b) off the ground, so this is cool."
I see this one from time to time, but it's always on the ground in the clutter..
Sharp with great colors Sharon, and all the branches have a symmetry that works well

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments