Black-billed Magpie

Gallery: AvianPosted March 24, 2015130 views10 comments

I spent spring break in Colorado Springs and saw my first magpie. There was an abundance of them and I got numerous shots, but this was my favorite. I like the perch and b/g. The b/g is one of the large reddish rocks standing in the middle of the Garden of the Gods if you've ever been there. I think I got all I could out of the blacks and whites (with a little help from my mentor). The sun was fading fast, so a high ISO was used, but the noise seems to be minimal. Some noise removed on the bird in LR.

C&C appreciated.

Canon 7D MkII, Canon 500mm f/4L IS
1/400 at f5.6
ISO 4000
no flash
handheld (elbow braced on top of car)
LR 5 adjustments
75% of original

Comments

10 comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on March 24, 2015 at 11:51 PM

Good pose and composition of the magpie. I find the background to work well. Those red rocks are good BG material. It does look a bit soft, but IMHO not distracting. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by John Launstein on March 25, 2015 at 3:35 AM

Hi Greg! I live in magpie country and don't have a single frame I like as much as this one. While in different light you might have gotten a bit more feather detail, the softness and mood of this light is fabulous, as is the perch and background. Great comp as well...this is just an overall wonderful image IMO!

Registered on April 5, 2011, 223 Posts, 1193 Comments

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on March 25, 2015 at 5:37 AM

The colors make the image for me, nicely muted. Well-exposed, which is sometimes a challenge with this species ! Cheers, Hans

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

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on March 25, 2015 at 7:35 AM

Really nice capture Greg. One of the best Magpie images I've seen in a long time. Love the background and perch. Did you purchase a Canon 500mm?

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Greg Morris on March 25, 2015 at 8:13 AM

Thanks everyone for the nice comments.

Yes Jerry, that was actually the reason for the trip to Co Springs. I met a gentleman up there and purchased the lens.

Registered on January 23, 2015, 38 Posts, 104 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Jenkins on March 25, 2015 at 9:05 AM

Love the perch, BG, head turn and exposure. Very nice shot Greg.

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

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on March 25, 2015 at 12:18 PM

Greg, nice pose, perch and the bg couldn't be any smoother. Well done!

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on March 25, 2015 at 1:00 PM

No nits! You brought a great image out of difficult conditions.

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Greg Morris on March 25, 2015 at 9:57 PM

Thanks again everyone for the compliments.

Registered on January 23, 2015, 38 Posts, 104 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on March 25, 2015 at 10:23 PM

Guess I should have been in Colorado. I saw quite a few of them over the last few weeks, but they were all very skittish. Gorgeous pose and perch and an interestingly colored bg.

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