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Steller's Jay
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Steller's Jay

by Dennis Plank

Gallery: AvianPosted October 27, 2016157 views6 comments
One from yesterday.  We haven't had these in our yard for several years, but a few of them have started coming for peanuts this fall.  As is their wont, they stuff their gular pouches with them and go hide them somewhere, even though I doubt these will keep, especially this year when we're within a very small fraction of an inch of breaking our October rain record.

7DII, Sigma 150-600 C @ 226 mm, handheld from blind, f/8 1/100, iso 1250, aperture priority, pattern metering, -1EV (I'd been shooting a Chickadee and trying to avoid blowing out the cheek patch).  Processed in LR5 & CS6.  Cropped to 14 MP before resizing.  Taken at 11:04 AM under cloudy, drizzly skies.

Comments and criticisms are always welcome.

Thanks,

Comments

6 comments
Comment posted by Paula LeVay on October 27, 2016 at 10:33 PM
Dennis, great feather detail and color. Seeing this little guy would brighten up my day!
Registered on July 29, 2016, 66 Posts, 270 Comments
Comment posted by John Tobias on October 27, 2016 at 10:40 PM
Dennis, I like how you have detail in the head of this Stellars jay.  I find it difficult to keep detail in the head.  Well done!  Thanks for sharing.
Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments
Comment posted by David Schoen on October 27, 2016 at 11:01 PM
I've had several of these in my yard in the last few days.  I actually sent this one to you as a messenger.  They really like suet feeders.  And if you haven't already discovered, they have a lot to say.   And they will eat a lot so stock up on those peanuts now before Halloween.  Good color, nice pose; it looks as if it wants something.
Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments
Comment posted by Barbara Graham on October 28, 2016 at 12:21 AM
Beautiful colors and detail.  He looks very alert.
Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on October 28, 2016 at 7:34 AM
Very hard to keep detail in the dark head; a very nice job here. From here, seems just a tad dark overall. But it is probably reflecting the dark, dreary day.
I wish us all less rain for awhile. We are drowning here in Brookings  also.
But it was 100 degrees today  in Phoenix, so we are ALL screwed up.
Sandy
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments
Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on October 28, 2016 at 10:53 AM
Excellent exposure, Dennis. I think that soft, grey light helped. 

Rainy here in Boise, too.
Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments