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"Birding" the Woodland Tulip Festival

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12 replies
Posted by Craig Strand on April 20, 2009 at 9:02 PM
"Birding" the Woodland Tulip Festival
I was inspired by a few of Ned's tulip festival photo's and got up this morning to be there for the morning light. Ned is right, the blooms and colors and especially nice this year and I shot 580 images, many using my long birding lens to play with the DOF and colorful blurred backgrounds. The ironic thing is in birding I have been searching for 3 different birds for 6 months and one a white crowned sparrow was sitting on a sign in the parking lot a few feet from my car. He let me walk past within a few feet to pose, and stayed with me the entire morning, even landing on tulips and singing. A beautiful day, the tulips are out and ready for you NOW! Thanks Ned for the inspiration!

canon 40D, 600mm f4.L, canon 17-85mm
Posted by Craig Strand on April 20, 2009 at 9:03 PM
Just tulips!
Posted by Aaron Ellingsen on April 20, 2009 at 9:09 PM
Hoooo-wee! That first one is awesome! I'd crop out the green if it were mine though. :smile:
Posted by Mark Windom on April 20, 2009 at 9:34 PM
Can't say I ever seen a image of a bird in among a bunch of tulips...great find. I agree with the previous post re: cropping out the green at the top.
Posted by Craig Strand on April 20, 2009 at 10:00 PM
cropped the green
Posted by David Cobb on April 20, 2009 at 11:21 PM
Great shot Craig, don't think I've ever seen a bird in the tulips image either. I prefer your first post, I like the extra color the green provides, and the headroom above the bird. The second feels a bit too claustrophobic for me. Sorry to be the contrarian. Either way, great shot!

David M. Cobb
Posted by Jerry Roseburrough on April 20, 2009 at 11:36 PM
Craig, Not near the composition of your shot, but looks like I shot the same bird in the same tulip patch two years ago. I could not find a larger shot at the moment.
Posted by Craig Strand on April 21, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Sure looks like the same bird Jerry, it is a white crowned. I'm wondering if he didn't have a nest somewhere in the rows of tulips. Audubons book says a ground nester, usually in grasses, or shrubs so that could explain why he followed me around the whole time.
Posted by Catherine Reilly on April 21, 2009 at 12:19 AM
Amazing shot, Craig. Wow, what luck. I'd agree that would make for a real score of a photo outing. How fun. :jump:
Posted by Ned Fenimore on April 21, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Great job, Craig - and you're welcome. Come to think of it, I did see quite a few birds myself on my trips up..
Posted by Cliff Dodge on April 21, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Nice capture Craig. Colorful and bright. I like the first one. :)
Posted by Don George on April 22, 2009 at 7:59 AM
Outstanding shot! Would make a great cover shot for one of the birding magazines. Wouldn't hesitate to subint the first one as it gives an area in the green for Title etc.
Posted by John Williams on April 28, 2009 at 7:41 PM
Awesome Craig. That first shot is perfection.

:toast: