Earlier this month as I was watching this juvenile (relatively short tail) Black-billed Magpie through my lens on Antelope Island I didn’t expect anything interesting to happen except for a possible take-off shot.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
The magpie was preening when suddenly two feathers floated away on the breeze. Usually when this happens the feathers are very small, non-distinct down feathers but this time they’re the larger contour feathers and I thought their black color against the blue sky, combined with the fact that the feathers are well separated from each other, made for an interesting image…
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
or two.
The only significant difference between the two images is the distance of the feathers from the bird but I thought I’d include both of them anyway.
Ron
Note: I’m off on another jaunt to Montana – duration unknown. I’ve scheduled posts in my absence but I’ll be without access to a computer so I won’t be responding to any comments, though I do receive your comments on my phone when I have a signal and I always enjoy them.
Wish me luck with the smoke from the fires in Washington, Oregon and Idaho – the prevailing wind direction is not helpful…
Those runnaway feathers look like eyelashes in an otherwise invisible face…how often do you see an image like that! wonderful!!!
The Magpie is beautiful as is the shot. We don’t have magpies in the east. Where did those 2 feathers come from?
Stunning. And so very different from ‘our’ magpies. That must have been a vigorous preening session.
These images are very unusual and unexpected. What a great surprise!
Enjoy, Ron.
What incredible shots Ron! Thanks so much for sharing!
Charlotte
What a wonderful moment you captured! I find I respond most to the first photo – perhaps because when the feathers are closer, I intuitively understand what’s just happened. I’ll be interested to learn how others respond. Hope you’re having a wonderful jaunt!