As a Montana farm boy I have a special affinity for meadowlarks in the snow – not because we had them there during winter but because we didn’t. Western Meadowlarks are almost everywhere up there during summer but it’s just too damned cold for them in the winter near the Canadian border in northwest Montana so those birds migrate south. But here in Utah many of our meadowlarks hang around all year so it isn’t unusual to see them in the snow. And I love it when I do.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
I found this bird four days ago on Antelope Island. By then it had warmed up slightly after our recent big snow-dump but this one was still fluffed up in the morning chill. There were thick puffy pillows of snow on the sagebrush where they like to perch so the bird had little choice but to get its feet cold and wet. Here it’s holding one of them out of the snow.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
At one point it started eating snow but ever time it dipped that long, sharp bill into the snow I lost the catch light in its eye so I didn’t include one of those images.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Eventually the bird stood up and stretched its legs in preparation for…
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
a wing and tail stretch. I lost the catch light here too but included the image so you could see what caused this next silly pose.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
In the middle of the stretch the bird slipped in the snow and in its attempt to recover…
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
it lifted its left foot and brought it forward quickly. The clump of snow in its claws…
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
was flung forward through the air and beneath its face. But it recovered nicely and settled back down into the snow.
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
Soon the bird gave me a nice wing-stretch…
1/4000, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
and then started looking left and right, which indicated to me that it was probably about ready to take off. I was right and I tried to be ready for it but…
1/3200, f/7.1, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in
I was disappointed that it took off slightly away from me. I still like the image for the wing and leg/feet positions, good light on the entire bird and the flying snow behind it.
Recent rains (it’s been raining all night) have melted most of our snow but we’re supposed to get more of that blessed/cursed white stuff beginning tonight and lasting through Christmas Day. My old snow blower died during the last storm and the local stores ran out of stock so I’m on the waiting list for a new one that should arrive tomorrow. That’s cutting the timing a little close but it’s possible that I’ll get it before the snow builds up too much.
This old bird photographer truly hates shoveling snow!
Ron
PS – Oh, oh, it’s now (8:AM) snowing pretty hard and it’s sticking and I won’t have the new snowblower for at least another day and a half. I may be in trouble.
I think I’m addicted to the behavioral aspects of your photography because they inform me about things to look for in the field.
It was amusing to see the bird loose its balance. The absence of a catch light made no difference in the quality of that behavioral photo because is clear that we can see the meadowlark is using every trick it has to keep from having to fly or fall, probably including how it is really puffing out all its body feathers to provide resistance to falling.
I have never seen a meadowlark eat snow. I’d like to see that photo, even though there is no catch light. I can imagine how the bird might look from raising chickens, geese and ducks but a songbird might move quite differently when eating snow than waterfowl or a chicken=like bird.
I’m addicted to behaviors too, Pam – big time.
Actually, the photo I’ve included here is the closest I got to showing it actually eating snow. I had 2 or 3 shots of it dipping its bill in the snow in preparation for eating it but I deleted them because there was no catch light or light on the face. I’m sure Patty or EC will scold me once again for my culling habits if they see me admit what I’ve done…
Oh no – I’m ready to scold you again this time. I would have enjoyed the privilege of seeing your “poor” representations of that meadowlark snow eating.
I’m not a photographer or an artist. I am a birder working on breeding bird report data for Wisconsin (WBBA2 going into ebird). How did it move when it dipped? I can’t see any of it, either before or after the snow bite. We report WBBA2 data through ebird and Cornell is involved. The data will be published.
Now – you have scolders working from several perspectives.
If you hadn’t trained me so well on noticing clarity, I would not have noticed details and then written about the photo. I’m OK with the blurry movements my eye sees but your camera is so much better at stopping those quick bird reflexes.
You’re a great teacher and that citizen science less perfect focus could expand your image acceptance limits – with qualifiers for photographers.
“How did it move when it dipped?”
I’m trying to remember those images, Pam. It wasn’t anything spectacular, just a couple of very quick dips into the snow with that long, sharp beak but it didn’t go in very deep – only as far as the bits of snow on its beak that you can see in one of these images. I’ve seen other birds eating snow where what it was doing was much more obvious. However, there’s no question in my mind that that is what this bird was doing.
” that citizen science less perfect focus could expand your image acceptance limits – with qualifiers for photographers”
Tomorrow’s post will have just such an image – it isn’t very sharp but I thought including it was integral to what I will be trying to portray.
Great pics! I love their beauty and their song. The snow really highlights them.
Thank you, Rod.
How I love that feathered tennis ball.
And the beauty of your snow. Which I can say knowing that the chances of me getting enough snow to shovel are lower than low. Some years back I lived in a part of Oz which did get snow and on those rare days I just hunkered down in the warm.
Thanks, EC. Snow is often beautiful when it’s fresh but it can also look pretty dingy after it’s hung around for a few weeks, especially in the city. I guess I never think of Australia and snow together but I guess you must have some in the far south.
Ron, you make me glad that we very rarely get snow, and then usually not too much of it. I love this series. For me, the whole body language of the wing stretch was about nothing untoward having just happened… The whole series made me smile – a good way to start my day.
Snow can be a mixed blessing, no question about that, Susan. I love providing smiles – a good way to start MY day.
Outstanding series, Ron! Meadowlarks are on my list of favorite birds–basically, everybody BUT starlings (aka hawk food) are on that list. I’m with you on the cold feet thing…I just cringe at the thought. Especially with the teeny tiny birds, the thought that life courses through that tiny space blows me away, too. And when I see them perched on metal surfaces, I just want to move them to a branch that just HAS to be warmer…doesn’t it?
As for the snow, I’m truly thankful our winter has been considerably warmer than normal here in NY. And while snow in Utah isn’t the same thing as snow here, I’m also cringing at the idea of snow, plus rain, plus more snow and freezing temps. Sorry, but despite that I’ll do Karmic time for saying this, better you than me! 😉
“better you than me”
I’m actually ok with the snow, Laura – at least overall. We just need the moisture so very badly. The way things have been going it won’t be long until the Great Salt Lake is nothing more than a very salty mud puddle.
It’s just the shoveling that I don’t like.
Wonderful series! …like the “circular story” aspect, how the first and second to last are repeats… My favorite shots are the last and second to last. I like the flight angle–and that shot of the Meadowlark snuggled down into its warm “parka” remind me of myself and the many times I snuggled down into my own warm parka or vest …
Patty, every time I see a bird in the snow I think about how very cold their feet must be. I imagine my own naked toes in a similar situation and it just blows my mind. Growing up in Montana I’ve had frostbitten toes before and it’s definitely no fun.
I know that birds have very little soft tissue in their feet and lower legs and not much circulation there so having cold feet doesn’t bother them as much as it would us. But still…
I have the same reaction about cold toes…my own toes and fingertips were frost bitten riding and skiing…they’re susceptible to cold to this day…i often wonder how birds can handle their cold legs and feet…..
Magnificent series Ron! Merry Christmas!
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte. Merry Christmas to you too.
You don’t like shovels? 🙂 Love this sequence since, as you noted, they aren’t in North Central MT during the winter. Mostly see them/hear them on the fence posts during the summer. Detail of it’s “oops” and fluffed up appearance are great.
“You don’t like shovels?”
Judy, that brought back a fond memory and I don’t have many of them that involve shovels, that’s for sure.
When I was growing up my Dad often told me “If you don’t study hard and get a good education you’ll be digging ditches for the rest of your life. Is that what you want?” My Dad had a hard life as a kid – he was farmed out to relatives when his mother died when he was only 6 years old (1926) and he didn’t go to school after the 9th grade but he knew the importance of an education and wanted to make sure that I got a good one.
Thanks, Dad!
Great series, Ron.
About 15 inches of new snow here this morning. Gave your blog one last check before heading out to climb on the tractor and/or Quad runner to clear the drive and road. Haven’t had to do much removal the last couple of years so I’m glad to see the white work this morning.
Thanks, Neil.
I figured you’d be getting lots of snow up there this morning – it’s rained here quite a bit, both yesterday and last night, and it’s still coming down. Elevation makes a big difference…
Ron…photography question pls. You shoot really fast at 4K and at f/7.1 instead of the 5.6 or 6.3 you could have selected. And you kept your ISO at 500. That must be some really bright light you shot in…I don’t know if my pics would’ve stayed that bright with those settings. Did you have to brighten them up at all in post? And…did you micro-tune your glass and TC? Your pics are crazy sharp. Thanks…Zaph
Zaphir, Most of these photos were spot-on for exposure or very close so I did little to no brightening or exposure adjustment during processing. Yes, I had a lot of light here. The snow reflects it and adds to the overall brightness.
You’ll notice that I removed my tc after the first shot. That’s because I was after the bird’s take-off and wanted plenty of room in the frame and shutter speed to accommodate fast-moving wings. I didn’t go to 5.6 or 6.3 because I wanted as much DOF as practically possible to get as much of the snowy setting as sharp as I could. As usual, camera settings here were a compromise.
I attribute the sharpness of my images mostly to the quality of my 500 f/4, though the fast SS helped and there’s also a little technique involved… 🙂
And yes, both my lens and my tc have been calibrated to my camera.