Around here it isn’t springtime without singing meadowlarks. Yesterday I photographed my first one this year that was reasonably close.
That first one is always a treat for my eyes and ears but it can seem like a long time coming. For much of the year our meadowlarks are skittish and very difficult to approach and they don’t sing much but in early spring gushing hormones drastically alter their behavior. Suddenly they’re singing on territory from elevated perches which they’re much more reluctant to abandon at the approach of a vehicle.
1/4000, f/5.6, ISO 400, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Yesterday morning on Antelope Island this guy was sticky and I believe I could have approached him closer if he hadn’t been perched so far away from the road. He was very patient with me. I spent at least 10 minutes with him as I fumbled around with the controls of my new camera, for which I’m grateful.
He was partially side lit but when he turned at certain angles on his perch I think the lighting worked out OK. At one point he was photobombed by a blackbird but I missed those photos because I was doing, or attempting to do, something else.
And he was singing up a storm. It’s surprising how far their delightful song carries – clear as a bell and intensely loud. There are times when it makes me jump when I drive by an unseen singing meadowlark close to the road.
But that’s a startle reaction I always enjoy
Ron
The experiment:
Over the years I’ve often been asked by blog followers why I don’t shoot video. I’ve tried it a time or two but videoing birds with a DSLR camera and a super telephoto lens is extremely difficult to do well because you can’t look through your viewfinder while you’re doing it. You have to use your camera screen instead, which is extremely awkward – especially in bright light. I much prefer to have quality still photos than bad video.
But with mirrorless cameras you can look through your viewfinder while shooting video so yesterday I impulsively decided to give it a try with this sticky meadowlark and my new Canon R5.. When it comes to video I’m as ignorant as they come but as an experiment I’ve included the 23 second clip below for those who may be interested.
In the future, if I decide to occasionally include video clips in my posts, I’m determined that they’ll be better quality than this one. I included this clip very impulsively at the last minute but it’s a start and we’ll see how it goes.
Some observations so far:
- I have to work on keeping my lens more stable. Camera shake is very hard to avoid when you’re shooting video at an effective 1120mm.
- Apparently we’ll always be able to hear the sound of the image stabilization motor inside my lens (it can be heard in this video) but it isn’t very loud and I find it only slightly annoying.
- I’m pleasantly surprised by the sound quality provided by the built in microphone of modern cameras, or at least the R5.
- One anticipated downside: I can’t shoot video and high quality stills at the same time so on those occasions when I may capture video of some interesting or unique bird behavior I may (or may not) be wishing I had the still shots instead.
Camera motor sounded like wind to me. Love the clip and post, thank you.
I love the song of the meadowlark. Thanks for the video.
You’re welcome, JME.
Well, the stills image is terrific and for a first attempt the video is very impressive and the sound quality very good – well done on both counts.
I think you will quickly master the R5 – as you are discovering there are advantages in a mirrorless system.
Let’s hope the advent of Spring brings fresh life and hope.
Yes Gary, let’s hope.
Well your video seems to be a big hit❗️Love having and hearing a voice to this Meadowlark❤️
“Well your video seems to be a big hit”
I hope so, Diana. Maybe it’s just because it’s something new and different for FP. Or maybe not…
Just like videos of my grand baby, it feels like I’m there a little❗️
Ron, I have been following Feathered Photography for quite some time, but I’ve never replied. But, after spending some time this morning catching up, and as always, tremendously enjoying your photography and your descriptions of the images, I just wanted to fire off a very big THANK YOU for your blog. I love it!
Very much appreciated, Dan. Good to know you’re “out there”.
Thanks for sharing this cheery meadowlark. The video was a welcome surprise, It’s as though you read our minds and knew the photo would have many of us wishing for the meadowlark’s song of spring.
“It’s as though you read our minds”
I actually did read your minds Julie – sort of. When I post photos of singing birds and include a link to a sound clip, readers always seem to enjoy them. So I thought they’d enjoy it even more with a video with sound.
Oh, oh, your site has now become even more compelling to look at every day! A meadowlark’s song is my favorite. What a wonderful start to the expansion of your site.
One downside- now it makes me want to get a mirrorless camera too as I also have not shot videos with my DSLR for the same reasons as you.
Kent, it took me no time at all to abandon even the thought of shooting video with my DSLR and long lens. In that situation using your camera screen instead of your viewfinder is an exercise in futility.
Absolutey sensational Ron, tanks for sharing!
Charlotte Norton
Thanks, Charlotte.
What a lovely bird. And fun to hear its song. Thanks!
Thank you, Cathy.
Thanks for posting the video so we can hear the Meadowlark and see the photo bomber too! The photo you chose is certainly up to the Ron Dudley standard. Seems you are having fun with the new camera.
“Seems you are having fun with the new camera”
Kathleen, some fun and a lot of confusion, frustration and missed shots. Including with this meadowlark.
Beautiful photo and lovely Meadowlark song!
Thank you, Eloise.
Love the photo of the Meadowlark and also hearingits beautiful song!
Thanks, Eloise.
You’re right that it isn’t spring in this area (I’m down in se Utah) without meadowlarks. Beautiful photo.
Thank you, Mary.
The Meadowlark’s song brought actual tears to my eyes…I grew up on the
(SLC) east bench– almost totally undeveloped at that time– with an adjacent
10. acre alfalfa field and big cottonwoods. What a host of Meadowlarks
that habitat supported– the field just RANG with their bell-like songs ! You’ve
given me a bitter-sweet gift this morning…..
Good. I hope it’s more sweet than bitter.
What a treat to have video! I can’t wait to see and hear my first Meadow Lark of the year–it always means that spring is on its way.
Thank you, Linda. I think a singing meadowlark was a good choice for my first video.
This post of the amazing photo and video from you is so very exciting. Many times I have wished that we could hear what you hear while you photograph the birds and other wildlife. The song of the Meadowlark is so cheerful and made my day. In a world of much sad news coming from Europe this post certainly is filled with beauty and joy. Thank you, Ron
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Melanie. Thanks.
Loved hearing and seeing this bird in action!
Good. Thanks, Kellie.
Love the photo, and mostly the song in the video. I always like to zoom in for a closer look. Works for photos, not at all for the video. Still, there’s a synergy to posting both. A bit weird that once the video finishes it goes to someone else’s. A youtube thing, I know and the circleback button replays. I’ve often wondered what some of your posts would look like in video. Looking forward to seeing where you go with this. Just don’t retitle the blog to “Feathered Photography and Video”. Sounds like a shopping site.😄
Ha, not to worry Lyle. Around here it’ll always be Feathered Photography, period.
Love it!
I miss seeing this species, very few here anymore!
Dick, we still have pretty good numbers of them but noticeably fewer than we had up until a few years ago.
The side lighting was perfect when the bird turned to the sun. It made the yellow brilliant, and your reading of the minimum needed to get the darker parts with detail was perfect.
Keep working on the video. An excellent start. Your perfectionism made it clear some things you need to figure out how to improve. There’s surely a program (possibly free) that will let you remove a consistent noise from the sound track.
“your reading of the minimum needed to get the darker parts with detail was perfect”
Nancy, Photoshop gets part of the credit for that! 🙂
I think everyone looks forward to the first Meadowlarks of the season. Beautiful birds with a beautiful song. I watched the video and wow – what a shrill sound with my new hearing aids. Fun post thanks.
“what a shrill sound with my new hearing aids”
It’s shrill without hearing aids, Everett. I can only imagine how shrill it is with them.
Hi Ron. I enjoyed both the pic and the video. Regarding not being able to get still while shooting the video…I sometimes take 4K/5K video and then use a free software tool (called VLC) to frame-grab images from the video. As long as your video is of sufficient quality, the pics that result from the frame-grabs can be of at least documentary quality. But, we all have different standards of “what’s good enough to share”, so the frame-grab solution may only be good enough for my particular needs.
Thanks for sharing the video…I truly enjoyed hearing the Meadowlark song.
Rick
Thanks, Rick. Yeah, I’ve been reading about using video grabs as stills. It said they were lower quality but I’ve never tried it so I don’t yet know how much lower.
As always, I enjoy your photography each day. Such a beautiful meadowlark.
As for the video, excellent start. I found I needed to rest the lens on something for stability, or else use a tripod. Also, if you take high-res video (say 4K), you can zoom in on your subject – same principle as a still.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The reason I have hoped you would take up video is that I think, after a short learning curve, your video would be very, very good. More great photography to see, more behaviors to see.
Again, thank you.
Richard, thanks for the encouragement. My plate is full of stuff to learn about the new camera, video and otherwise.
My lens is nearly always resting on my pool noodle on the window, as it was for this video, but at 1120mm any camera shake is highly magnified.
How did you get 1120mm? Did you crop the video?
Phil, 500mm lens x 1.4 tc x I was shooting in 1.6 crop mode = 1120mm effectively. That crop mode can be a little misleading.
IS motor sounded more like wind to me…….. 😉 Both still and video are appealing with the blackbird bombing the meadowlark. Different set of challenges for the video for sure tho great you can look through the view finder while shooting. The LCD screens are a pain in my opinion. “Progress” 🙂
We’re a ways away from them yet. Haven’t even had any robins show up and they are usually the first arriving just before a storm…… 😉
Judy, those IS motors sound weird. It’s kind of a soft, uneven scraping sound.
Most of our robins have been mysteriously absent so far this year.
Enjoyed the video clip! Didn’t notice the camera motor . . .
Terri, the IS motor isn’t very loud but it’s there.