King of the hill.
1/2000, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
Three days ago, at Glover’s Pond near Farmington Bay WMA, this male Brewer’s Blackbird and another male appeared to be competing for the use of this small rock ‘island’ as a perch. It was almost as if they were playing King of the Hill and this guy came out on top.
1/2500, f/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
He kept looking back at the other male as if he expected to be challenged for his tiny island perch, but it never quite happened.
I like the simplicity of both photos but, as is often the case, I have some small nits to pick.
- I was so close to the bird I had very little depth of field. He was turned at enough of an angle to me. especially in the second photo, that even though the front half of his body is sharp, his legs, feet and the rock are not. I wish they were.
- I also wish I hadn’t felt the need to cut off the bottom of the reflection of his rocky island when I cropped the photos. But when I left any more room down there, part of the bird’s reflection was included in the composition and I thought it was distracting because it was only reflecting a tiny bit of the bird.
But I still like both photos.
Ron
I’m suddenly not getting your emails. Yikes! This looks like a statue I’d like on my desk. 🙂
The minute I saw the first picture, I thought, Yup, politics as usual. One overblown ego trying to push the other off of the “mushroom.” And we all know what fertilizes mushrooms. Actually, I’m rather fond of Brewer’s Blackbirds. I like their iridescent plumage, and I certainly admire their pluckiness in settings such as parking lots. I certainly wouldn’t want to take on that mayhem for a bite to eat.
Ron, hang in there. I am so very sorry about the pain you’re enduring, and I hope you’ll start feeling better sooner than later!
Lovely photos. I really like Brewer’s blackbirds but most photographers ignore them. Even before rehabbing them I had fond memories of them from my childhood in Centerville and Farmington Bay. They have ghutzpah!
Sorry misspelling Chutzpah I looked it up after posting, it did not look right.
Ha, ghutzpah works too April – especially with the silent h.
LOVE that iridescence. And two posts in two days? I do hope that means you are feeling at least a little better.
I wish it did, EC. I seem to have had a setback so I’ll probably be laying pretty low for a while.
I am so sorry to read this. Oceans of caring are flowing your way.
So sorry, I was hoping you were feeling better being up and around.
That bird really looks annoyed. Came to that opinion before I read the text.
The photos are really good. You are the king of nit pickers. 😉
“You are the king of nit pickers”
Ha, EC beat you to that one long ago, Lyle.
A neat bird with its pale eye, and fun to compare it to the Red-wing you posted yesterday with its dark eye.
And, hooray, I picked up on the fuzziness of photo #2 before reading your text – I’m learning! With each of your posts, I hear the lines from the song “Move On” from Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George” …”Opened up my eyes, Taught me how to see, Notice every tree, Understand the light….”
Thank you!
Your comment made me smile, Carolyn. First one today I think.
You captured one beady-eyed bird there Ron! Sorry for the cliche. His or her feet look almost golden – is that some trick of the light and the stone?
It may be, Frances. Both their legs and feet are supposed to be black.
Have never seen a Brewer’s. Good looking bird and really like how the iridescence shows off. In closeups like this and the color of this bird the catch-eye really stands out. Nice shots.
Thank you, Everett.
The eyes are intense. Not just the gaze but the color. I Iike this bird and its
defense of its chosen rock.
Take Care,
Kaye
Kaye, I think their eyes are their most distinctive feature.
“Blackbird” is such a plain description for this iridescent handsome guy! His perch looks like a large gold nugget which complements the bird’s coloring and the blue water. Nice shots Ron 🙂
God point about his iridescence and his name, Kathleen
It’s difficult to avoid anthropomorphizing by seeing a decidedly irritated customer here. Get your @!%# photo and be done with it.
As well, you could have said he was perched on a mushroom or a muffin, although one could believe it a flying saucer. Which of course is ridiculous. I’m fairly sure. That couldn’t be the mother ship on the right.
Lyle, now that you mention it, that could be the mother ship. Not long before these shots were taken he was on that rock to the right.
Wow, Ron! the Brewer Blackbird looks so much like our Common Grackle. It has the same black color that iridesis in sunlight and also has that yellow eye. https://ebird.org/species/comgra
There are definite similarities, Jo Ann.
Like Judy, I admire the iridescence– can actually see myriad colors
within the black– I think that’s the beauty of such utter simplicity– one
can notice and really appreciate the subtleties . So happy that you’re
managing photo trips — keep on keepin’ on– Ron !
Thanks, Kris. There’s only been one photo trip. And there may not be another for a while.
Nice! Amazing what they’ll “bicker” over. Iridescence is lovely. 🙂
Smoke BAD this morning – hope the forecast rain clears it out!
Good luck with the rain, Judy. And the smoke.
I also like the bird’s shadow on the water, especially in the second picture.
Thanks, Phil. It’s subtle but it’s there.