I almost missed this one.
A week ago today I posted a series of four takeoff and flight shots of a Black-billed Magpie taken the day before on Antelope Island. I got other flight shots but I didn’t include any more of them because, as I said in my post, ” the magpie turned away from me in flight”.
Well, I jumped the gun on that one. Occasionally I actually like a flight shot taken after the bird is past me or is beginning to turn away, especially if…
1/5000, f/5.6, ISO 1000, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in
we can see its face and eye beneath one of its wings. The almost perfect circular arc of the wings enclosing the head seals the deal. The magpie’s face could be a little sharper but I think it’s ‘sharp enough’.
This photo was taken two frames after the last shot I posted a week ago. When I was reviewing my photos the first time, I didn’t look carefully enough at this one. For me, the background is the clincher. I adore what my lens so often does with bokeh.
Winter is finally here. Our first winter storm of the season hit last night. It’s raining now and we’re forecast to get rain with some snow in the valleys and up to 16″ of snow in the mountains. The skiers and snowboarders are already going nuts.
Time to find my snow shovel and dig out the ol’ snow blower. Thankfully, at this point at least, my bad back feels like it might be up to the challenge.
Ron
Oh my, the arc of those wings, the patterning in the wings and the background are stupendous. And I also appreciate a couple of new terms(which I hope I can remember!): biocomputer and LIFO as apposed to FIFO.
Ooh. And ahhh. And thank you. You really do need a secretary to go through your images.
I am jealous which is not a good (late) start to my day. Firstly for this elegant capture and secondly for the moisture you are receiving. We get most of our rain in winter. We didn’t. And summer is looming and is predicted to be HOT. Fire fear is with me.
A secretary? No thanks. I don’t want anyone to know how disorganized I can be.
I wish you rain, lots of it, before it gets hot.
I chuckled at Burrdoo’s LIFO comment. Hubby and I were just talking about that exact topic (as it pertains to us) yesterday. 😱😂
So glad you took another look at your magpie shots. This one is really special — circular arcs, swirling bokeh, and all! 😃
Happy to hear your back is feeling better. Hopefully, the snow will be light so your back can stay that way. We’re supposed to get some rain on Saturday.
Marty, I’ve been working my butt off for weeks, cleaning up and completely reorganizing my wood shop. A lot of it is pretty physical work which I thought would really aggravate my back but if anything, it’s helped. I’m very surprised. And delighted.
I hope your hip and back are healed up and not giving you any more trouble.
I’m much better! Even took out my 95-pound former foster dog a couple days ago and after an hour of working with him (he’s still very puppyish and hasn’t figured out his own strength yet), hip and back are good! I hope someone adopts him soon. He’d make a great office dog — especially for an open concept office or cubicle forest — as he loves everyone he meets!
My plane ride home from Albuquerque to Seattle the other day took us right over your area. There was snow on the eastern slopes of the Wasatch Mtns, and it was interesting to identify areas of the GSL you talk about. There was a lot of white/paleness all along the lake edge, and Antelope Island looked like it was connected to the mainland. The south end was green, the north end red, with the demarcation line so distinct. I was imagining you down there in your pickup truck, providing us with the closeup view.
Magpie is beautiful, as is its background!
Carolyn, the island hasn’t been a true island for a long time. The different colors of the lake, divided by a causeway which is why the demarcation line is so sharp, is caused by varying salinity levels that cause colored algae to grow, or not grow.
First comment I read was Catherine’s so ditto to hers. Really good photo. We got rain, but will be awhile before we get the snow. Here in the SW we need a big dump into to Rockies to keep the water coming.
Thanks, Everett. I hope your mountains get significant snow soon.
That is a beautiful photo. The arc of the wings and the sharp light/dark contrast are really elegant, especially with the lovely background. Our claim to fame here in Davis, CA is the yellow billed magpie. Unfortunately, we have been losing magpies to west nile virus.
Thanks very much, Catherine. I was just mentioning your Yellow-billed Magpies to Everett Sanborn a few days ago. Sorry to hear the virus is getting them.
NICE! Glad you reviewed the photo again! 😉 The wing really frames the face.
“Weather” going S of us so far – could use the moisture…….
Thanks, Judy. Just got back from an early trip to the grocery store. Pretty wet out there.
Yep, like it.
“…circular arc of the wings…” Have you ever been half-consciously aware of some aspect of a bird photo that appeals to you but you just could not put your finger on it or think of the words to name it? Well, this is it for me. In so many of your photos that you choose to post they have this beautiful quality where you have caught the wings in that perfect moment. Now, let’s see if this old biocomputer can retain this phrase.
“…circular arc of the wings…”
Thanks, Michael.
I struggled with something in that phrase, wondering if “circular arc” is redundant. After all, the definition of “arc” is “part of a circle or other curved line”, so perhaps “circular” is unnecessary.
I think the phrase is just perfect.
Agree with your comment re the circular arc, and particularly relate to your “old biocomputer” and its retention problem. At 84, I am definitely struggling with memory issues. Way back when IT was getting started we used the term LIFO for Last In First Out. That seems to be my operating mode now.