![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/black-billed-magpie-0645-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"black-billed-magpie-0645-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nYou just never know what kind of aerial maneuver a magpie might perform immediately after takeoff. It all depends on the direction they intend to fly, the speed and direction of the wind and perhaps what kind of mood they’re in. Photographically speaking, many of their takeoffs are visually unremarkable but other times they’re quite dramatic.<\/p>\n
Takeoffs happen so fast you have to take the photos and see what you got after the fact. On occasion you get lucky.<\/p>\n
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1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon R5, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM + 1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Two days ago on Antelope Island this magpie took off into the breeze (they take off into the wind more often than not) but ‘his’ intended destination was in a different direction. So immediately after he launched he flared into the wind, changed direction and flew off into the background behind him and away from me. That maneuver provided a dramatic flight posture in nice light that I like a lot.<\/p>\n We have a great look at the bold patterning of most of his ventral surfaces, his tail is mostly flared, there’s light in his eye and pretty decent detail in his blacks and whites. Magpies don’t show iridescence in any their ventral surfaces but when I get a shot like this I don’t miss having it. Ventral iridescence on a magpie would look pretty silly anyway.<\/p>\n I’m encouraged by the fact that I’m finally getting some greens in these backgrounds on the island. That should improve over the next few weeks.<\/p>\n Those wrinkles (ripples?) in the whites of his right wing primaries catch my eye, in part because of their geometric placement relative to each other (collectively they form an arc). I presume they’re caused by tension placed on the feathers by air pressure during takeoff. I think they add interest to the image.<\/p>\n Apologies for posting so many magpie photos in recent weeks but I have to post what I take and magpies have been among my most cooperative subjects lately. Besides, I love those flashy, sassy birds.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You just never know what kind of aerial maneuver a magpie might perform immediately after takeoff.<\/p>\n