1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II,\u00a0Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\nThis bird and its mate would sometimes land on this cluster of greasewood twigs and use it as an intermediate stop on their way to delivering nesting material to the nest they were building. The nest is just out of frame to the left.<\/p>\n
Here I caught the magpie as it lifted off to make the delivery. It’s as much a hop as it is a flight to the nearby nest so that first flap of the wings as it took off didn’t require much effort, resulting in an intermediate wing extension. I think it’s different enough to be interesting, if not very dramatic.<\/p>\n
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1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/p>\n
In contrast this bird is taking off from the top of a nest after making a delivery. New nesting material can be distinguished from the living but still leafless greasewood twigs by its darker color. The part of the nest we see is the top of the dome still under construction.<\/p>\n
Notice that this bird has a double catch light in its eye. Some folks find double catch lights to be distracting but I usually don’t mind them. It would be easy to remove one of them but they’re probably natural (although it’s possible that one of them was a reflection from my pickup) so I let them be.<\/p>\n
I find photographing magpies to be easier while they’re nest-building than any other time of the year. The settings and backgrounds are more attractive later in the spring when they’re green but by then the magpies are either incubating or caring for chicks so I don’t like to spend much time near their nests.<\/p>\n
I’ve been posting a fair number of magpie photos lately and that may be too much for some viewers. Folks seem to either love magpies or hate’m. But I’m in the former category and I shoot what’s available.<\/p>\n
Since magpies are available right now that’s what I’m posting. If you’re not a fan don’t worry, it won’t last long.<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Both are of Black-billed Magpies taking off but I think they’re quite different from each other.<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/black-billed-magpie-6618-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"black-billed-magpie-6618-ron-dudley\\"")
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