![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/western-meadowlark-5288-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"western-meadowlark-5288-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nThis one’s a little different from my usual fare.<\/p>\n
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1\/5000, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n This photo was taken very shortly after dawn two days ago at Bear River MBR. Meadowlarks can be relatively easy to get close to in spring and early summer when they have gushing hormones but this time of year they’re very difficult to approach. I believe the relative cold that time of morning made this one a little more ‘sticky’ than usual.<\/p>\n This isn’t the kind of takeoff shot you’d usually see from me. The perch, a pile of rocks, is unattractive and I usually prefer the wings in an up or down position rather than horizontal like this. But I do like the flowing lines and S-curves of the body and wings, I got a catch light in the eye despite the near back light and the dynamic and athletic postures of birds at takeoff always appeal to me.<\/p>\n Besides, whenever I get takeoff shots of songbirds that are sharp (or sharp enough) with no body parts clipped or cut off and plenty of room in front of the bird for composition I always feel like I’ve accomplished something.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Note: <\/em><\/p>\n Yesterday I bellyached about all the mosquito bites I got at Bear River on the morning this photo was taken. As I type this it’s 28\u00b0 outside here in Salt Lake City and the forecast low for Bear River early Monday morning is 14\u00b0. When those nasty little buggers freeze to death I hope it happens slowly.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This one’s a little different from my usual fare.<\/p>\n