![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/horned-lark-9574-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\nAlso, a vivid reminder to avoid stepping in your own poop.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
1\/2500, f\/9, ISO 800, Canon 7D, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Yesterday morning Horned Larks were the bird of the day on Antelope Island. I photographed several of them but this one was the most cooperative as he darted around in the grasses and sandy soil near White Rock Bay.<\/p>\n I took many photos of him but chose to post this one to showcase his erected occipital feather tufts or “horns”. I was also pleased to find him somewhere else rather than perched on one of the bright white rocks that are so common on the north end of the island. For my tastes those rocks are just too bright for me to like them much in my images.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/4000, f\/7.1, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 368mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n I found another Horned Lark that was perched on one of those white rocks but I photographed him anyway and I’m glad I did. Unbeknownst to me he had stepped in his own poop just before taking off so he pulled up a column of sticky white uric acid with one of his toes when he launched. I’m just weird enough to appreciate capturing something like that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Blog followers who pay attention to my image techs below the photos may have noticed that my camera\/lens combinations in these two shots are bass-ackwards to my usual fare. Typically I mount one of my 7D II’s on my 500mm lens but yesterday I decided to combine that lens with one of my older 7D’s as a test to confirm that the intermittent problems I’ve been having with connectivity and focusing are caused by the lens rather than the camera I usually use.<\/p>\n Yup, my suspicions were confirmed. My problems continued when using the 500mm lens with the 7D so it was time to send it in to Canon for repair – something I’ve been seriously dreading.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cell phone shot<\/em><\/p>\n Here it is with the Lens Coat removed and packed in the fancy case it comes in when you purchase the lens. The lens looks pretty fat and stubby with the lens hood reversed and pulled down over the body of the lens to save space.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cell phone shot<\/em><\/p>\n I haven’t seen it since I closed the case and took it to FedEx so the separation anxiety has already begun. There’s also other worries. Will it be damaged during shipping? I’ve insured it but still… Will it be an unusually expensive repair? I’m a CPS member (Canon Professional Services) so I get a repair discount, expedited service and free return shipping but some repairs on a lens like this can be eye-poppingly expensive. Eventually I’ll let you know.<\/p>\n In the meantime I’ll be shooting with my much smaller lens that in many situations is inadequate for birds so it’s very likely that there’ll be some days that I won’t post to Feathered Photography.<\/p>\n Hopefully it won’t last long but with Canon and lens repair you never know, especially during a pandemic when parts can be hard to come by..<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Also, a vivid reminder to avoid stepping in your own poop.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/horned-lark-5565-ron-dudley.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sending-500mm-lens-to-canon-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sending-500mm-to-canon-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n