Horned Lark.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I usually photograph this early spring migrant species in very late winter or very early spring (mid March to early April) but this guy was seen by yours truly last week while driving along an agricultural road. The farmers have been busy hauling corn and this little fella was having a feast gorging on some of those spilt goods. Photographed from the comfort of my car (car and heater turned off). There was a second individual just out of the frame at right that had nicer "horns"...but resting on an u-g-l-y piece of debris. The fresh fluffy snow under this one pictured here made it the obvious choice to photograph.

Canon 7D + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/400s., f/9, ISO 800, natural light, lens resting on open window opening, FF, some black specks removed from the snow via spot removal tool.

[christopher galeski]

That's one beautiful image Daniel,sharp with magic details,nice light and good exposure and good pose.TFS.

[Randy Stout]

Daniel:

Excellent exposure of the snow, with nice texture beneath the bird. Good angle of bird in frame.

How long do you find you have to have the car engine off to prevent heat distortions in the atmosphere from showing up in your picture?

Cheers

Randy

[Carl Walker]

Super IQ and exposure here Daniel. Lovely bird

[Daniel Cadieux]

Thanks guys. Randy, I turn off the heater (and open the windows a small crack) as soon as I turn on to the country roads, maybe a bit before, this way I am ready ahead of time. I'd say a good 5-10 minutes. Also to note is that before turning off the ignition make sure you are in absolute prime position as often when cranking the engine on again spooks the bird(s) away.

[Holger Leyrer]

I'm starting to feel cold when I see the little bird fluffed up in the snow
Very pretty image. Love the pose and Details. The snow under the bird looks excelent

[John Rowell]

Such an easy picture to look at. Beautiful job, the soft contrast and perfect image sharpness really compliment each other. Love the delicate perch of the snow.

[Satish Ranadive]

Daniel Sir,
Magnificent image with superb exposure. Rest as usual superb.Great composition.

Regards,
Satish.

[Bob Pelkey]

Beautiful image. Birds in snow always seem to be especially appealing. Enjoyed the narrative of the shot. A Horned Lark was observed at Fort De Soto Park in Florida in early June 2012. There was speculation that the lark had an ailment explaining its presence. The bird was ultimately captured by park personnel. I never learned the fate of the bird. In the event you're not aware, a Snowy Owl was observed at Little Talbot Island State Park in Jacksonville, Florida, today 28 DEC 13.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the snow setting, light, exposure, IQ, HA and composition. Excellent image Daniel!

[Troy Lim]

Love the shot, works well against the snow..