Great-tailed Grackle Bosque Grackle Sunrise

[Arthur Morris]

This image was created at 6:33am on Monday, DEC 2, the second full day of the 4-day IPT. I used the Gitzo 3532 LS carbon fiber tripod (https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=20)), the Mongoose M3.6 head (https://store.birdsasart.com/shop/item.aspx?itemid=274), Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/754508-REG/Canon_5125B002_EF_600mm_f_4L_IS.html/BI/6633/KBID/7226/kw/CA6004LIFEF2/DFF/d10-v2-t1-xCA6004LIFEF2), theCanon Extender EF 1.4X III (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/732113-USA/Canon_4409B002_Extender_EF_1_4X_III.html/BI/6633/KBID/7226/kw/CA14XEF3/DFF/d10-v2-t1-xCA14XEF3), and the Canon EOS 7D Mark II. (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1081808-REG/canon_9128b002_eos_7d_mark_ii.html/BI/6633/KBID/7226/kw/CAE7D2/DFF/d10-v2-t1-xCAE7D2) ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1 stop as framed: 1/30 at f/8 in Tv Mode. Color temperature: 7,000K.
Central sensor/AI Servo surround Rear Focus AF as framed was active at the moment of exposure. Click here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2011/09/13/rear-focus-tutorial/) if you missed the Rear Focus Tutorial.

Bosque has been rocking a dawn and dusk. Pretty much dead in between. Learn more about this image here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2014/12/03/canon-eos-7d-mark-ii-rocks-bosque-pink-is-but-a-shade-of-red/). And check out my State of the Bosque blog post here (http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2014/12/01/leap-year-insurance-the-state-of-the-bosquea-free-bosque-site-guide-update-for-all/).

As for the image, don't be shy. All comments welcome.

[Joseph Przybyla]

Fire in the sky, lovely image. The birds complete the image. Thank you for sharing.

[keith mitchell]

Certainly worth being there at dawn and dusk to get a excellent image like this, colours are superb.

Keith.

[Karl Egressy]

Beautiful canvas with pleasing colors. The blur is just the right amount. I like the two leading birds with the up wing pose. Great composition.

[Jim Crosswell]

Excellent image Arthur. I like the colours, blur and birds fit in the frame perfectly.

[Bob Smith]

An interesting image. On looking closely at many of the individual bird images the mind plays tricks, sometimes seeing geese flying L to R and others seeing Grackles ( a long tailed bird ) flying R to L. As beautifully shown here I envy the interplay of orange and yellow light you get at Bosque--occasionally here we get orange but rarely rarely yellow too.

[Daniel Cadieux]

An interesting image. On looking closely at many of the individual bird images the mind plays tricks, sometimes seeing geese flying L to R and others seeing Grackles ( a long tailed bird ) flying R to L.

Very cool observation Bob!! I do see the "geese"!!

This is about as different a grackle image one can get, really nicely done Artie. The colours are out of this world. Wondering if you can add a touch of canvas below as I do find the lowest bird close to the edge, especially its' red blurred wing "extension".

[Arthur Morris]

Bob and Dan,

Thanks. I did not see the geese either :). What is the third species (or family) in the image???

This is a tiny crop from the rear. I made this version to enter in a few contests so did not want to add any canvas below (though it needs it). It was an amazing morning.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Artie, there are surely no geese in the image, it is just an optical illusion (perhaps that is what you are acknowledging): The same individual bird can either look like a goose flying pointing to our right, or a grackle flying pointing to our left. A pretty cool illusion as pointed out by Bob.

As for a "third" species. I do not know but I am curious as to what it is. Maybe Red-winged Blackbird. I'm sure it will be an "a-ha" revelation :-)

[Arthur Morris]

Nope. When I read your and Bob's comments (not too carefully) I thought that the two grackles were indeed one goose. As for the other species I am pretty sure that there are six blackbirds in the mix, probably redwings.