Turkey in the Tree Tops

[Jim Fenton]

With over three feet of snow on the ground and no short eared or snowy owls present this winter, it's been a tough winter to create avian images.

Got up early and the sun was out so I figured what the heck...

As soo as I stopped for coffee, the clouds from our next storm had already rolled in.

I did manage to create an image I haven't attempted before...that being a backlit turkey in the tops of a hemlock where it was actively feeding on something, some 60 feet or so in the air.

No...there was no way to get a better angle :)

Nikon D300s, 600VR, TC14EII, ISO 800, f7.1, 1/60 (yup...VR on), CW metering, NearuniWB, +2.3 EV

[James Salywoda]

Jim
You don't see many compositions like this with Turkeys and I like it because its unique and different
1/60 that Nikon VR works great with your good long lens technique as well. :w3 Excellent Shot!

[Tom Rambaut]

Not a Partridge in a pear tree but pretty close! I like this sort of thing - different!:S3:

[Bob Pelkey]

The color of the bird is brought out exceptionally well. Too bad no snow on the hemlock
for added impact. The image is framed very well with the greenery. The head of the bird
looks a tad soft (its motion out of your control). Artie noted at the recent F3C conference
to always leave your VR on.

[Jim Fenton]

VR was one but I would disagree with Artie at least on Nikon equipment. At anything over 1/500 VR starts to cause more problems than it corrects. Thom Hogan has noted this several times and his information I believe came directly from Nikon engineers.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Definitely different as far as turkey images go! I like the high key effect. I agree the face looks soft compared to the rest of the body. I like the comp as is, but I wonder what this would have looked like by moving your lens right more to include more of the vegetation in URC (even if it meant sacrificing the perch tip).

I really like the overall mood - well done!

[Craig Brelsford]

You chiseled out a valuable shot here. You handled the backlight well; the image is almost beautiful. Most of all, though, it's a useful illustration of the lengths to which birds are driven during the long, cold winter.