Eastern Meadowlark Singing

[Robert Smith]

I captured this singing eastern meadowlark down on Joe Overstreet Road just south of Kissimmee (more detail on the site in Jim Neiger's Central Florida Site Guide available through Birds As Art...). I had stopped the truck and was focusing on the bird on a fence post when it hopped down and started alternately foraging and singing as it walked along the ditch berm along the side of the road. I cranked the truck and would move ahead of it, stop, and take pictures as it approached. We worked down the road about 25 yards in this process. I think this is my favorite image of the series.

Nikon D3, Nikkor 600 mm w/Sigma 2x teleconverter, f/8ish, 1/640th second, ISO 200, beanbag on truck window, full frame, cloned out a few stray weeds on the right-hand side of the image and ran a second levels layer adjustment to show more detail in the open mouth.

[Maxis Gamez]

Love the pose and low angle. I would like to see a little more room at the bottom but that's about it for me. The BG is amazing!

Keep them coming!

[Robert Smith]

Thanks, Maxis. Yep, I wish I had more room at the bottom too! There were times when I had problems fitting the bird into the frame it was so close. Having the dirt from the ditch piled up so that the bird was higher than "ground" level really helped (as did the bird's desire to forage along the top of the pile!). The background as I recall was a sod farm, which was about 3 feet lower and a lot further away so it sure did produce a nice background!

[Dave Phillips]

very nice meadowlark, agreed a bit more bottom canvas.
Appreciate the commentary

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Agree with Maxis comments but lovely singing pose in this image Robert. Great timing !!!

[Linda Robbins]

Very nice singing pose. Nice perspective and the background is lovely. Only nit is the tightness at the bottom. I just love Meadowlarks!