Savannah Sparrow

I was over on Prince Edward Island this week and the Savannah Sparrows were everywhere. They seem to like the fields that are planted in grain combined with fallow field edges. This one was feeding chicks and was quite cooperative.

By way of an aside, in general grassland species like the Savannah Sparrow (also Bobolonk, Meadowlark, other sparrows) are not doing very well. Maybe this is caused by different farming practices these days. What is for sure is that if you nest in a hay or grain field you are likely to have a close encounter with a mowing machine or combine sometime in the summer.

I cropped and added some canvas to the bottom as my exposure comp was a little too close to the toes. I also tried some capture sharpening for the first time as outlined in this informative thread:

http://www.birdphotographers.net/for...ad.php?t=15793

40D, 500mm f4, 1.4x tcII = 700mm effective FL
capture date: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 10:37:34 AM
exposure program: Aperture Priority
ISO speed: 400
shutter speed: 1/1000
aperture: f8.0
exposure bias: +0.3
metering: Pattern
flash: OFF

I like the eye contact, BG and the snack adds to it. I wish for wider DOF to have the feet in focus, too.

I read that the kind of pesticide used in Mexico has caused the bobolink population to decrease rapidly, too.

Harsh light but great moment, a bit more DOF would helped! Congratulaitons as is still a very nice shot!

Beautiful capture with the food in the bill. :) You managed the light very nicely. I wish for more DOF, but still have no qualms with it this way. Very pretty indeed.

Really nice image, I would like to see both feet in focus, may more DOF, may be you have another image with the bird showing its tail. BG and eye contact are fantastic.

Love the eye contact and mouthful of bugs John! Good sharpness. A little more DOF would have added to this already nice photo. I might tone down the legs a bit. Thanks for posting!

Great pose, and what a beakful of grub. Agree with comments on DOF- it would have been great to mave the legs and feet a bit sharper.

Thanks for all your great comments. Yes the DoF and the OOF legs are the issue here and there's nothing I can do about it! Oh well, the Savannahs will still be there next time I'm out. Perhaps I should try getting closer, just using the 500mm and upping the f-stop.