One more from this series before I retire it I positioned myself a little higher here to include a better view of the reflection, even if it is not very strong...I still feel it adds to the image, as do the blades of grass. I'm not sure why the far right one is OOF, I may just create a version with just the two sharp ones.
Canon 7D + 100-400L @400mm, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/500s., f/6.3, ISO 800 (histogram checked), natural light, handheld, cropped for composition (about 75% FF), a few pieces of crud in the water cloned out.
The choice to shoot at a higher angle certainly gives the reflection more visual weight, even though it isn't sharp. The grass and the birds gaze at them work well together work well, but I would lose the OOF one.
Soft colors, bird very sharp, like the soft gradient of blue in background
Lovely image but I'm afraid this isn't a White-rumped..................it's a Western. In all plumages, White-rumped's have a clearly pale base to the lower mandible and they show longer primary extension than this bird. At first I thought this could be a Semipalmated but the structure and bill shape seem better for a Western..............Semi's have a rounder head where Westerns have a thicker neck and flatter crown like this bird. Semi's have a kind of "tubular" shaped bill but this birds bill seems to narrow at the tip and isn't as blunt looking as a Semi. Hope some of this helps..............
Artie is pretty good with shorebirds................perhaps he can add something more because you guys see many more Semi's and White-rumped's in the East than I ever see in the West.
Last edited by Brian E. Small; 08-24-2012 at 12:10 AM.
Art city! Nice one, DC! I'd look at images from this series ad infinitum...this one is my favorite of the bunch...a bold (but still painterly) piece of artful birdliness. The softness and sweetness of light were your excellent friends on this particular morning, I can see that...I'm torn about the rightmost blade of grass and would consider its removal. I would create a version without the rightmost blade and I would "A/B" the two versions until I went crazy! Sounds like fun, don't you think so?
Last edited by Jack Breakfast; 08-24-2012 at 12:20 AM.
Lovely image but I'm afraid this isn't a White-rumped..................it's a Western. In all plumages, White-rumped's have a clearly pale base to the lower mandible and they show longer primary extension than this bird. At first I thought this could be a Semipalmated but the structure and bill shape seem better for a Western..............Semi's have a rounder head where Westerns have a thicker neck and flatter crown like this bird. Semi's have a kind of "tubular" shaped bill but this birds bill seems to narrow at the tip and isn't as blunt looking as a Semi. Hope some of this helps..............
Artie is pretty good with shorebirds................perhaps he can add something more because you guys see many more Semi's and White-rumped's in the East than I ever see in the West.
Brian, thank you very much for the feedback, and yes those are great ID tips. I was among a flock of about 70-80 birds (most of them Least and Semi + a few plovers), but there was a small group of five similar individuals hanging out together just outside the bigger flock. He was part of it, along with this individual that I posted last week which more clearly shows the fieldmarks you describe:
I would be happy if this would indeed turn out to be Western. White-rumped is considered uncommon here even during migration, western even more so...to the point of being worth reporting to the local birding association(s).
Last edited by Daniel Cadieux; 08-24-2012 at 06:09 AM.
Reason: addendum
I like this one too... Actually the whole series. The light, water conditions and blades of grass really make for a picturesque image. Like the higher angle also. Good Job....
Whatever the ID, it's a beautiful image Daniel. The whole series has been a pleasure to view, and this one is my favorite. The bird is nicely exposed and tack sharp. I like the relative positions of bird and grass blades in the frame, and also their reflections. Nice balance. I also like the hint of blue sky.
Hi Dan, another fine image with soft light and pastel colours. As Im not familiar with this species, interesting to see the 'roundness' of this fellow. Im fine with the OOF blade of grass, as it 'mirrors' the in focus blade. The graduated BG puts this a notch higher.
Glad I could help. Yes, the bird you linked to above is clearly a White-rumped and the differences between that bird and this one become more obvious upon closer inspection and comparison. Also notice the difference in leg color between these two individuals.
A fine species to add to your collection, and the photograph is perfect, imo. At first glance, it appears very minimalist, then further investigation (which it commands) reveals the gentle gradation of the background, the sweet blades of grass with water droplets on them, and of course the nice feather detail and shape of the bird. Very well seen and captured.
A beautiful image, Daniel. Lovely soft light, and seamless transition from fg to bg. Sweet composition, and I think the oof blade of grass helps the overall balance, but since it is oof, it might be worth trying a version without it.
Really like the pose you captured here. Typically I am not a fan of high key shots such as this. However, in this case I like it. I like it for the reason that you included the few blades of grass with a kiss of dew on it. I think that little piece of included habitat helps give your subject a sense of place in the frame. I also like the gradient BG.
White-rumped Sandpiper.
I positioned myself a little higher here to include a better view of the reflection, even if it is not very strong...I still feel it adds to the image, as do the blades of grass. I'm not sure why the far right one is OOF, I may just create a version with just the two sharp ones.
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Originally Posted by Brian E. Small
