Eastern Towhee

[Ryan Schain]

Wellfleet, Massachusetts
June 9, 2013

Canon EOS 7D
Canon EF 100-400 mm F4.5-5.6 L IS

1/1600
f/6.3
275 mm
ISO 400

[Janet Heintz]

Ryan,
This is really nice. Great sharpness and color, love the singing position. One of the best I've seen of this bird.
good job
Janet

[Karl Egressy]

A more traditional canvas size might look better but the bird is stunning for sure.
Love the calling pose, fanned tail, HA and IQ. Great work.

[Troy Lim]

Ryan, love everything about this image. Calling pose, sharpness and killer BG.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I'm with Karl in regards to the composition's ratio, but I'm really digging the image as this is a nemesis bird for me. Neat BG, sharp details, and I like the fanned tail.

[Marina Scarr]

Great calling pose and BG. Would crop a tad from the left.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Ryan, well exposed on this fellow, sharp, and well timed to capture the open beak. Love the curved perch, and the bird pops nicely against the BG.

[arash_hazeghi]

excellent sharp details with a nice calling pose. good BG and perch

[Shawn Zierman]

WOW! 275mm, no audio used! Pretty freakin great image of this species sir.

[Satish Ranadive]

Extremely beautiful image. Simple but very very sweet.
Love the pose with open beak,wonderful details in colors,sharpness,very nice BG on which bird pops up beautifully.
Beautiful composition too.

Regards,
Satish.

[Girish Prahalad]

cool image! lovely bird you have got with great details, colors & BG

[vishaljadhav]

Lovely calling pose, great BG and perch, super IQ love it

[Ryan Schain]

Thanks all!

The trick to getting good opportunities/perches/backgrounds with Eastern Towhees is finding breeding populations on hilltops, and visiting them in late May/early June. These super territorial birds often perch right up on exposed high perches on the hilltops, allowing for outstanding backgrounds and due to their current state of mind, close approach. The outer cape (Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown) is loaded with breeding EATO, and the dunes along the bay side of Wellfleet is my absolute favorite location to photograph this species.

Here's another, of the same bird, on the same perch in the dunes, just from the other side, this time with the ocean in the background:

[Bill Dix]

Terrific shots, both of them. I can never seem to get these guys in the open -- I guess that's because I'm always seeing them in the woods, there being no dunes near my house. Great BG, pose and exposure on the OP. Well done.