virginia rail # 2

[Enrique Patino]

I believe the last image I posted was of the female. Don't ask me why I say that. This species is supposed to lack sexual dimorphism. I think I can tell them apart if seen together. This one was that same day as the previous one. Audio playback seem to have gotten these two in the mood. But the female moved from direct light into a partly shaded area. I was shooting manual. I would have liked the female angle more towards the camera, but I'll take it.



7D, 500 mm@ 7.1, 1/800, ISO 800, HH, spot metering, manual, almost FF

comments welcome

[John Robinson]

Love it ! Not sure about the fore ground but a great shot in miy humble opinion.
Cheers
JR
If only the rear bird (you know what I (was ) going to say. Bird photograhy doesn;t work like that !

[dankearl]

This is just over the top, Enrique.
To get one in the open was remarkable, I have never seen two in a photograph, ever!
The HA does not even matter, the Dof is superb, the birds are sharp, and the flower is a bonus.
Congrats on the image of the week at least…...

[Carl Walker]

Once again a stunning image Enrique. Well captured

[Greg Oakley]

Another awesome image. Pity about the head angle of the RHS bird but it's still over the top

[gail bisson]

A great shot. Two rails together-pretty amazing.
I really like the OOF mound in the FG.
Gives it a dreamy look. I like the flower on the right but it does pull the eye away. I could also like a version with it cropped out.
The DOF is terrific as is the behavior displayed.
Well done,
Gail

[Iain Barker]

Enrique well done.

I think it is very rare to see two rails out in the open together. I agree with Gail's comments, and in fact, when I first viewed it the right was cropped by my browser into almost a square format which seem to work well.
This is an amazing photo however you chose to crop it.

Iain

[Bill Dix]

Twin Rails - amazing. I'm glad you can see the eye in the back bird; everything else about the image easily trumps any HA concerns. I looked at it with and without the flower, and I decided that it helps hold the right edge; I'd keep it. And "dreamy" was exactly the word I was going to use for the oof foreground. Excellent.

[Lyle Gruby]

This is pretty unbelievable. I barely even see any rails and it's always when they're flying away! Love the FG, birds look great, great light, I personally think the flower adds. I think it helps that the flow is slightly OOF. I'd love to hear the backstory of how you got this shot.

[Enrique Patino]

Thanks all for your feedback. I am glad this image is appealing. I was thrilled to have found these very cooperative birds at a good location.


Lyle, there is a city park near my work that has undergone lots of wetland restoration. The parks department has built a series of small and medium-sized ponds with a walking trail between them. The area of the park where these images were taken is a convoluted trail loop with small ponds on both sides of the trail (in parts of the loop). The age of these ponds (plant succession) and the particular conditions are such that it seems to be prime Virginia Rail (VR) habitat. At one point during about a 1.5 week period, I used audio paly back to conduct a census and I estimated there were at least 5 pairs of this species in and around the loop (~ 3 acres). But not all locations presented adequate photographic opportunities.


This is only my second year attempting to photograph VRs. And this year it all started by chance. I was attempting to photograph California Quails one morning. I frequent this particular park as it is close to work and a great place to photograph birds. I had noticed lots of quail around. I located a couple of perches that get direct sunlight early in the AM, and I went one morning to try to capture a couple of quail images. The vegetation was wet early in the morning this time of year, even if it was not raining. The images turned out good, but the bird that responded to the audio was all wet.


While photographing quails that day, I saw a VR fly from one small pond to another, crossing the trail path on its flight path… so I turned my attention fully to this bird while my friend Bruce kept trying to get quails to perch on a nice log using audio. I saw (or heard?) both VR adults that day and wondered if they would be at the same spot the next day. I checked the following day, and yes… this location was where this pair “lived.” And this location presented good photo opportunities.


In all, I attempted to photograph these birds at this location 3 separate times – each time lasting no more than 5-10 minutes with 2-3 audio play back sets. The birds turned out to be quick and predictable responders to audio calls, and at times hanged around in the open for a while after an audio call. The trick was getting the light right. The birds seemed not to be bothered by my presence if I did not move. I was flat on the ground pointing in the expected direction. Because of the vegetation around the walking trail, and the orientation of the trail at this location, light was only optimal for about 30 minutes. But here in Seattle is often cloudy in the AM. So, not every day was good.


I included the yellow flower because I like it and because it is a sort of marker. I have several other behavioral shots of this pair (together) and these two birds (individually) at this same spot… and the flower serves as a marker… ;)


And I am happy to say that while photographing these birds the last day, I counted five chicks running from one pond (left) to another (right) crossing the walking trail where I was photographing the adults. I captured one image of the fifth chick crossing the path that morning, but its IQ is not so good.


Cheers,


Enrique


P.S. I noticed that someone was breaking twigs of the branches on the shrubs growing along the trail in this location. I interpreted that as someone marking the location of where they had observed the VR crossing the walking path. I removed these markers each time I visited to eliminate any possible competition (how silly!). But the point is that this trail get lots of human traffic and the VR were successful in at least starting with a brood of five (and who knows how many more because they were copulating the day I counted five chicks). Without the use of audio, I would not know what I know about this species now, nor would I have these images.

[Grace Scalzo]

Really a delightful image. I personally would reduce the effect of the oof a bit by cropping from the bottom and then right (To balance and to eliminate the flower). Thanks for posting this one, it is a treat to view.

[Arthur Morris]

Painterly and beautiful. Love the yellow flower, the BKGR, the soft colors, and the well trained bird in the back :). Not to train the other bird....

[Arthur Morris]

ps: super sharp with great detail in the brown plumage.... I keep going back to enjoy this one.

[vishaljadhav]

One superb image, the details and exposure is so spot on
i love the love level perspective making it stand out , lovely BG.
the eye does catch my attention a lot, its superb , good image over all

[Girish Prahalad]

all has been said above! superb image overall.

[Joe Murphy]

Fantastic job getting two together out in the open, really great shot Enrique.