BOUQUET WITH BROWN

[douglas hayes]

Not ones favorite bird as it lays eggs in others, however I thought it an unusual contrast with spring blossoms and a unique crop. Comments welcome.


1D MKIV 500MM 1/2000 F7.1 400

[Henry Domke]

This image is a refreshing switch from to the vast majority of the pictures on BPN.
Instead of a silky smooth background and calm classic composition this is visually intense and chaotic.
A riot of color!
Fun!

Instead of a bird we all love to see this is one that many hate; a parasitic blackbird. I knew one avid birder that kept a shotgun just to kill Brown-headed Cowbirds.
Personally I love their iridescent plumage.
Thanks for offering something different.

[Bryan Munn]

I like it...reminiscent of a summer afternoon in the garden...

Funny how we tend to deem some birds as "desireable" and others less so. My yard is so infested with house finches that I tend to almost subconsciously look down on them, even though the males are quite beautiful.

My only suggestion on the photo would be to make the bird a larger element of the composition...which could be done with different framing. As it is, it looks like a picture of flowers that happens to have a bird in it.

Still a beautiful picture though.

[Bret Goddard]

I like it to, beautiful bg with great exposure on a hard on to expose so nicely.

[Grace Scalzo]

I agree, it is different and for that I commend you. Two things that bother me...one is the large white flower on the left side of the frame. It is so big and so bright that I can't settle into this picture....my attention is so totally split between the bird and that. And second thing is that the bird is so close to the edge of the frame and looking out. Overall, it doesn't work for me for these reasons, but to each his (or her!) own.

[Sandy Witvoet]

Very difficult to make a Cowbird look pretty... but the flowers do help a bit! Excellent exposure. I would have to agree with Grace, the flower overpowers the bird, especially since he is so far to the right and looking out of the frame. If you have more canvas on the right, you may want to try a vertical, eliminating most, if not all of the big flower... and give the bird a bit of "nose-room" (or beak-room) here!
Thanks for a lovely look at a "not so nice" bird!