Results 1 to 8 of 8

Thread: Phainopepla

  1. #1
    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    12,487
    Threads
    1,892
    Thank You Posts

    Default Phainopepla

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    One more high-key shot against the Arizona sky in February. The group we were birding with searched for days to add this Arizona specialty to our list, checking out every clump of Mistletoe we passed along the road. We finally gave up and declared it to be a species we missed. Then on our final afternoon before we had to catch the plane, my wife and I spotted this one in the gardens of the Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. Mid-day against bright sky is not the best condition to photograph a black bird, but this is my record shot of this lifer.

    D7000, 500f4 + 1.4 TC, ISO 800, 1/1000s @ f/6.3 manual.

  2. #2
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Manchester, UK.
    Posts
    384
    Threads
    58
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    A very fine record shot it is ( must be hard to get if it is a lifer for you) and yes very difficult to get right with all the conditions against you. It looks like it is a big crop and you have pushed as much detail as possible. For my eye it is a bit messy with all the twigs but knowing how mistletoe grows this is what you get. I may have brought the edges in so the long branch was just going off shot but that depends how much detail you could retain. Good one for the theme though.

  3. #3
    Lifetime Member Marina Scarr's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Sarasota, FL
    Posts
    10,347
    Threads
    403
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    White the stunning image and the high key works great here. Love the brown eyes and how they match the vegetation. The pose is great too
    Marina Scarr
    Florida Master Naturalist
    Website, Facebook

  4. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    270
    Threads
    15
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quite a nice shot, especially considering the bright sky. Exposure of blacks is well controlled. Well focused considering the focal length! I like the comp as is.

  5. #5
    Lifetime Member gail bisson's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Nova Scotia
    Posts
    12,731
    Threads
    910
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Congrats on this lifer.
    It is always fun to hear stories about the circumstances of a special find!
    I like the IQ and the tangled mistletoe.The raised crest is very appealing.
    Colors look good in the blacks considering this is a high key image.

  6. #6
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Salford , England
    Posts
    1,316
    Threads
    28
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Excellent work here considering circumstances and conditions. Congrats on your lifer!

  7. #7
    BPN Member dankearl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Posts
    8,833
    Threads
    1,358
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice shot to have, Bill, the crest and vegetation is cool...
    Dan Kearl

  8. #8
    BPN Member Bill Dix's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    12,487
    Threads
    1,892
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks everyone.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics