Winter Dark-eyed Junco

Gallery: AvianPosted December 20, 2009128 views8 comments

From yesterday's big snowstorm here in the Mid-Atlantic. I have a bunch of these at my feeders daily and they sure seemed happy about the snow. (They must've had all their shopping done and didn't have to drive anywhere :) They are perky, tough, hardy little guys.
50D, 100-400 @400, 1/60, F9, Iso 400

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on December 20, 2009 at 10:01 PM

I love the snow flakes on the bird as well as streaking in the background - there seems to be a little motion blur along the feet, but the face is relatively sharp

- Luke

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Kirk Greene on December 20, 2009 at 11:54 PM

I like the perch & the falling snow adds a point of interest. Luke mentioned the apparent motion blur in the fee but the perch actually appears a little blurred as well? I don't think it's from DOF @ f9? It doesn't really matter too much, the primary thing is that the junco's head & plumage appears in sharp focus with good detail.

Registered on May 12, 2004, 191 Posts, 1578 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on December 21, 2009 at 12:08 AM

Well done Sharon. Hard to get everything tack sharp at 1/60. Excellent comp!

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on December 21, 2009 at 9:36 AM

I can't judge fine points of sharpness on the laptop I'm on at the moment, but the face looks sharp and I like the overall image. I miss the soft twittering of these common backyard birds we'd have each winter in NJ.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 21, 2009 at 2:31 PM

Good job at 1/60s. the head looks good and sharp and the BG is wonderful.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on December 21, 2009 at 8:07 PM

The falling snow at this SS adds an interesting effect to the background that I like Sharon. Good exposure on the bird too. Nice image.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on December 22, 2009 at 10:07 AM

Sharon,

While I lived in FL I sure missed these "snow birds" and now I am able to see them in Utah, so I am happy with that.

Love the falling snow in the background, the head angle, sharpness of the head and light in the eye.

The perch and feet do look a little soft, was this handheld or on a tripod? At 1/60 if this was handheld that might account for some motion blur.

Still an appealing image as posted.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Daniel & Loana on December 22, 2009 at 4:05 PM

Great shot! Perfect deatils and the snow (both on the head of the subject and on the BG) adds a lot.

D&L

Registered on October 7, 2008, 166 Posts, 3044 Comments