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Brown-headed Cowbird
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Brown-headed Cowbird

by Richard Ditch

Gallery: AvianPosted May 29, 2011105 views13 comments
Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

Place: Gilbert Water Ranch, AZ
Date: May 21, 2011 6:26 am
Equipment: Nikon D300, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (2x), Gitzo 1325, RRS BH-55, Sidekick
Exposure: ISO 400, aperture priority matrix metered, 1/500th @ f9
Raw, PS CS3 on Mac G4, 61% of frame

The early morning light was soft enough to show the colors responsible for its name in this mostly dark bird of ill repute.

Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated.

Comments

13 comments
Comment posted by Clayton Musgrove on May 29, 2011 at 6:09 PM
Great shot. Perch and background work well and exposure turned out perfect.
Registered on February 6, 2010, 55 Posts, 235 Comments
Comment posted by Angela McCain on May 29, 2011 at 6:59 PM
Nice details in this difficult to image bird.
Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments
Comment posted by Barbara Graham on May 29, 2011 at 7:05 PM
Beautiful detail and colors. So sweet looking for a bird of ill repute.
Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments
Comment posted by Steve Balke on May 29, 2011 at 8:09 PM
Wow! That light is terrific for this bird, Richard. Very revealing. Beautiful capture.
Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments
Comment posted by Glenn Woznick on May 29, 2011 at 9:06 PM
Hello Richard
I like the light and exposure, good detail on the blacks.
just the leaves in the front are a little distracting (IMO).
Glenn
Registered on May 7, 2011, 13 Posts, 29 Comments
Comment posted by Howard Cheek on May 29, 2011 at 10:59 PM
Early light's always the best, and it shows here Richard.
Like the comp a lot, but maybe a tiny bit tight bottom.
These birds are notoriously hard to expose correctly, so hat's off to ya! :toast:
Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments
Comment posted by David Williams on May 29, 2011 at 11:07 PM
You've caught the colors really well here, Richard.......nice job.
:toast:
Registered on March 8, 2005, 315 Posts, 2291 Comments
Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on May 30, 2011 at 1:05 AM
Perfect light and exposure. Nice pose, and well-framed by the branches.
I'd personally clone out that light bit of branch behind it's shoulder.
Sweet!
Sandy
Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments
Comment posted by Rob Drummond on May 30, 2011 at 7:19 AM
Nice one Richard - great head turn and detail throughout the plumage

cheers
Rob
Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments
Comment posted by Monica Siri on May 30, 2011 at 9:31 AM
Richard,
very nice comp with great light, beautiful pose, superb detail. :toast:
Registered on September 20, 2009, 132 Posts, 3764 Comments
Comment posted by David Sparks on May 30, 2011 at 6:57 PM
Richard:
I like it a lot - it's difficult to imagine better colors or more detail in a photo of a brown-headed cowbird. :toast:
Registered on May 26, 2007, 290 Posts, 4270 Comments
Comment posted by Jeff Loomis on May 31, 2011 at 6:27 PM
Great image. I admit that I don't hold them in high esteem, but you sure made him look good. Perfect exposure and tack sharp. The large version is amazing. :toast:
Registered on January 26, 2010, 68 Posts, 719 Comments
Comment posted by KC Choo on May 31, 2011 at 8:31 PM
Good one, Richard! They are not much liked up here either!
Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments