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Full moon over marsh
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Full moon over marsh

by Rob Graham

Gallery: LandscapePosted November 10, 2011314 views7 comments
I took this this evening at Cheyenne Bottoms WA, central Kansas, as the moon rose over the marsh. Hundreds of thousands of blackbirds, cowbirds, and grackles are passing through, creating quite a ruckus but also demonstrating amazing flight displays. The wind was calm, and the night was beautiful as the sun set behind me. 7D, ISO 1600, f/8, 1/200, 238mm with small crop. I used the high ISO to try and keep the birds from being totally blurs. C&C always welcome and appreciated.

Comments

7 comments
Comment posted by Tony Kuyper on November 11, 2011 at 8:40 AM
Neat, Rob. Take away the birds, and this would be much more ordinary, though the moon and the Earth's shadow are never "ordinary" in the ordinary in the conventional sense of things, if you catch what I'm say. It's just that the birds create more visual interest and take the "ordinary" elements in a new direction.
Registered on November 1, 2003, 364 Posts, 22328 Comments
Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on November 11, 2011 at 9:22 AM
I like this. The swarm of birds certainly adds an interesting dimension.
Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments
Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on November 11, 2011 at 10:40 AM
The birds made this picture for me. without that swarm of birds it would just be an ordinary pic.
Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments
Comment posted by John Tobias on November 11, 2011 at 10:52 AM
Fine image of the flocking behavior of these birds. The moon makes this more than just a photo of a bunch of birds! Thanks for sharing.
Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments
Comment posted by Mark Metternich on November 11, 2011 at 11:44 AM
Very cool moon shot. I think you forgot to clone out those dust specks on your sensor! :biggrin: :toast:
Registered on June 19, 2009, 276 Posts, 6240 Comments
Comment posted by Rob Graham on November 11, 2011 at 1:35 PM
Thanks for the comments. I agree, the flock of blackbirds makes the scene, and is one of the main reasons I stopped. Mark, I gave up cloning out all those spots :).
Registered on August 22, 2006, 842 Posts, 2824 Comments
Comment posted by Stan Rose on November 11, 2011 at 8:29 PM
Amazing! :toast:
Registered on September 15, 2005, 836 Posts, 17099 Comments