White Mountain Gray Jay

Gallery: AvianPosted June 8, 20173,295 views9 comments

I'm not sure what type of bird this is, so I'm hoping someone here can tell me. Edit: Thanks Matt!

I found two of them on a semi-treed mountain top in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. I'm not very experienced with bird ID and photography, so this is mostly just a grab shot, but I was fairly happy with the outcome. This is a bit of a crop to 4x5 from full size.

September 20, 2016
Sony a6300, 16-50 @ 50mm
1/500 @ f/8, ISO200

Comments

9 comments

Comment posted by Matt Shellenberg on June 8, 2017 at 1:59 PM

Craig, that is a Gray Jay. And you captured it well. Very nice pose and perch and nice detail in the bird. My only suggestion would be to maybe bring down the brightness of the tree a tad bit. Nice job!!!!

Registered on February 6, 2008, 168 Posts, 3118 Comments

Comment posted by Skip Layman on June 8, 2017 at 2:38 PM

Come out to the high country and meet the Gray Jays, also known as camp robbers. They wil steal anything not nailed down. It is common for them to fly right up to you for a handout. This is a really nice portrait of one. I agree with toning down the perch to make the jay the dominant feature of this fine photo.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 558 Posts, 1704 Comments

Comment posted by Allen Brooks on June 8, 2017 at 7:43 PM

This is a nice look at the jay. The pose and perch are good as is the detail.

Registered on July 27, 2011, 262 Posts, 2597 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on June 8, 2017 at 9:52 PM

Nice job on this jay, Craig. Good detail in the bird and a very pleasing perch with enough hint of clouds in the bg to provide some relief from plain blue.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Moreau on June 9, 2017 at 8:48 AM

Thanks all for the comments!

Matt, thanks for the ID and the suggestion to burn down the tree. I agree that it needs it.

Skip, there were other hikers we met on top of this mountain that were also saying these birds would eat out of your hand. They did seem very adventurous and not scared of us at all.

Registered on April 21, 2015, 64 Posts, 584 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on June 9, 2017 at 12:30 PM

Nice to see you posting in the avian gallery. A good look at this Gray Jay. Nice pose and perch. Good detail and color. And the clouds in the background help the sky. I've had a few of these in my neighborhood recently. And yes they can be pests.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by David Bogener on June 9, 2017 at 1:04 PM

Very nice gray jay image. Good light, pose, and detail. The clouds in the background add interest. Well done.

Registered on October 30, 2013, 417 Posts, 1255 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Minish on June 10, 2017 at 3:14 AM

Superb capture of this Jay, Craig! Perfect exposure and very sharp detail. I agree with others that the stump outshines the bird so toning it down would help a lot.

Registered on February 4, 2006, 625 Posts, 3583 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on June 10, 2017 at 6:36 PM

Very nicely composed and great details in the jay Craig, my only thought was the same as Matt's to tone down the highlights on the perch a bit. devil

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments