Another image from the refuge on Sunday. I saw this Scrub Jay near one of the canals and stopped to try for it but it flew behind me. Luckily traffic was light so I could back up but I seemed to be just behind it. This was the only halfway decent frame I got and I was amazed when I looked at it on the computer and saw what it had in its beak. Now I have to do some research on these birds as it never occurred to me that this would be part of their diet.
PS: I looked this up on IBird as the tool I had handy. It says the diet is Frogs and Lizards, Eggs and young birds, Insects, fruit, nuts and seeds. Sounds a lot like us.
Specific Feedback Requested
I know there are issues with the image. The pose is a bit awkward and there’s a touch of motion blur, plus the background is just plain ugly, but as a behavioral image, I thought it was worth presenting. If you have any suggestions on how to make it more artistic looking I’d be more than happy so hear them.
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Sony A7Riv, FE200-600 @ 600 mm, beanbag on car window, f/8, 1/1250, iso 2000, manual exposure. Processed in LR & S CC. Cropped to 4588x3276. Taken February 28th at 8:31 am.
Very nice capture of this Scrub Jay. They are really hard to get! Really interesting catch on their hunting abilities too! They seem like a pretty bold, opportunistic kind of bird, so maybe they go for whatever they can catch!
I, for one, like photos with more habitat included, Dennis. Birds don’t live perched on a stick. Not being familiar with this bird, I know nothing of its diet, but it was a good catch by you and a good catch by him!
Interesting behavior for sure. Covids are so smart that I’m not surprised it has managed this meal. We only have blue jays here, but I’m sure they get up to similar shenanigans. Well seen and presented with the poor little frog.
More than interesting behavior - I would be as surprised as you was. I appreciate you hesitation about the IQ compared to your normal one, but it’s not that it’s a bad image or something. I would be happy to have made it. Best, Hans
Excellent behavior. Well framed. The blue colors and the textures of the plumage in contrast to the surroundings work well with the story you’re trying to tell.
Hi Dennis
Since you asked about making it artistic, the first thing I thought of was applying some kind of blur filter to the background, using Photoshop. I know it can be done, I just don’t know much about it. I’ve only tried Orton Effect action in TK7, maybe that with a mask for just the background? But I bet it would be fun to sip your favorite beverage with your favorite music and bring out the “Crayons” by experimenting with filters. !!!
