Song Sparrow Foraging on Lily Pads

Yet another from last Friday. I’m always fascinated by birds navigating and foraging on lily pads. We had this one and a Red-winged Blackbird last Friday.

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The habitat is not very pretty this time of year and this frame had the least objectionable foreground. Does it still work?

Technical Details

Is this a composite: No
Sony A7Riv, FE200-600 + 1.4 TC @ 840 mm, I think this was hand held, but I don’t recall for sure, f/10, 1/800, iso 1250, manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 6194x4464. I burned the dead portion of the foreground pad to reduce the distraction.

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I don’t mind it - it’s how things look right now. The step up onto the curl is great. So sharp and the reflection of the sky adds some contrast and a good backdrop for the head.

I like it, Dennis. Good pose from the bird and unusual behavior, I would think.

Hi @terryb I don’t think the behavior is all that unusual. At least out here, they tend to favor wetland habitats. I’ve seen one foraging along a stream in low water and picking up snails.

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I don’t know about up north, but around here these guys are one of the more common birds and I’ve taken probably hundreds of shots of song sparrows, so it’s nice to see one in a little different habitat. Detail looks good and I like the composition.

Well composed with good detail, environment, and behavior. I like the pose. I think you could bring the brightness up perhaps half stop. As Allen and Dennis have stated, this is a very common bird in our area.

Delightful! The gesture of the foot is wonderful, fitting the thoughtful gaze into the distance. Great job minimizing the OOF piece of the leaf. I like @David_Schoen’s idea to brighten the bird, but would try to darken the BG water just a bit - maybe even as a subtle gradient burn from the UR.

How very cute! I’ve never seen a sparrow on a lily pad! He looks like a sailor at the helm of his boat! Great capture!