Western Meadowlark

Image Critiques Avian Critiques
1

The first day I was at the Sacramento NWR complex, it was very windy. For some reason, the Meadowlarks were feeding on the berm very heavily and it looked as if the refuge had whacked the taller weeds down in places to allow better viewing. Whether it was the wind or just luck, the Meadowlarks seemed unusually tame that afternoon and several of them were most cooperative. I posted the opposite profile of this bird in the Weekly Challenge when I returned, but thought I should post a Meadowlark here as well, particularly since most posts of this species are taken when the males are perched up singing on territory.

-20200204-_7D27647-Sacramento NWR-Edit
-20200204-_7D27647-Sacramento NWR-Edit1600×1101 814 KB

What technical feedback would you like if any?

Anything.

What artistic feedback would you like if any?

Anything.

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

7DII, Sigma 150-600 C @ 435 mm, bean bag on car window (the camera was still shaking in the wind), f/8, 1/2000, iso 640, manual exposure. Processed in LR & PS CC. Cropped to 3828x2634 before resizing. I accented the plumage detail just slightly with Topaz Detail and blurred the brown grasses behind the bird with the blur brush in PS. Taken at 11:03 am on February 4th.

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2

Another nice look at a Meadowlark, Dennis. They are beautiful birds. I just love the colors and markings on them. Nice details, and you did a nice job blurring the background. The lighting is a bit harsh, but at that time of the day it would be. Still a great shot, and one I would be pleased to call my own.

3

Hi Dennis, a nemesis bird for me so I can appreciated this capture. Fine details and you handled the strong light well. A beautiful specimen well caught.

4

I like the overall composition with the blurred brown background and green foreground, providing nice contrast with the bird’s colors which are well shown in good detail.