Yellow-headed Blackbird waiting for lunch

Repost with @_Kris’s recommendation:

Description:

Yellow-headed Blackbird (Xanthocephalus xanthocephalus), Summer Lake Wildlife Area, Summer Lake, Oregon, USA

I spent a long weekend at Summer Lake wildlife area in eastern Oregon in 2010. The mosquitos were out in fine fashion, I mean tons of them. But these are females that hatch early and have no interest in attacking humans. At least that’s what I was told when I tried to buy mosquito repellant. :slight_smile:

Anyway, she caught a lot of those insects from her perch.

Specific Feedback Requested:

Any comments/critiques appreciated. This is more of a fun image than an artistic one.

Pertinent technical details or techniques:

Is this a composite? No

Canon 7D, 300mm + 1/4, 1/640 sec @ F/5.6, ISO 100, Beanbag out of the car window.

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The light on the bird, the point of view, and comp are quite pleasing.

It’s like a fighter plane squadron. Nice. I love that she’s studying them. And the use of the negative space is nice. If it were mine I’d give a go at getting rid of the branch on the right that sticks up into the frame.

Interesting behavioral image, David. You did an excellent job on the exposure of the blackbird which isn’t easy with those intense blacks and yellows. I like the mosquito squadron.

HI David
The Yellow-headed Blackbird does look like he is command of the air wing. Nice framing and vary good work on the blacks.
Peter

@David_Schoen, @_Kris, @Dennis_Plank, @Peter, Thank you for the comments. Kris, I reposted above with the branch removed. I also added a very slight warming to the image.

I like it without - the wide open space with the squadron is pretty cool.