Red-Winged Blackbirds

[Loupey]

The males are here in force staking out their territories. Still very leary of me. All with the 300mm+2x and still cropped slightly. The 2nd and 3rd are at ISO 800 in the setting sun so very noisy.

I guess you all are in for many more RWB's from me

Thanks for looking.

[Copy_Kot]

Wow Loupey, all three are GREAT! I can't wait to see them here!

[julsoph]

That last one is awesome...

I love red-winged blackbirds...they're one of my favorite birds.

Emily

[Loupey]

Thanks, Copy & Emily.

They certainly bring life back to the meadows. I took these just 24 hours after the original group. Even more males around and I was able to walk up to about 25' to two of them. This time I was able to keep the ISO at 400.

It's going to be a great spring

[big baldo]

Very nice. Keep 'em coming! I always learn a ton from your pics and tips!:thumbsup:

[OBie]

Wonderful shots, Loupey. One of my favorite birds, but I never see them around here

Looking forward to your pictures!

[Copy_Kot]

Wow Loupey, the first shot in your second post... OUTSTANDING!!!

[paulnj]

nice images for sure. We have them in droves at my local NWR.

[Loupey]

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment!

Here is a 2 shot sequence from this morning. I always smile when they take that BIG breath in before they sing. I guess you can say they sing from their bellies

[WTP07]

Loupey,

I had a RWB day today too...hope you don't mind me adding them to your post!

I am not too sure what this posture means....maybe he's just stretching...



This is similar to one of yours.. Both are moderate crops and adjusments to levels.



Cheers,

R.

[Loupey]

Don't mind at all!

I've not seen one do the first posture - looks cool!

Beautiful birds but tough to get detail in the blacks and eyes. Feel free to keep on posting.

[Loupey]

Last of the RWB from me. Now they are here in absolute droves. It now feels like shooting butterflies at the conservatory.

Shooting with the sun at the 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock position (horizontally) works best to put the gleen in the eyes and to add some feather texture to their head/checks/neck as long as they turn their heads in the right direction.

Thanks for looking!

[PMW518]

On my way back in from shooting some stuff for photo class I spotted some RWBB and decided to see if I could get a shot. Got a few, nothing of the caliber of the previous shots posted (those are great guys, keep it up) The light was fading very fast so the iso is at 1600. and they are a little soft but thats probably a combination of bad MF and 300mm hand held at 1/60. Guess I'll just have to go out again tomorrow and try in some real light.

[AmberC]

Oh wow! Those are absolutely beautiful Loupey! What a beautiful bird too! I have never seen one except in pictures. They are sure pretty!

[Loupey]

Thanks for posting, Phil! I hope you get the opportunity to go back and come back with more nice images to share.

Amber, thanks for looking!

OK, so these are all from the same fields that I've been shooting all the kestrels, meadowlarks, and most of the RT hawks. The other night, I popped by in the evening and saw a flock of 300~500 in the cattails where I got these earlier males. I'm trying to work out the details on how to get an image of 50~80 individuals in one shot with enough light/angle/focal length to still be able to see all the reds and oranges amidst the sea of black.

So perhaps there will be one more image from me if I'm lucky


And to think that this time last year, I was ecstatic when I found 3 mating pairs in the park I used to shoot at

[Loupey]

Seems I was grossly mistaken about the number of RWB's at my fields. Now, I would estimate about 2000 individuals congregate at dusk. During the day, they are scattered but just as the sun sets, they mass together in great concentrations. Problem photographically is that that it is too dark to show this awesome spectacle.

This is the only solution I've been able to think of and it was still early in the sunset before the concentrations got huge.

[quetzal]

Thats alot of birds! I see a few around my place sometimes but haven't been able to get decent shots of any yet.
Those are all nice pics.

[Loupey]

When we returned from our recent vacation, we found this in the mail.

Reprinted/posted with permission.

Thanks for looking!

[payn817]

Cool stuff, and congrats on the cover!

[scott-devon]

Wow....beautiful shots and congrats!

[Knight]

Congrats Loupey Well deserved

[Copy_Kot]

Congratulations Loupey!!!

[mn shutterbug]

Wow, what an honor and well deserved, I might add. Without the red wings, they'd just be blackbirds. Thanks for sharing.