Song Sparrow In A Frosty Wonderland

It’s my natural tendency to avoid public displays of sentiment (another character flaw…) but recently I’ve been reflecting on just how much I enjoy blogging and interacting with my readers.  Even though I’ve never actually met most of you, I can’t help but feel that we have become “friends” on some level.  And this time of year especially, I think of my friends. Friends usually share at least some common interests and for us it seems to be a mix of birds, nature and/or photography.  Many of you are more knowledgeable in those areas than I am and have graciously shared your expertise and experiences with me and others.  For that I am grateful.   So I wanted to wish each of you the very best this holiday season.  I hope you’re with family and loved ones and that your experiences over the next few days will add to your cherished memories down the road. I wish you a safe and joyous holiday season! Ron About the image:  The bird is a Song Sparrow, plucking seeds from a hoar frost covered stem on a very cold and magical early morning on the refuge wetlands.  You can see frost falling near the tail from the feeding activity. 

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Just A Shot That I Like… #1

Today I’m starting a new feature on FeatheredPhotography.  Typically my posts include multiple images showing a sequence of photos that illustrate bird behaviors, photo techniques, favorite shooting locations and the like.  That will not change.  But now, in addition I will post a single shot that appeals to me for whatever reason and title the post “Just A Shot That I Like…” and these image posts will be numbered.  This is post #1.  The photos I choose may be new or from my archives.  I’ll mention what I like about the photograph and any significant flaws I think it has.  I’ll also include my image techs.   My plan is to make one of these posts at least once per week, in addition to my regular posts.    1/2500, f/7.1, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc I found this Song Sparrow early in January 2010 on the coldest day so far that winter.  The entire refuge was covered in thick frost – it looked like a magical frosty fairyland all the way to the horizon.   The sparrow was puffed up to keep warm and eating ice encased seeds it grabbed from its twiggy perch.  I like the frost, the vertical position of the tail, the puffed up squatting pose, the ice crystals falling next to the tail and the whimsical mood of the image.  Ron

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