Yesterday morning, while playing cat and mouse games with a shy Spotted Towhee, I saw a Black-billed Magpie land behind my pickup where I had no chance to photograph it. So, I went back to looking for the towhee. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw that the magpie had taken off and was looping and swooping across the pond.
By the time I got ‘him’ in focus he wasn’t very close and he was past me but he was tilted at an angle that gave me a good look at his entire dorsal surface. And it was about to get better.
In the next shot, with just a few more degrees of tilt, his iridescent colors began to light up. A photobombing Mallard seemed to be enjoying them too.
When he flared prior to landing on the bank of the pond, he was at the perfect angle to make most of his hidden colors light up. I really like the rainbow colors at the tip of his magnificent tail.
The Mallard was still there at the bottom of the uncropped frame, but I had just enough room to crop him out and still get a composition that works for me.
This is the last shot I got before he disappeared behind the shoreline vegetation and landed on the bank.
The magpie was past me so these are semi-butt shots but with magpies, given the structure of magpie feathers and the laws of physics, that’s often what it takes to get their iridescent colors to pop. It’s a tradeoff I’m more than willing to make.
Ron
Sooo beautiful!!! What a gift to see this!!!
Thanks, Lois.
Absolutely beautiful. I gasped at the first photo and then it just got better. Thank you and have a lovely Thanksgiving.
Pat
Thank you, Pat.
Glad you saw the Magpie and could get the photo of the lovely feathers. Happy Thanksgiving to you.
Same to you, Trudy. Thanks.
Boy those are beautiful photos! The second to last one is perfect! Thanks for sharing these… I am at a bird low-point at the moment around here so they were a real treat.
“Bird low points” suck, don’t they Joanne. Thanks.
Late to the party, Ron, but what a great post. I couldn’t resist opening your email on my phone at work today, but also knew I couldn’t resist coming back to see it on my laptop to enjoy it properly the second time around. Thanks again for making the internet a better place!
Thanks, Diane. It makes a big difference to see photos like these on a larger screen.
Beautiful captures! Amazing photos! Thank you so much for sharing, and warm greetings from a retired lady living in Montreal, Canada.
Thank you, Linda.
I love these birds. They were common in Denver. Not so much in Rio Rancho.
“I love these birds.”
Good. Not everyone does.
I didn’t have an opportunity to see this until this afternoon, but I’m glad I found it. Just last week I did a presentation on iridescence. My talk. was an hour and a half and I covered lots of different organisms that have iridescence. The magpie was certainly one of them. But of course there are many others. We think of iridescent as a visual Q. But there is so many other functions that it has for other organisms. So I covered iridescence in snakes, birds, insects, and even in plant. A paper just published in September show that there is actually iridescent in some mammals as well. Something we didn’t know before. It’s not bright colors like a hummingbird or a magpie, but it’s there and usually serves a different purpose than the visual purpose in birds. It’s a fascinating topic and the magpies certainly a great example to use. Thanks for the great photos. I know many people who think of magpies as just a black-and-white bird. They haven’t seen the astounding colors like you show here so it’s great to have it to show them.
Dan, I wish I’d been there for your presentation.
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! The magpies I knew – were never this beautiful. Maybe I just didn’t know when to look – or where to look.
Maybe they steal those colors from the birds they chase away when they nest in a tree.:))
Thanks, Judy. The light angle has to be just right for those colors to appear and often it only lasts for a moment.
Beautiful photos Ron! Such incredible colors and feathering. I have a lot of magpies in the open space behind my house, but they are always too far away and poorly-lit, so I’m not often reminded of just how pretty they are.
“they are always too far away and poorly-lit.”
Magpies can be pretty shy about having their picture taken. Thanks, Bill.
Delightful! Thank you for capturing all the colors — that’s quite a show!
Thanks, Kathryn.
WOW! They ARE a beautiful bird! 🙂 I will give them that even if some of their other traits are not so endearing…… 😉
Judy, for some reason WordPress made me approve your comment this morning. I’m glad I checked my “pending” comments. I often don’t remember to check it.
WOW! I never knew they had iridescent colors. Thanks.
You aren’t the only one, Laurie. Lots of folks never see or notice them.
That tail !!!
Yup.
I’ve never seen a more beautiful showing of the color and flight. Thanks 🙂
Glad you think so, Judy.
Gorgeous magpie shots, Ron! The angle of the light and from which you were shooting also made the Mallard’s head light up.💚 Bonus points for getting catchlights in all the eyes, including the photobomber’s and for the detail in all those blacks and whites. Your skill as a photographer is definitely on display!
Whenever I see magpie photographs now, I’m always reminded of the “magpie hat” and am imagining Mr. Mallard “wearing” one. Thanks for the giggle. 🙂
Thanks for noticing the light in the eye, Marty.
While Shannon was here a couple of days ago, I decided to forego the photos of the two of us in front of the fireplace. This time we’d have been wearing a Forester’s Tern hat. 🙂
That photo is tradition! 😍 Hope you had a wonderful visit with Shannon!💜
I did. It was short but sweet.
Wow!! The magpie looks butterfly-esque in that final shot.
Yup, it does Melanie.
And Happy Thanksgiving!
You too.
Ooooh. I’ve seen flashes of color, but never anything like what you’ve shown us here. I’m back to “ooooooh”. Once again.
“Ooooh” works for me, Nina. Thanks.
Maggie!! I love these shots, Ron. Thank you.
Good. Thanks, Cathryn.
Nice shots Ron and beautiful bird. Happy Thanksgiving to all
and especially to you and your family.
Thank you, Everett. I wish you and yours the same.
I second Michael and Mandy……and I love the first image in today’s
series. I “found” Feathered Photography years ago while researching the internet for images of magpie feathers, and found a classic one
of yours and have been a fan now for many years– happy to admire
whatever you offer, whenever you offer it……..
I’m glad you found Feathered Photography, Kris. It wouldn’t be the same around here without you.
The combination of the iridescent colors and shape of the tail is amazing. Like the train of a wedding dress.
” Like the train of a wedding dress.”
Very much so. Thanks, Michael.
Thank you Ron, that tail is magnificent!
I’m so grateful you changed your mind about sharing your photographs with us. I look forward to anything you send. Your eye helps me see the beauty all around us. No matter how mundane you find the beauty in it.
Thanks very much, Mandy. I’m glad to be (sorta) back.
The shape of its fully extended wing and tail feathers reminded me of the mythological Thunderbird. It’s a beautiful creature.
“reminded me of the mythological Thunderbird.”
Interesting observation, Shoreacres. I like it.
Awesome pictures. Thank you
Thanks, Travis.
Just beautiful. Happy Thanksgiving Ron.
Thanks, Mark. The same to you.