Black-billed Magpie Portrait – Nikon D810, f13, 1/400, ISO 320, +0.3 EV, Nikkor 500mm VR with 1.4x TC, natural light, not baited
It isn’t often that I am able to take a Black-billed Magpie portrait so when a magpie flies in close enough to me I will jump at the opportunity.
A bit of background on this image… I was photographing other birds on Antelope Island State Park when this Black-billed Magpie flew in and landed on a sagebrush very close to the stopped vehicle I was sitting in and using as a mobile blind. I knew the magpie wouldn’t stay long so I very quickly adjusted my settings and hoped that I would have enough depth of field to get the whole head and wing of the magpie relatively sharp. I probably should have used f18 instead of f13 because I can see a drop off of sharpness in the wing but I don’t mind that too much.
I liked that the magpie opened its bill, called and showed a tiny strand of spit near the base of the bill. Out of all the magpie images I have taken I believe this is the only one I have taken that has saliva in it. I did some research and found out that some birds do have salivary glands which I guess I never paid attention to until I took this portrait.
Life is good. Birds are fascinating.
Mia
Click here to see more of my Black-billed Magpie photos plus facts and information about this species.
Hi! Love the bright black and white! What are you doing taking a photo of me ? It was yelling at you! Great shot opened mouth at that! Hope you have a great New Years Eve day! love mom
“Life is Good and Birds ARE Fascinating!
Thanks for sharing your fab portrait of this beauty.
Wonderful portrait!
Thank you all for your comments on this image and post. Your comments are much appreciated.
April I also wish people wouldn’t villanize Black-billed Magpies, they are an important part of the ecosystem.
Birds with an attitude. …. GREAT shot.
Great portrait. I hadn’t realized that their upper bill had so much of a curve toward the tip…these rascals are quite elegant in their tuxedos…
How I love your portraits.
And your magpies, so different to ours. Which I also love.
I wish people would not villainize magpies as much as they do, magpies are really amazing birds.
My cousin grew up on a farm and said he doesn’t like them. And some don’t like crows either. Seems the more intelligent a bird is, the more they are villainized. I love them both and this great portrait too.
I love learning about birds and seeing these beautiful images you capture… 🙂
Fascinating to see the saliva strand and for you to capture the moment. I just put peanuts out for the blue jays and magpies and noticed the magpies were a bit more skittish and held back after I closed the door but the jays dived in. They are truly magnificent. Thank you Mia for brightening our day. 🙂
Really amazing what there is to be discovered with your photos. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
Magnificent photo, Mia.