Blackbird in the rain

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Blackbird in the rain

April 5, 2015 by Mike Powell

Sometimes I’m out with my camera even when it’s raining, which lets me capture shots like this Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) that I spotted this past Friday at Huntley Meadows Park.

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife | Tagged Agelaius phoeniceus, Alexandria VA, Canon 50D, Huntley Meadows Park, rain, red-winged blackbird, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto | 16 Comments

16 Responses

on April 5, 2015 at 5:36 am | Reply svtakeiteasy

Great capture! I like the muted background and delicate plant the blackbird is perched on. All the colours are blending well together Mike.
- on April 5, 2015 at 5:48 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks, Chris. Sometimes my favorite photos are the most simple ones of pretty ordinary subjects.
on April 5, 2015 at 5:50 am | Reply Tastyniblets

beautiful shot – the rain gives it an additional level of depth. really lovely 🙂
- on April 5, 2015 at 8:06 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Thanks. It was fascinating for me to see which birds were willing to brave the rain and which ones sought shelter.
  - on April 5, 2015 at 1:01 pm Tastyniblets
    
    Well that little blackbird was pretty gutsy!
on April 5, 2015 at 6:53 am | Reply Dan Antion

Gnats z very nice photo Mile.
- on April 5, 2015 at 6:54 am | Reply Dan Antion
  
  Or perhaps, “that’s a very nice photo Mike”
on April 5, 2015 at 7:09 am | Reply Thom Hickey

Thanks. You’ve captured a stoic nobility here! Regards thom
- on April 5, 2015 at 8:08 am | Reply Mike Powell
  
  “Stoic nobility”– I like that word combination (and it fits perfectly).
  - on April 5, 2015 at 10:29 am Thom Hickey
    
    Happy Easter Mike. Take a your of the Jukebox in a spare moment. Thom
on April 5, 2015 at 8:57 am | Reply New Hampshire Garden Solutions

Nice shot Mike. I heard the first red winged blackbird of the year just the other day, but haven’t seen one yet.
on April 5, 2015 at 10:02 am | Reply Dina

Very nice work, Mike.
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
Dina, Klausbernd and our two Bookfayries Siri and Selma
on April 5, 2015 at 4:57 pm | Reply Birder's Journey

I also love these birds, no matter what the weather — they are always so cheery. Do you use a particular rain cover for your camera? I have one, and want to get in the habit of using it. But sometimes I just carry a plastic bag, and shoot from under a canopy or under an umbrella ;D
- on April 5, 2015 at 6:46 pm | Reply Mike Powell
  
  Mostly I try to shoot while carrying an umbrella, which is not bad if it is raining lightly or is not too windy. Occasionally I put a little plastic bag around the lens to better protect it when the zoom is extended. I know there are better systems available, but I am not adventurous enough to go out when the weather is really bad.
  - on April 5, 2015 at 8:33 pm Birder's Journey
    
    Thanks for your response, Mike!
on April 6, 2015 at 1:33 am | Reply Nicci

Beautiful. It looks like a Japanese painting, with the rain.