Arcata Marsh is really one of my favorite places to photograph birds. The variety is not great. Mostly Marsh Wrens and Song Sparrows, with a few Golden and White Crowned mixed in, and least in April when I visit. But the views of wrens and sparrows you can get are spectacular! I know of no other place where the sparrows and wrens are so oblivious of human presence.

This Song Sparrow made an easy target on its bare berry whip among the flowers. The subdued light of a cloudy morning made for an excellent, full toned, portrait. Enough light to bring out the feather detail, but no so much as to overpower the lighter tones. And, of course, this shot is also about composition. The bird occupies a rule-of-thirds power-point, balanced by the white flowers…and the strong diagonal of the berry whip leads the eye. There is also a nice separation between the focused bird and the out of focus background. I could not have done better if I had actually been thinking about it. 🙂

Canon SX50HS. Program with iContrast and Auto Shadow Control. 1800mm equivalent field of view. f6.5 @ 1/500th @ ISO 800. Processed in Lightroom for intensity, clarity, and sharpness.