Prairie Chickens at the high school dance


Posted by Len Backus on Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:00 pm

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Image
Nikon D2H, 600/4 and 1.4x, F7.1 @ 1/1,600, ISO 800, cropped from horizontal.

These are 2 male, teenage prairie chickens competing for the attention of the girls. When the girls are present these guys really go crazy. They dance and strut. Aerobatics are part of the more innovative routines needed if they want to win the competition. And the prize is...well, you know! This is better than reality TV.

This is shot with my new D2H and its amazing 8 fps shutter speed. Earlier this year I set three bird action photo goals for my new D2H. This was one of them. The second is a flight shot of a kingfisher with minnow-in-mouth, wings spread, about to alight on a perch. The third is a female merganser busting off the surface of the water on its way into the opening of a nesting box.

Stay tuned this spring. We'll see if I can get numbers 2 and 3.
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by DennisD on Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:18 pm
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GREAT I mean great capture. It has everyhting. Well done.
 

by AlexC on Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:20 pm
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Len, I would say you have a marvelous start, also you have a very nice tool to accomplish this task, 8 FPS should help but the right timing on the finger is a must, Nice aerobatics here, the spread wing is great, exposure is pretty good, whites slightly over the edge but not too bad, nice details and colors!! Can wait for you to get 2 & 3 as well, I'll be waiting!!! Congrats!! 8)
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by Larsen on Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:37 pm
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Oustanding photo. Great action, exposure, comp, etc. You're so lucky to be able to photograph these guys!
_
 

by Cindy Marple on Sun Apr 18, 2004 6:58 pm
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Terrific action capture! Nice bg is a bonus here.
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by fredcor on Sun Apr 18, 2004 8:24 pm
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:D :D Great action, the OOF BG really make the birds stand out. Excellent work.
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by AForns on Sun Apr 18, 2004 9:24 pm
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Great action Len.....will be waiting for the next two Congratulations
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by Wayne Nicholas on Sun Apr 18, 2004 9:25 pm
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Great action shot, indeed. Looking forward to 2 & 3.
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by Ken Newcombe on Sun Apr 18, 2004 9:30 pm
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Nice one Len, the action and two sharp birds in the frame make this one.
 

by jdown on Mon Apr 19, 2004 8:43 am
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Great action shot - just the sort of thing we always hope to photograph at a mating lek.
 

by ebkw on Mon Apr 19, 2004 3:36 pm
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You nailed this one :D Congratulations and hope the others work out as well!!!
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by Brian L. Zwiebel on Mon Apr 19, 2004 6:31 pm
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Len, you are really killing me here. I mean REALLY! Just returned last night from Valenting NWR in north-central Nebraska. 1,000 miles plus each way for two days of shooting.

The Sharp-tailed Grouse blind was spectacular but we had no photo opps on the Prairie Chickens. The Prairie Chicken lek where the blind was placed was on a mud flat of a lake and the birds were using the opposite side of the lake...close to 1/4 mile away and back lit.

Do not take it personal when I say, I hate you!

Way to go!

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by Juli Wilcox on Mon Apr 19, 2004 6:57 pm
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What a great shot!! I've never nailed one with the wings spread like that---it's wonderful!
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by LHays on Mon Apr 19, 2004 8:40 pm
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Len
Fantastic....what I wouldn't give just to see it....and you nailed it!!!
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by Alan Murphy on Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:31 pm
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Clean for ISO 800. A fantastic shot Ken.
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