There are a lot of great bird species here in Montana but I always find time for the common species like the Yellow Headed Blackbird. It’s just a great photographic subject for multiple reasons. First off it’s a very approachable species. It’s easy to setup, be patient, and they will just come in around you as they mate. Of course there is also a lot of them around which makes finding a workable subject easier too.
The next reason is they have a natural contrasted color pallet which really stands out. That yellow on black is so vibrant that it’s literally impossible not to pick them up. There are of course comes the lesson. While it’s a great species to work with it’s still a common species and thus gets photographed a lot. Being creative while photographing this species is paramount. This shot being a more typical one, tight with the D5, 600 f/4 and 1.7 Teleconverter.
By changing directions, we are still able to use good light but the background changes to a darker one which naturally makes that yellow head pop as opposed to blending in. It’s a simple move to make that can have a huge impact on the overall image.