Picture Of The Week 02-06-12

Where: Brevard County, FL • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (NWR)

Notes: This encounter had me especially excited because it had always been a sort of nemesis bird for me, at least as far as photography goes. I did not even have any distant or fuzzy shots of this beauty. Any attempts to get within a hundred yards or less of one seemed futile because just slowing the car down a little, even at that great distance, seemed to send the bird into flight. This void seemed to have been furthered by the this species' rapid decline in population over the last decade or so. What once was a common sight on almost any drive that passed open fields and farmland, has left the telephone wires and fence posts vacant. The once familiar clear, loud, descending whistle has become more of an exception. Populations of the Eastern Meadowlark are declining substantially due to habitat loss, but this decline has not yet awarded it any special status. Meadowlarks are not larks at all; they are members of the same family as blackbirds and orioles. What a shame it would be not to have this brilliant songster around to be part of the grassland's scenery and sound.

Equipment: Canon EOS 20D • Canon 400mm f-5.6 Prime USM L Series Lens • Hand Held

Exposure: Shutter Speed = 1/1000 second • Aperture = f 7.1 • Exposure Mode = Aperture Priority • Focus Mode: One Shot • Lens (Focal) Length = 400 mm • ISO = 200 • Aprox. Camera Distance = ~12 Feet • Date Shot: 12-27-11

©2012 Robert W. Schamerhorn. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.