Dunlin

[Richard Unsworth]

Hi

Cute little shorebirds!

1/2000 f5.6 Ev +2/3 ISO 400
7D, 100-400

Managed to get real close tothis chap but he refused to come out of this little depression.

Cropped low to avoid some OOF mud at base, NR, to BG, curve adjusted a little.

Comments welcome
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[Miguel Palaviccini]

Hey Richard - great detail on the feathers. There is a bit too much contrast in the foreground and background fro me. Looks like you were shooting in some pretty harsh light from the looks of the shadow.

[Richard Unsworth]

Yes Miguel, thanks - blazing midday sun.

Just a few metres from the Plovers btw!
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[John Chardine]

Hi Richard- Nice spotlight effect on the face. Sharp. Harsh light already mentioned. A bit lower angle might be nice.

Have you considered a stint species rather than Dunlin. The bill on this bird does not look like any Dunlin we get here.

Just answered my own question with a bit of research. It appears the Dunlin subspecies that occurs in UK has a shorter bill like this one.

[Richard Unsworth]

Hi John


Yes it's definitely a Dunlin.
Little Stint has much shorter bill.
I was just reading these are a known to have variable bill lengths in the population.
It was also unusual to come across just 2 individuals hanging out with Ringed Plover and Golden. I usually see these birds in flocks 100+
thanks for posting. - btw way too much slime to belly in though I was tempted.
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[John Chardine]

Thanks Richard.

Apologies for this not being critique but here's a Dunlin shot in New Brunswick last weekend. Big difference!

[Richard Unsworth]

Hi John

thanks, really interesting stuff and c ertainly different look!
for a bit of light reading why not try
http://www.dunlin.se/textmapp/billmenu.html

ONG lol
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[Robert Holguin]

Great shot. Very nice pose and excellent details.
Well done.

[Dave Leroy]

Nice to see a bit of color on this one, and yes you got very close. You need one on a sandy beach so you get flat out. Well done.

[John Chardine]

Hi John

thanks, really interesting stuff and c ertainly different look!
for a bit of light reading why not try
http://www.dunlin.se/textmapp/billmenu.html

ONG lol
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Some more light reading!

http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1675/063.035.0108

[Shawn Zierman]

Beautiful plumage on this dunlin. Sharp details and nice that you were able to get so close.
That being said, a suggestion here would have been to give up some shutter speed for an
f-stop of say 9 or 11, then zoom back just a wee bit to get even more depth of field, in order
to get more of the foreground in focus. Given your slightly elevated shooting angle, having
more of the foreground in focus would have been an subtle improvement (imo), to an already
pleasing image.

[Richard Unsworth]

Agreed Shawn.

Definitely would have improved the image.
That said it was a pretty tough situation, worth a chuckle now . I was stalking them in a crouched position, killer on the knees! The slime/mud around them was about 3 inches deep, so all I could do was put one knee on the ground.

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[Shawn Zierman]

You're right on about killer on the knees.
I usually forgo that now and just crawl, even in slime like this. It smells and I usually get bitten
up some by flies etc., but after a shoot, I'll put the gear away and go wash off in the water, then
find a discreet place to change, bag the dirty clothes in a garbage bag, and away I go. Harder on
the clothes for sure, but much easier on the knees :)

[Richard Unsworth]

Good for you Shawn
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[Frank Schauf]

Beautiful portrait, great details and sharpness.