Ticked Off Black-bellied

[Arthur Morris]

This molting adult Black-bellied Plover was photographed from my Sequoia this afternoon with the Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens and the EOS-1DX on a BLUBB. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 stop: 1/800 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode.

There were two of these birds squabbling; this was the threat display aftermath.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[Grace Scalzo]

He does look territorial. I like the pose and the environment as well as the hints of color in the background.

[Shawn Zierman]

Nice setting. The pose is great. Definitely has that "gonna stand my ground" look and feel to it.
Great job capturing the moment with great head angle/eye contact. Must be nice to sit in a SUV
and get images like this! From what seems like a relatively low angle, I would never have guessed
you were in a SUV that has as much clearance as a Sequoia...

[Arthur Morris]

Nice setting. The pose is great. Definitely has that "gonna stand my ground" look and feel to it. Great job capturing the moment with great head angle/eye contact. Must be nice to sit in a SUV
and get images like this! From what seems like a relatively low angle, I would never have guessed you were in a SUV that has as much clearance as a Sequoia...

Thanks Shawn. Big glass has its advantages; the longer the focal length the lower the angle of declination....

ps: Thanks Grace.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Artie, I didnt know what a Sequoia was until it was explained above. It could have been from your balcony. :e3 I do like the fluffed up feathers from the aggression of the Plover, and the placement works well. Good DOF effect on the FG too. Well captured.

[Karl Egressy]

Very interesting pose captured nicely here. Car is a good blind sometimes. Thanks for the signed copy of your excellent book on Shorebirds Artie. Good reading, great pictures.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I've never seen this particular type of pose before, and interesting to see some orange at the base of the bill. Too bad the beach was not cleaner in the BG, but still a dynamic image!!

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

This one looks right like if you shooted from ground level! I like that angle of declination that you mention.
Very territorial look indeed, I like the pose, sharp eye and habitat around the bird.

[Arthur Morris]

I've never seen this particular type of pose before, and interesting to see some orange at the base of the bill. Too bad the beach was not cleaner in the BG, but still a dynamic image!!

Thanks Dan. The beach was a mess. Have you seen this behavior with other shorebird species? Semipalmated Plovers do it all the time while feeding.

[Daniel Cadieux]

I've seen aggressive behaviour, yes, but not this curled-up backside pose. Mostly charging, open wings, or trying to peck with the bill when another is too close. This pose here is pretty cool.

[Marina Scarr]

Great behavior captured here, and it's nice to see the beach/environment left intact. This one tells a nice story.

[OvidiuCavasdan]

Interesting pose, nice details, I dont mind the oof debris in the bg, it match with the foregound. I never have guessed that this was shot from a SUV.
I'm wondering...what should I buy first? ..the 800mm lens? ..the 1DX?.. or the Sequoia?:S3: