plover on nest.

[Sid Garige]

d300 200-400mm VR +1.7x
F8 1/1200 SB800 at -1/3

I had to photograph from opposite direction of the light due for better head angle and keeping safety of bird in mind. I used fill flash to balance back light.

[Fabs Forns]

Absolutely stunning, great use of flash. Wish I had been able to go.

[Gayle Clement]

Oh my! I love this one. The eggs make it really special. I love the direct eye contact and the detail in the feathers.

[Peregrine Craig Nash]

Lovely image but I have to question the disturbance issue. You are obviously pretty close to a breeding bird and with the use of flash it cannot be good for the bird. it does make you wonder whether the image is more important than the well being of the bird.

[Sid Garige]

Lovely image but I have to question the disturbance issue. You are obviously pretty close to a breeding bird and with the use of flash it cannot be good for the bird. it does make you wonder whether the image is more important than the well being of the bird.

Craig,
Does not matter what every I say, Someone will come back and say its wrong. its a very sensitive issue and I dont want to make any comments on this.
-Sid

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Nice flash work and great low angle!

[Axel Hildebrandt]

The angle is great but the appearance that the bird is leaving the nest and maybe in distress takes away from it.

[John Chardine]

The equivalent focal length of the glass used suggests that distance to subject was not particularly close. Flash photography in bright daylight is unlikely to startle because of the balance of the two light sources. I agree this is a sensitive subject but facts usually trump emotion.

[Sid Garige]

The angle is great but the appearance that the bird is leaving the nest and maybe in distress takes away from it.

She sensed a dog and took off for a while. She circled around for a while and came back to nest. I made this image while just before she sat on the nest.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

She sensed a dog and took off for a while. She circled around for a while and came back to nest. I made this image while just before she sat on the nest.

That is good to know. Around here dogs are not allowed on beaches during the plover's nesting season and they even put meshed-wire cages over nesting sites of piping plovers since they are endangered.

[Steve Maxson]

A very nice photo, Sid. This is clearly a photo of a bird settling back onto the nest rather than fleeing - as Sid notes above. Also, in my experience, these birds are much more disturbed by the presence of a dog within 50 yards or so than by the presence of a human.

[Maxis Gamez]

Hi Sid,

I think you did well balancing the main light with fill flash. The catchlight is very nice and the eggs are simply gorgeous. I have a problem with the brown leaf in front of the bird. That's about it for me.

Take care!

[Chris Dodds]

Nice low angle and intimate view on it's nest. Could be just shading the eggs too.