Long-billed Curlew detail

[Bill Dix]

I couldn't resist this; those bills are just too extraordinary. Actually, I believe this is a juvenile, since the adults' bills are even more absurdly long. They insert them, sometimes full-length, to probe for tiny crustaceans in the mudflats. Cropped from image of whole bird. A little more DOF would have helped. From Moss Landing at sunset several months ago.

D7000, 500f4, ISO 800, 1/600s @ f/7.1 manual.

[keith mitchell]

Hi Bill,it certainly is the tool for the job and you have got plenty of detail on it,very nice portrait.

[Holger Leyrer]

Wonderful close up from this shorebird. Love the light, Details and BG.

[Frank Schauf]

Great light and details.

[Greg Oakley]

Awesome portrait Bill

[Loi Nguyen]

Bill, I go to see these guys up close too and saw them catching crabs like you said with their long bill. Nice close up image, the only thing I would wish for which you know is more DOF. I often forget too that at close range, we need to close down the aperture a lot more with the 500f4.
TFS. Loi

[arash_hazeghi]

I love the light and composition that follows nicely along the diagonal, I only wish you were a bit lower and he was looking at the camera

[christopher galeski]

nice capture,like the BG,some nice detail with nice light.

[David Salem]

Nice portrait with great detail and the light is perfect. Well done

[Fabio Genovieri]

Great portrait, i like especially the light and the subject.

[Troy Lim]

Sweet shot Bill. Agree on the lower angle.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks everyone.

[Jim Crosswell]

I like the light, details, BG and composition. Nice image Bill.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Jim.