Female Boat-tailed Grackle with lunch

[Bret Goddard]

Hello everyone, A visit to the Outer banks of North Carolina found Mom and little Miss. Mom would go down to the edge of the waves and catch what must be a gourmet meal, the Sand Flea, which almost every shore bird was eating. I thought this really brings out how aggressive the youngster can be. Both had their membranes were closed though I doubt it would have helped if the youngsters beak had gone much further. It was great to watch, this youngster would eat them right up, hard shell and all, one after another. A foggy day down there which left the background a bit hot but that's the beach sometimes, left it as it was.
Canon &D
400f/2.8 w/2xtc
1/1000
f/6.3
ISO 200
13.1m away
Thanks for looking in.

[Randy Stout]

Bret:

Subterranean shooting angle, well exposed, interesting action. I might try to tone down the lower foreground just a bit, or even consider a small crop from below to eliminate the white area lower left. This would require a balancing crop from the top.

Cheers

Randy

[keith mitchell]

Brett now that Randy as pointed it out I agree about maybe cropping the light bit at the bottom out, I love the interaction between the birds and membrane over Mom's eye,your angle is super.

Keith.:S3:

[Marina Scarr]

Fun behavior captured here and interesting to see the nictitating membranes visible during the feeding for purposes of protecting their eyes. I would crop about 1/3 of the bottom and some off of the top too would be helpful.