Young Northern Flicker - 5 Minutes to Fledging Time...

[Daniel Cadieux]

From a couple of weeks ago. I had given up on this nest, visiting it a few times with seemingly no activity...then a few weeks pass and I see a couple of friends posting images of this very active nest! I decided to give it a last chance...they left the nest early the very morning I went back. Luckily I had arrived in time! This fella fledged about five minutes after this photo was taken, and his brother about thirty minutes after that.

Canon 7D + 500mm f/4 II + 1.4TC, manual exposure, evaluative metering, 1/100s., f/5.6, ISO 1600, natural light, handheld, just about FF, a brighter area in the BG blended in via clone tool, NR to the BG.

[Karen Pleasant]

What a nice shot of a fledgling ready to brave a new world! Perfectly exposed with just the right amount of detail and DOF! I just really appreciate all the fine details! If time had allowed, I would have liked the bird a little higher in the frame....but still a very nice image! TFS!

[William Dickson]

Very nice shot Dan. The details are really lovely. I can see why you placed the bird, where it is, the tree bark above its head, looks real good.

Will

[christopher galeski]

very nice shot,great details on the bird and the tree,nice exposure and pleasant light.TFS.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Wonderful capture, Daniel!

Well exposed, beautiful colours and great BG. Cannot wish for a better "perch", if I may call it that:w3 - lots of character from the tree and it all comes together so nicely in terms of composition - superb shot:cheers:

Warmest regards,

[keith mitchell]

Daniel the texture of the bark is a picture in itself ,bird looks perfectly sharp with lots of nice detail and colour, fine shot, like the bird placement where it is.

Keith.

[Mike Poole]

Got to love these 'peeping' type shots, excellent detail thoughout

Mike

[Dave Kettles]

Beautiful comp and colours, wonderful reward for your persistence. Agree that the tree is nearly as attractive as the bird! The IQ is excellent: handheld 7D at 'effective 1120mm' with 1/100 ss: impressively steady I must say!
Dave.

[Randy Stout]

Daniel:

Very nice, sharp, great tree, like the bracken above the bird and bark detail. It is one of those images that the eye meanders about looking for additional details, and keeps the eye engaged.

Do the young tend to come back to the nest hole once they fledge?

Cheers

Randy

[Bill Dix]

Lovely. Tree bark helps to make the shot, but the subject holds the primary attention. Beautiful juvie plumage shown.

[Loi Nguyen]

Daniel, this is a lovely image with beautiful texture and BG. I also think it would be better if the bird is higher in the frame, so would suggest lopping some of the top and left. Loi

[Geoffrey Montagu]

What a beauty, Daniel. The textures in the feathers and the tree bark are remarkably well captured. Nice story too.




Geoffrey

[Daniel Cadieux]

Thanks a stack guys!! I took many images of this fella - vertical, horizontal, close, far...and indeed some with it higher in the frame. For this image I placed him lower in the frame as I wanted to make the gnarly area above the hole an important part of the composition.

[Marina Scarr]

Super opportunity, Daniel! What a great image. Love all the character of the nest and wonderful details in your little one about to take its first flight.