Two (?) Dowitchers

[wendell westfall]

Nikon D70s 70-200VR + 2xTE @ 400mm 1/500 f 5.6 !SO 640 0-EV

This was taken early today on an overcast morning. It is two pictures of the same dowitcher, merged to show the length of its bill. I wanted to show it probing for food, but also wanted to show that it had a very long bill , which was repeatedly pushed into the soft mud up to eye-level, in fact, sometimes below eye-level. C&C please . . .

Wendell

OOps! Here is the picture (i hope) . . .

Wendell

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Interesting behavior captured. I think it is a marbled godwit, though. Could you have gotten lower for a better angle?

[Judd Patterson]

It's actually not a dowitcher at all...but a larger Marbled Godwit! The key is the long, two-toned bill (black tip, reddish base). It's really nice to see how deeply they will probe for their food.

[wendell westfall]

Thanks Axel and Judd for the correction. I did look up the bird's characteristics before posting, but evidently misinterpreted them. I could not have got lower -- kneeling on a very high bank above the action. I see this activity fairly often, so I know it is not rare. Any comments about the presentation?

Wendell

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Wendell It is a Marble Godwit ... good eyes Judd !!!

I would like to zero in on only one presentation, either showing off the large bill or the behavior. When you try both the scene is diluted IMO. Would also get right down and shoot at ground level, the perspective will be incredible. Probably need more focal length for a full frame image but at times if you are laying still they will come right up to you !!!!

[Dan Brown]

Wendell, I like the idea, but I agree that a lower angle would be better (get down in that mud!). Did you use PS CS3's automated photomerge action to merge these two shots? I see a dark band between the two birds! I have done a few of these merges using CS3 and have not experienced this problem. If you didn't use the above mentioned method for merging, try it, you'll like it!

Dan Brown,
Sacramento

[wendell westfall]

Alfred: Wish I could have got closer and lower, Alfred, but in this case it was impossible . . . I'll try again at a nearby, more accessible place.
Dan: I used the clone tool . . . But I just now looked at photomerge action, which I had never tried before, and immediately see its possibilities. Thanks for calling my attention to it. I believe a little USM (which I neglected) would have improved my image, too.

[Dan Brown]

Your welcome Wendell. Photomerge is a lot of fun to play with. You have to think about it while you are shooting and it is best to set every setting on your equipment to manual for the shots, so they will blend well. Dan