Nuthatch

[Rich Steel]

Hi

My photography activities have been very limited over the last few weeks due to the constant grey gloom hanging over the UK and also beacuae my partner Dawn went in for a big operation which did not go well and suffered some very bad complications afterwards. Obviously photo opportunities while sat in intensive care are non-existant! I am very happy to say that she is now home but has a long recovery ahead and it is likely that any photography in the next few weeks will be very local and brief as I am now fully enrolled in home nursing duties.

Between hospital visits I popped to some local woods to take some nuthatch photos but the only bird I could find was this one, which had a strange beak although it did not seem to be suffering from its extra long upper bill.

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k217/squidfish_2006/nuthatch62009.jpg

Taken with 1DMk3 and 500 mm lens at ISO400 F5 1/200s and -0.33Ev

Cheers

Rich

[Grady Weed]

I'd say your beloved is way more important here. And looks like you know that. I hope she fully recovers! I find some photography helps me to cope when life kicks you hard. A very nice image. Put your photos on a electronic picture frame and plug it in at her bed side to cheer her up, and you too.

[Jonathan Michael Ashton]

Very nice shot Rich, lovely colours. These bill deformities/irregularities are also seen in tits and finches. I am guessing taken at Arrowe Park?

Jon

[Daniel Cadieux]

Glad everything is turning out OK for your partner. A great idea from Grady too!!

Photo-wise I'm finding the perch a bit dominant. A simple crop from below would help with this (and also improve the comp IMO). I'm also finding the OOF area behind the foot not ideal...getting down a bit lower would have hid that behind the main perch - although I realize and understand these guys can be quick and unpredictable as to where they will perch next. It's nice to have some documentation of abnormalities such as this guy's bill. Very well done Rich!

[Ramon M. Casares]

The best for Dawn and I wish her a quick recovery. Lovel image, besides the stane bill, I like the pose, the BG, the light and comp. COngratulations!

[Rich Steel]

Thanks for the comments and good wishes for Dawn. The bird was feeding on a fallen tree stump on which I had placed some feed. I had to be quick to get a photo of the bird while it made its way to feed otherwise you end up with a bird with seed between its odd beak.

Jonathan you guessed wrong on the location :) but I am sure there are nuthatch shots to be had in Arrowe Park although I have never tried in there.

Cheers

Rich

[John Chardine]

I hope everything continues to progress on the home front Rich.

This image is nice and sharp and the BG is complementary.

I think what happens with birds like this is that because of a deformity (this one looks crossed) their bills do not wear down at the tip as normal. The result is that the bill keeps growing producing what you see here. I had a budgie with this problem and I had to clip its beak regularly.