Northern Rough-winged Swallow

[Paul Kusmin]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3314/3669954737_e7e94152f8_o.jpg

Thought I'd post this shot from yesterday's session.
Thanks for looking C&C welcome.

Exposure: 1/800
Aperture: f/5.6
Focal Length: 700mm
ISO: 200
Exposure Bias: -1EV
Flash: On

D300 + 500mm f4 AFS-1 + 1.4x tele + tripod + flash

PS, I'll be commenting on others shots during lunch today, just had enough time now at work to post this up.
:)
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[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the light, eye contact and head angle. Would it have been possible to move to your right in order not to have the branch behind the bird?

[Fabs Forns]

A very elegant Swallow, with good head angle and beautiful BG. Catch light a bonus.
Good depth of field for f/5.6, thanks for sharing it.

[Stu Bowie]

Typical swallow pose, and I like the light and colours in this.

[Paul Kusmin]

Thanks for the comments everyone.
Axel, I was set up behind some bushes, watching a couple of recently fledged Tree swallows (waiting for parents to come back and feed them) when this bird came down and perched briefly.
I was able to fire off about a dozen shots before it tired of the attention and flew off, never to be seen again.
We take what we are given sometimes and this shot made my morning.

[Hugh J McLaughlin]

Good explanation for the distraction in the BG. Very well done otherwise.