Least Tern chick(For Fabs)

[Joe Senzatimore]

Can't be more than 2 days old.
400 ISO F8 at 1/2000th

[Fabs Forns]

Hehehehhe, thanks, Joe!!!!!
He's an adorable puff ball and thanks for dedicating him to me.
I really appreciate it :)

[Alfred Forns]

Sweet beyond words Joe !!! Like it as presented do not feel the stick behind detract in any way, actually did not even noticed till I was finishing with the image !!!

[Jim Fenton]

You least terns must be close to 3 weeks ahead of ours up here in MA as we've still got courting going on and eggs haven't been brooded for that long.

Lovely little fuzzball :)

PS...I'm always amazed with the different coloration between siblings in a single brood with least terns.

[Gen Benjamin]

You least terns must be close to 3 weeks ahead of ours up here in MA as we've still got courting going on and eggs haven't been brooded for that long.

Lovely little fuzzball :)

This is NY we do every thing fast:)

[Arthur Morris]

Sharp, cute and a good exposure but the sticks are a big distraction for me. One option if possible would been to have moved right and gotten as low as possible, preferably right on the ground. This would have helped in several ways.

[denise ippolito]

Joe, SWEET! I love the cute look w/ the open mouth. Sharp details and comp. are nice. Agree that the sticks are not ideal-but I would take this shot any day!:)

[Stu Bowie]

You guys are making me jealous with all these cute fluff balls. Good angle, and the open beak puts this over the top.

[Nick Palmieri]

Hey Joe, I guess that you you not too far from us yesterday. Very nice, it was hard to find a clean spot in that area. Very nice detail and pose.

[Joe Senzatimore]

Sharp, cute and a good exposure but the sticks are a big distraction for me. One option if possible would been to have moved right and gotten as low as possible, preferably right on the ground. This would have helped in several ways.
Artie,

Suggestion to move for a better angle is well noted , however my primary concern is stressing out the colony as little as possible. I try to pick my spot and shoot as best I can from that spot without getting up and moving around. Every time someone gets up to move, the birds fly off the nests and leave the chicks exposed to the many predatory gulls in the area. These endangered birds nest in what is a high traffic area so the success rate is low enough without outside help from us. The beach-goers who frequent the area are ignorant to this , but as nature photographers we are more aware of the problems they face and should be more sensative to these problems. I guess the answer is to remove the dis-tracting items in post , that is if the maker sees them as dis -tracting and wishes to do so. I strive to make the best images I can , but not when it risks the well being of the subject , and I know you feel the same. Guess I need to work on my Post Processing skills a bit more.;)