Choking

[wendell westfall]

D90 70-200VR+2X@400 1/1600 f/5.6 ISO500 -2/3EV handheld

I caught this curlew as he was trying to swallow a very large shellfish (I liked the wide-open beak). And he did spit it out, only to try again and again with ultimate success. Sure is amazing the large size of things these birds can ingest. The image is almost full-frame; the harsh right-to-left sun angle was unfortunate.

Wendell

[Arthur Morris]

You did OK considering the harsh, off-angled light. You need to find a spot where you can get down to the bird's level and then get on the ground. A bit of a head turn towards you would have better lit the face.

[denise ippolito]

Wendell, I think you did well to control the light but it is still harsh. Nice action captured and I love to see the way they often force down such large food items.