Red-backed Shrike ( female )

[Stu Bowie]

This is actually a take off shot, but as the perch was a bit too far on the right, I left it out. It would have also placed the Shrike too far left. Taken in a nature reserve close to my house last weekend. I blended in some of the BG LLC.

Canon 50D
100-400 @ 400mm
1/2000
F/5.6
ISO 400

Exp Comp +0.33
Hand held from the car

[Craig Brelsford]

I'm happy to see someone posting flying passerines! Thanks, Stu.

[Danny J Brown]

Hi Stuart,

I've never seen the red-backed shrike. We have loggerhead shrikes here in Missouri but they have been a rare sighting for me. Your image is beautifully sharp which was no small feat as this little guy flew in front of your camera. I can clearly see his little shrike hook and your shot gives me a look at both dorsal and ventral wing views....nice. The bokeh is really nice on this one, allowing you to highlight an interesting bird. I can't see any red on the back, I assume because it is a hen. Thanks.

DB

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Stuart,

I can't see any red on the back, I assume because it is a hen. Thanks.

DB

Thanks Danny. This is a female as stated in my title. :) The male has a distinct grey head, with black going from behind the eye, through to the beak.

Thanks to Craig too.

[Paul Lagasi]

Nice capture, the sideways glace towards the camera is a winner, sharp, exposure on, and love the wing and feet position...At least on my monitor it looks like the eye could use some sharpening...but lovely as is...flight shots are tough no matter what...TFS

[Bhushan Dalvi]

Stuart, Nicely done. Love the BG, raised wings and the HA.

[Daniel Cadieux]

Neat photo, great job on the BG. Good overall pose, far wing look awesome. Head and body look like they may be suffering slightly from a bit of subject motion blur, hence Paul's sharpening concern.

[Pieter de Waal]

Hi Stuart , nice light on this one with great eye contact, HA, exposure flight position. I have still to get a decent image of one of these let alone a flight shot. Well captured.

[Arthur Morris]

Quite excellent. I love that the head is turned slightly toward you and I love the wing position with the great view of the dorsal surface of the far wing.

[Seyed Babak Musavi]

Dear Stuart
very nice shot of a passerines in flight , i like bg and wing position ,but your shot is not Red backed shrike , we can see redish brown in all plumages of red backed shrike , I think your shot is a great grey shrike( one of subspecies) Lanius excubitor.
With best wishes
Babak

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Stuart, very nice indeed. Small birds in flight are so hard. Agree with what Artie mentioned.

[Harshad Barve]

Quite excellent. I love that the head is turned slightly toward you and I love the wing position with the great view of the dorsal surface of the far wing.

Plus one here , 2 days to go :)

[Stu Bowie]

Thank you all for the kind words.