Great-crested Flycatcher Attached to a Butterfly.

[Daniel Cadieux]

While photographing an incoming storm last week I was leaning against a dead tree. Unbeknownst to me was that about a foot above my head was an active Great-crested Flycatcher's nest hole. I could hear the tiny chicks inside the tree (this is how I realized that). What a chance find!! :S3: Anyhow, the parents are very busily bringing in all manners of insects to the brood (which are still hiden and out of sight), and act as if I am not around. Every few minutes new food is delivered - to my joy and clicking shutter. A chair to stand on brings me at eye-level to the hole. SWEET! Prepare to be bored with GCF images during the next few days:t3

Canon 7D + 100-400L @330mm, aperture priority, evaluative metering, 1/400s/. f/6.3, ISO 800, no EC, 580 EX II flash @ -1.3 FEC, handheld, slight crop top and left for comp.

[Dan Brown]

Awesome capture, Daniel! and a lucky find:S3:

[Satish Ranadive]

Marvelous image with great details.

[Dumay de Boulle]

Superb IQ and love the catch...So nice to see your images bigger the smaller ones doesn't do them justice. Flash work looks great

[Grace Scalzo]

This rocks...not only is the bird sharp but the butterfly too. Full of interest and wonderfully executed. Great use of flash. :w3 Looking forward to more.

[Randy Stout]

Daniel:

Very nice, esp. the head angle on the butterfly:t3

Excellent flash use, sharp, exposure.

This is getting into the fine tuning category, but the brightness of the leaves in the RUC gives them too much weight in the image and to my eye slightly unbalances the image. I might consider toning them down to the level of the leaf in the LUC, which will reduce their 'weight' in the image.

Looking forward to more in the series.

Cheers

Randy

[Morkel Erasmus]

Cracker of a find and image Daniel! Excellent flashwork too...looking forward to more! :eek:

[Paul Lagasi]

Dan, knowing how tough it is to get one of these at eye level and with the butterfly..wow..very nice timing.
Lovely capture...7D does look like a keeper.

[Linda Dulak]

Daniel: What a find! Great image, nice eye level with both bird and butterfly in focus. I really like the framing of the image with the leaves as well.

We have a pair around here but I only see them when I don't have my camera.

Linda

[Nico Steenberg]

Great exposure and sharp detail. Like that catch. The bg is a killer. A super IMG !

[Melissa Groo]

Daniel,this is fantastic! Excellent colors, detail, and what a unique moment captured!

[Ofer Levy]

This is great! I love it!!:cheers:

[Jonathan Ashton]

What an absolute gem of a shot - love it! Super detail great pose gorgeous colours - couldn't ask for more - well apart from more similar ones!!

[Roman Kurywczak]

Hey Daniel,
BF in the mouth puts it over the top! Great flash use too! :cheers:

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice the intact prey makes this a special shot

[Sid Garige]

Exceptional.

[Mike Tracy]

Only wish the perch didn't continue up towards the top of the frame. Stunning none the less.

Is this a moth and not a butterfly ?

[Daniel Cadieux]

Thanks guys!

Mike, I'm pretty sure this is a butterfly...I believe moths have more "feathery" antennas rather that long, thin, and rounded at the end?

Either way, I'd love to know the species of the catch!:c3:

[Mike Tracy]

Thanks Dan. I remember once learning that distinction. His head seems to be more moth like then butterfly. By no means do I know what I am talking about but I was curious.