Chestnut capped Brush Finch

[Richard Unsworth]

:S3:

One of my favorite birds from Chiriqui Panama

By all accounts a difficult bird to get a capture of in the open as it normally skulks in low bushes or at their edge.
Very active and shy. It took several days to get a few shots; set up tripod and waited....and waited; then one evening
out it came onto a patch of gross a few feet away.
Almost full OOC just a small crop from left to balance. Colours are really difficult to get , this being quite a sombre bird
Minimal PP with NR to BG, and usm T 25, 65, 0 to pop, slight S&H to detail the white bib a little

1/200, Ev -1 to give a bit more SS, iso 800 F 8 ON TRIPOD
40d 1.4 TC ON 100-400

Simple pic, uncommon pic, hope you like:S3:

[Stu Bowie]

Richard, glad you could get a clear shot of this elusive guy. Being in the open as is, we can see the lovely colours he has, and him eating a seed adds interest.

[Daniel Cadieux]

What a great looking bird! I'd normally prefer an overall better body angle, but with the amount of time you waited for this individual to show up I'd be happy with this. I see what looks like blavk sunflower seeds...did you toss those out to help lure it out of the bushes, or was this taken near a feeder?

[Richard Unsworth]

:S3:

Thanks Stuart and Daniel

Was taken in the garden of Cielito Sur a B&B in Cerro Punta; the place is outstanding. The owner does have feeders close by to where this was shot.
These birds never visited the actual seed feeder and appeared only in the late afternoon
They are really known for their HB feeders having 12 species visiting approx 12 feeders daily.

In reality , although a common bird theyre are very few photos of this in the open.
I have a fair number of close shots so I think will post another when I can.