Male european hawkfinch (Cocothraustes cocotrausthes) in full breeding plumage.

[Juan Aragonés]

More images from the same sesion in the Spanish (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=45 (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=45)) and in the european forums (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=37 (http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=37))

I rarely use blinds and most part of my photographs are taken from the car or just walking around while I am birding. This weekend I was invited to access a permanet blind that two friends, José Luis Ojeda and Javier Milla (please visit his personal website and have fun with his amazing bird images http://www.javiermilla.es/foto/ (http://www.javiermilla.es/foto/)), has built in the field. A great blind, by the way, with room for three persons so, I shared the saturday evening photographing hawfinches with José Reigada y Rafa Tarín. Many opportunities to photograph this beautiful finches and to use to pieces of my equipment that I do not use frequently: the SB-600 and the Wimberly Head. A lot of fun, nice pictures and great frienship. Thanks guys for such a great experience and for allowing me to have the best place on the blind!
C&C are highly appreciated.

Nikon D2X AFS Nikkor 300VR, tripod and WH, 1/400s F8 ISO400 fill flash (SB-600), slight cropping for composition

[David Hemmings]

What a treat that must have been Juan, it certainly yielded a beautiful image of the lovely bird, well done!

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

Nice looking bird with great colors,details,eye contact and bg!!!

[Robert O'Toole]

Bird looks great, the colors and sharpness are very nice.

The bird looks too tight in the vert comp, this image would be much more appealing as a horizontal for me. The bird needs more room in the front and the area in the bottom of the frame has zero appeal.

Robert

[Glenn Bartley]

A very nice looking bird. Well captured Juan!

[Mike Dale]

Lovely shot of a normally shy bird. Thanks.

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Great details, light and BG. I agree that it is a bit tight in the frame.

[Juan Aragonés]

Thanks guys for the suggestions. The original file is in vertical format and I cropped here just a little bit so I do not have room enought for a landscape format. Will try to have this in consideration for the next time:)