Black-bellied Plover. Kauai HI

[cjhockett]

Found several of these guys in breeding plumage near Taro ponds on NE Kauai. First time to see them in this bright and colorful phase.
1DIII, 500 f4 +1.4 at 700mm
iso 400, 1/640 at f7.1
Aperture priority, +.33

comments appreciated

[Alfred Forns]

HI CJ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good looking bird particularly in breeding plumage Must be getting ready for its trip up north !!!! I like the low angle and interesting bg The one dark mass on the right is a bit overpowering.

Tough bird to expose The whites are just at the edge and it still needs a little detail in the back belie Might give it an extra usm pass !!! btw what is the bg?

[Gus Cobos]

Love your image, and composition; If you could only tone down that black blotch to the right of you subject; it would make it even better...:D

[Steve Maxson]

A nice image, CJ. I would second the comments of Alfred and Gus above. I thought I would also note that these birds in Hawaii are golden plovers rather than black-belied. Thus, all the gold tones on the back and head. :)

[cjhockett]

A,l the object is a large boulder giving off a strong warm reflecetion. the dark phase is a shadow from high intense sun.

[cjhockett]

your right, a reference from a birder in 1994 identifies them as pacific golden plover.
cj

[Petros Petrou]

I like the low angle and the colors. I think that a little more sharpening would be nice.