Golden Whistler

Spent a good 3 hours chasing this bird and his mate around the forest yesterday and this is the best I got. Had trouble with my camera focusing yesterday, not sure why, and missed a number of ideal shots out in the open and on smaller branches, sorely would of liked his tail on the near side of the branch....next time maybe :2eyes2:

Overcast and intermittent rain all day so light was poor, and the forest/bushland too densely vegetated to lug tripod around, so all hand held.

Canon 7D + 500 f4......f5, 1/250, ISO400, +0.3EV, fill flash with hot shoe mounted speedlite , slight crop and basic edit only

Excellent image with lovely composition.Very nice pose with good HA ,great details and colors. I like the smooth BG. Flash worked well. I do agree with you about tail, still I love the frame.

Phil, This looks good to me...Agree with you about tail but even with this pose it would have worked if perch was not that big...Exposure, Sharpness and IQ is excellent..it must been frustrating to miss those shots in open but this is great work.

Fantastic looking bird, Phil. Excellent exposure with nice details in the black/white/yellow. Nice job with the fill flash and the steady hands.
Do wish the perch was a bit smaller and the head was turned just a bit our way, but I'd take this in a heart beat.
I have had a few friends complain about similar AF hunting issues with 7D that seem to come and go. Hope you can get that sorted out.

Hi Phil - great pose and HA with nice details. Agree about the tail and perch. Hope your camera is ok.

TFS,
Rachel

Tough shooting conditions , but well worth the efforts you put in. Would love a smaller perch , but we gotta take what is given.:e3 Still a beautiful image.

Hi Phil, good work on those yellows, and well exposed on the head too. ( I would maybe add some black back to his head ) We have to take where they perch, and I do like the softer colours of the BG.

I like the details, colours and sharpness. Nice image Phil!

Fantastic bird...great colours on it - as Stuart mentions you processed the yellows beautifully. Nive details. Perch as a bit large but it works for me. I agree about HA, it would have been super turned abit more towards us. The 7D can handle ISO 800 nicely, especially with these brighter BGs IMO...that would have given you 1/500s. for your handholding predicament ;-)

The bird looks super, Phil.
The perch is what it is, the lack of a tail doesn't bother me at all, the color and detail is center stage.

Excellent shot. Lovely bird, wonderful background, and excellent feather detail.
Well done.

Thanks folks, usually yellows are my nemesis

Beautiful shot. Better tail would be nice and make this perfect. But lovely shot despite that.

BG a little bright for me personally. I like your flash work.