Long-tailed Wingflap

With the temperature above freezing for a change, I ran over to Barnegat for a few hours yesterday figuring the rocks would be dry and ice-free. I decided to forego the Harlequins and try for Long-tailed Ducks in flight. Windy and choppy with little flight action; and with my wife on grandchild-duty yesterday and no one there to spot for me, I seemed to be looking the wrong direction on the few occasions that one flew past me. Settled for a wingflap. C&C appreciated.

D7000, 700mm, ISO 1250, 1/2000s @ f/8 manual

Great pose Bill, and great light. I like the colors and the tonality. Well done!

Hey Bill, Nice one. i like the wing flap. He looks well exposed. i was going to go down there today but it was too cloudy settled for a local nature center. may head to Barnegat next week.

Hi Bill,
Boy, is his chest puffed out!
You exposed this guy perfectly and kept the whites in check. Well done.
You also got a nice POV (lower than I usually see for Barnegat.
I might take a sliver off the bottom and add to the top.
I really like the curled feathers peeking around the sides,
Gail

That's a real different look at a Long-tail Bill. I like the odd wing position, nice detail, excellent exposure and puffed up look. I would try Gail's suggestion for comp.

Really unique capture of a long-tailed. Really well done, Bill. The detail, the exposure, the sharpness. I think the comp suggestions as above are good ones.

Thanks all. Barnegat is a difficult place to photograph, unless you're looking at Harlequins up on the rocks. It's virtually impossible to get a low POV for birds in the water. That's the reason I cropped this the way I did. Before posting this, I tried a version along the lines suggested by Gail; but with more water at the top and less below, it seems to my eye to exacerbate the POV issue. That is, I think the higher the bird is in the frame, the lower the apparent POV.

Terrific shot Bill.
Love the flapping pose, great shooting angle, exposed very well, and really like the water drops.
Very well done.

Beautiful moment, although it seems a bit side-lit. Love that puffed up chest and the water droplets as well. Excellent job controlling the whites.

Nice "angel" pose here, and you did well with a tough exposure. I do wish the subject was a bit lower in the frame, and I'd try to lighten the eye's iris.

By popular demand, here's a repost with him lower in the frame. It does make the composition a little more grounded, but may make it look a little more like I'm looking down on him. What do you think? I've also lightened the iris just a bit more.

Yes, Faraaz, it is sidelit. I don't mind a little sidelighting, but I might have wished for his head to be turned the other way to catch the light better on his face.

I like it better, Bill. I don't think it further emphasizes the angle. Just a more pleasing comp.

This is great, Bill I even like it better than a BIF shot. Great sharpness, wing position and eye contact. I also like the water droplets on the body.

Thanks everyone.