Ruff

I have never seen one of these before and only wish it had been slightly more cooperative.

The beal kooks odd I can only put this down to movement blur or bad technique.

Taken on the banks of Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park, Zimbabwe, 21st September 2010.

EOS 1D MkIV

500mm F4 IS hand-held from open game viewing vehicle

F6.3, ISO 800, 1/2000, EV +0.67

I love the variagated plumage of this species and you have managed to capture it well in this image, also like the stance and ripples around the leg. Pity we don't see them in breeding plumage here as they are a non breeding migrant during our summer.

Beautiful bird, and I love the transitional plumage. I love the vegetation in the lower half of the image, but find the spots in the BG above the bird's back distracting (as well as the thicker grass strand below the bill).

Not sure what "The beal kooks odd" means? Perhaps a typo and you are referencing to the bill-tip being soft?

Nice lighting and detail, I would have thought at 1/2000s the beak should have been sharper, and it is just the tip that is soft, quite strange?
TFS

Pieter,
I know absolitely nothing about the bird, but it is certainly handsome.


Daniel,

That typo is bad even by my standards, what I meant to say was "the beak looks odd", it certainly is soft.

Marc,

Strange indeed probably down to arm shake.

Good feather detail Ken, and I like the pose. I just find the single strand of weed below the bill a tad distracting.

Stuart,

I wondered about that as well.