I was in the Magic Forest at Yangkou, just a few hundred meters inland. I was full of confidence--in my equipment, and in my skills. The cuckoo is shy; speed is required. I therefore did away with my tripod and followed him with my heavy 600 mm Nikon lens in hand. To express my confidence in my strong arms, I turned off VR, too. And then, as a final filigree, when I was in the very good position you see here, I ramped my ISO all the way down to 320, which at my aperture (F/4) resulted in a speed of just 1/200. I fired a volley. This image is the best. I was only 15 m away. Yeah!
By the way, it's nearly impossible to determine the species of a juvenile Cuculus cuckoo on migration at Yangkou. There are four possible species, each indistinguishable from the other.
Device: Nikon D3S
Lens: VR 600mm F/4G
Focal Length: 600 mm
Aperture: F/4
Shutter Speed: 1/200
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Exposure Comp.: +0.67
ISO Sensitivity: ISO 320
Metering Mode: Center-Weight
Subject Distance: 15 m
Vibration Reduction: Not Used
Photoshoppery: Removed a branch to the left of our bird; desaturated BG, which has no possibility of being beautiful, but which can be less of a distraction. I want your eyes on the cuckoo, the cuckoo, the cuckoo.
Last edited by Craig Brelsford; 10-08-2012 at 12:02 AM.
Hi Craig, good feather detail shown, and I like how we can see the wing folded neatly over the body. Im glad you managed your shot before he flew off, as I know how frustrating it is, when you are getting ready to take the shot, and they fly off. Your comp suits the pose, and toning down the BG has turned out well.
Interesting bird. The looking away pose works quite well here. I am seeing a pretty serious green cast on your bird. I looked up the bird and note they appear to be grey. It's probably due to a reflection.
Cuculus cuckoo, Hand-held, Jiangsu
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