Spotted Pardalote...male

[PhilCook]

Fairly common in some parts of Australia, not so much where I live so pleased to come across one in my bush hikes. A tiny shy bird that nests in burrows in embankments, though I have yet to see one doing so.

This one responded to playback which I sometimes I use, but I generally don't feel comfortable with the use of recordings to bring birds in.

Canon 7D + 500 f4 + 1.4 x TC.....700mm, f6.3, 1/1600, ISO 640, +0.3EV, no flash used, hand held....cropped and selective sharpen and noise reduction and smoothing to backdrop

[Mike Milicia]

You guys certainly have some cool species!
Excellent pose and BG and techs look spot on!

Would like to see bird less centered and a bit to the left in the frame.

[Peter Scholer]

Wonderful image. I really like the eye contact and super pose. Great detail with a simple OOF background. Agree with Mike about the framing.

[Juan Carlos Vindas]

I bet this is a tiny bird! love the look-back pose and the clarity on its feathers!

[Melissa Groo]

What beautiful plumage on this bird, Phil. Super exposure and look at you. I'd like to see it more to the left too. Thanks for sharing this lovely species, don't think I've ever seen it before.

[Satish Ranadive]

Hi Phil:
Magnificent image with very nice HA.
Love the pose,colors;especially yellow on throat,nice sharpness and of course beautiful BG.

Regards,
Satish.

[gail bisson]

This is a great shot Phil!
Love the grey BG and cream BG. Excellent IQ as well. I love the detail in the eye.
Agree with moving him a bit to the left. Perch creates a really nice line.
A beautiful little bird,
Gail

[PhilCook]

I bet this is a tiny bird! love the look-back pose and the clarity on its feathers!

Tiny birds are my favorite Juan, this one not much bigger than a golf ball

[PhilCook]

Thanks for looking folks.....they are beautiful little birds, I like to think of them as " Bush Gems "

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Beautiful detail and a nice look at you as well. I also like the diagonal perch . I find the bright white vertical behind the bird a little distracting but maybe toning it down a tad would be helpful.

[Randy Stout]

Phil:

Cute, sharp, well exposed, agree on small crop from left, not enough to get perch coming from corner, but fairly close

I also agree with Cheryl that the perch behind the bird could be burned in just a bit.

Cheers

Randy

[gary ellwein]

A spectacular bird well presented. The clean bg and simple perch nicely accentuates the subject.

[dankearl]

I agree with the critiques noted, but once again, you post a great looking bird that most of us will never see
in the wild. You do have an amazing variety of cool birds!

[Karl Egressy]

Lovely little bird, nice looking back pose and nice background, Phil.