Upland Sandpiper

[Bill Dix]

We were driving along a road near Anahuac NWR on a foggy morning last month (actually my wife driving, while I scanned the fences for Scissor-tailed Flycatchers), when this fellow appeared on a fencepost. Low light conditions, but he posed nicely. Shot from car window. Full height cropped from horizontal. C&C appreciated.

D7000, 700mm, ISO 2000, 1/320s @ f/7.1 manual.

[Don Nelson]

Great find, Bill!
Excellent perch (good to see it away from the dirt clods of plowed fields and the cowpies of the grazed grassland), and head turn.
One comment - the overcast sky is a giant blue softbox. You may already have corrected some for the color, but its still got a bluish cast.
One method of correcting, NIk white neutralizer, gives the following (plus a little yellow boost and a contrast increasing curve lightly applied).

[Bill Dix]

Don, I did notice the blue cast, and decided to leave it as representative of the conditions that I witnessed. That said, I like the color and contrast of the bird in your repost, although the legs may be a bit too yellow for the species. I like the bg color of the OP. Thanks for taking the time. I think I'll go back and selectively adjust the bird.

[Karl Egressy]

Nice pose details and background, Bill.

[christopher galeski]

nice capture Bill,sharp with nice detail,good BG.

[Arthur Morris]

Both beautiful. I am envious. I love the ruffled neck feathers but not the slightly raised feathers at the rear of the bird that came with it. If you have an image of this bird totally at rest I'd love to see it posted here.

[Bill Dix]

Both beautiful. I am envious. I love the ruffled neck feathers but not the slightly raised feathers at the rear of the bird that came with it. If you have an image of this bird totally at rest I'd love to see it posted here.

Thanks Artie. Here's another frame, taken 2 minutes later when he flew to another (slightly higher) fencepost. This is full-frame. I've done nothing to it except a bit of Levels, Color adjustment, NR and USM. This does have more relaxed feathers on the rear (secondaries?). It could be improved with a bit of cropping and cleanup, but I don't like it as well as the OP -- for reasons of HA, BG and POV. I don't seem to have another frame from the first fencepost with more relaxed feathers.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Bill. You are right. That first post has a lot more character! I am still envious :)

[Binu John]

Beautiful bird and pose! Nicely exposed. Love that gradient BG! Well done!

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Very calm yet well aware of your presence. Like the greens and blues and agree with leaving the blue in. Beautiful bird and perch works well.





Geoffrey

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Binu and Geoffrey.