Great spotted woodpecker

[Jonathan Ashton]

Camera Model Canon EOS-1D X
Shooting Mode Manual Exposure
Tv(Shutter Speed) 1/250
Av(Aperture Value) 8.0
Metering Mode Evaluative Metering
Exposure Compensation 0
ISO Speed 320
Auto ISO Speed ON
Lens EF500mm f/4L IS USM

One of a series where I started at 1/1600sec and gradually worked down to 1/250 sec. Occasionally the woodpecker pauses pecking and head turning, this is when you can get away with a slower shutter speed.
I was hoping to get the adult and juvenile together but I think I have missed the boat, I will probably have to wait until next year.
All C&C welcome.

[Arthur Morris]

Love those undertail coverts. SH and EXP right on. Was there suet in the cracks? With this exact pose, I'd love to see one with the head turned a bit more away from us.

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[Jonathan Ashton]

Love those undertail coverts. SH and EXP right on. Was there suet in the cracks? With this exact pose, I'd love to see one with the head turned a bit more away from us.

a

Artie I have been finely chopping peanuts - blitzing them in a food grinder and then mixing them with lard or margarine.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks JA. Where do you put the stuff?

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[Jonathan Ashton]

Thanks JA. Where do you put the stuff?

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I drill holes and poke the bits in with an old hex key

[Daniel Cadieux]

I like the image a lot, Jon, and I also like your mixture idea...sounds like an easy recipe to manipulate and hide into place.

[Jonathan Ashton]

Yes Dan the mixture keeps them busy they have to keep working and the mixture is less likely to fall out of place.

[David Salem]

Beautiful WPr frame Jonathan.The details and colors look fantastic and I like the perfect HA, nice perch and BG colors. Perfect comp too.
I do find this one a bit dark on my calibrated monitor.
I added a repost to see if this looks ok on your monitor or is it to bright on your monitor. If it dose then maybe you can make an adjustment.
Not trying to get after you about your images, actually the opposite, just trying to let you know what I see and thinking of how to better some of them because you have a ton of great images in your portfolio and a couple tweaks could make them stand out even further.
Well done

[christopher galeski]

Very nice Jonathan.great BG and perch,sharp with good detail,like the head angle,Davids post as improved the image.TFS.

[Jonathan Ashton]

David thanks for taking time to do a repost much appreciated. Your version does not look too bright to me it looks very good. I think on reflection I could have made the image a little brighter. (my screen is calibrated and tested )
I took more images yesterday from a slightly different angle and viewpoint - a friend came round and we compared images and I was coming round to thinking that I can make them a bit brighter, it's the old story do I want to present the image as it was or make it as visually pleasing as I can, not always the same thing.

[Frank Schauf]

Excellent shot with a great perch.