Male european hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccotrausthes) in full breeding plumage

[Juan Aragonés]

I rarely use blinds and most part of my photographs are taken from the car or just walking around while I am birding. This weekend I was invited to access a permanet blind that two friends, José Luis Ojeda and Javier Milla. A great blind, by the way, with room for three persons so, I shared the saturday evening photographing hawfinches with José Reigada y Rafa Tarín. Many opportunities to photograph this beautiful finches and to use to pieces of my equipment that I do not use frequently: the SB-600 and the Wimberly Head. A lot of fun, nice pictures and great frienship. Thanks guys for such a great experience and for allowing me to have the best place on the blind!
C&C are highly appreciated.

Nikon D2X AFS Nikkor 300VR, tripod and WH, 1/320s F8 ISO400 fill flash (SB-600), slight cropping for composition

[Axel Hildebrandt]

Beautiful bird, great details and BG. I find the perch a bit too big for the bird's size and might give it a tad more room at the top and sharpen a little less.

[Glenn Bartley]

Really nice. I just wish for a thinner perch. A cool species - for some reason this guy looks like a zombie to me.

[John Chardine]

This is absolutely beautiful Juan. The only thing I would change is the crop, giving more room at the top and less at the bottom.

BTW we have a Coccothraustes in North America- it's called an Evening Grosbeak. I've never seen a Hawfinch- another "holy grail" bird for me. One day!

[Fabs Forns]

Beautiful bird with glorious BG. Would have given more on top and less perch. Enhorabuena!

[Brian Wong]

Hi Juan!

Geez ... this looks almost too perfect! Detail through and through! A beautiful specimen. I also like the smooth background, and how the colors complement the bird. Nothing to add for suggestions. Very pretty!

[Arthur Morris]

Given the too-large perch and a somewhat out of the box compostion this is still pretty spectacular; wonderful BKGR and subject.

[Vincent Grafhorst]

Wonderful image Juan. Just a tiny bit too much flash IMO.

[Johnny Bravo]

Fabulous image. I've tried, but I can't join the 'largness of the perch' chorus. I might try a diff crop, bringing the birds eye down to the 'rule of thirds' line, but beyond that I got no nits.

[Dan Brown]

Juan, your images are so good that it is really hard not to just slap you on the back and say "Great Image". I viewed this image minutes after you posted and I did think that maybe the fill flash could have been reduced a bit. But, Great Image!!!!!!

Dan Brown

[Stephen Stephen]

Juan I'd be very pleased to have this image of this beautiful bird even with the large perch..

[Juan Aragonés]

Thank you guys for your comments. I have to say that I am not good using flashes, mostly due to the lack of experience because I rarely use my SB-600. I appreciate your critics about the flash intensity. I do not see the point of the big perch. This is the bigest species of the european finches so.... he needs a big perch;)