Whimbrel Preening

[Bill Dix]

From Iceland last year. I would have preferred a more weathered perch, but out of all the fence posts he chose this one to do his preening on.

D7200, 500f4 + 1.4 TC, ISO 2500, 1/640s @ f/7.1 manual.

[Isaac Grant]

Man do I need to go to Iceland. So many great photo opps there. I like the pose. Agree the perch is not ideal. The bird looks a little washed out to me and not as brown as a Whimbrel should look. I see a bit of a yellow cast as well.

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Isaac. This is presumably the European race of Whimbrel. The bird did seem less brown than I am used to seeing in our Whimbrels, but Sibley points out that the European race is more grey, less brownish, than the American. The whites on the bird, such as under the chin, are almost precisely neutral. I assume the yellowish cast on the belly is a reflection of the yellow-green field.

[William Dickson]

This sure looks like the Euro race. I have photographed the bird in Scotland. What a great looking BG. Nice preening pose. Great POV. And, yes agree about the perch.

Will

[Noel Heustis]

Bill, The BG colors make the picture for me...beautiful green and browns. Very clean look to it. Was it cloudy out that day?

[Geoffrey Montagu]

Good one, Bill. Like the preening pose, and what a great BG there was that day. Might be a flying tiny white feather above his back, and there's a possible dust bunny upper right side.

Geoffrey




https://500px.com/geoffreymontagu

[Bill Dix]

Thanks all. Noel, my recollection is that it was hazy bright that day. Geoffrey, I saw (belatedly) the white spot, but your eagle eye picked out the dust bunny that I can barely see.