The start of this year has not been too great locally for weather and light but sometimes you have to just get out whatever the weather. This is a male Great Spotted Woodpecker feeding on a Hawthorn trunk.
Taken with 1Dmk3 and 300mm F4 and ISO640 F4 -0.67EV at 1/250s
Good looking woodpecker...nice patterns on this guy's plumage. A better head-turn would have been advantageous. I also would also place your subject lower in the frame...seems like there is too much empty space down there. The mossy bark looks great combined with the BG colour you have.
Hi Rich,
Lovely shot of the great spotted woodpecker you have here. Love the green bark and accompanying BG with nice soft colours. I agree with Daniel on the compositional suggestion. I would probably crop a smidge of the right and move the woodpecker down in the frame. I am not bothered by the slight headturn away from the camera as you obviously have eye contact, which to me is what a headturn is effectively about (about the eye contact with the camera). All in all a great shot, wish I had one this nice of a woodpecker......
Beautiful bird and excellent color and detail . Good BG and I too like the green moss on the tree contrasting with the GB. Cropping a tad of the bottom I agree would strengthen this image. Fine work Rich and thanks for sharing.
Lovely soft light giving great detail and molding on the birds plumage. I assume this was from a hide, as you certainly would not usually be able to stalk this close for a crop like this with a 300mm lens? Good pose showing the use of that stiff tail.
The 'green moss' is lichen.
Thanks for the replies. The photo was taken from a hide. A small whole drilled into the side of the trunk and filled with fat / peanut mixture. I agree with the cropping suggestion.
I didn't know woodpeckers like peanut butter. :) The soft light works well here, nice perch and BG, too. The head angle looks good to me. Maybe some CW rotation in addition to the different crop?
Great Spotted Woodpecker
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