Another Sanderling

[Bill Dix]

D90; 80-400 VR @ 400mm. ISO 400. F/6.3 @ 1/3200s. Matrix metering @ -1.3 EV. HH.

Blind Pass about an hour after sunrise on a hazy morning. Wish the feathers on the back weren't sticking up. I've toasted the whites in some recent posts, so tried to tone this one down; but I've changed my monitor setting so I'd appreciate knowing if this one looks OK. C&C appreciated.

[Dave Leroy]

Very nice pose and the bird stands out nicely from bg. I just checked with Color Cop and does not appear to be any hotspots. Well done. Dave

[Aidan Briggs]

The whites are not hot, but now the blacks are blocked. In addition the whites could actually go a bit brighter, they look a bit muddy...

Nice low angle, pose, and light.

[Arthur Morris]

Loverly pose. The whites and the whole image could be brighter from where I sit. Just like most golfers, you have over-corrected; been there, done that. I think that this actually needs some CW rotation, particularly if there were other Sanderlings nearby..... With the raised back feathers this looks like a territorial threat so the bird needs to be leaning forward more.

What's been going on at Blind Pass recently? Last year it was all construction all the time...

[Bill Dix]

Thanks Aiden and Artie. I believe I have over-corrected, for fear of clipping the whites. I'll try to go back to the RAW file and see what I can reconstruct. Artie, I spent Thanksgiving week at Blind Pass, Bowman's Beach and environs. The construction is finished and the birds are back. Not huge numbers but enough for some up close and personal encounters - especially the sweet little Wilson's Plovers. At Alfred's suggestion I also tried Little Estero and the Sanibel Fishing Pier, but for sheer numbers of species my best afternoon of the week was at Bunche Beach.

[denise ippolito]

Bill, Very nice pose and head angle.The colors of the sand and water are beautiful. Artie has made an interesting comment about the raised back feathers. Did you notice if there were there any other Sanderlings around that would have provoked this behavior? I'm curious to know. I agree w/ lightening the image just a bit. Your shorebird images have been very nice.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks for the info Bill; good to know. Estero has been great the past 3-4 years after a few lousy ones.

[Bill Dix]

Denise, there were indeed other Sanderlings about. In fact I have several other images of them in their defensive stooping posture, but none with raised back feathers. Thanks for your comments.