Pileated Woody

[Michael Pancier]

These birds are amazing. I don't think I could make a hole so perfectly round as these guys can.

Here's the female woody checking out the environs while getting her new place ready for spring.

EOS 7d + 500 4.0L + 1.4x TC
f/5.6
1/640
580 ex II with better beamer at - 1 1/3
Used nik brighten center/darken edges filter
20% crop

[Doug Brown]

I like the way she's poking her head out of the tree. The eye looks good, but fine feather detail is somewhat lacking. The reds in particular don't have much detail; either from motion blur or from oversaturation. I might darken the inside of the nest cavity so that the image doesn't have a flashed look to it.

[Tony Whitehead]

Good comments by Doug. Agree on darkening the interior of the nexst hole (maybe just mask away the the effect of teh Nik filter on that portion) - it almost looks as though she has a light switched on in there:). I like the wood textures on the pole.

[Michael Pancier]

here's a repost with suggestions. thanks.

[Tony Whitehead]

definite improvement in the repost, Michael. I tried another version darkening down the interior a little more and lightening the flash shadows. The back of the crest was quite dark and looking like a flash shadow so I lightened this a bit too.