Long-billed Curlew in golden light.

[NoahGaines]

I got this shot of a Long-billed Curlew in Goleta CA just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. It is about 70% of the original. Should have shot at ~350mm instead of cropping.

Canon 50D, 100-400 IS at 260mm. 1/800, f 5.6, ISO 640.

PP was very minor.

Should the mud drip stay or go?

Noah Gaines
Santa Barbara, CA

[Steve Zamek]

That's a lovely specimen you captured, Noah. Nice alert pose and good eye contact. The late afternoon light is indeed dramatic, but I just wish it were not mostly illuminating the real of the bird. I would not remove the mud drip.

[John Haig]

Another vote to keep the drip. Very nice light and bird...not sure about the composition. Since you've cropped anyway, maybe a more standard size with less on the left side of the image?

[Bob Pelkey]

I'm not so sure the "mud drip" is that, but the actual form of the curlew's bill. Do you have another image to refer to that indicates otherwise? This could be an elder bird indicating excessive growth of the upper bill. Do you think you might be more satisfied if you took the shot with a slight increase in exposure bias as well? Nice placement of the body of the bird in the right third of the frame. I would crop this one as a square with the eye in the left third out of preference, Noah.

[Arthur Morris]

I like the crop and the extended leg. With the light from the rear, you might try to lighten up the front end of the bird. Without seeing the full sized TIFF it is hard to tell if your mud drop is a mud drop or the bulbous end of this bird's upper mandible--it uses the tip to feel for prey items.