I'd never seen this behavior before. I googled it and it seems there is some controversy. Some suggest it is a way they dry their wings. Others say it is just a way they sun themselves (although it was almost 103F this morning when I took this image).
Canon 7D
Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L
1/1250sec @ f/7.1
ISO 500
Crop in CS5, NR in Noiseware Pro
Last edited by Ian Cassell; 06-09-2010 at 12:17 AM.
HI Ian Neither is correct, the behavior is to raise the feather temperature to get rid of parasites, common in these birds.
Not sure what you were focusing on but the image is soft, you did have enough shutter speed. Would suggest using the center point on the head and recomposing !! Also would not mind seeing the bird more to the left side of the frame !!! .. working in harsh light is not easy but you did well with the exposure.
When framing this image might have gotten higher/lower to keep the head from merging on the other side the with dark strip !!
Hi Ian, all good points brought up by Al.
Light is critical in photography and there are times of day I don't bother shooting due to it's harshness.
Early or late in the day are best and you'll see a big difference in the quality. Just make sure you have a good angle on the subject...
Yoga Master
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