Hoopoe, Jiangsu, China

[Craig Brelsford]

A hoopoe stands atop rocks on the Jiangsu coast, a mole cricket in its bill. The pinkish-buff feathers of the hoopoe match the color of the rocks.

Device: Nikon D300
Lens: AF-S Nikkor VR 600mm F/4G
VR: on
Aperture: F/6.3
Shutter speed: 1/800s
Exposure mode: aperture priority
Exposure comp.: -0.3EV
ISO sensitivity: 0.3EV under 200
Flash: none
Editing: cropped, sharpened

[Harshad Barve]

excellent capture for both of you , Lovely HA , food is added bonus and nice BG too
TFS

[Michael Stern]

VERY well done!!
BG excellent....sharpness excellent...cricket and overall image..excellent...
Crazy looking bird....:)
Congrats!!!
Mike

[Stu Bowie]

Craig, he look like he's showing off his next meal to you. The light looks good, together with the OOF BG. I can see this as a vertical too - it would lose most of the white OOF things on the RHS. Very similar to our Hoopoe's here.

[Craig Brelsford]

Glad you appreciate the light. I had to clamber across those treacherous beige rocks until the morning sun was directly behind me. The hoopoe came back to just the spot that I was expecting he'd land on. I actually think he had a nest somewhere in the rocks. Yes, the hoopoes of South Africa and those of China are either members of the same species or of very similar species.

[Troy Lim]

Wow, great placement in the frame.
Love the head angle and nice BG.
好可愛。

[Lana Hays]

Craig
Oh how the colors compliment this bird.....and it's a bird that absolutely fascinates me. The details are well done....and that bug makes it wonderful.

[Craig Brelsford]

Hoopoes are common in eastern China. They can be found even in the deepest inner-city parks of Shanghai, pop. 17 million.