Rescued

[Arthur Morris]

The runt of a three chick brood, this week-old American Oystercatcher chick fell far behind the adults and its two siblings as they traversed the 300 yards from the shore back to their nest site after a short feeding foray. I stayed ahead of the slow-poke but found him anything but slow as he made his way up and down the tire tracks and human footprints. I wound up making only two sharp frames. Several adult oystercatchers buzzed the little chick until one pounced on it and grabbed it in its bill. Knowing that a life-ending pounding would likely follow, I ran at the two birds and the attacker flew off. I put my lens down and grabbed the chick gently. Then I grabbed my gear and carried the tiny shorebird back to the roped off nesting area. The parents were glad to see it safely back and within minutes the three chicks were being brooded by one of the adults.

I am normally fine letting nature take its course but--right or wrong--could not find it in my heart to do so in this case.

Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the 1.4X II TC and the EOS-1D MIV. ISO 800. Evaluative metering +1 1/3 stops: 1/200 sec. at f/10. This is the standard "1120/central sensor only crop," a bit off the bottom and a bit off from behind the bird.

Don't be shy; all comments welcome.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

So glad this story had a happy ending Artie and you are the hero of the day in my eyes. Wonderful capture of a beautiful baby. It great to know there are people like you in this world my friend :):)

[Steve Kaluski]

Artie, nature can be both brutal and caring, however I think in this instance you would be forgiven for your interaction.;)

Can I ask, have you added a slight blue 'halo' around the chics body to define the outline and shape? The subtle colour tones echo the fragility of the chic and the sand covered beak is a nice touch and because of it's nature will no doubt have the 'cute' factor.

TFS
Steve

[Doug Brown]

It's hard to watch the brutality of nature at times, but I'm glad you made the choice you did. Regarding the photo, I like the soft light, nice head turn, and the sandy bill. Not sure if a slight contrast boost would help because I've not seen an OC chick before.

[Jan Wegener]

seeing this little cutie I might have done the same :)

It's often unbelievable how tough nature can be in our human eyes

[Andrew Merwin]

Well done; both the rescue & the image. I like the BG & the HA. The sand clinging to the chick is a nice touch also. Steve asks a good question about the blue halo around the chick. Is it moire?
Andrew

[Mike Milicia]

How could you not rescue this little cutie after it gave you such a wonderful pose? :)

Nice light, comp, and excellent detail! Job well done all around!

[Christopher C.M. Cooke]

27 Years ago whilst filming Grey Nurse sharks of Jervis Bay Australia, a "HUGE" male Great White started shadowing us getting closer and intermittently adopting an aggressive posture (Pectoral fins down) and things were not looking too good for at least one of us.

Suddenly three Orcas arrived and started harassing the Whitey which went away.

The Orcas then stayed with us until we got back to our inflatable.

Feel free to interfere on behalf of lives of animals, they did it for us.

[Arthur Morris]

Can I ask, have you added a slight blue 'halo' around the chicks body to define the outline and shape? Steve

No sir. As you can see here, it is in the original. :) Not sure of the cause as I was pretty much on sun angle when I created this one. The sand on its beak was a result of it constantly falling down in an attempt to keep up with the family and finally taking a beating from the interloping oystercatcher.

[Grace Scalzo]

Super image ... I believe that most of us would have done the same thing as you and given him another chance.

Good job.

[denise ippolito]

Artie, I am so glad that you were able to save this little one. You were rewarded with this fantastic image. I love the pose and the sandy beak.:)

[Fernando Diez]

Good history and better end.
The photo, with good BG, sharpness and light

Fer

[Joe Senzatimore]

Every once in a while a tiny creature needs a second chance. Glad you did what you did. I would have done the same. Kudos to you for this one.:D:D:D

[Danny J Brown]

Hey Artie - I think the world will keep turning just fine, even if we interfere with nature once in awhile. I would have done the same thing! Nice shot of the little sand-covered fuzz ball, by the way.

Later - DB

[Paul Lagasi]

I knew down deep your a softie...well done. I'd have done the same. Nice image

[Laura Stiefel]

Hi, Artie,

I love the way the color in the "blue halo" is mimicked by the shades of blue in the sandy shadows(?). I think it adds layers of interest to this image.

Certainly a sweet little birdie and an even sweeter story. As a girl who traps and releases indoor spiders, I'm all for lending a helping hand when you can.

[John Haig]

I grew up and live on a farm and I'm the last thing from sentimental when it comes to the harsh realities of nature...but I believe what makes us human is our ability to transcend the brutality once in awhile. (I believe I learned that from a speech delivered by Captain Kirk in the original Star Trek...oh well)

Great story and image.

[Arthur Morris]

Hi, Artie, I love the way the color in the "blue halo" is mimicked by the shades of blue in the sandy shadows(?). I think it adds layers of interest to this image. Certainly a sweet little birdie and an even sweeter story. As a girl who traps and releases indoor spiders, I'm all for lending a helping hand when you can.

Thanks all and Laura.. Do you use the clear glass glass and sheet of paper method on the spiders (as I do)? :)

[Juan Aragonés]

A nice end for the story. Well done! Sure the chick is full of gratitude and decided to gift you with this excellent pose ;)

[allanrube]

This must be the one outside the fencing you were on your belly shooting. Good soft light in the morning adds a lot to the softnesss of the chicks.

[Jim Fenton]

I probably would have done the same thing...but don't tell anyone :)

[Rafael Rodriguez Mojica]

This is a great shot Artie, very soft and subtle. The background is great as well as the fine details of the chick.

I think you did the right thing saving the chick, as probably the tire tracks and foot prints from human disturbance were a factor. Even we as concerned photographers must be careful approaching nesting areas as we may inadvertenly cause disturbance. A powerful telephoto like the one you used is in my wishlist for those same reasons. BTW if you know of someone selling a used 800mm IS please let me know privately. You may e-mailed me to raromo@prtc.net.

[Jackie Schuknecht]

I babysat plovers and they said no intervention. But by the end of the term we were chasing the gulls off w/o a second thought. Good for you Artie.

[Mike Lentz]

I would have done the same thing without hesitation. Nice work!