The Nest Builder

[Arno Ellmer]

While on a game drive in the Chobe Natinal Park , Botswana , I came across a Red-billed Oxpecker plucking fur from the lower neck of an Impala .
Oxpeckers use this fur for nest building.
Shot in poor light from a vehicle , using a bean bag.
Canon Mk IV
500mm +1.4x
1/800
f/5.6
ISO 1000
EC +1/3
cropped a little on all sides.
Would have wished for a greater DOF
All comments and crits welcome

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Arno, great close up of an Oxpecker, and good to see his beak full of fur. I like the angle, and sharp where it counts. Lovely smooth BG too.

[Frank Schauf]

Beautiful and colorful image. Sharp and well composed.

[Sachin Saraf]

Fabulous Image Arno, plenty of details in feather, nice eye contact, beautiful BG and love the nesting material in beak...Little tight in frame for my taste but fantastic image overall.

[Melissa Groo]

Wonderful job, Arno. Love the detail in the textures here. What a comical looking bird. That eye is too much. Great warm and complementary colors.

[gail bisson]

This is really nice Arno.I love the hairs in the mouth and IQ and the "perch"! My only nit is that I would like a bit more room on the left for the virtual tail.
Gail

[Marina Scarr]

What a super capture with wonderful details and the nesting material and perch huge pluses! Agree on more space on the left.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

LOL. Great image with a great story. Would also loosen the crop a little from the left.

[Arno Ellmer]

Thank you all for the constructive comments. Looking at it again after all your comments I fully agree with loosening a little crop on the left.Thank you !