BLACK SKIMMER DISCIPLINE!!!

[Marina Scarr]

Black Skimmers become extremely aggressive during nesting season, especially in small, dense colonies. They even go so far as to kill chicks b/c there is so much competition for food. This behavior is not easy to watch and even more difficult to photograph effectively. In this capture, an adult is disciplining a chick by clamping down on its little head. Nature can be so cruel sometimes.

I realize this photo is too tight on top but felt it was worthy of posting nonetheless.

Canon 1D3, Canon 400DO & 1.4 TC
F8, 1/800sec, ISO 500, manual mode
Feisol tripod, Mongoose head, down low

C & C always welcomed and much appreciated.

Marina Scarr
www.marinascarrphotography.com

[Don Nelson]

Excellent IQ from your 400DO+1.4 - this lens and lens+TC is often derided by some as having poor IQ. Yet its plenty sharp in your hands.
And an excellent capture. Glad you posted it. Behavior images are important.
Do you have any image above the adult head in the original capture?
Thanks for posting
Don

[Chris Martinez]

WOW Amazing behavioural!! Must be quite a challenge to keep your wits about you while witnessing and photographing this type of "brutality". I use inverted commas as I know it's simply nature being nature but I can't help but to anthropomorphisize.

[gail bisson]

Hi Marina,
This is a really interesting behavioral shot. I like how tight it is framed to really get the viewer up close and intimate. Good light and excellent detail.
I am OK with the left side crop.
If you don't have more room up top, it would be easy to add some canvas.
Gail

[Doug West]

Something else you could try, that would be a little different as far as cropping goes, is try
the glamour magazine crop...which is basically cropping off a little more from the top of
the head, just enough to get rid of the beach in the upper left.

Doug

[Ofer Levy]

VERY effective! Maybe some more sharpening on the chick.

[Jim Crosswell]

Excellent image Marina! Interesting behaviour with good sharpness, details and lighting. I could see a version with more room up top or taking some off the top to eliminate the beach in the ULC.

[Grace Scalzo]

Marina, I'd trim from the top to just below the "V" of sand in the ulc and have the parent's head totally fill the left corner. That way, the crop looks purposeful and there is no bright distraction. Love the light and of course the behavior is interesting. I assume that this was discipline and didn't lead to the chick's death? I've seen that, not easy to witness, but when you see the colony take off at the end of the season, you realize that it is all as it is supposed to be.

[Marina Scarr]

Thank you everybody for your feedback. I have reposted the image with a tad more sharpening and a recrop. I have cropped a tad more than suggested from the top and also removed the piece of the wing from the left. I wish I could have seen how this needed to be cropped, and the moment it was mentioned in this thread, I knew it would work. Why can't I see those things on my own? That's one of the reasons I really like BPN but it frustrates me that I don't see these things.

[Daniel Cadieux]

The repost looks great from the top crop, but prefer the room around the chick in the OP. Very intimate view, I love the interaction!! Exposure is spot on. Some day I'll need to visit Florida when the beach chicks are out and about (and I mean the birds!!)

[arash_hazeghi]

very nice Marina, love the interaction the chick is so cute. I think it needs a bit more sharpening and contrast.

super interaction!

[Melissa Groo]

Wonderful image, Marina. I like the crop you ended up with much better. I would try doing a bit more sharpening.
Fascinating behavior you've captured. Now is the adult disciplining a chick from another family, or is that its own chick? Sorry if a dumb question.

[Dumay de Boulle]

I really like the repost for comp. Great tender moment and I really like the fine detail...Very nice Marina!

[Frank Schauf]

A great situation, Marina.

[Bill Dix]

Amazing image, Marina. Quite something to watch, I'm sure; and something else to be able to capture it so well. I'm OK with the repost crop, but might have preferred the OP with just a slivver of canvas added above.

[dankearl]

What a cool photo. Congrats on getting this.

[Kaustubh Deshpande]

Marina, your chick shots are always very unique. this one, no exception. great moment and angle. Well done on this one.

[Arno Ellmer]

Great natural interaction you have captured here,Marina.The re - crop is very good.Yes, suggestions and advice from the forum participants are very valuable ,as mentioned.

[Cheryl Arena Molennor]

Repost made a big difference IMO and I am with Dan on leaving the space on the bottom for the chick. These birds have shown us some disturbing behavior and it is hard to let them be and know i's the right thing to do. I really like that this is tight and intimate as it really focuses on the beak and the chick and the actual behavior. Amazing that you captured it great job.

[Colin Knight]

More contrast needed here, IMO. Impressive action shot, never seen this behavior up close before.

[Doug Brown]

Excellent frame Marina! I prefer the crop on the repost.

[Josh Clark]

Great interaction here Marina.