These gorgeous little birds are the smallest of the prion family. All are blue-grey with a characteristic letter 'm' on the dorsal side. They are circumpolar in distribution and nest in burrows on sub-Antarctic and sub-tropical islands in the Southern Hemisphere. The shot was taken in early morning light on 1 January 2014 in the Snares group of islands, New Zealand sub-Antarctic. Thanks for looking - critical feedback welcome.
Canon 5DIII + 300 mm f/2.8L II + 2x III extender, hand-held.
Av priority, f/8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 800, -1/3 EV.
Post processing in DPP: crop, DLO, USM, RAW-jpeg. PS Elements: adjust shad/h'lights, sharpen bird, background NR, downsize, USM.