Greater Yellowlegs

Gallery: AvianPosted August 23, 2010125 views18 comments

Subject: Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

Place: Gilbert, AZ
Date: August 22, 2010
Equipment: Nikon D200, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (2x), G1325, RRS BH-55, sidekick
Exposure: aperture priority spot metered, ISO 400, 1/60th @ f/8
Raw, PS CS3 on Mac G4, 76% of frame

I braved the heat for an hour Sunday morning, re-visiting the spot where I photographed a Burrowing Owl in June. The owls didn't cooperate so I grabbed a few frames of this Greater Yellowlegs in the bottom of an almost dry retention basin. There was some cloud cover to soften the light, plus I was in shade in the bottom of the pit.

Honest critiques requested; all comments appreciated.

Comments

18 comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on August 23, 2010 at 8:31 PM

It works well for me Richard, nicely placed in the frame.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on August 23, 2010 at 9:08 PM

A lovely shot of this species. It shows off the bill and those long legs quite nicely plus there is plenty of room for habitat. Well done.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on August 23, 2010 at 9:18 PM

Excellent, Richard. I like that the pose shows all of the field marks, including the decurved bill. I like the mud splashed up the bird's legs.

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on August 23, 2010 at 10:31 PM

Super comp, Richard.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on August 23, 2010 at 10:51 PM

a nice shot of this elegant bird, Rich. a nice pose, and I like the setting and comp.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on August 23, 2010 at 11:14 PM

Very well exposed, the colors look natural. I like the habitat here, with the bird standing out well in your frame..Everything came together nicely Richard, well done

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by David Williams on August 23, 2010 at 11:20 PM

Very nice habitat shot, Richard. I like the slight forward lean towards the next step. We've had a distinct lack of shorebirds around here this year due to too much water, so haven't seen much yet.

Registered on March 8, 2005, 315 Posts, 2291 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on August 23, 2010 at 11:36 PM

Nice image. Really need the larger version to appreciate the detail in the bird. But it was a DRY HEAT.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Dusty Veideman on August 24, 2010 at 12:00 AM

Hi Richard! I thought for sure that you were up in my part of the country as I have almost the identical shot of a Greater Yellowlegs the other day with the same BG and setting. Kind of freaked me out as I know you are very far away from me. Nice shot by the way!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 295 Posts, 547 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on August 24, 2010 at 12:04 AM

Love the angle here - very nice!

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Mauro Pasquero on August 24, 2010 at 5:34 AM

Very good, Richard ! I like it very much.
Mauro

Registered on January 21, 2010, 650 Posts, 2500 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on August 24, 2010 at 7:05 AM

An hour well spent Richard - great IQ, setting and light

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Lotito on August 24, 2010 at 12:26 PM

Well done!

Registered on June 26, 2009, 181 Posts, 1558 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on August 24, 2010 at 1:38 PM

The light looks nice Rich. Love the alert look you are getting from the bird. Nice comp and habitat. Great sharpness on the bird. Well done.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on August 24, 2010 at 11:19 PM

Nice pose and detail, Richard, and I like the habitat.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on August 24, 2010 at 11:35 PM

I like the alert striding pose, eye conact and diffuse light Richard.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Satie Sharma on August 26, 2010 at 4:51 AM

I like the eye contact, pose and setting, Richard. A lower angle might have made this more intimate. But that's subjective. I like this image.

Registered on November 11, 2003, 189 Posts, 5335 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on August 26, 2010 at 11:32 AM

Your usual impeccable IQ Rich. I especially like the alert pose and your composition.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments