Ladder-backed Closeup

Gallery: AvianPosted May 21, 2011203 views21 comments

I was hoping the "Cactus" or Ladder-backed Woodpecker would come in close, it obliged early yesterday morning..

"Cactus Woodpecker" is an old name for a subspecies of the Ladder-backed Woodpecker inhabiting the southwestern United States. "Cactus" is an appropriate word to associate with this species, as it frequently forages on and nests in various species of cactus.

F/9, 1/200th, ISO 640, 1D M3, 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x ext and overcast.

Comments

21 comments

Comment posted by John Robinson on May 21, 2011 at 11:59 AM

Spot on ! Sharp all through- not easy on this pose.
JohnR

Registered on March 2, 2008, 535 Posts, 2453 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on May 21, 2011 at 12:31 PM

Nice DOF and great detail on the bird especially the head area. Nice BG and perch to go along with the bird. Well done.

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

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on May 21, 2011 at 12:42 PM

Really nice. One of the best Ladder-backed shots I've seen. Really shows off the bird.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on May 21, 2011 at 1:41 PM

Excellent. Terrific detail; nice natural colors. Clean view.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on May 21, 2011 at 2:13 PM

Great shot, Howard- Like the contrast between the BW feathers and the colouful background- Well done, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Dolph McCranie on May 21, 2011 at 3:34 PM

I echo what the others have said, an excellent capture.

Registered on August 25, 2006, 146 Posts, 284 Comments

Comment posted by Herb Sennet on May 21, 2011 at 4:09 PM

This is an awesome photograph of a stunning beautiful bird. Such a shot seems so natural that you almost forget all the effort
and patience that is required to reach this result.
Herb

Registered on September 20, 2009, 87 Posts, 106 Comments

Comment posted by Carol Nichols on May 21, 2011 at 5:48 PM

Beautiful image Howard. I've never seen this type of woodpecker. You sure did a great job of showing off his beautiful feather pattern.

Registered on November 7, 2007, 161 Posts, 1420 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on May 21, 2011 at 8:43 PM

Very nice. Bg, light, and pose all working together for a great image.

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by S Govindarajan on May 21, 2011 at 8:47 PM

Very sharp from beak to tail, Howard. Great perch and background. Nice the see the "ladder" back.

Registered on April 19, 2008, 115 Posts, 1921 Comments

Comment posted by Charles Gangas on May 21, 2011 at 9:23 PM

Outstanding image Howard. Detail, perch, background, and comp- all superb.

Registered on August 12, 2009, 544 Posts, 2414 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on May 22, 2011 at 12:08 AM

Excellent view of that back - very nice detail, enough of a head-turn to get a good eye, and nice BG.
Well-done!
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on May 22, 2011 at 12:52 AM

Way to go Howard patience got him there and you got a nice head turn AND your techs did the job. Hats off to you on this one.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on May 22, 2011 at 5:47 AM

Nice one Howard - great detail. A small head turn would have topped it off. Was this attracted to your water feature?

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on May 22, 2011 at 7:57 AM

Yes Rob. As a matter of fact, it was just a few feet over the waterfall, on my "prop" branch..
The waterfall is 12-15 feet from the end of my lens.

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

Comment posted by Tom Lusk on May 22, 2011 at 8:17 AM

Wow! What's not to like about this shot?

What a distinctive feather pattern.

I'm curious ehether you think a "water feature"/small waterfall would be a benefit to me. My house is right on the St. Lawrence River, so there is no shortage of water, but there is little movement (quiet bay) and definitely no sound as an attraction.

Registered on September 17, 2005, 312 Posts, 600 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on May 22, 2011 at 9:39 AM

Really nice. Great job! Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on May 22, 2011 at 3:55 PM

Well he came in close, and you got him. Very pleasing image and with lots of detail and a creamy bg. Nice one indeed, Howard.