Flowers are Tasty

Gallery: AvianPosted July 10, 201589 views6 comments

Red-bellied Woodpecker eating red blooms from the native Texas Hesperaloe Parviflora plant.
Shooting through & into the brush, where they go sometimes. The image was was shot at a high shutter speed because it was mostly moving & fluttering about, trying to get at those flowers.

In deep shade with a sunlit BG, not the best situation. Here I've coaxed it along with PS, my goal to simply show the behavior/action. First time I've ever seen the WP doing this..

F/6.3, 1/2500th, ISO 640, 5DM2, 300mm f/2.8 + 1.4x ext @ 10:10 am & clear sunny with my subject in full shade, no flash.

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on July 10, 2015 at 10:37 PM

Interesting behavior and a lovely image, Howard. Your PS work really paid off here. My only suggestion might be to crop a bit differently and get rid of the heavy dark area on the far left-it tends to pull my eye. I like the woodpecker against the bright oof bg.

devil

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

Comment posted by Neil Rossmiller on July 10, 2015 at 11:30 PM

Really good all the way around, Howard. Your coaxing is top notch.

Registered on October 30, 2009, 156 Posts, 749 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on July 10, 2015 at 11:39 PM

Thanx for your suggestion Dennis.

Cropped slightly, then worked on the dark ULC..

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

Comment posted by scott lanz on July 11, 2015 at 1:31 AM

Beauty, Howard. Very different for most of the avian images posted here. Beautiful lighted bg, interesting behavior, and the red flowers are a great additional element that goes with the subject. I especially like the repost. devil

Registered on November 14, 2003, 840 Posts, 12902 Comments

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on July 11, 2015 at 4:33 AM

I like this a lot Howard. Most of the images I see of these guys are on trees or on perches where they were attracted by bait. So very cool to see this in it's natural setting getting food. I agee with Dennis about the crop and think the repost is better.