Spoonbill Nest

Gallery: AvianPosted April 22, 20184,750 views4 comments

This is from the Smith Oaks rookery at High Island, TX. The spoonbills nest lower than the egrets, so you can't avoid having the hillside in the background. I hadn't seen a shot of this species nesting posted so I thought I would share this one.
Canon 1DX II, 500D4 1/800 F5.6, iso 1250

Comments

4 comments

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on April 22, 2018 at 7:24 PM

Roseates are always a treat for me, Nate. Maybe a face only a mother could love and comical in appearance, but such an elegant bird in flight. I have a few youngsters in my Lake Martin files, but none nice and clean like this in their family setting. I've been to Smith Oaks a couple of times, so I know the layout can be busy and tricky getting an open shot. But you did very well, and the soft BG looks fine to me. It looks like the lighting was dull. If mine I might bring out a bit of contrast. Overall a very good image.

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on April 22, 2018 at 10:25 PM

Sweet, Nate. Probably a good choice to wait until the youngsters were partly fledged to photograph a nest like this-I suspect they're downright ugly when they're younger! I like the contrast of the delicate pinks against the almost black and white nest.

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

Comment posted by Hans Overduin on April 23, 2018 at 2:39 PM

Nice behavioral shot, Nate. About not being able to avoid the hillside as a BG, for this is a plus instead of minus .. works pretty well ! Cheers, Hans

Registered on August 31, 2011, 491 Posts, 3807 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on April 23, 2018 at 6:42 PM

Superb environmental/behavioral image. Really good job on the colors without overdoing it. Just enough depth of field to isolate the birds and nest from the background.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments