Northern Flicker

Gallery: AvianPosted September 6, 2008850 views32 comments

I am in St. Andrews for golf and camaraderie and have no camera with me. The few birds here are so shy anyway that I am amazed you guys get anything at all! So, I am posting an image of a Flicker that was visiting my garden in early July. I've read that they enjoy ants as a delicacy, and that is what this male was after. There's a small ant's nest where the end of his tongue is.

Many thanks for looking; comments appreciated. I hope I haven't posted this before; if so, I apologise for yet another senior moment!

1D3, 500mm + 2.0X, tripod, late afternoon, manual fill-flash.

Comments

32 comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on September 6, 2008 at 8:07 AM

KC

Outstanding image, great details, light, sharpness and excellent behavior.

I especially enjoy your choice of composition here, the vertical pano puts this image over the top for me.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Workman on September 6, 2008 at 8:59 AM

Great habitat shot KC

Registered on May 19, 2008, 21 Posts, 362 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on September 6, 2008 at 9:39 AM

I love this image KC. Great feeding behavior but for me what really stands out is the way the bird's body, from tail to tongue tip, forms an almost perfect arc against the vertical perch. Outstanding!

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

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on September 6, 2008 at 11:21 AM

A terrific image as posted. I love the narrow vertical composition here. Nice use of the elements in this composition as well.

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

Comment posted by Neil Losin on September 6, 2008 at 11:25 AM

Oh man, I love this! The tongue is great and I like the choice of a vertical pano too. Nice :)

Registered on September 16, 2005, 145 Posts, 3524 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on September 6, 2008 at 12:18 PM

Very nice work KC. A wonderful composition, made better by the excellent techs. The extended tongue puts this way over the top. Fill flash really appears to have helped, such nice lighting!

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Twaddell on September 6, 2008 at 12:22 PM

Hi KC. The composition here, and the cooperation of the flicker, put this one at the top of the charts! Excellent!

Registered on August 16, 2007, 199 Posts, 2132 Comments

Comment posted by Bradley Esau on September 6, 2008 at 12:58 PM

Fantastic image, KC.

Enjoy the golf! <much envy>

Registered on December 10, 2007, 30 Posts, 558 Comments

Comment posted by Ryan DesJardins on September 6, 2008 at 6:36 PM

Excellent. Incredible clarity.

Registered on September 11, 2005, 170 Posts, 276 Comments

Comment posted by bill meikle on September 6, 2008 at 8:28 PM

Beautiful image, interesting too and a difficult bird to shoot. You went to St Andrews and you didn't take a camera, wow!

Registered on May 21, 2006, 173 Posts, 663 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on September 6, 2008 at 8:39 PM

This is a wonderful shot and composition on a handsome specimen. Sharon

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

Comment posted by Peter Conway on September 6, 2008 at 9:08 PM

Wonderful image. Perch and bird form a bow that gives it an inherent tension that I really like.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Stephen on September 6, 2008 at 10:34 PM

Great perch and pose. I love the tongue sticking out!

Registered on November 11, 2007, 42 Posts, 803 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on September 6, 2008 at 11:58 PM

A stunning image, KC. Perfect capture, novel and completely successful composition, and your usual flawless techs. The shot blows me away. Wonderful work!

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

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on September 7, 2008 at 2:15 AM

You've been holding out on us! Excellent, KC. The composition and the behavior is just superb.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on September 7, 2008 at 3:15 AM

This is a bird photographers hole-in-one KC - wonderful composition and detail.

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

Comment posted by Danilo bassani on September 7, 2008 at 4:53 AM

From lover of the peaks I can only stay open mouth to see this beautiful shot.

Hello
Danilo

Registered on December 28, 2007, 6 Posts, 31 Comments

Comment posted by Avi Hirschfield on September 7, 2008 at 9:06 AM

Excellent colour @ sharpness

Registered on November 1, 2003, 518 Posts, 2114 Comments

Comment posted by Satie Sharma on September 7, 2008 at 10:12 AM

This is outstanding, Kwan. I love the behavior here. The setting and detail are perfect. And the vertical pano crop keeps the eye focused on the action. Great shot!

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

Comment posted by Greg Cope on September 7, 2008 at 12:18 PM

Incredibel image KC. Love everything about this..from tree to b/g to bird to tongue

Registered on January 22, 2007, 212 Posts, 2737 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Evanoski on September 7, 2008 at 9:41 PM

Outstanding job KC, I like the behavior and the vertical comp

Registered on March 27, 2008, 51 Posts, 176 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on September 7, 2008 at 10:19 PM

This image gave me a chuckle to see that long tongue probing for insects.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Doug Backlund on September 7, 2008 at 11:10 PM

Well, I'm late to the show and everyone has used all the superlatives, so all I can add is

Wow!

Registered on September 29, 2005, 252 Posts, 3380 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on September 8, 2008 at 12:03 AM

A beauty Kwan, I like the rich colors and the feeding is great, congrats.

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

Comment posted by Danny Shelton on September 8, 2008 at 12:26 AM

Well done.

Registered on October 2, 2007, 14 Posts, 1029 Comments

Comment posted by Derrick Lipinski on September 8, 2008 at 2:34 PM

Beautiful capture, KC - the pose really puts it over the top.

Registered on October 5, 2007, 58 Posts, 2039 Comments

Comment posted by Barry R. Byrd on September 9, 2008 at 9:29 PM

Love this one KC, well captured

Registered on December 20, 2005, 136 Posts, 970 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on September 10, 2008 at 1:26 AM

I knew this was a winner about one microsecond after I opened it. Congratulations, KC! I hope that my senior moments are just like this one.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on September 10, 2008 at 1:47 AM

Thanks everyone for all your positive comments on this one. I wish sharing EP's were possible, as Charlie's Hummers well deserved it, too.

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

Comment posted by Dennis Binda on September 10, 2008 at 2:37 AM

thanks for your comment on my Bald eagle pic. This one 's not so bad either

Dennis

Registered on September 8, 2007, 56 Posts, 326 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Graham on September 10, 2008 at 7:46 AM

Congrats on the EP. The pose is great, and not one I've seen, since the flickers are usually on the ground.

Registered on August 22, 2006, 842 Posts, 2824 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on September 10, 2008 at 11:00 AM

Waytago KC!

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