Curve-billed Thrasher

Canon 7D, 500mm f/4 + 1.4x TC. Gitzo Monopod w/ RRS head.

1/1000, f/7.1, ISO 250. Late afternoon light.

Crop to 57% (10.2 of 18MP).

This Curve-billed Thrasher is my 3rd of 3 classic Sonoran Desert birds (ocean and shorebirds to come!). None of them are perfect, but I thought each was a good start. On a nearly birdless afternoon, this thrasher popped up on a nearby cholla and sang for a minute or two.

I love the dynamic turning pose, the singing open bill, and the yellow eye. I like the cholla perch, but wish that more of it was in focus.

Comments and critiques appreciated. Please view larger version if possible.