Red Knot Scratching

Gallery: AvianPosted April 13, 2011334 views17 comments

From Sanibel in FL. We hadn't seen many Knots after Charlie worked his magic, but they showed up again last spring. This guy doesn't have full color so I'm guessing he is probably second year and hasn't fully molted into his adult plumage. I liked the foot position and the extra squeeze on the bill to show the ends flexing.

7D 100-400 at 400 ISO 320 1/640 at F11 lying HH with IS on.

Comments

17 comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on April 14, 2011 at 12:05 AM

great pose, Rick, with the scratching foot and the open bill tip. I've never seen these in breeding plumage, so this is a treat, especially with the nice details you captured. it looks like there is a hint of a catchlight toward the top of the eye in the larger version, I think it would be worth trying to bring that out a bit more.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Murali Santhanam on April 14, 2011 at 3:53 AM

Beautiful details.

Registered on July 31, 2008, 43 Posts, 331 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Strand on April 14, 2011 at 5:57 AM

Very nice capture with excellent plumage detail and action. Pleasing composition too!

Registered on March 30, 2008, 416 Posts, 2885 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on April 14, 2011 at 6:57 AM

These are really nice looking birds Rick. Nice low angle and I like the pose. It might be a bit dark overall. I this were mine would try bringing up the entire image just a tiny bit to see if more detial could be brought out of the eye, legs, and bill without the brighter areas of the image getting too bright.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on April 14, 2011 at 7:27 AM

Like the scratching behavior & slight motion blur I see at the foot. I agree, that "extra squeeze" seen at the bills tip adds nicely here. Colors, details, and DOF look very good, great image as posted Rick

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

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on April 14, 2011 at 8:55 AM

Oh, this is wonderful. Great clarity and detail and colors and light, and the bird is so beautiful, and the behavior is so natural but so cute.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 14, 2011 at 9:48 AM

Not a species I'm at all familiar with Rick, so I'm free to say how to my eyes the colours appear to be wonderful ;^)

The bill flexing is also something that's completely new to me; I had no idea such a thing was even possible :^.

The unique pose though is what I think adds the most appeal to this image, very nice capture indeed :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Teller on April 14, 2011 at 10:19 AM

Nice detail and action. The action makes the image interesting and different.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on April 14, 2011 at 11:38 AM

Nice to see they are still around. Color looks perfect to me although it's been a long time since I've seen them massing at Reed's Beach in southern NJ. Detail is first rate as well. Neat pose.

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

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on April 14, 2011 at 3:00 PM

Rick,

The pose is great and how this shows rhynchokinesis (flexing) of the bill. I like your low angle, the setting, nice details and the how the motion blur of the foot adds action.

In the five years I saw, observed and photographed Red Knots in Florida I very rarely saw them in full breeding plumage, I suspect they come into full breeding plumage a littlw further north of Florida.

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

Comment posted by Darren Colello on April 14, 2011 at 3:56 PM

Very fine detail and great pose. Wonderful work Rick.

Registered on July 27, 2009, 175 Posts, 1100 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on April 14, 2011 at 5:31 PM

So nice to see a different pose and the colors and bill are very good. I agree with Ron about brightening those areas, especially the eye. Well done. Sharon

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

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on April 14, 2011 at 7:28 PM

Love the pose, and that maximum feather detail. So it squeezes the bill to make the ends flex?

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on April 14, 2011 at 7:47 PM

What a great pose you captured here Rick, wonderful detail too. I agree with Brian about trying to coax a bit more light out of the eye with a seletive adjustment to it.

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

Comment posted by Ken Archer on April 14, 2011 at 8:03 PM

Sure looks as though he's enjoying that scratch, a wonderful image Rick. Excellent detail and expressive action.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by S Govindarajan on April 15, 2011 at 3:15 PM

Very nice pose, Rick. I like the flexed beak. The texture of the wave foam is also interesting.

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

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on April 16, 2011 at 10:13 AM

Love the scratching pose and the bill flexing Rick. IQ looks good and I'm fine with the overall brightness.

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