Grebe family

Gallery: AvianPosted April 15, 2011195 views7 comments

Lake Hodges, S. Cal
I liked catching both feeding and hitch-hiking behaviour here from the chicks

D300s
500mm + TC 1.7
Subject dist: 67m
1/640 sec, f/8
Mode: Av
Metering: Multi-segment
ISO: 800
White balance: Auto
Flash: Off
Again, poor conditions, a very large crop, and a rare use of tripod

All C and C's welcomed and considered!

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on April 15, 2011 at 2:35 PM

Cool to catch both in the same image, Sandy. I like how the hitch-hike parent and rider are both looking at the fish and who gets it.

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

Comment posted by Steve Balke on April 15, 2011 at 3:37 PM

Very interesting and entertaining group shot, Sandy. Your choice of a pano crop really helps to focus our attention on the Grebes and the action! The attentive look of the hitch-hiking chick is particularly fun to see. It looks to me like you made the best of a bad lighting and very long distance situation.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Rick Cloran on April 15, 2011 at 4:51 PM

Very nice behavior Sandy. I like the way it shows in the large version, but would be tempted to go into even more of a paneled presentation. Also looks like it may take a very slight CW rotation (based on water ripples rather than the bird positions).

Registered on April 6, 2004, 119 Posts, 1989 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on April 15, 2011 at 5:39 PM

Great action Sandy. The crop show in lack of fine detail and the light was not optimal, but you did well to get all these birds sharp enough so the image works for me.

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

Comment posted by KC Choo on April 15, 2011 at 7:21 PM

Well done! It's tough to get to a lower angle where the chicks are at that spot.

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

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on April 15, 2011 at 9:11 PM

Sandy,

I really love the behavior you have shown here with one chick getting fed and the other hitch hiking. I think you did well to get the birds sharp in the conditions you have described.

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

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 15, 2011 at 10:29 PM

Wow! I can't imagine there are too many shots like this one around, excellent timing Sandy, this image has huge appeal :^)

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