Green-Billed Malkoha

Canon EOS 7D, EF 500mm f/4L IS USM, Shutter Priority, f/5 (1/250 sec), ISO 1000, -1/3 EV, Tripod, JPG from RAW, Cropped About 30% in Total from Upper and LH Edges, Non-Captive Subject

This magnificent Green-Billed Malkoha is a species I've tried photographing in several locations in both Thailand and Malaysia without much previous success, mainly due the fact that they apparently prefer to feed off bugs and grubs right at the top of trees so, more often than not, they're mostly obscured from view by leaves and branches.

Then one day I'm taking photos of Gibbons at my local zoo when in one flies and lands in the tree directly above me!

The tree was relatively short and I couldn't believe my luck, and in a total state of excitement I was practically tripping over the legs of my tripod trying to get further and further back so I could get the whole bird in the frame, which was particularly difficult as this Malkoha has a tail about twice as long as it body :^.

It's at times like these I truly appreciate Nature's sense of irony and humour ;^p

There's only really one in the series I managed to fire off that shows the full beauty of it's tail and still makes for a pretty pleasing image in most other respects, but it's a little tight in the frame and I want to try and add some canvas to it before showing you, though with everything else I have going on right now this may take a while ;^. hence the reason why I'm showing you this one first :^)

I only noticed while developing it that strangely the neck and the chest seem blurred, while the head and the stomach area appear much more sharp. No idea why this has happened, but I still thought it was worth posting.

C&C always welcomed and appreciated :^)