Yellow Belly

Gallery: AvianPosted May 12, 201473 views6 comments

Gila Woodpecker at Gilbert Water Ranch, Gilbert, AZ

1/1000 at f5.6 and ISO200
Canon 500mm with 1.4 TC
Canon 7D

I have seen many Gilas but have not noticed the yellow belly before. I Googled to get more information but only one site out of the first ten mentions the yellow belly. I don't think its unusual or odd -- just a forgotten feature of this woodpecker.

I also like the view of the red cap -- its been hard for me to get a copy of both the cap and a catch light.

Wishing for a bit more room on the left - but its simply not there

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on May 12, 2014 at 5:52 PM

Great view of the WP's yellow belly & red cap, bet that doesn't happen often.
I agree more space left would've been nice Scott.

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

Comment posted by John Tobias on May 12, 2014 at 7:22 PM

I like the way the W P is positioned, certainly different from many WP photos. Good color, detail is a bit soft, but not a distraction for me. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on May 13, 2014 at 5:03 AM

Very nice, Scott. Lovely habitat, and the pose is interesting. I agree it's a bit tight.

The yellow or yellow-tinged belly is a characteristic, as is the faint white patch between the top of the bill and the red crown.

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

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on May 14, 2014 at 2:00 AM

Nice angle of view. I agree on a bit more space if possible.

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

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on May 14, 2014 at 10:54 PM

A great pose, Scott. I don't really mind the missing room on the left. The head does look just a tad soft-could be focus or possibly motion blur as this bird looks like it's about to leave. You might try some selective sharpening to see if it will help.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by David Haynes on May 16, 2014 at 9:40 PM

Scott,
Can't tell if this bird is injured or if that black spot on his neck is a fly or something. You captured a really cool pose with the bird reaching left for something and at a really cool angle. Love the one open flower, the yellow belly and the cap all in one frame. Nicely done Scott. Does seem a bit soft but that is likely motion blur from the bird swinging to the left.

Registered on February 20, 2010, 110 Posts, 1511 Comments