Yellow-crowned Night-heron
by JuliBoc

Comment:
What a delightful shot. The waves form a lovely gentle diagonal across the picture cutting it into two portions - land and water - then along comes this elegant wader who both literally and metaphorically strides between the two sections.

Lovely lighting and colours with a nice crisp focus.

ps is it just me or does the eye look much to big for it's head ? Maybe that's because (as it's name suggests) it's a night bird and so needs to capture all the light that it can.

DSC_5185v1.jpg
by yakatme

Comment:
Great capture. Perfect focus and DoF, and nice of him to raise his crest for you :- )

Lioness
by heavyj

Comment:
Nice capture - beautiful clear eyes.

Twilight
by Ken

Comment:
Wonderful ethereal effect.

Very calming and gentle.

Waiting
by Prism

Comment:
Handsome looking chap - love his crest.

I wonder whether with a bit of spot editing you could recover his eye a bit more ?
they make such a difference to a picture.

Also, although the branches make very nice diagonals across the picture, they don't contribute that much (he is clearly the star) and as he is actually looking out of the shot I might have been tempted to try a squarer crop to throw the focus back onto him more and so increase his prominence in the closer crop. Just my view though :- )

p.s. Lovely blue sky.

Laura's Car
by dgtlclose

Comment:
Really strong powerful image - congrats on top 5 placing.

Love the colours and crop.

Mine, All MINE
by MaryO

Comment:
He's just won the chipmunk equivalent of the lottery !!

If you do this again maybe you ought to try draping a cloth over the table first and propping it up at the back so it gives you a ready made backdrop ?

Wild Strawberry Blossoms
by Prism

Comment:
Not just wild strawberries - but a little bug sitting on a leaf as well - he's probably forming a queue for when the berries are ready :- )

Nectar Nibbler
by MelonMusketeer

Comment:
Lovely colours and a heck of an approach to getting the shot :- )

wildthing4.jpg
by icu1965

Comment:
Well spotted Jess - I am always amazed at how snakes can swim - I've got arms and legs to help and I'm still rubbish at it :- )