![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/killdeer-1082-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"killdeer-1082-ron-dudley\\"")
<\/p>\nOccasionally a photo with obvious and significant flaws grabs me and won’t let go. This is one of them.<\/p>\n
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1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 800, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n Yesterday morning at Farmington Bay WMA these two Killdeer were feeding close to each other in this puddle and on the adjacent mud. Several times, when they got too close too each other for comfort, one of them would turn its back to the other one and raise its flared tail in an apparent threat or intimidation display. But this one time, as they approached each other, they both<\/em> squared off as they tried to intimidate each other. They held these poses for several seconds before the killdeer on the left rushed the other one without apparent or at least significant contact. And then they continued to feed as if nothing had happened.<\/p>\n I love the behavior and of course the double reflection. This may be the only time I’ve ever documented an interesting behavior from multiple birds, including their reflections, without clipping any body parts in the birds or their reflections. I’m sure that’s why the image grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.<\/p>\n But then there’s the flaws – two of them in particular. I didn’t have enough depth of field to get both birds sharp so the killdeer on the right is soft. But most of all it’s that fence post reflection sticking up the butt of the reflection of the bird on the right that distracts me from what I perceive as the strengths of the photo. The birds are also strongly side lit but because there’s good light on the faces of both birds that doesn’t bother me so much.<\/p>\n So, I’m posting this photo because I think the behavior is interesting and the double reflections of the Killdeer are close to unique. The fence post reflection be damned.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Occasionally a photo with obvious and significant flaws grabs me and won’t let go. This is one of them.<\/p>\n