1\/4000, f\/6.3, ISO 1600, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\nThis sapsucker had been foraging for ants and other insects along a dead branch on the nest tree and I happened to snap my shutter just as it began to take off with its beak full of goodies for the chick. I caught the bird pushing off but before it opened its wings. Unlike some other bird species sapsuckers don’t telegraph their intentions to take off and they do it so fast that human reflexes typically aren’t quick enough to capture the action so I was just lucky to catch this unusual pose (which I adore).<\/p>\n
I can’t help but think of a human ski jumper every time I look at this photo.\u00a0The forward-leaning posture of the body, the straightening legs for the push-off and the arms (wings) clamped tightly against the body all remind me of the posture of\u00a0a ski jumper just as he\/she is about to leave the ramp and fly through the air.\u00a0I even cropped the image\u00a0for a composition that\u00a0includes more of the sloping “ski jump ramp” (the tree branch) in a deliberate attempt to enhance that illusion.<\/p>\n
Most of my shots of these birds are serious documentations of behavior but I love this one “just for fun”…<\/p>\n
Ron<\/p>\n
PS – We arrived back home from our camping trip yesterday afternoon. We had a marvelous time in Montana and Idaho for almost six days – as usual the scenery was spectacular, the birds numerous (if not always cooperative) and the temps were much cooler than here in Salt Lake City. It usually takes me at least two days to “recover” from these trips and there’s many chores around home I got behind on while I was gone. In addition I have thousands of images from the trip to\u00a0review and cull and that’s going to take me a while.<\/em><\/p>\nIt’s time to pay the piper…<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s impossible for me to look at this image without thinking of the sapsucker as a Winter Olympics competitor.<\/p>\n
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