Birds in Nature - images of wild birds by Richard Ditch

Subject: Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
Place: Chandler, AZ, USA
Date: June 2003
Equipment: Nikon N90S, Nikkor AF-S 300/2.8 & TC20E (= 600/5.6), monopod from car
Film: Fujichrome Sensia 100
Exposure: aperture priority matrix metered, natural light
Scan: Minolta Dimage; minor crop for web posting

Commentary: A slightly different pose, taken at the same time, for comparison.

Although this is a common species around the Phoenix metro area, I have bee struggling to find a place where I could get close enough for a decent image. I've been watching the stilts at a spot near my house for weeks now, hoping that one would cooperate. That finally happened with this bird, and this is my best of this species to date.

Taken in the last 30 minutes of light, my shutter speed was alarmingly low for work from the monopod - about 1/40th second. I probably should have pushed the film to an ISO of 200.