American Goldfinch

[wposloski]

This guy was posing with what appeared to be a dandelion seed adorning his head. Getting this photo was not all that difficult. A neighbours finch feeder was the bait. I leaned up against a tree with the tripod set at a comfortable angle and soon hunger overcame fear. The hardest job was to decide which one to post.
Bill

[dadas115]

Very nice shot, I have never seen one of these down here in TX. What camera/lens did you use to get it?

Greg

[Chunk]

This guy was posing with what appeared to be a dandelion seed adorning his head. Getting this photo was not all that difficult. A neighbours finch feeder was the bait. I leaned up against a tree with the tripod set at a comfortable angle and soon hunger overcame fear. The hardest job was to decide which one to post.
Bill

This is a great shot. The dandelion or thistledown tucked behind his ear and his gesture make it really stand out from a lot of other bird shots. Could you show the others?

[shesells]

oh, he is just wonderful and you made us see that! Great DOF and everything else lets him just stand out with his cuteness. I'm with chunk in that the thistle thing and his pose is extraordinary. I mean, have you ever seen that before? I don't think so. I would love to see the others.
Kit

[TekkenAttic]

I like how you blurred the background and focused on the subject its a good picture, very nice shooting..

[Nina]

I am a major bird lover and have owned a finch or two in my day. This turned out to be a great shot (It's sharp and clean) and I love how you captured this little guy's personality.

[FadderUri]

I wouldn't change a thing. This is a fantastic shot. Good focus, good placement, and the bird's pose is very interesting. Wonderful job all 'round.

[wposloski]

Greg,
Thanks for the compliment. I used a Canon 10D with a Sigma 50-500, ISO 100, f8.0 1/250. I was about 50 feet from the bird with the lens at 500mm. This image is of course cropped with slight unsharpen mask.

Chunk & Kit,
Thanks for your comments. I liked the seed on the ear as well. At your request I've include another shot in a slightly different pose. I also have a link to the gallery where three Finches are on the feeder:

http://gallery.photographyreview.com...sort=1&cat=500

TekkenAttic, Nina & FadderUri:
Thank you for interest and comments. Nina, capturing the "personality" is always a bonus when photographing wildlife. It's not always possible but it's great when you get it.

Bill