A feathered Ballerina

These delicate looking birds are very shy in the usual places where I see them, like in nearby Candaba wetlands or at Manila Bay. However, in the fishponds of Sta. Cruz (Zambales), more than 300 km north of Manila, they’re quite approachable.

This capture is among my favorite photos of this migratory bird because of the take-off pose and the catch light. Likewise, the nearer wingtips are acting like a veil that tries unsuccessfully to hide the pretty face of the avian ballerina.

The Canon 1D MIV’s amazing AF and 10-fps frame rate were instrumental in nailing this shot.

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Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus, migrant)

Habitat: Wetlands from coastal mudflats to ricefields.

Shooting info – Sta. Cruz, Zambales, Philippines, February 9, 2011, Canon 1D MIV + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, 1/1600 sec, f/6.3, ISO 800, manual exposure in available light, 475B/516 support.

Video of this bird foraging on a dried-up fishpond.