Absolutely magnificent. Such clarity is rare, I feel I could touch him. The humour in this - his expression - makes it a unique and exceptional picture, and the transparency of his wing is perfection.
I do not know what type of bird this is, I am sure he could look almost elegant with his wings down and his mouth closed lol :)

This is stunning Robert. The clarity and colors along with the lighting and composition are absolute perfection. He's obviously keyed in on something that is raising his hair ;) What an excellent post. So glad you shared it.

Thank you Eve and Anita.

He wouldn't be the only one who 'jumps' outa his skin when they see you Robert????LOL
Lovely capture mate!...clarity is crystal...and you really caught him 'on-the-hop'!

it's perfect! i've taken lots of photos of these guys but have never gotten anything like this!

Thank you Jen and Bob.

10/10 without hesitation. One of your all time best Robert, truly professional quality!

The white wings on the black background catch the eyes immediatly. I would be proud to take that! :-)

Thank you Alexis and Pierre.

Perfect capture of a beautiful bird - excellent :-)

great shot , the backlight gives it something special , well done.

Wow, great shot! He spread his wings into a perfect composition for you. Excellent detail and lighting.

crystal clear!
awesome shot!

Supreme capture! Just an instant - and the impact of the scene would not be the same! This one should be classified as the "Photo of the Year". Sheer perfection, Robert!
anawhisp

What a great pic...awesome. Good thing you scared him because it really places this pic a step up. Clarity is off da hook. That's what my wife looks like in the morning. Have to fave this one. Excellent work.

Priceless Robert:) ( I assume he 's just scared of people in general? lol) perfect capture and I love that backlight !!

Jacky

Just saw this in VB. '10'. What wonderful lighting and details in the feathers. Perfect.

Top-notch capture! In my opinion one of the best if not the best of all birds captures here in Caedes. Would definitely get a nice big 11 from me! Out of curiosity was it taken in raw format?

and another funny aussie eh bird with a stylish hair style LOL:) but nevertheless a wonderful shot of a beautiful bird in action

Twinkel

Magnificent..Sharp,clear and with Fantastic colors and composition..A Perfect capture..

Thank you everyone, for all those wonderful responses.

great picture. you nailed it.

Amazing capture...he certainly looks startled. I love the way light shows such definition and how graceful his wings are- it's such a contrast to his expression-that's priceless!

if i can add, if any picture deserves a 10, yours does.

Hi
Very nice shot. That bird highlighted by your Background effect
Well done.

Thank you, Mike, Sheila and Sadun.

Braaaavo mate Braaaavo. Right time, right place, right equipment and above all right talent.

Wow - he does look surprised. What a gorgeous Egret. We have small and large white Egrets here in Louisiana..but not with the color of this handsome fella. Super clarity and wonderful composing, AND details. You caught him perfectly, with his wings spread wide. He's a beauty with the bright colored beak and colored breast and head. This could be in a picture book. Really, this is a fantastic image - the sunlight hitting his wings is the best. Well shown green branches and blurred pretty background, but HE IS THE STAR! Very impressive image Robert :*>

What I Like About This Composition: Wow, Robert. That's professional from the word go. You must have startled the daylights outa da poor bird. Nothing like being ready with the camera. What an action shot. This is photography at it's best. It's a keeper.
Pat

Bloody fantastic Rob, now don't you dare try and tell me you're not a master of these shots again, you hear:)

Thank you Priyantha, Carolyn and Pat.

Marvelous...Robert.
Congratulations and fav.

Thank you César.

Excellent shot, great focus and exposure with perfect lighting.

Bob

Thank you Bob.

Amazing and timely shot Robert...excellent clarity, funny story to go with that expression on his face, and all richly accentuated by the dark back...top marks from me when it comes up in the VB...meantime, into my favs...way to go Robert.:Pat.

Thank you Pat.

11/10 that about says it all. Ron.

On my Robert....what a classic you have here my friend! The orange beak, the brown feathers on the head and chest, the pure white feathers going every which way out of fear :)make for awesome contrast.....superb clarity, top-notch color, perfect lighting and spot on composition for photographing a frightened bird. You did good one this one, really good......I am going to save it to my favorites folder on my hard drive and also make it my new desktop. Sweet detail as well. kudos to you. Thanks for sharing this Egret with me ;=)

Thank you Mimi and Ron.

I've gotten behind in my comments again but I want to take time to acknowledge this fine image and to thank you for bringing it to us. I think this is a very good image and I've enjoyed viewing it. Have a happy holiday season.
Russ

Thank you Russ, it’s not hard to fall behind sometimes.

Oops posted in the wrong place... again!

dang thats a pretty beautiful shot! Excelent quality and perfect lighting. Nice job and thanks :)

Thank you Dave.

Robert dear,
PERFECT
howgh

Thank you Marzena :-)

Talk about catching the moment - you really got this reaction perfectly! Well done. I love the lighting and detail.

Thank you Hilda.

The clarity and composition seem perfect, my favorite part it the lighting, it's spectacular.

Thank you Diane :-)

WOW
Robert, how lucky can you get, wonderful!
JuneBug

Thank you June.

Wow, you were either incredibly lucky to get a shot like this or you worked awefully hard and sat patiently for days. In any case, well done!

Jackie

Thank you Jackie.

Oh:-)It"s beautiful! Nice contrast between dark background and this bird!Very well done!

Thank you Johanna.

Beautiful the way his wing span fills the frame.

Thank you Cindy.

Amazing shot, Robert. Definitely a shot after my own heart :) Very impressive, indeed.

Robert

Thank you Robert :-)

This is a wonderful shot to keep in my favourites, and what an action shot!! Glad you were there to take it.

Winona