Nature's Best Photography: Birds in Focus

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  Brown Pelican, La Jolla, Calif.
  By Tim Laman
  "I was drawn to this brown pelican on the sea cliffs in La Jolla because of his especially bright red throat, a feature that develops in males before the breeding season."
  Equipment: Canon EOS 20D; 600mm lens with 2x extender; 1/350 sec at f/8; digital capture at ISO 200
  
  
  

  Tim Laman, Nature's Best Photography

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  Heron and Frog, Viera Wetlands, Fla.
  By Michael Tracy
  "I observed this heron as he stared intently at something that piqued his interest. Suddenly, he plunged his head underneath the water and came up with this frog, who was not going to give up without a fight."
  Equipment: Canon EOS 1D Mark III; 500mm lens; 1/2500 sec at f/6.3; ISO 250
  
  
  

  Michael Tracy, Nature's Best Photography

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  Dipper, Lathkill Dale, Peak District, England
  By Ben Hall
  "I have made numerous visits to this rover to observe and photograph dippers, carefully learning their behavior patterns. This individual occasionally paused by the cascading falls."
  Canon EOS 10D; 100-400mm lens; 1/2 sec at f/22; digital capture at ISO 100; tripod
  
  
  

  Ben Hall, Nature's Best Photography

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  Royal Terns, Fort De Soto Park, Pinellas, Fla.
  By Robert Amoruso
  North Beach is frequently referred to as the number beach in Florida, but it is also one of the best places in the state to photograph many species of birds. The Royal Terns in this image are posed in a characteristic pre-mating display.
  Equipment: Canon EOS 1D Mark II; 500mm lens with 1.4x teleconverter; 1/1250 sec at ƒ/5.6; ISO 250; Gitzo 1325 tripod with Wimberley Gimbal head.
  
  
  

  Robert Amoruso, Nature's Best Photography

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  Red-Legged Seriema, Cerrado Habitat, Mato Grosso do Sur Province, Brazil
  By Pete Oxford
  "I was sitting in the back of an open truck on a cattle ranch and looking for giant anteaters in the Brazilian Cerrado habitat when I noticed some frenetic activity in a nearby field. It turned out to be this red-legged seriema, madly running about in an attempt to scare away cows that were grazing."
  Equipment: 300mm lens; 1/500 sec at f/2.8; digital capture at ISO 200
  
  
  

  Pete Oxford, Nature's Best Photography

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  American Kestrel, Denver, Colo.
  By Wendy Shattil
  "One of the smallest falcons in North America, the kestrel is also one of the most colorful. Portraits are nice, but we prefer to capture behavior, so when the kestrel prepared to fly, we anticipated the action."
  Equipment: 600mm lens with 1.4x extender; 1/2000 sec at f/9; digital capture at ISO 400; Wimberley head on a homemade window mount
  
  
  

  Wendy Shattil, Nature's Best Photography

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  King Penguins, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, UK
  By Tim Greyhavens
  A colony of approximately 250,000 adult (grey) and juvenile (brown) King penguins crowd together.
  Equipment: Canon EOS 1D Mark II; 1/100 sec at ƒ/11; ISO 100.
  
  
  

  Tim Greyhavens, Nature's Best Photography

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  Emperor Penguin Chick, Snow Hill Island, Antartica
  By Andy Crosthwaite
  "It was challenging to photograph - the extreme cold erratically changed the electronic settings on my camera, and the glare made it almost impossible to see what the settings were - but amazing to see the penguins in their habitat."
  Equipment: Nikon D200; 70-300mm lens; 1/1000 sec at f/10; ISO 250
  
  
  

  Andy Crosthwaite, Nature's Best Photography

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  Japanese Cranes, Hokkaido, Japan
  By Simone Sbaraglia
  "To photograph their 'ballet' against a snow-white ethereal background, I needed an overhead vantage point, so I climbed a hill and shoveled snow into a mound. I waited for two weeks before these cranes finally gave me the result I was after."
  Equipment: Nikon D2X; Sigma 500mm lens; 1/250 sec at f/4.5; ISO 100; Gitzo tripod with Markins ballhead and Wimberley sidekick
  
  
  

  Simone Sbaraglia, Nature's Best Photography

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  Carmine Bee-eater, South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
  By Chris Hornaman
  "Carmine bee-eaters nest on vertical riverbanks in colonies of up to one thousand or more. Each pair digs several burrows, each five feet long, to improve their chances against predators. This hovering parent was bringing a cicada to its waiting brood."
  Equipment: Nikon D80; 80-400mm lens at 400mm; 1/1000 sec at f/5.6; ISO 200; 81A filter
  
  
  

  Chris Hornaman, Nature's Best Photography