Hey, he's got my Huntsman!!

[Ironwood]

Helmeted Friarbird.
He stole the Huntsman Spider from above my fishpond!!

[Phoenix]

What a shame. However it is a scrawny looking bird that looks in need of a decent meal.
Very nice pose and light in this. Clarity is terrific too, spot on focus. Well done.

[P Plates]

A face only a mother could love. Great photo Ironwood and Jo is right, he does look like he needs the feed.

[Ironwood]

What a shame. However it is a scrawny looking bird that looks in need of a decent meal. Very nice pose and light in this. Clarity is terrific too, spot on focus. Well done.

Cheers Jo. I appreciate your comments. Yes, I agree he does look like he needs a good feed, but if he had of asked, I would have given him some cake out of the fridge.

[Alan]

That's a wonderful photo under such difficult light. Well done.

[Ironwood]

A face only a mother could love. Great photo Ironwood and Jo is right, he does look like he needs the feed.

Cheers PPlates. Yes, not the prettiest bird on the block.

[Ironwood]

That's a wonderful photo under such difficult light. Well done.

Thanks Alan. I wasn't real confident at the time with the backlighting, but I am happy with how they turned out.

[Ironwood]

A couple more shots of the handsome devil.

[Isac]

Excellent photos, nothing more to say - others have said it all.

[Mark L]

Think it looks a bit scrawny because it's wet.Can tend to do the scrawny look to birds.
Your first photo is the best for me. Great eye and all the important things have detail (well done at the shutter speed).
The only nitpick is a wish to have the green BG, like the last, totally behind all the head. But that's birding for you, and well done.

[Ironwood]

Mark, many thanks for your thoughts there.
I suppose moving to get a better looking background comes with experience.
I'm afraid with birds I tend to hurry to get some shots in case they take flight, I need to force myself to slow down a bit...

[seaslug]

Nasty looking thing! Don't get them here and don't think I'm sorry about that. Good shots though!

[Ironwood]

Cheers Seaslug. They are not a common sighting around here, I can't recall the last time I saw one before this encounter. I quite enjoyed having the Huntsman living above the fishpond, so wasn't over the moon when he turned up that day .

[Mark L]

I suppose moving to get a better looking background comes with experience.
I'm afraid .......

It can be amazing what just a step to the left or right can do, and sometimes the bird won't fly away. So hurry up and get that first photo then hurry up and slow down.
And don't be afraid .......

[Ironwood]

Cheers Mark. The last 6 months or so I have been so busy with work, just getting 10 minutes to walk around with camera in hand has been a luxury. I just don't get the time to slow down I'm afraid.
I am hoping next year will bring me a big change of lifestyle, if it happens as planned I will have a lot more time for my photography.