Rough from the Start
Uploaded: July 18, 2012 04:07:50
D90 Sigma 50-500@500mm F6.3 SS1/2000 ISO800
w/Mono Pod
Taken at the height of the breeding season. The majority of the Gr. Whites nesting around the Gatorland Main Lagoon start w/3 eggs. Not very many see all 3 fledge. The Runt usually gets shut out and starves or is killed outright by its sibling
Sometimes the strongest chick w/simply force the weaker chick(s) out of the nest & they become Gator snacks.
A week after this was taken this nest was down to just ONE BIG STRONG CHICK !!!!
ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE IN NATURE .
Exif: F Number: 6.3, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/2000 seconds, Flash: did not fire., ISO: 800, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 500.00 mm, Model: NIKON D80
Gord MacEachern July 18, 2012
A face that only a mother could love, lol..Carolyn M. Fletcher July 18, 2012
Great shot.Sad that they have such short little lives. #10234430Karen E. Michaels July 18, 2012
Darwinism..Tammy M. Anderson July 18, 2012
Fabulous info and capture. Excellent details. Surely not the most handsome little birds. #10234451Lynn M. Whitt July 18, 2012
Fantastic capture of these little ones. #10234461Robert R. Goodman July 18, 2012
Sure are some cuties my friend.Excellent capture Jack.I agree with Gord,a face only a mother could love!!!!! #10234497Monnie Ryan July 18, 2012
Adorable capture - too bad they all can't make it, but such is the nature of things! #10234522Jeff Robinson July 18, 2012
A great wildlife capture Jack!! #10234635Stefania Barbier July 18, 2012
ahwwww!!!! fantastic title for this adorable capture! #10234659Karen Bacon July 18, 2012
wonderful wildlife capture Jack! They are Cute!! #10234772Jill Odice July 18, 2012
What odd looking little birds :-) A wonderful capture jack! #10234800Agnes Fegan July 18, 2012
Super capture. They look how I feel in this heat lol! Happily awaiting the rain too! #10234836Tiia Vissak July 18, 2012
a cool scene! #10234889Ann H. Belus July 18, 2012
Amazing capture, Jack! How lucky to be able to watch this fantastic part of nature! #10234894Mike Clime July 18, 2012
Fantastic capture, colors and details, Jack! Have to agree that only their Mother could like those faces! PS - Don't know about the Templar shield as they were more of a cross. #10234914Jyri Vissak July 18, 2012
Great shot! Absolutely beautiful. #10234936Linda M. Walker July 18, 2012
Very cool....thanks for sharing #10234950Hendrik Storme July 18, 2012
Wonderful image!!! #10235096Ann Coates July 18, 2012
Seems to be tough for all species of birds, you see a mother duck with nine ducklings and a week later she is down to two or three. A gorgeous shot of them Jack. #10235115Claudia Kuhn July 18, 2012
What a wonderful close up Jack... they looks so funky at that young age. A harsh reality of the struggles to survive in the world #10235257Terry Cervi July 18, 2012
Oh, how cute they are!! What a great shot, Jack! Nicely done! #10235320John Connolly July 18, 2012
A perfect title for this sad saga Jack! A wonderful capture of life in the raw! #10235386Jeffrey R. Bange July 18, 2012
Great capture Jack, its hard to believe what this little guys turn into. #10235706Robert K. Bemus July 18, 2012
Great shot and info, Jack!!My brother would've kicked me out of the nest if he could've. He grew to be 6'3'' and me only 6'0'' :-)
Lens repair will be about $350-- I guess that's better than the price of a new Canon 600mm... #10235773
Barbara Waldoch July 18, 2012
Such a rough life and they look so cute! #10235784Ujjwal Mukherjee July 19, 2012
What a TERRIFIC find and capture,Jack!! LOVE it!! #10235822Avril Young July 19, 2012
outstanding capture Jack...the detail is wonderful...they look rather ugly ;)nature is cruel sometimes.. #10235829Mary K. Robison July 19, 2012
Oh, hell, I saw this one and your description after writing about your most recent photograph, Jack. Only the strong survive, indeed... #10236213Mike F. Anderson August 04, 2012
Great close-up and detail, Jack! #10262518Graeme yew Chow August 28, 2012
Congratulations ! Jack. Good finalist. #10294615Kathy Salerni August 28, 2012
Congratulations on your well deserved Finalist and good luck in the next round, Jack! #10294677Ann Coates August 29, 2012
Congratulations Jack, excellent shot. #10294935Stefania Barbier August 29, 2012
congratulations on your beautiful finalist!!! #10295368Leslie J. Morris August 29, 2012
Congratulations on the finalist Jack! Have enjoyed this series. Good luck in next round. #10295565Robert R. Goodman August 29, 2012
WTG Jack,Big Congratulations on this beautiful finalist my friend!!! #10295858Emile Abbott August 29, 2012
HUGE TEXAS CONGRATULATION ON YOUR FINALIST, JACK. Diamonds in the rough. #10296058Nancy L. Green August 29, 2012
No one has ever said nature is kind!!! AMAZING image and story Jack, CONGRATULATIONS!!! <>< #10296339Nancy Marie Ricketts August 29, 2012
What an awesome capture, Jack! Congratulations, and good luck in the GOLD round! #10296642John Connolly August 29, 2012
Congratulations on another finalist award Jack! That lens produces some remarkable work! #10297072Deborah Lewinson August 29, 2012
Superb image, Jack! Hardy congrats on another wonderful finalist!Debby #10297323
Agnes Fegan August 29, 2012
Congrats Jack ... terrific Finalist image! #10297418Lorna Shutter August 29, 2012
Woo Hoo!!! CONGRATULATIONS on your Finalist Award for this incredible Wildlife capture, Jack!!!!! Good luck in the next round!!! :)Lorna Shutter August 29, 2012
Sorry, Jack! I keep doing this ... copying and pasting too much when I just want the dancer! Please ignore the comment to Kiki! :) #10297904JO ANN CLEVELAND August 29, 2012
Congratulations on another outstanding finalist Jack!jo ann c. #10298000
Patrick Rouzes August 29, 2012
CONGRATS & good luck, Jack! AMAZING!Mike F. Anderson August 29, 2012
Congratulations Jack, it's a great shot! #10298279frank w. degenhardt August 30, 2012
A Nat Geo look. Congratulations on the Finalist my friend. #10298633Chris Budny August 30, 2012
Congratulations, Jack! Terrific capture, especially as it no longer exists! #10298998Ellen Hodges August 30, 2012
Super duper capture , and huge congrats with this awesome finalist, Jack!!! #10300614Renee Doyle August 31, 2012
So very true!! AWESOME capture and excellent finalist! Congratulations Jack! #10300946Patricia Seidler August 31, 2012
Congratulations Jack! What a rare capture! #10301347Derek D. Dafoe December 03, 2012
Congrats buddy on a great shot and finalist! Nice to see your still around on BP!Derek D. Dafoe December 03, 2012
Congrats buddy on a great shot and finalist! Nice to see your still around on BP!Dawn Miller August 23, 2014
terrific shot of something few people see! Nice detail! They could be Dr. Seuss birds. #11114597Sign up for an interactive online photography course to get critiques on your photos.
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