# Grooming for a Photo **URL:** \ **Category:** Image Critiques\ **Tags:** birds\ **Created:** [December 9, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547 "2020-12-09T01:28:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_Zablotny](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/jim_zablotny/32/3919_2.png) [@Jim\_Zablotny](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Jim_Zablotny)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/1 "2020-12-09T01:28:36Z")
My local sandhill cranes are never far away and strike up an interesting pose while preening. This crane was probing in the mucky soil of the fen looking for worms, slugs, or burrowing vole. The background is the trunk of an oak. ![Grooming for a Photo](https://images.naturephotographers.network/original/3X/f/9/f9816094b4fdfaa5f50340b853ce7591c4051d08.jpeg) ### Specific Feedback Requested Is my crop OK ---
**Author:** ![Diane\_Miller](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/diane_miller/32/27391_2.png) [@Diane\_Miller](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Diane_Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 3:48am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/2 "2020-12-09T03:48:28Z")
Wow! What a unique image! For my taste the crop is way more than OK. Wonderful image quality and DOF. ---
**Author:** ![Allen\_Brooks](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/allen_brooks/32/390_2.png) [@Allen\_Brooks](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Allen_Brooks)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 5:24am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/3 "2020-12-09T05:24:12Z")
Very nice portrait type look at the crane. Excellent detail and I like the background-works well with the crane. Lucky to have these birds close by. ---
**Author:** ![Dennis\_Plank](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/dennis_plank/32/27033_2.png) [@Dennis\_Plank](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Dennis_Plank)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 6:08pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/4 "2020-12-09T18:08:07Z")
I love the lighting and the detail in this image, Jim, and the oak makes a lovely background. The crop works for me. My only suggestion would be to replace the out of focus grass under the head with more of the oak trunk . ---
**Author:** ![David\_Schoen](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/david_schoen/32/368_2.png) [@David\_Schoen](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/David_Schoen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/5 "2020-12-09T23:12:15Z")
Enjoyable image. Amazing detail, color, and of course the pose. I’m not a real fan of square crops but it works in this image. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Leroy](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/a9adbd/32.png) [@David\_Leroy](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/David_Leroy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2020, 5:18am UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/6 "2020-12-10T05:18:23Z")
A very unique pose. You nailed the detail in the eye. Composition and matching pattern in bg and colors just work so well together. Good for you. A real dandy. I am curious Jim if you have ever seen a Sandhill crane catch a vole. My question is related the photo Dennis posted a few days ago with a harrier attacking a sandhill crane. ---
**Author:** ![Tony\_Kuyper](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/t/ac8455/32.png) [@Tony\_Kuyper](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Tony_Kuyper)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 4:49pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/7 "2020-12-19T16:49:02Z")
Excellent comp and light, Jim. It’s nice to see the behavior and not just the bird. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_Zablotny](https://assets.naturephotographers.network/user_avatar/community.naturephotographers.network/jim_zablotny/32/3919_2.png) [@Jim\_Zablotny](https://community.naturephotographers.network/u/Jim_Zablotny)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.naturephotographers.network/t/grooming-for-a-photo/18547/8 "2020-12-19T16:57:56Z")
> [@David\_Leroy](#): > > …A very unique pose. You nailed the detail in the eye. Composition and matching pattern in bg and colors just work so well together. Good for you. A real dandy.I am curious Jim if you have ever seen a Sandhill crane catch a vole. My question is related the photo Dennis posted a few days ago with a harrier attacking a sandhill crane. I have never seen a crane snag a vole at this park, although I saw one try to spear a chipmunk. Chippy escvaped that day. They specialize on acorns and earthworms at this time of year. According to Walkinshaw’s papers on sandhills, he found that they eat everything that they can find including grains, grasses, insects, rodents, reptiles, and amphibians. Their diet seems comparable to grizzly bears with large prey animals excluded of course. I appreciate and thank everyone for their comments and critiques. Happy Holidays…Jim