Red-Bellied Woodpecker Close Up

The red-bellied woodpeckers at Saw Wee Kee Park like to eat suet, but shelled peanuts and raisins were the preference today.  This male came within 3-4 meters to grab nuts off the ground, and there is a fair amount of detail in the bird's photo due to close proximity:

- red blush on breast and belly
- red cap and nape of neck, as well as red around eye
- red eye
- black and white feathers on back
- top of legs covered with black and white feathers
- green legs and feet
- base of tongue is pink, transitioning to black and changing to light gray on the pointed end
- dark "hairs" under the bird's chinny chin chin!

This morning it was cloudy and dark, and I mounted a TTL flashgun on the camera as a light supplement. Am not a fan of direct flash, but in this case it helped knock the ISO down to 320 and put a gleam in the woodpecker's eye. There is a small amount of shine from the flash on the bill, tongue, and peanut, but other than that the flash is not evident.