Juvenile Starling

More glare in large ("L").

I saw this inquisitive little starling whilst waiting for the Goosles to re-emerge from the reeds by Eagle Pond. There are lots of fishermen by the pond, and the Goosles have found a sneaky tunnel through the reeds that gives them protected access to and from the water; they sometimes hang around in there, which makes them tricky to photograph!

Anyway, this little juvenile kept me entertained: it was very confident, and hopped about near me for a long time after its parents scarpered... It was hunting for insects so would hop around, then jab its very pointy beak into the grass; in the 5 minutes or so that I watched it, it caught three insects including a very large beetle.

I tried converting this to mono because the grasses behind it were yellowy, and it is rather brown, so it didn't look that distinct (good camouflage!) but by converting to mono with a simulated colour filter, it stood out nicely from its background. I liked the way that it was glaring at me over its shoulder...
I've put up two colour alternatives that show its colouration and quirky manner in different ways here and here.

Comments/critique very welcome; which would you have chosen?