The Spitting Goose

[DigiDiva]

This was a lucky shot I quickly took when the goose started spitting at a child. The eye isn't in focus and the whole shot isn't as sharp close up as I would like, bu it's a cute shot neverthless.

[MattUK]

Cute?! Looks scary as hell!

[DigiDiva]

Aw no, he looks lovely! lol

[rbarry]

They may not be as sharp, but that things got more teeth than Jaws!

[DigiDiva]

It's oly a goose lol, geese DONT HAVE TEETH! lol........but he is very vicious looking!

[karenoliver]

I thought they were teeth too lol

He sort of looks cute but menacing! :-) I like the detail in his teeth, even though they are not teeth! You got the background spot on as wel, love the dof.

Karen

[DigiDiva]

Originally Posted by karenoliver

I thought they were teeth too lol

He sort of looks cute but menacing! :-) I like the detail in his teeth, even though they are not teeth! You got the background spot on as wel, love the dof.

Karen

Thanks Karen, just wish I had him pin sharp but his tongue and mouth were vibrating as he snarled and it was a quick, unexpected shot. I had tojust point & shoot lol

[Stormsong]

@ Digi, they can be very fierce but there is a trick to photographing them: buy loads of brown bread, sit among them and feed them - they soon realise you are not a threat because you are on the same level as them - and wear a gardening glove on the hand not on your camera. They still peck, but it's not so painful.

People think I am very strange, because I take photos of greylags (as in your photo), swans and Canadian geese wearing a bright purple glove on my left hand! I have learnt from experience, but the ridicule is worth the effort and I have been able to get really close and get some nice shots of these birds.

What is shown in the photo above are not teeth but a kind of filter system - as the geese and swans scoop up mouthfuls of water in search of food, the solid bits are swallowed while the water runs out again through the grooves in their beaks. Another thing I have learned while watching them for hours on end.

Well done on spotting the moment!

Regards,
Denise

[Stormsong]

By no means perfect - getting up close to a greylag goose.



Regards,
Denise

[DigiDiva]

Look how sharp it is and how you have caught the twinkle in his eye...That shot, with the snarl and tongue showing would have been perfect for me.

Thanks for all your comments guys. Much appreciated. Im 300 times the photographer I was a year ago, and all down to the help from you guys here (I know, you must be thinking how bad I must have been back then, if this is a 300 times improvement)..haha