It must be your monitor Baz:-)
I’ll give you a clue - it was taken at 1/1000th of a second and f5.6, high ISO in the rain and heavy cloud - not a light meter in sight and just knowledge 
read the exif data
Thank you Emjay 
At least you understand
I’ll not bother replying anymore Baz. You are clearly stuck in your ways and do not wish to learn.
Have fun with your photography and look forward to seeing your award winning shot on the Countryfile calendar
Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit
Come on guys, let’s not fall out.
As for the winning shot on the Countryfile calendar, I was surprised when they showed how it was taken.
Talk about fake news, more like fake nature shot.
I didn’t know that so looked it up & lots & lots of people saying it shouldn’t have been on the calendar at all. I agree, it’s not wild. They should specify no professional photographers & in the wild only.
A brilliant shot gasman, one of the best wildlife shots I have seen on here. You even captured the raindrops. I like the fact that the background is ‘‘out of focus’’, much better than a sharp background with a fuzzy bird.
I doubt it’s the first time it has happened either.
I agree, I like a faded background it enhances the subject. It happens a lot with macro shots which are my favourites.
I know 'cos I’m a fuzzy bird! 
I know, that’s why I mentioned it. 
Probably not, if they don’t say it can’t.
Totally agree Tiffany. It was in the rules, however, in my mind, it was still cheating. Countryfile is all about nature in the wild and not set up at home.
Thanks LD for your comments- much appreciated and glad that you saw the raindrops With most wildlife photography, you need the background out of focus to emphasize on the subject, otherwise your eyes could bypass the main subject. You have the whole of the photo in focus for landscapes normally.
Thanks Emjay
Great White Egret in silhouette
Yours or mine?
Emjay, we will not fall out. Baz has the gear to take good photos, unfortunately, he doesn’t want to learn how to use them properly. I have tried to encourage him to learn, however, I have spoken in PM to others on here and they agree, his photos are out of focus! It is not my monitor. He gives continuous ‘technical advice’ but doesn’t put it into practice. I belong to a professional photographers website and if I put up shots like RS’s, I would be laughed out of school.
How many ‘new’ shots have you seen from him?
I appreciate that this isn’t a photographic site and no way do I like berating a fellow member of this fine site.
However, with his limited photographic skills, I appreciate what he is trying to achieve.
Not strictly today but on the weekend. For my youngest son’s 30th birthday the entire family went camping to Wollondilly River Station for a couple of days. It was at the end of a long dirt road but well worth the effort, the river was lovely to soak in.
The 1899 single lane tunnel still in use today.
Our camp stretched from the foreground tents to the two cars in the background. My grandson snuck in the picture. We had to kick a lot of roo poo out of the way before we put up the tents.
Originally we were going to a state forest near Batemans Bay BUT the Braidwood Fire meant that the Canberra contingent couldn’t get down the Kings Highway to the coast. Thank gawd we changed it because the Currowan fire would have cut me off from returning directly via the Princes Highway.