Thanks Alan. I appreciate your concerns but unfortunately, I can't help that the light is reflecting off the ripples in the water and onto it's body. That's just something you have to accept, there's nothing I can do to stop mother nature and since I don't sell my pictures, I'm not real big on cloning every little possible annoyance like some people are. Besides, I usually find beauty in nature when I look for it. As far as the bg goes, if the bird had been standing still, I could've lined myself up like how you mentioned to get a better bg. Not my first rodeo, I do that quite often, but when a bird is on the move all you have time to do is shoot in burst mode from a fixed position and hope everything comes out well. I hope you have a better understanding of my pictures now. Have a nice day!