i always hate it when someone asks for my favorite photo of the year... i took over 10,000 photos this year, and there are dozens, if not more, that could qualify as favorites for one reason or another. still, if i have to choose one image that really made my socks roll up and down, it would have to be this shot of a male Belted Kingfisher that i got last May. i'd been trying to get a decent, close shot of one of these little guys for over a year, and finally managed it... needless to say, i was excited! taken with a Canon 30D and Sigma EX 80-400 lens at 400mm, 1/400 @ f/6.3, from about 20 feet away...