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Fabs Forns
04-18-2009, 08:56 PM
Swallow-tailed Kite eating the catch in fight. ENP, by Flamingo.

Date: 4/11/09
Time: 5:14:20 PM
Model: NIKON D300
Lens (mm): 850 (500/4 VR plus 1.7, hand held
ISO: 500
Aperture: 6.7
Shutter: 1/1600
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
Program: Manual
Focus Mode: AF-C
White Bal.: AUTO
ICC Profile: sRGB Profile
Randy Stout
04-18-2009, 09:16 PM
Fabs:

A striking image, with great wing and tail extension. When I first looked at it I thought the whites were blown, but when I checked the histogram, there were just a few hot pixels right along the top wing by the neck. Could easily just be the difference between different programs (NX2 vs. CS4).

Does this kite eat snails as well? I can't tell what the dinner entree is?

That is a lot of effective focal length to hand hold!

Thanks for sharing this beautiful bird.

Randy
Fabs Forns
04-18-2009, 09:19 PM
Fabs:



Does this kite eat snails as well? I can't tell what the dinner entree is?



Randy

Randy, it's probably a frog or rest of a snake. I've never seen them with a snail and not sure if they would eat them. It seems to me they need a longer, more curved bill to extract the snail, but what do I know!

The focal length was really difficult to find the bird in the sky, I had it in the tripod and took it off when the bird showed up.

Thanks for your comments :)
Randy Stout
04-18-2009, 09:44 PM
Hey Fabs:

Did you frame this as a vertical originally, which would be even more amazing with that focal length? !

I swear I am going to put a gun sight on the end of my lens hood to help with quick acquisition of the birds when working really long!

Randy
Fabs Forns
04-18-2009, 09:48 PM
Randy, it was an original horizontal. I only do verticals with that focal length with a tripod and out of boredom :)
Manos Papadomanolakis
04-19-2009, 01:55 AM
I really like the pose and the wing position!!!
Oscar Zangroniz
04-19-2009, 07:52 AM
Fabulous Fabs. Like the way you framed this as well as the details you were able to capture.
Mark Dumbleton
04-19-2009, 11:51 AM
Super capture Fabs, and great timing. Just notice slight halo's around the bird, but doesnt distract.
Well done!
Stu Bowie
04-19-2009, 12:02 PM
Superb wingspread, and well done on capturing him eating in flight.
Axel Hildebrandt
04-19-2009, 12:25 PM
Cool pose and action captured. I particularly like the shadow of the beak, foot and prey and would tone down the highlights a bit.