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Fabs Forns
07-31-2009, 01:52 PM
From Lox NWR this morning, they were banding the two chicks and the parents were having a fit. This was before the surveyors came. They reacted to the car, apparently they check every twenty days and they know the car :eek:

Check out this thread:

http://birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=42314

Papa has a new scar in the face, visible in the picture. He's been fighting a one year bird that keeps coming to the nest.

Model: NIKON D3
Lens (mm): 700
ISO: 800
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/1250
Aidan Briggs
07-31-2009, 01:54 PM
Nice pose, decent light, and the prey item adds to it. I wish the light angle was a bit better, as the shadow along the the bottom of the bird bugs me.

Well Done!
stuart wanuck
07-31-2009, 02:33 PM
love the image but the trek to lox is a rough one esp carrying tripod mosquites and heat.however if alfred
iis your sherpa then ypu are lucky
Dr.Pranay Rao Juvvadi
07-31-2009, 02:49 PM
The light is not from an ideal angle, but you take what you get! Like the wing position and the prey in the beak. Do they always carry the prey in the beak?
Fabs Forns
07-31-2009, 02:56 PM
The light is not from an ideal angle, but you take what you get! Like the wing position and the prey in the beak. Do they always carry the prey in the beak?

Thanks!!!! Very difficult to get a light angle on these birds, and being dark it makes it worse.

They carry the snail in the bill or on the talons, sometimes transferring it mid-air.
Nancy A Elwood
07-31-2009, 03:10 PM
Fabs I would be thrilled with this!! The snail just makes this all the better, for sure!
Alfred Forns
07-31-2009, 03:40 PM
... you always get them with snails Fabs !!!! Sweet capture !!! Love the wing position and feather detail !!!

Stuart she did great carrying the stuff today .. actually I couldn't keep up :) btw it was pleasant through ten am then wind died, sun cranked up and heat got off the scale .... and as you probably imagine mosquitoes & friends came out in force to play !!! :)
Graham Smith.
07-31-2009, 06:43 PM
Beautiful capture Fabs!
I like the comp, and am not bothered too much by the light angle. It would've been nice if the snail was a little sharper though.
very nice indeed.
Brian Barcelos
07-31-2009, 11:06 PM
I especially love the view of the top rear wing with the bottom of his left wing. Excellent pose and great eye contact. You did great with the available light. Congrats

Brian
Stu Bowie
08-01-2009, 04:56 AM
Super flying posture Fabs, and you have exposed the underwing exceptionally well. Good to see his catch, and hope he sorts out his visitors.
Adams Serra
08-01-2009, 06:11 AM
Hi Fabs,
Great looking bird, I saw a Snail kite for the first time a couple of weeks ago. There is a Small pond by my house and a female kite likes the area, still have not seen a male.
Simon Bennett
08-02-2009, 12:34 AM
Terrific image - especially with the snail in beak.
Diego Torrentes
08-02-2009, 05:58 AM
Hi Fabs:
Superb image, good wings position, good sharpness and I like the the snail in the beak. However, the colors and contrast in some part of the kite look washed out in my monitor, I supose they can't be more saturated due to the hard light. All in one, an almost perfect picture :cool:
Bye,