The Pest

[Jim Fenton]

I've tried to create a specific image with these two characters on 2 different mornings, but I think this is as close as I'm going to get.

Each morning after her mate feeds her in the nest where they are sitting on eggs, she flies down to a T perch adjacent to the nest pole and preens. Every single morning, this mockingbird immediately comes and pesters the heck out of her...but never bothers her mate when he's sitting here.

The mockingbirs swoops at her head, grabs at her tail and she, the fish catching maching with the big hooked beak snaps at the pest as it swoops and dive bombs her head. Think I could get just one frame with her mouth open and the mocking bird harrasing her? The answer to date is NO...so until I can pull that off, if I can ever pull it off, I'll settle with this one.

This nest is roughly 150 yards inland from the surf and the background is about 1/8 mile away across the south end of Plymouth Harbor. It would be nice if all the trees in the background were the same shade of greeen but given that they are still leafing out...they aren't :(

Nikon D300s, 600VR, TC14EII, ISO 400, F 6.3, 1/1250, NearuniWB, CW metering, -.7 EV applied.

[arash_hazeghi]

looks very good, tough shot to get and nice pose on both birds, shows the relative size of the birds very well.
Did you apply noise reduction on the Osperey? feathers look a bit too smooth and have lost texture.

TFS

[Danny J Brown]

Hi Jim - A great action shot that exemplifies the importance of light in photography. The head area and beak on the osprey are beautifully photographed here and I love the brightness of the eye. The wind is really helping as well to blow the big guy's feathers up and hold that mockingbird in position. Nicely done.

DB

[Jim Fenton]

Arash...

No NR was applied to any part of the image other than selectively on the green background.

[Mike Milicia]

Well captured with 2 good poses and great BG!
Love seeing the dramatic size difference.
I'm sure you'll get the one you are after but this one is kind of cool in the way the Osprey seems to be completely ignoring the Mockingbird that's right in his face.

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Wow your wait was worth it. Love the story this image tells with it's two lovely players. I especially like the look on the ospreys face. Oh no not again !!! Great timing and excellent pose and detail. thanks for sharing.