Fish For Breakfast.

[Stu Bowie]

I went up to the Pilanesberg National Park yesterday, and its very sad that there is no water around the hide we normally frequent due to the severe drought SA has experienced. Having said that, we still sat in the hide hoping for some action. The Pied Kingfishers still visit, as they still fish, and then return to their favourite perches to bash the fish to a pulp and then swallow it down. The light was not ideal on this perch, the KF would not turn around, but we had make do, as this was the only perch they returned too. Taken early morning. Yes the perch is large, but as always, they are no smaller perches at this location. I was fairly close, thus the fish is falling out of the DOF.

Canon 1D Mark IV
Canon 500mm F/4 II ( borrowed for the morning - wouldnt mind having one after experiencing the feel and results. )
1/1600
F/6.3
ISO 800

Manual exposure
Hand held.

[William Dickson]

Perfect timing Stu. The detail, and control of the blacks and whites on the bird are perfect. The perch is very nice and looks good along with the birds pose. You can see how dry it is from the perch the BG makes for a very nice image. Pity the fish was OOF, but still very nice as is.

Will

[keith mitchell]

Stu you have got back to those lovely backdrops of yours,bird looks very good and well caught action with the fish.Tiny nit but would it be possible to brighten the eye area?just a thought.

Keith.

[Mike Poole]

Tough conditions, but you've countered that by a perfectly timed fish toss. I like Keiths idea about maybe lightening the eye a little.

Mike

[Steve Kaluski]

Hi Stu, I am really surprised the fish isn't more 'sharp' based on the open beak. Yes, perhaps there are a few issues with the image, but a nice capture for you and the Pied KF.

TFS
Steve

[Gerhard Weldhagen]

A bit of selective sharpening on the fish may reveal the mud and dirt on its body a little more. Very interesting behaviour and overall a great image.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Stu, I am really surprised the fish isn't more 'sharp' based on the open beak.

Thanks Steve. I realise the fish is not sharp, even looking at the end of the Pied's mandibles which appear to be in the DOF and sharp. Maybe as the fish had already been bashed against the perch for quite a while before I captured this frame may explain a little of the lack of sharpness.

Thanks to everyone else for your feedback.

[Karl Egressy]

Great action shot, Stu. Having had a little more head turn towards us would have put it over the top.

[adrian dancy]

I'm all for different angles etc. and this has it. I would lighten up the eye ring and whilst it does not look complete I think there may be enough to help give form to the eye area.

[Jim Crosswell]

Great timing Stu! I like the perch, action, exposure, sweet BG and composition.

[Gabriela Plesea]

Hello Stu!

The size of that fish! Makes me wonder how this little bird managed to swallow it. You might like to take a trip to St Lucia some day, I know a chap who gets so close to them with his boat:)

Super capture and great timing my friend, I hope you might have another two or so frames to form a sequence? Would be great to see how the kingfisher bashes its prey against that perch and maybe that final moment when the fish disappears into its beak:)

Warmest regards,

[David Salem]

Besides a few minor issues, this one is fantastic!! The fish and the pose make this one. Well captured Stu