The prey

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

This is a photo from the last weekend, taken at Kerkini lake, Greece.

note: As far as a know, the Coots are not meat eaters, but at Kerkini lake they catch fishes with great accuracy. It happens that a Coot snatches up 2 small fishes at a time!

The black-headed gulls on their behalf strive with the coots to get the meal for them. Sometimes in the battle joins several gulls but the coots manage to get out of the intruders diving around with the fish or even flying well above the water!! The most common way is to run as fast as they can over the watter, often changing rapidly the direction.

spec:
canon 40D + 300mm f/4 at f7.1, 1/1600sec, ISO400, weak contrast on the standart camera profile to avoid burning the gulls.

PP: multiple clone outs of bottles, a rope all over in middle of the frame and other coots.
Finally a USM 180/3/2 and 3% contrast.

a 1024 px image is available here

[Maxis Gamez]

Hello,

Love the action. The image tells the story. Excellent work!

[Judy Lynn Malloch]

Awesome interaction you captured and good timing and well framed.Nikolay, Very nice work !!! thanks for sharing.

[Jim Poor]

Great chase!

[Manos Papadomanolakis]

I really like the action,nice work Nikolay!

[IvoZafirov]

Good job my friend!

[Steve Ashton]

Avian photojournalism.... great story telling shot. Nice Work

[Blake Shadle]

Great work, Nikolay! Pretty impressive. You don't have any faces being interesected by wings, and a great balance between the birds. The pose of the coot is incredible!!

I just wanted to add how amazing this must be to watch. I read your description under your photo about the coot running as fast as they could and often rapidly changing directions during the pursuit. I'd love to see this one day!

[Vladimir Stoyanov]

"great story telling shot" - I agree with Steve Ashton!
Amazing!

[peter delaney]

you deserved all the praise received and more....great capture...great interaction....

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

thanks for the comments :)
I will post other related pictures soon.

[Jim Fenton]

I'd be pretty darned happy if it were mine :)

[Arthur Morris]

Fantastic. The sharpness and the positioning of the subjects is just wonderul. Only minor wish is for a bit more room for the last splash at the back... And the position of the coot with the fish is beyond perfect.

later and love, artie

[Anita Rakestraw]

Agree with above compliments, and wanted to add: great cloning job, perfectly seamless!

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

... Only minor wish is for a bit more room for the last splash at the back...

I was in doubt of the splash but you clear up my doubts
thanks for the ideas Artie :)