A female hen harrier / circus cyaneus

[Nikolay Staykov - shotlandetsa]

This is an image from the last monday. I photograph it while hanging on a cliff hiden in а rock bend.

The harrier noticed me while being few meters away and was really surprised of this meeting ;)

The last shot of the harrier takes half of the frame height.

Canon 40D, 300mm f/4 + 1.4x, 1/1250sec, f8, ISO 400. I think this was a slow speed for fast entering bird at close distance towards me. The two successfull images still suffer from a tag motion blur, though they are taken at 1/1250sec.

levels, s/h, usm, n.r. to blow the focus on the rocks behind the bird.

a 1024 pixel version is available here >

[Axel Hildebrandt]

I like the pose and head position. The rock in the BG adds to it.

[Chris van Rooyen]

Great presence, and the rock adds to it as well. Pity the head is slightly soft