Munching Breakfast

[Ian Cassell]

I watched this guy for quite a while as he ate his breakfast. I missed the actual catch, but it took him a long time to get the whole thing down.

Canon 7D
Canon EF400mm f/5.6L
1/1250sec f/6.3 ISO 2000 HH

NR in Noiseware Pro
Sharpening in CS5 -- minimal crop

[WIlliam Maroldo]

Exposure looks a bit over, easily fixed, background white area to the left of neck should easily cloned out. I don'y understand the fish- not from a photographic point of view, but it appears to be partially eaten. I have witnessed many GBH catching fish, and swallowing fish , and even throwing them back if too large to swallow, but never tearing a fish apart! I doubt that the bill is even capable of such a feat, and it also seems unlikely that it is eating another creatures left overs. Its a mystery to me. regards~Bill

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks, Bill. I was wrestling with the same thoughts. Since I didn't see the actual catch, I don't know what actually happened. It was obviously a fish too-big for this bird and the eyes are quite cloudy making me wonder if it had been dead for a while. I've never seen a GBH eating carrion, though. Herons all around him were catching fresh fish and downing them. I must have watched him work on it for 25 minutes before he finally finished it (and it was already partly gone when I first encountered him).

[Dave Mills]

Hi Ian, agree with Bill's comments regarding exposure(easy fix) and the backround. The HAP are back wishing the angle was more to the viewer.
The bird could be placed differently with less room in the back and more in the front...

[Ian Cassell]

Thanks folks. Yes, Dave, I was waiting for those HAP to come slap on the handcuffs. I cleaned up the exposure and got rid of the white and do like it better.