First Kingfisher

[nancy hazen]

I've seen this Kingfisher, but have never caught it perched until Black Friday. I was excited, but it was quite a ways away and I blew out the whites trying to keep the darker sections lit. Where is a 500 lens when you need it, right???

Canon EOS 7D

0.001 sec (1/800)

f/7.1

400 mm

200

Thanks for looking and CC appreciated.
Nancy

[Joel Eade]

Nancy, you managed to salvage some nice detail even though you wanted to be closer, the 18mp helped you there. These guys are skittish, I have not been able to get close to one either.

[nancy hazen]

Thanks Joel. I think I over processed it too, trying to bring out more detail. It was exciting to see her perched though.

I have enjoyed seeing your photos. Wow - they are terrific!
Nancy

[Ian Cassell]

Nancy, I'm impressed that you found one sitting still. These guys are my nemesis -- they are either outside of lens range or too skittish to catch. Good job!

[nancy hazen]

Thanks Ian. Usually I only get a glimpse of the KF, but this time she was perching. It was exciting.
Thanks for looking.
Nancy

[Brendan Dozier]

Nice job, Nancy! Pretty dang good for your first capture. Congratulations to you.
Though I have been told where I can find these guys, I still have not captured or even seen one yet.

[Jeff Cashdollar]

Nancy,

The comments above are good and this is a bird that very few can capture. The best pictures I have seen are usually with a setup and not natural like this. There is a great book published by a photographer/file maker in England on these guys. He lives close to a river and talks about there whistles and morning sounds. I will get the title and update this tread later this week. Well done given the subject and this is a great head angle and love the out of frame look - shay at it.

[nancy hazen]

Nice job, Nancy! Pretty dang good for your first capture. Congratulations to you.
Though I have been told where I can find these guys, I still have not captured or even seen one yet.

Thanks you Brendan. I've been chasing this one for a long time. Usually, I can hear it but see only glimpses. I swear it knows when someone is looking at it even when it is far away.
Thanks for looking.
Nancy

[nancy hazen]

Nancy,

The comments above are good and this is a bird that very few can capture. The best pictures I have seen are usually with a setup and not natural like this. There is a great book published by a photographer/file maker in England on these guys. He lives close to a river and talks about there whistles and morning sounds. I will get the title and update this tread later this week. Well done given the subject and this is a great head angle and love the out of frame look - shay at it.

Jeff, I would be very interested in learning about that book. Santee Lakes are small man-made ponds that are a series of recycling ponds. It is a great place to go birding. I've seen and heard the KF there, but this time she was out in the open for a long time. However, she perched on this branch 1/2 way across the lake. Luckily the light was good, but this is a heavy crop. I got very lucky to see her. Thanks so much for your kind words and I'd love to learn the title of that book.
Nancy