Black Kite (juvenile)

[Morkel Erasmus]

Taken in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa. In the northern region around the Nossob rest camp we came across a strange natural phenomenon. Due to some kind of insect/termite spawning after good rains, the place was literally swarming with hundreds of yellow-billed and black kites! They would just sit everywhere - on the ground, in the trees, at the waterholes.

This image was captured late one afternoon at the Nossob hide where a bunch of them were coming in for a last drink before finding a tree to roost in for the night.

The name is misleading here as the raptor is mostly brown but is distinguished from its more common yellow-billed cousin by the black tip of the beak.

Techs:
Nikon D3s with Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II
f5.6 @ 1/2500 SS @ ISO-800
about 65% of the original image

[gail bisson]

Hi Morkel,
Nice to see you on this side of BPN! Beautiful incoming shot. Love the light and extended talons. Nice layered BG. I know you are anti-cloning but if this was mine I would get rid of the OOF branch that is behind the in-focus branch.
Gail

[Dave Leroy]

Interesting that there would be hundreds of them around. Must have been lots of feed.
Yes, lovely incoming pose and light as well. Lots of detail in outstretched wing and fanned tail. Would have really loved to have also seen the far wing.

[Don Lacy]

Very nice Morkel love the landing pose, detail and light.

[dankearl]

Nice landing, what is up with the low ISO?
Way too easy for you!

[Arno Ellmer]

Beautiful incoming pose ,Morkel , with excellent detail on the tail and underwing. Would have wished for more visible r wing ....
Would also clone out the oof branches as suggested by Gail.

[arash_hazeghi]

very cool landing, nice details my only wish was if beak had not merged with far wing. excellent work

[Mark Itol]

Very nice pose and light, Morkel. I don't mind the OOF branch.

[Stu Bowie]

Hi Mork, well timed for this approach, and I do like the incoming posture with the extended legs. Good detail throughout, sharp, and I like the colours on the kite.

[Robert Holguin]

Excellent shot!! I really like the landing pose, very nice details, great light, and very nice background.
Well done.

[Morkel Erasmus]

Thanks for the feedback, folks.
I also wish the rear wing was in a better position. As Gail pointed out, I will probably not remove the OOF twig