nankeen kestrel

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aa
aa's picture
nankeen kestrel

shot this at point peron this morning, the smallest australian falcon....

Birdgirl2009
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Superb photo - I love the bright yellow legs and feet.

VernJ
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hey aa! what an incredible image. How ever did you get this shot.
The WA skies and light must be awesome this time of year.
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So many questions: what focal length what distance what camera what patience what circumstance ...
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You know it kinda looks like a Budgie on steroids posing for a PR shot.
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So fabuluous to see an detailed image. The books don't do this bird justice.
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Thanks for sharing

VJ

Gelmir
Gelmir's picture

Wow!! Great photo! Thanks for posting.

aa
aa's picture

thanks guys, actually i got him first in flight looking for a prey but it's a bit far and after few minutes gone from a distance.....then, i scouted it until i saw it perched in the view deck of point peron.....i ran on top (undetected hehehe) to shoot it, i'm about 15-20 meters away....

vernj, the focal length is @600mm, i'm using a sony a200 and the background is not the sky, it's the ocean :)

i don't know how to edit here, i'm re-posting the image....i somewhat desaturated the bg for better appearance :)

Raoul
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aa you and your raptors amaze me,i can only see them miles away and miles high ,you are the man on raptors.
Great sharp photo,well done.

aa
aa's picture

thanks raoul but i really just got lucky, i was really looking for a good landscape subject for night shots hehehe....

in flight....

daggert
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I love these birds. They are one of the first B.O.Prey I'd ever seen and has always been a fave.

birdie
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wow aa
What can I say about these beautiful images!!
You are sooo lucky to go places where there is such a variety of birds.
I have missed about 6 good opportunities over the last 2 days to get a good shot of the black cockies flying overhead with good tail lights and a blue sky. Each time I saw them I was with somebody or away from my camera ( I was at work so that is not surprising). I was so frustrated as it is something I really want to get. To add to my frustration, yesterday I spent a half hour stalking a little red headed bird in the scrub at work and got what I thought were some great shots........ only to find that I didn't have a card in the camera!! That's the problem when you have to take your glasses off to see through the viewfinder. I didn't read the warning!!
Needless to say I have changed the settings on the canera so that it can't happen again.
Once again congratulations on yur shots, I love them and look forward to more.
Cheers

birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

VernJ
VernJ's picture

@birdie, did you know that optical correctors are available for those little square view finders on dSLRs. I know that the right ine allows me to see with corrected vision with my glasses off. I've often wondered if I got the right adjuster could I, equally as well, use my cameras with my glasses on.

Just a thought, 'cause I know your frustration, I have felt your angst.

VJ

aa
aa's picture

thanks birdie, i'm also looking forward to your flight shots, i'm sure you'll be prepared next time :)

from the tips of bryan peterson (book i've read): before shooting make sure that the camera settings are ok, full charge batts (with extras), memory cards ok (with extras) and lens hood off hehehe

raoul heads up, i saw two raptors flying over lake monger at west leederville this morning....i didn't got the chance to shoot it closely, maybe next time i'll scout where it perch hehehe....i also saw white-faced heron, great egrets and a lot of ducks and black swans :)

birdie
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Hi vj,
yes I have a built in diopter on the camera, so I can focus with my glasses off, but the problem is that you can't focus your eyes close up and far away with the diopter. I have progressive lenses normally but they get in the way of the camera, so I use the diopter and take them off. then, when the bird moves I have to put them on again to see where he has gone to!! I think the answer is to have laser treatment on the eyes, but a: I'm too poor and b: I'm too chicken :(

Sunshine Coast Queensland

birdie
birdie's picture

aa - are you guys retired or what? How do you get the time to go and spend hours looking for the good spots?
Yes I was appalled at myself for making such an elementary mistake. I take my camera to work just in case I see something interesting. I have been studying the black cockies and am trying to work out where they are flying to and from in the hope that I can spend some time there one day and get some shots. I have noticed that as the weather gets cooler they are not in a big group any more but go across in ones and twos and are not really calling to each other like they were a few months ago. That is why they are sneaking up on me.
By the way I love your flight shot. it's a great perspective to view a bird from.

Sunshine Coast Queensland

aa
aa's picture

thanks and yes birdie maybe that's my advantage....i'm not yet working right now, just resting from my demanding work from back home this is my way of entertaining myself hehehe....

i have some more bif's from that kestrel but not yet uploaded :)

birdie
birdie's picture

aa Just out of interest, where is back home and do you go birding there?

Sunshine Coast Queensland

aa
aa's picture

yes birdie, in the philippines.....a few months before i left last january i've started shooting birds :)

Tassie

aa, another top effort!! Some of your Raptor shots are staggering.Well done.
Vern and Birdie you guys crack me up, you have both just given me a good laugh.
Vern-Budgie on steriods comment,loved it.
Birdie-Telling about stalking a red headed bird through the scrub.
I can really relate to that, I got a real good laugh out of that one.

al
al's picture

great shot & detail of an imm. Kestrel
and top flight shot of a male

birdie
birdie's picture

Well Tassie, glad to oblige with the laughs. I think it is always important to laugh at yourself, especially when you prove yourself fallible :) it's kind of grounding.............
as was the sliding sandy mud under my feet at the time when I was hanging on to a clump of grass and trying to keep my head down behind the embankment so he wouldn't see me!! All the while I am trying to handhold at 300m . . . . yeah right!

Never mind, this weekend I am going to go out and dedicate myself to finding some new birds.
cheers
birdie

Sunshine Coast Queensland

SpotFocus
SpotFocus's picture

aa Congrats both photos are great bt the BIF is very well caught. I love these little raptors they can be seen regually at the Skillion near Terrigal on the Cental Coast.

Cheers
Nick

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