Went for an early walk this morning in the Hobart Botanic Gardens and survived an aerial Lapwing attack. The damn thing came at me like a fighter plane missing my head by a metre or less ... those spikes mounted in its wings were what had me worried - scary! Nevertheless, I wasn't going to let a photo op like that get away from me without having something to show for it.
'
Attitude!
I took little note of it when it took to its wings - skittish, I thought.
Next thing I know it's coming down at me like a Kamikaze!
Only at the very last moment did it pull back on the stick and kick the rudder bar!
It must have been pulling 2G before it pulled out of its dive to soar skywards again in a gut wrenching display of aeronautics.
And all in defence of this!
Great shots Tark - well worth you risking life and limb! THe little one is lovely. I'll be more careful around them from now on
Lmao, great shots Tark, they bring back some not so fond memories of being bombed myself.
Mate take a small dog with you next time, while they are busy bombing the dog you get your shots, it works.
:)
very funny tark..
I like the sacrificial dog aspect...
Birdgirl - Tassie - steve, thank you each and all.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Nice shots, Tark. They get very defensive after their chicks have hatched. We have a pair at work which are incubating a couple of eggs. I must get a shot of them before the eggs hatch - I'm not as brave as you !
Cheers,
George
Melbourne, VIC
George, when Tark showed me these shots I said that he should have stuck an ice cream container on his head, (to protect his brains???) LOL
Regards, Sandra
The first two photos are very nice and the baby is so cute. At school we used to have a pair of Masked Lapwings who would come after it rained when the big oval when it turned into a swamp with huge puddles. One day I watched the two resident Magpies chase the Lapwings away. I don't think I ever saw them after that.
George, I really admire the Laps for their spunk and courage - any bravery was theirs not mine, I was probably stupid. What I can't figure is why they nest on the ground in such vulnerable places.
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Sandra, You mean the one I use when I critcise your rellos? (now that's real bravery George!)
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Laura, Thanks, I have pleasant childhood memories of hearing Lapwings flying overhead at night.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Tark - well done mate, you deserve a bravery award . hang on a minute..... maybe that should read a stupidity award :'D
There is no way I could maintain the camera under that kind of attack! I am waiting for our resident MLWs to bring their chicks out at work again this season. can't wait to see all the gardeners running again!!
Great post, made me laugh a lot
Can someone tell me what lmao means? Tassie?
Sunshine Coast Queensland
You got the award right on your second try!
lmao is chat room jargon for "Laughing My Arse Off"
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
A very instructive posting Tark - in more ways than one. lmao.
I am in awe of your getting those shots - cool under pressure!
They do nest in the most inappropriate places - we had a pair for years nesting in the middle of the Golf Club car park. Undaunted they attacked everything in the vicinity.
tark ... in that case then for pictures 1,2 and 4 lmao !!!!
Especially when I related the little yellow wattles and the the cap to a red baron style flying cap and then moved down to the front on shot... hilarious :'D
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Lyn, I doubt that your literacy has been much enhanced by such instruction! [pre]?[/pre]
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Birdie, Funny you should mention it - I saw the same hair-raising flying style in its Immelman turns!
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour
Tark great action shots mate, i remember when i was a youngster i was attacked by one whilst rabbit shooting in Tasmania unfortunately i had a 12 gauge shotgun with me,you can fill in the end results..
Yes i was young and stupid and shot anything that moves,now i wouldn't harm anything and go out of my way to protect them..
Cheers Raoul
Raoul don't feel too bad about that, we all mad mistakes when we were young. I have a brother in NZ who is 57 and thinks he is doing a community service when he ets rid of them for farmers so they can let the ducks etc breed. ( son they can blow them out of the sky again..... go figure that one :(
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Hi Raoul, whenever I can get them I like action shots best. Stills are fine too but rather like shooting yachts at their moorings rather than under sail. From all I read about its specs your A700 with its predictive focus should be well suited to the task.
Regards, "Tark" - Olympus 4/3rds colour