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I don't like water!


I don't like water!
Photo Information
Copyright: Phil Cannings (PhilC) Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 22 W: 21 N: 78] (367)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-03-04
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1Ds, 100-400L is
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/500 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2006-11-30 9:16
Viewed: 1388
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 6
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
During a working trip to Kenya this year I got the opportunity to visit several national parks including Lake Nakuru. This park is better known for the thousands of flamingoes which occur there, but during my visit it was almost a notable for the eagles in the trees around the lakeside edge. There must have been about 150-200 of several species including African Fish Eagle, Tawny Eagle, and like this one Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis).

Tawny Eagle is the commonest brown eagle in this part of Kenya but during migration in October and MArch they are joined by Steppe Eagles which look incredibly similar. In this case I believe this to be a juvenile/sub adult Steppe Eagle because of the visible white tipping to the greater underwing coverts which are visible on this bird. Shortly before our arrival on the lakeside edge there had been a heavy rain shower and a number of the birds were in similar poses in order to dry out. It was very hot and it wasn't long before the birds were up and flying again. Invariably the birds were high up in the surrounding trees which made photography difficult and meant that the birds were also backlit against the bright but fairly dull sky.

This photo was taken at iso 100, with the 100-400mm lens at 400mm hand held with the IS set to position 1. I spot metered off the body of the bird to try to counteract the bright sky.

Steppe Eagles are birds which breed across the steppes and plains of eastern europe and migrate to winter in the African highlands and savannah.

In its breeding range it is an ariel hunter, either hanging in the wind or perch hunting sousliks and similar small ground mammals, but in Africa in its winter quarters it relies heavily on carrion and live vertebrates, with juveniles also utilising colonies of weaver finches (quelea sp) as food sources.

This species contributes to the spectaculer migration visible in Eilat in Isreal and the Suez with maximum Autumn daily counts from each site as 7,295 and 8,240 birds respectively. In 1985 the annual estimate for Eilat in spring migration was 75,053 with a maximum daily count of over 14,000 birds.

I think the quality of this picture has suffered from the light but I have tried to correct this in PS7 with levels, contrast and tone alterations.

I hope you like it - Cheers Phil. C

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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Phil, excellent and strange raptor photo, and very good colors of beak and legs. Raptorman

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3067 W: 231 N: 6165] (21068)
  • [2006-12-01 1:32]

A very interesting shot, Phil.
Too bad the light was not cooperating, but you still managed to capture the essence of this great eagle. A great POV. I really like those spread out wings.
TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1575 W: 5 N: 2181] (12252)
  • [2006-12-02 15:56]

Bonne prise,l'oiseau est superbe et les détails sont parfaits.

Merci!
Joseph

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