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After Swim


After Swim
Photo Information
Copyright: Aivar Mikko (metcher) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 523 W: 12 N: 968] (4115)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-19
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon 350D, Canon EF 300 f4L + Canon 1.4 converter
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/60 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Birds., Birds of South Africa 1, Birds of the World, Favorite Kingfishers [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-11-05 10:24
Viewed: 1232
Points: 42
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Giant Kingfisher, Megaceryle maxima, is the largest kingfisher in Africa, where it is a resident breeding bird over most of the continent south of the Sahara Desert other than the arid southwest.
There are two subspecies, M. m. maxima, found in open country, and M. m. gigantea in the rainforest. The forest race is darker, less spotted above, and more barred below than maxima, but the two forms intergrade along the forest edge zone.
Breeding is from August to January, 3-5 eggs being laid in a riverbank tunnel.
Giant Kingfisher is 42-46 cm long, with a large crest and finely spotted white on black upperparts. The male has a chestnut breast band and otherwise white underparts with dark flank barring, and the female has a white-spotted black breast band and chestnut belly.
The call is a loud wak wak wak.
This large species feeds on crabs, fish, and frogs, caught in the typical kingfisher way by a dive from a perch. The number of these birds appears to have declined, possibly as a result of pesticides.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_Kingfisher
Late in the evening.
ISO 400.
horia, mikou, Argus, marhowie, pablominto, ddg, SkyF, dew77, pilonm, vanderschelden, shal has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • mikou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 863 W: 73 N: 1348] (5265)
  • [2006-11-05 10:36]

Hi Aivar.
Perfect capture.I like this pose and used POV.Details and DOF is also good.Very nice colours and acceptable blurry background good separate subject.I like it very.
TFS and greetings.
Milos

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2620 W: 135 N: 7538] (23519)
  • [2006-11-05 10:37]

Hello Aivar,
Wonderful to be able to capture the Giant Kingfisher like this! You present it well, sharp, well composed and with suitable BG.
I photographed it last in Gambia but that was long before I went digital!
TFS, regards, Ivan

HI Aivar,
a wonderful and noble bird, I like this sharp shot - so close and beautiful.
I've never seen such a bird with my own eyes - must be so amazing. Thanks and greetings to you, bye
Sabine - wishnugaruda

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2475 W: 168 N: 7514] (23734)
  • [2006-11-05 10:46]

Hi Aivar,
Fantastic shot of this Giant Kingfisher having just come up from a dive I suppose - he looks very wet! You've captured him in a nice pose. very sharp, nice colours!
TFS, ULla

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2086 W: 216 N: 3770] (12506)
  • [2006-11-05 11:00]

Hi Aviar

A very beautiful and cute spotted bird you have here :)
Its color and textures are very nice, the POV is excellent and the DOF is impecable, showing the natural surrounding very well.
Also nicely framed and composed, with a good timing catching a great pose from your cute subject.
Very well done!

Bravo adn TFS
Horia

Great king fisher shot. I was there only a couple of days after you.. Never saw this fellow though.

hi aivar
magnifique cet oiseau est splendide,la longueur de son bec doit en faire un pecheur remarquable.j'aime beaucoup sa pose et ses couleurs.
bravo car je pense que c'est un moment assez rare.
laurent

Well done Aviar,
I think I like this one over the other post of the same..Interesting pose. Excellent shot!
Have a great day.

Hello Aivar,
Beautiful guy, great pose!
The bird is captured with fine details and good natural colours, well done on the macro work...
Narrow DOF makes the bird stand out, good 3D feeling to the image!
Greetings,
Pablo -

  • Great 
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1149 W: 254 N: 2555] (11569)
  • [2006-11-05 12:19]

Hi Aivar,

Great capture withe excellent colors and details,well seen and captured,

Paul

  • Great 
  • ddg Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 881 W: 23 N: 927] (4997)
  • [2006-11-06 4:51]

Bonjour Aivar, ce Martin pecheur doit avoir chaud avec son bec ouvert! Excellent macro-shot and great sharpness and colors too. Well done and best regards, Didier.

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2006-11-06 6:48]

Hello Aivar,
this is a wonderful capture. Excellent POV, nice natural colors and very well set off a blurry BG. Very well done
TFS..Sky

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5171 W: 297 N: 4050] (13069)
  • [2006-11-06 11:53]

Hello Aivar,
Wonderful kingfisher capture,it's a little different which are living in Turkey:)Details are crisp clear and razorsharp.I liked POV,colors,framing,moment you caught and composition a lot.Excellent work!
TFS...:-)

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1476 W: 18 N: 2994] (10986)
  • [2006-11-06 15:41]

I love kingfishers and this is a lovely capture, Good sharpness, POV and colours

TFS

Karan

  • Great 
  • pilonm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 546 W: 99 N: 818] (2667)
  • [2006-11-06 21:36]

WOW Aivar,

Is it a bird or a dinosaur??? Wonderful picture of a kind of Kingfisher that I didn't know before!!! You got a great pov and managed the exposure with success! Great dof too! Excellent picture and TFS,

Michel

  • Great 
  • jossim Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1676 W: 5 N: 2144] (11878)
  • [2006-11-07 21:43]

Superbe spcimen!
Bravo et merci pour le partage.
Joseph

Hi Aivar,
Great shot...I missed that one.
With beak open...often they are soft with low shutter speed.
TFS
Annick

Witaj Aivar!
Masz bardzo ladne ujecia. Ten ptak jest bardzo ostry i nietuzinkowy. Ladne kolory i doskonala glebia.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie - Roma

Beautiful birds after swim,I feel the body is wet.TFS

  • Great 
  • arfer Gold Star Critiquer [C: 2731 W: 0 N: 0] (0)
  • [2006-11-22 21:35]

Hello Aivar

Amazing shot of this kingfisher.Excellent POV and DOF.The details are crisp and well focused.The beak and head are super,and the plumage shows well.Nicely composed.TFS

Rob

  • Great 
  • shal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 287 W: 71 N: 499] (2086)
  • [2007-01-15 16:36]

Wow brilliant details,
Great compo, and framing, not to mention great timing :)
Beautiful work Aivar,
Cheers :D

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