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Brahminy Kite for Pieter


Brahminy Kite for Pieter
Photo Information
Copyright: Andy Cole (flagman) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 357 W: 43 N: 607] (2396)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-09-01
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon 70-200 f/4L, Hoya Super HMC Pro1 67mm Sky1B
Exposure: f/5.0, 1/500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Flagman, sAndra & sAner in Whipsnade! [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-10-23 11:25
Viewed: 1948
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I spent a day at Whipsnade with sAner (Pieter and Sandra) and we visited the bird show a couple of times, as you know how we, like many TN folk, like to try our hand at flying shots :)
Well, this is one of the most photogenic birds that they fly at whipsnade, the Brahminy Kite. They like to demonstrate the way the bird eats on the wing by throwing food up to it as it flies by, which it then catches in it's talons and passes into it's mouth while continuing to fly. I haven't managed to get a decent photo of that action (yet) but I like this one anyway, I think the pose is still quite dynamic. And Pieter didn't manage to get a sharp shot, so I thought I'd better post this one :P
Better luck next time, Pieter!

Brahminy Kite - Haliastur indus

Range
The Brahminy Kite lives throughout tropical Asia east from India to South China, the islands of the East Indies to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and the coast of northern Australia.
It is a bird which prefers wet areas, and so in mainland Asia, where it will breed at altitudes of up to 8,000 feet (2,400 metres), it is almost invariably near inland waterways and lakes, in the islands and in Australia it is to be found mostly in the coastal regions or near rivers.
The only exception to this is in New Guinea, where it occurs at altitudes up to 7,500 feet (2,300 metres)

Diet
The Brahminy Kite is quite a cosmopolitan feeder. It regularly feeds on frogs, small snakes, crabs, insects and fish. It also takes carrion and offal, and collects small scraps in wet places.
Generally, apart from insects which it takes on the wing, most food is taken on the ground, but some from water - it can be an effective fisher with action not unlike that of the African Fish Eagle

Status and behaviour in the wild
The Brahminy Kite is a bird which prefers to be near water. It is especially common in some coastal areas and near large areas of rice fields.
In India and some other rice-growing areas it is very common where humans are to be found, being even more numerous than Black Kites near some of India's eastern seaports. Near the paddy fields it is the most common bird of prey.
The Australian residents are often more shy of humans, and many are to be found in areas of river away from the coast, although some do frequent harbours and seaports.
In some seaport areas it is as much a scavenger as black kites but, inland, is a much cleaner feeder.
In the rice fields, the Brahminy Kite continually quarters the area, very much like a harrier, with a light, easy flight. From time to time it swoops down to pick up a piece of food, or to drop on a small animal.
Small prey is often snatched from the ground, or even from on or near the surface of the water without pausing from flight.
In some areas, large numbers of kites can be seen perched in trees. From this vantage point they make a number of short flights to catch food. The also occasionally soar over harbours and perch in ships' rigging.
wallhalla15, Bufo, izler, sAner, Necipp has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To sAner: Which lensflagman 1 11-07 10:16
To viv: Food in Talonsflagman 1 10-24 08:02
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2171 W: 218 N: 4383] (14900)
  • [2006-10-23 11:49]

Hi Andy

Splendid in-flight on this very beautiful and impressive kite!
The pose is really great...just as it was preparing for a very fast fall :))
Excellent sharpness and POV, very good DOF and lighting and lovely colors and exposure.
Truely very well done!

Bravo and TFS
horia

  • Great 
  • viv Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 3 N: 653] (3307)
  • [2006-10-23 12:18]
  • [+]

Hi Andy,
Great shot of this kite and what is he holding in his talons, very good work.
Vivian

Hello Andy,
very good moment you captured here! Very nice composition. Very well done. Thank you for posting.
Gr.
Heinz

  • Great 
  • Bufo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 422 W: 73 N: 984] (4241)
  • [2006-10-23 14:57]

HI Andy,
great great great in flight picture of this Kite. On first sight I thought it was bald eagle. You managed to get the right contrast between the dark and white parts.
Compliments,
JAcob

  • Great 
  • hester Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1515 W: 18 N: 3165] (11638)
  • [2006-10-23 15:14]

Stunning pose, excellent details and composition. Great in-flight shot

TFS

Karan

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3065 W: 231 N: 6160] (21048)
  • [2006-10-24 2:13]

Great action shot, Andy.
Very sharp for such an in-flight capture.
A beautiful kite. Love its colors.
The pose and POV are fantastic.
The morsel in the talons is a big bonus.
TFS. : )

  • Great 
  • wuta Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 856 W: 2 N: 617] (2142)
  • [2006-10-24 14:29]

A Very Good action shot Andy , good compositie details colours sharpnes pov bg and framing ,good job tfs Greetings Teunie .

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 1399 W: 3 N: 30] (504)
  • [2006-11-02 17:22]

hi Andy
you are presenting dynamic composition with good timing. point of view, colours, details, note and plain frame are great. thanks for sharing
regards
izler

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1490 W: 72 N: 1427] (4744)
  • [2006-11-06 6:14]
  • [+]

Hi there Andy,

Next time you dedicate a flying bird picture to me, I would like it to be a well focused photo. :)Seriously now; I like the picture, but like you said, it isn't perfect by a long way. The pose is great and the food in the claws is an extra bonus. For some reason this picture is a little pale. A little extra contrast could have solved this problem. Btw; are you sure you shot this picture with your 70-200 L lens? I could have sworn you used the Sigma lens for this shot. Anyway, what a great day this was eh?

Best regards,
Pieter

Hi Andy,
I love this shot of the Kite. I like the bit of blur on the wing tips to show movement.

If you like to get birds in flight go to the Chilterns there are lots of Red Kite in the wild and they make a superb subject.

John

Superb work well focused and nice detail composed nicely iso 100! looks like you had good light I might have gone ISO 400 and wacked up shutter to freeze the feathers fully but it's good also to have a sense of motion as you got here on the tips. very nice work and superb portfolio nice range of subjects. rgds Necip.

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