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The Eagle Landed


The Eagle Landed
Photo Information
Copyright: Elroyie David (elroyie) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 394 W: 104 N: 1519] (6403)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2004-11-12
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 20D, Canon EF100-400 IS L, Kenko Pro 300 1.4x Teleconvert
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Wildlife of israel [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2004-12-02 12:15
Viewed: 1783
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Well, it is not an eagle, but this book name fit to this scene...
It surprised me and landed very close to me, there were bushes between us but I succeeded to 'catch' it in my lens.

This is an Western Marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus)

Descriptive notes.

55 cm, 400-800 g wingspan 110-130 cm.
Plumage variable. Male generally brown above particularly on back, underparts streaked, but solid dark brown at least on belly and vent. plumage becomes progressively paler with age.
Female averages larger, usually brown with yellowish cream crown, throat and forewing.
All dark or melanistic morph in some adults. Race harterti has much paler underparts than nominate.

Habitat.
Areas of dense marsh vegetation, especially reeds and reedmace, in aquatic habitats of both fresh and brackish water, marshes, swamps, and lagoons, sometimes in areas lacking stretches of open water.

Food and Feeding
Very wide range of prey, varying with local availability.
Prefers small or medium sized birds, and often their chicks and eggs, also mammals, especially rodents and rabbits. To much lesser extent reptiles and fish.
Also takes carrion, especially in winter.
Characteristic low, buoyant flight over marshy vegetation, attempts to surprise prey, diving on it on ground or water.

Breeding.
Apr-May, till Jun in Europe. Generally monogamous, but males sometimes polygamous.
Solitary or in small, loose colonies, almost always in dense marsh vegetation, such as reedbeds. If pair-bond is maintained, pair tends to nest near previous year's site.
Nest is pile of reeds, reedmace and rushes, 70 cm wide and of variable depth, built by female, but both adults add material throughout breeding.
3-6 eggs, incubation 30-38 days.
Sexual maturity at 2-3 years.

Movements.
Migratory in N and E Europe and C Asia, sedentary and dispersive in S of breeding range.
N breeders winter from France and N Africa through Mediterranean to Turkey, Middle East and Nile Valley, and sub Saharan Africa.
Easternmost Asian populations winter in Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka.
Fisher, gerhardt, willie, PDP, papkin has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Fisher: Thankselroyie 1 12-02 12:25
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Critiques [Translate]

Your composition and the way you captured the hawk is perfect.
The only weak point is that we have no eyes to see, a very important area in bird photography.

Mike

It's a nice pose and moment captured. The details are sharp. Detailed supportive note too. Well done.

  • Great 
  • willie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1023 W: 61 N: 648] (2083)
  • [2004-12-02 12:57]

Great action shot.
Very nice post. Well done

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2004-12-02 14:26]

Hi Elroyie, good work. The pose is very nice and the technical aspects are all very well. I would have liked a little more room for the feet to fit into but that's a very minor nit on a very good shot. The note is superb, thanks for putting in the effort.

  • Great 
  • papkin Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 78 W: 0 N: 96] (1580)
  • [2004-12-02 17:32]

Fantastic photo congratulations.

Daviv, Fantastic shot !
In the right moment, where did you found it? :)
Well done.

Great shot, very good colors. Well done
A bit more light on the bird face would have been better.

  • Great 
  • japie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1814 W: 100 N: 1904] (5187)
  • [2004-12-04 1:01]

This shot is stunning, but I feel that it would have had even more impact if you had eye contact. However we are shooting nature and cannot always get what we want.

Very well done and thanks for posting.

  • Great 
  • livios Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2156 W: 322 N: 4258] (16906)
  • [2005-02-14 20:58]

Elroyie, this is a fabulous shot. Perfect sharpness, very nice pose and composition.

Beautiful colors.

Congratulations.

  • Great 
  • Callie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1132 W: 105 N: 2609] (7531)
  • [2005-02-22 13:31]

Hi Elroyie
This one was on your intro page, and I thought it was a harrier, so had to look, Very nice catch. Some fil flash might have brightened-up the right side of the face. I have never been this close to these guys, TFS

  • Great 
  • didou Silver Note Writer [C: 6 W: 1 N: 41] (498)
  • [2005-03-06 2:44]

hello, I am admiring in front of your stereotypes and I realises that one 90/300 mm is really not sufisant to fix the birds, I will make the expenses of one 100-400 mm Yours sincerely, and thank you for these beautiful photographs

Didou

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