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Nankeen Kestrel


Nankeen Kestrel
Photo Information
Copyright: Richard Cridland (rcrick) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 710 W: 36 N: 1548] (4989)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-06-20
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark III, Sigma 50-500mm 4.6-6.3 APO DG HSM, SanDisk Ultra II 1GB, Hoya 86mm UV
Exposure: f/14.0, 1/1250 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2009-06-19 21:03
Viewed: 722
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
My wife and I decided to take a drive back to Moogarah Dam this morning; I was looking forward to getting some shot of the White Bellied Sea Eagle, and may be some other Kites.

We did spot several Whisterling Kites in the distance, and we also saw the Sea Eagle but they just didn’t come close enough to our position to get any decent shots.

Then by 10a.m the weather turned so we headed home, but the weekend is still young and I still have another Two days to go so hopefully we’ll head out tomorrow or Monday.

On the way back home I spotted this Kestrel sitting atop a road sign, not the perfect perch I know but what can you do; this is the first Nankeen Kestrel I’ve seen and photographed.

It is a slender falcon and is a relatively small raptor. The upper parts are mostly rufous, with some dark streaking. The wings are tipped with black. The under parts are pale buff, streaked with black, and the under tail is finely barred with black, with a broader black band towards the tip.

The females tend to be more heavily marked and have more rufous on the crown and tail. Males have a grayish crown and tail, although the extent varies between individuals. Females are larger than males. Young Nankeen Kestrels closely resemble the adult female, with heavier markings.

They are found in most areas of Australia and are also found on islands along Australia's coastline, as well as New Guinea and Indonesia.

The preferred habitats are lightly wooded areas and open agricultural regions and tend to be absent from dense forests. The Nankeen Kestrel's success as a bird of prey can be largely contributed to its tolerance for a wide variety of habitats and its ability to feed on a variety of foods and nest in a range of sites.
Some Nankeen Kestrels are partially migratory, others disperse in response to the availability of food and some are largely resident.

Its diet is varied. It mainly feeds on small mammals, reptiles, small birds and a variety of insects. Prey is located from a perch or by hovering a short distance above the ground on rapid wing-beats, using its fan-shaped tail as a rudder and keeping the head and body kept still. Once prey is spotted, the bird drops nearer to the ground until it is close enough to pounce. Some insects and birds may be caught in mid-air or snatched from tree branches.

The Nankeen Kestrel nests in a wide variety of sites, including tree hollows, caves, ledges on the outside of buildings, and occasionally on the ground. The nest consists of anything from a simple scrape in the dirt of a ledge or tree hollow, to a nest of sticks or mud that has been abandoned by another species of bird.

Pairs of Nankeen Kestrels usually stay together over successive breeding seasons, and will often use the same nest site or territory year after year. Usually only one brood of young is raised in a year. The female does the bulk of the incubation, while the male supplies the food.

Details; Shot Raw and converted to Jpeg, cropped and re-sized, re-sharpened for posting.

File Name IMG_0026.CR2
Camera Model Canon EOS-1D Mark III
Shooting Date/Time 20/06/2009 10:40:08 AM
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
Tv( Shutter Speed ) 1/1250
Av( Aperture Value ) 14.0
Metering Mode Spot Metering
Exposure Compensation +2/3
ISO Speed 800
Lens 50-500mm
Focal Length 500.0 mm
Image Size 554x800
Image Quality Jpeg
Flash Off
White Balance Mode Custom
AF Mode AI Servo AF
Picture Style User Defined 1(Neutral)
Sharpness 4
Contrast 1
Saturation 2
Color tone 0
Color Space sRGB
Long exposure noise reduction 2:Enable
High ISO speed noise reduction 1:Enable
Highlight tone priority 0:Disable
File Size 85 KB
Drive Mode High-speed continuous shooting
Royaldevon, boreocypriensis, eqshannon, jpdenk, roges, goldyrs, jaycee, JPlumb, Noisette has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To JPlumb: Nankeenrcrick 1 06-23 15:29
To Royaldevon: Nankeen Kestrelrcrick 2 06-20 16:32
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Richard,

You must have been amazed to see this Kestrel sitting so conviently, ready to be photographed. To see wild birds of prey at such close quarters is a real privilege.
The details of its plummage are delightful in colour and pattern, and you have achieved a good catch-light in its eye.
I'm not quite sure what happened as regards its feet but they do not spoil the shot.
I feel that a little crop from the top would bring the bird even closer.

Have a good w/e,
Bev :-)

Hi MF Rick, a perfectly taken capture of this pretty raptor with a lovely pose.
TFS and have a nice WE!
Cheers,
Bayram

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3795 W: 190 N: 11286] (34807)
  • [2009-06-20 4:41]

Hello Rick,
The pose, POV, sharpness, colours and lighting contribute to a fine capture of the Nankeen Kestrel. The roadsign that it is perched on is a pity but that can't be helped, the image of the kestrel itself is superb.
Thanks and enjoy the rest of your weekend,
Ivan

You know...it is funny...at first I thought the lines would throw off the eye, but you have the bird in such a good pose that it doesn't. Very cool Rick...
Bob

Hi Rick,

A beautiful little falcon, rather similar in size and appearance to the American Kestrel. Nice and sharp, well done!

John

  • Great 
  • zetu Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 643 W: 15 N: 1566] (6115)
  • [2009-06-20 9:45]

Hello Richard
You capture this falcon with great details and natural colors. I like it. Well done.
Regards
Razvan

  • Great 
  • roges Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 590 W: 0 N: 497] (3004)
  • [2009-06-20 11:06]

Hello Richard !

Today you offer us an exceptional capture!
Some beautiful colors with a beautiful contrast.
Have a pleasant weekend,
Adrian

An excellent shot, Rick...I love the pose you've captured which brings out the plumage and the facade of this kestrel so well...
Cheers!
Goldy

  • Great 
  • jaycee Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2493 W: 11 N: 6885] (21912)
  • [2009-06-20 17:09]

Hi Rick,

What a photo op this was - and you took full advantage of it. I was wondering what the background was and you explained that. It really shows off the Kestrel well. I love the pose, eye contact, beautiful colors and extra fine details.

Jane

Hi Richard

Ha, a close kestrel and it has to be on a road sign with a grey sky, what rotten luck. Nevertheless, teh bird is very sharp with great plumage details. The whites of teh plumage stand out from the pale grey sky, that's prety good differentiation, I'm impressed, nice work.

Chris

Hi Richard
Nice capture.
Great details and good clarity.
Congratulations!

Very nice sharp shot Rick, composition wise with a bird like this, you take what you can get. Very nicely done.

When did you get the "Bigma" (Sigma 50-500), and what do you think of it? How does it compare with your 100-400. I thought that one was a super lens, enough almost to make me want to switch to Canon.

Thanks, John

Hello Richard
beautiful shot of this Nankeen Kestrel, ilike his pose and the way where he look at you, very sharp details on his plumage and superb colors
Have a good night
Jacqueline

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