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Harrier


Harrier
Photo Information
Copyright: Lesley Mattuchio (Lesley) Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 13 N: 913] (2988)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-04-22
Categories: Birds
Camera: Canon EOS 1D Mark II, Canon EF100-400 IS
Exposure: f/5.6, 1/2500 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Birds In Flight Part Two [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-04-23 13:52
Viewed: 6170
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 40
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I spent a delightful afternoon sitting in one of my favorite fields near the Osprey nest. I had 5-6 American Kestrels treading air above the field looking for small rodents for supper and the Ospreys were catching and eating fish and then along came a couple of Harriers gliding low over the fields also scouring for for rodents, frogs, and snakes. This lovely female, identified by her red brown coloring ( male is a soft gray color), flew right overhead and seemed to accept me as part of the landscape. It is usually difficult to get nice close-ups of these birds so I get excited when I able to get one.

The Northern Harrier is also called Marsh Harrier or Marsh Hawk lives around the marshes...no surprise there. They can sometimes be confused by those who are new to birding as an owl because their faces have a short rounded owl look to them, but they definitely have a raptor body with a long tail that has a wide white band at the base of it. This is a good field marking to ID them in a glance.

I went home early evening tired and exhilerated having felt I had visited raptor heaven!
PDP, rlortie, Fisher, milloup, Robbrown, extramundi, sandpiper2, sAner, coasties, Mazer, Luc, gerhardt, hummingbird24, bartove has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To gerhardt: ISLesley 2 04-26 15:41
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • PDP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor [C: 2821 W: 344 N: 3779] (11769)
  • [2005-04-23 14:00]

Hi Lesley, super capture. The Harrier is very well detailed and it's a nicely composed shot. Stunning, well done and thanks for posting.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3089 W: 230 N: 6774] (23770)
  • [2005-04-23 14:30]

Very nice harrier, Lesley. Very sharp details on the full wingspan. Great shot. TFS.

  • Great 
  • twin Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 244 W: 17 N: 494] (3259)
  • [2005-04-23 14:33]

Hi Lesley,
a good pose of flying harrier... it is interesting that she seems to look at you... details are beautiful.. well done..

This Northern Harrier picture is stunning Lesley. Excellent light revealing all the details from underneath: quite difficult to achieve. I have many shots of this bird in my collection, but none as good as this one. Perfect sharpness from wing tips to tail. And as always a very good personal note. Thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • Fisher Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1540 W: 309 N: 2234] (8915)
  • [2005-04-23 15:48]

It looks like the grey colored one, male, hard to tell. The female is brown.
Excelent capture and well done on the composition.

Mike

Beautifully sharp and clean capture of this birdie, the details and light are astounding ;-))

  • Great 
  • Ina Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 111 W: 6 N: 101] (767)
  • [2005-04-23 16:56]

Great capture of this flying harrier... Exelent sharpnes and colors... TFS...Ina...

The depth of detail in this overhead shot is amazing especially as the sky seems to be well exposed as well as the bird being spot on in every detail when usually the bird is either black with under exposure or the sky whited out. so well done even if it is a superb camera set-up. TFS

Hi Lesley.
Nice to see you again. Beautidul and clear shot, very nice pose and excellent details. The 1:2500 worked perfec this time :D Good work.

An afternoon well spent. this is an excellent image of this species. I doubt anyone could get better. All the characteristics are razor sharp, and she turned her head just at the right moment. Simply a beautiful shot.

  • Great 
  • sAner Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1455 W: 74 N: 1426] (4750)
  • [2005-04-24 5:03]

This really is a superb picture Lesley. Sharp details, well composed and perfectly composed. Well done & TFS!

Awesome work Lesley. Top shot. That wingspan is fantastic. Well done.

I travelled to Rotorua yesterday which is 4 hours from where I live to visit Wingspan which is a centre that helps take care of sick, injured and orphaned raptors. This includes research into their habits and habitat, captive breeding, public awareness and the rehabilitation of raptors back into the wild. It has NZ Falcons on show in avaries at present with two Hawks that are currently being cared for that have been injured that are not on display to the public. View my sons image from yesterdays visit, Mazer of one of their birds. I will upload mine in due course.

  • Great 
  • Mazer Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer [C: 65 W: 3 N: 34] (104)
  • [2005-04-24 18:59]

Stunning capture, good details and i love the wingspan when they glide. Well done and thanks for sharing.

  • Great 
  • Luc Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1835 W: 301 N: 4287] (14767)
  • [2005-04-24 22:12]

An excellent close-up of this Northern Harrier in flight. I wish one day I will be able to do so. Very sharp details and perfect natural colors.
Thank you Lesley.

Very nice composition Lesley, great details and very good POV.
Well done.
TFS.

Wonderful shot. Good comments.

  • Great 
  • Callie Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1101 W: 95 N: 2610] (7555)
  • [2005-04-25 14:50]

Hi Leslie
Been busy, I see, some lovely new birdies in the portfolio, love MR Bluebird of Happiness on his rooftop!
Beautiful inflight shot, and exposure is tops. Credit to you, NOT to Canon- lol, but this is VERY difficult, at least, for me. FS this gem.

Whenever I look at the raptors you capture in flight I wonder what I do wrong with my in flight shots. This is a lovley capture Lesley. The exposure and light underneath is commendable. Impressive shot, really. Wish it was mine. :)

Do you leave the IS on and if you do on setting 1 or 2?

This is absolutely perfect to my eye, Lesley!
An amazing composition with wonderful detail, lighting throughout, BG color, and POV. Not to mention the feeling I get, when I look at it, and think to myself that both you and this fine harrier have made it look so easy.
Thank you so much for excellence in this posting, and for sharing it with us.

Super capture. sharp and clean pictur very good POV.
Well done.

Hi Lesley,

Une très belle image de cet oiseau de proie en vol,
félicitation !

fantastic shot , amazing timing

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