Beats the heck out of a mass of twigs or plain old sky back there.
1/6400, f/5.6, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
These are older photos of a male Belted Kingfisher that was fishing a pond near my home in mid-October. While he was perched he wasn’t close enough for detailed photos so my goal was to get him as he was diving after a fish (with his wings out he’d fill more of the frame). The close background was clean with beautiful fall colors in the far background so I thought a diving shot might be interesting, even though it was unlikely that I’d be able to see his face.
1/3200, f/6.3, ISO 640, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM + EF 1.4 III Extender, not baited, set up or called in
I was a little slow on the trigger when he eventually took off after a fish so he was close to the bottom of the frame. But with this kind of action shot I think the composition still works because it shows the branch he took off from. Besides, if I’d been quicker I wouldn’t have captured a flight posture that I’d have liked nearly as much as I like this one.
So I’ll take it and be happy with what I got. And even though it’s an ‘imperfection’ in the bird I like seeing the broken secondary feather on his left wing.
I have kingfisher diving photos that are better technically than this one but few, if any, that are as colorful.
Ron
Congrats on the lovely Kingfisher!! Amazing, Delightful photos. (PS – I have Cosby’s first 3 albums that I purchased back in the 60s. Loved “Noah”. I separate the comedian on the records and the cartoon show from the horrible sexual predator. A tragedy with no winners. It is said that the line between genius and insanity is a thin one.)
Melanie, I also liked him in I Spy, with Robert Culp.
Bird, background…wonderful!👏
Thanks, Patty
Beautiful shots, and Happy New Year, Thanks for all the gifts you given during the year.
Much appreciated, Janice. Thank you.
Marty’s got it right—he’s a dapper chap, for sure! Nice to see that perfect “swan” dive, too, though I’m wondering how he lost that feather…? Looks like the kind of break that could hurt (if he was a wussy human such as myself).
BTW, I had to go back to see yesterday’s banded Roughie, which led me down quite the rabbit-hole this morning, including to Peregrine Falcons. Fun travels, for sure! 😉
Thanks, Chris. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip!
It is another dreary, rainy day here in SoCal (it POURED last night!), so I’m extra-appreciative of this dapper chap in such colorful surrounds. 🙂 The two leaves in the lower left that are hanging on for dear life are the cherries on top!
(I’m appreciative of the needed rain, even though the moat is back around the rear of the house. I’ll let you know if I start seeing animals trying to come into the back bedroom two-by-two. 😉 )
Good luck with all your rain, Marty. Either too much or too little, seems like that’s always the case.
Your comment made me think of Bill Cosby’s “Noah” – back in the days when I used to like him and thought he was a decent human being.
“How long can you tread water?” It was one of my favorite comedic routines as well. and. well…
I had that exact line in my head when I was typing my first comment. No kidding.
Scary! 😂😂😂
And you’d think all that rain would keep the backyard birds under cover through the worst of it, but noooo … they were waiting, impatiently, on all the empty shepherd’s hooks for their feeders when I could not even consider going out ‘til it slowed down! I have a bit of a flood in yard and garage! 😩
We pack towels along the garage door and the door from the garage to the side yard, otherwise we get an indoor swimming pool.
I feel your exact pain there, Marty, I’m gonna have to do something similar—if we should be so lucky to get more rain down the road! 🤞
Our town in OR provides free sand bags (fill oneself) in the winter to help with the inevitable winter rains.
Ron, beautiful pics. I love how ‘he’ looks like a punk rocker in the first pic with his head feathers all over the place, then in the second he’s all business with the feathers swept back and streamlined, ready for action. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, David.
This is delightful. The autumnal colours set him off perfectly.
Thanks, EC.
It is extra nice to see him in such a bright, sunny and colorful scene. It contrasts with what we are seeing here now: cold and gray with frozen ponds and the nearby salt water harbor fringed with ice. That is unusual and makes it impossible for our Belted Kingfishers to fish some of their accustomed areas. I’ve no doubt though that these sturdy little guys will weather through.
They’re tough, Lyle. I often see them around here when there’s scarcely any open water anywhere.
Steve’s right – he is every photographer’s nemesis unless you cheat and use the fish in the bottle and get multiple chances. When discussing wildlife photography ethics I have often told that practice to friends.
That is a great shot Ron.
I heard one yesterday who was working around a fast flowing creek, but could not find him.
Everett, I saw one a few days ago just down the hill from my house. I had no chance with that bird though.
This is great shot of my nemisis.
Thank you, Steve.
Neat! It REALLY comes together Ron – contrast between the bird and background shows him off well….. 🙂 1st shot is fun with cocky Kingfisher perched…;)
Doing the radical temp change thing (about 40 degrees – tho not melting anything) and, of course, wind to match but will drop again this afternoon….GEEZ!
Thanks, Judy. Good luck with the temps and wind!
Love these shots Ron! The Takeoff shot is filled with suspense: what is just beyond? What is the kingfisher diving at?
Thank you, Sheila.