Raptor-Fest

[zackiedawg]

I haven't shared any bird photos in a long while, so I figured it was time. ; What better types of birds to start with than raptors!? ; Here are some raptors captured lately out in my wetlands areas...all taken with my A580 & Minolta 300mm F4 APO and 1.4x matched TC.

Red-shouldered hawk watching lunch walking past:

Heading down to get lunch (this sequence was *just* missed a bit on focus and shutter speed because I wasn't expecting it, but still it was a cool thing to witness so I thought I'd share it):

Lunch pick up order - on the menu - water rat:

He likes it a bit rare:

Norhtern harrier, sweeping in low:

Harrier flying close by in the backlight, paying me no mind:

A snail kite looking for dinner:

Red-shouldered hawk on a tree:

Cooper's hawk in the tree canopy:

Northern harrier sweeping over the marsh:

Northern harrier much closer:

Juvenile cooper's hawk:

Calling out to momma:

Cooper's hawk checking me out:

Cooper's hawk all puffed up:

Northern harrier fly-by:

 

[PolynesianMedic]

Great shots Justin! ; I really like all of these.

 

[Roger]

Awesome. ; Trying to figure out why I haven't gone to South Florida yet!

 

[jbwolffiv]

Awesome. ; Trying to figure out why I haven't gone to South Florida yet!

Holy cow Justin! ; Now I see why you say to come to FL for some bird photos. ; These are great!

 

[ddindy]

Pick up a dictionary of superlatives and dump its contents here, because I can't come up with adequate words for this set.

Scott Bourne, watch your back!

 

[Chris B]

Wonderful shots. ; What lens were you using. ; Great clarity on the close ups.

 

[goofmick]

Nice, Justin.

 

[HW]

great stuff Justin

 

[zackiedawg]

Many thanks all. ; Sorry for the long gaps in replying - another 8 hours spent transferring data to the new computer, reinstalling programs, digging up license keys, finding out some no longer work, contacting tech support, etc. ; Getting a new computer is several parts excitement combined with several parts frustration!
The shots above are all with my Minolta 300mm F4 APO and a matched Minolta APO II 1.4x teleconverter. ; As you can see, 420mm is plenty - in some cases I was so close I was shooting portraits of the heads (those aren't even cropped!) - I was not more than 12 feet from the birds in some cases.
Florida is certainly spectacular for bird selection AND proximity. ; Pick a category of bird, and you can shoot photos with more than a dozen species of just that one type of bird, in a single day of shooting. ; On the best of winter days, I've had personal counts of over 100 species, with thousands of birds, getting within 5 feet of some of them, in a 3 hour walk. ; Birders' paradise!

 

[Chris B]

Thank you Justin!

 

[zackiedawg]

You're welcome Chris. ; Some of you northern birders should head on down my way for some birding.

 

[PolynesianMedic]

There is a place not too far from me, that I want to go to and try one day. ; Hopefully soon and before it gets too hot and buggy.

 

[zackiedawg]

Before it gets too hot and buggy? ; Too late!

Where exactly WAS winter this year? ; I think it forgot to come down to Florida...seems to have decided to vacation in Europe this year. ;

 

[PolynesianMedic]

We have had a few cold nights, but not like last year. ; I was noticing yesterday that the love bugs even seem to be starting already. ; They just aren't locked together yet.