After yesterday's partial success, I went back to Sheepcote to see if I could do any better today. It wasn't plain sailing as before I could do anything I had to wait for a horse race to go by.
Then I was buzzed by a World War 2 bi-plane (actually a Swordfish).
Finally though, the race track cleared, the skies emptied of aircraft, and the kestrels emerged. There were several out hunting and one bird was especially cooperative, tracking back and forth along the line of the now quiet race circuit.
Camera note: all shots taken with the Canon 7D and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens.
derWandersmann
8 Sep 2012Lovely shots of the kestrel, Words! Really quite exceptional.
Seeing the old warbird was nice, too (I do hope that torpedo was a dummy!)
SittingFox
8 Sep 2012Excellent! My favourite is the last photo. So many feathers to control!
anonymous
8 Sep 2012Anonymous writes:
That last shot is a standout! Excellent.
Marilyn
gdare
8 Sep 2012I've seen that last one on your FB page. Excellent!!!
Words
10 Sep 2012Marilyn, thanks! The kestrel was just above me for that last one. And I'd finally found a position with the sun behind me.
Words
10 Sep 2012Adele, the last shot is one from a sequence. Probably my star photo of the day.
Words
10 Sep 2012Darko, thanks!
Words
10 Sep 2012dW, I barely noticed the torpedo when I took the photo, but I'm fairly sure it was not operational (though with our budgets cuts you can never be too sure). The kestrels were on top form!
SittingFox
10 Sep 2012I don't know about kestrels, but apparently gyrfalcons deliberately put the sun behind them, so their prey cannot spot them so easily. Awkward from a photographer's perspective!
Words
10 Sep 2012Adele, that's an interesting technique, but it makes sense. It would also improve the light from the point of view of hunting.