Snail Kite

Awesome!!! Love that eye!!

Gorgeous!!

Totally awesome Jim!

Did someone say perfect!

Super-cool!

Couldn't ask for more than this - very nice!

This is excellent Jim. Impressive eye coloration on this beauty.
Pete

Jim,
Absolutely terrific. How in the world do you get so close to these guys?

I hope this is severly cropped, otherwise I have a few things to learn about kite stalking

The red and orange look a little over saturated, but a stunning shot it is. Well done!

Marsel, This shot is about 90% of full frame. The colors are acurate. This is how the bird appears. The image was taken from a distance of about 25 feet (8 meters). I could have gone closer, her spook range is about 15 feet if you approach her properly. What I do is never look directly at the subject, never approach in a direct line, approach slowly, pretend I'm completely interested in something other than the subject, stay low. Those are a few of the techniques I've learned. I am able to approach many subjects to within a few feet. Some subjects won't let you get anywhere near them. It varies from bird to bird, not neccessarily by species. Some birds are more tolerant than others depending on their experiences with humans. This bird sits very close to an area where airboats are launched on a regular basis.

Jim, this blows me away, a classic!

On your approach method, I think the handheld part is crucial. I do the same, meander indirectly toward the bird, staying low, and never looking directly at it. The tripod legs are collapsed and I'm holding it low. But then I swing it into place, and even though I'm still not looking at the bird, it flies away. I have a 300/4 IS that is made for handheld use, but too often I (being a 62 yr old coffee drinker!) don't trust myself, or the IS, and use the tripod -- and lose the bird.

I always read with wonder about the folks who inch close to birds on their bellies taking an hour to do it. I put that in the same category as getting in a blind and waiting for an hour or more -- an ability I can only admire from afar. So I tend to end up with pretty drastic crops.

Very impressive!

Tom,

Try putting your back to the bird with your body between the tripod and the bird while you get your tripod in position. Then slowly go around to the other side of the tripod while not looking at the bird directly. Look at it from the corners of your eyes if you need to see what it's doing.

Great Shot of a great bird. It is also nice to see a photo of one of these birds with out a bird band and color bands. As a bander myself, I realize the importance of banding, but it is nice to see unbanded ina photo just the same.

Jeff Schultz
Southeastern Michigan Raptor Research
www.smrr.net

Jeff, the bird is banded. She is number 22. I cloned out the bands. I have also been shooting another female (#43). She has a radio antenna in addition to bands.