American Kestrel

Gallery: AvianPosted December 27, 2009241 views24 comments

This is the kestrel that was chased off of this perch by a Bald Eagle, as mentioned in Mia's post of that eagle on Christmas day. This bird has been using this pole to perch on fairly regularly but now that the eagle has taken a shine to it the kestrel's routine has been interrupted and he doesn't seem too happy about it.

7D, 1/1600, f/8, ISO 500, 500 f/4, 1.4 tc, shot from pickup window on 12-25-09, cropped to 46% of original image, no processing other than cropped and sharpened, not baited

Comments/critique appreciated

Comments

24 comments

Comment posted by Ron Pullen on December 27, 2009 at 7:19 PM

Excellent detail and comp.. You gotta love the Amer. Kestrel, a beautiful bird.

Ron

Registered on December 18, 2005, 74 Posts, 1413 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie VanTassel on December 27, 2009 at 7:22 PM

Wahoo! I don't think I've ever seen such a sharp photo of a Kestrel. Everything really came together here, Ron. I like the aged perch and the over the shoulder look.

You're really getting the hang of this stuff Ron.

Registered on October 18, 2006, 644 Posts, 4801 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Saunders on December 27, 2009 at 7:25 PM

Fabulous detail and a great look back Ron

Registered on February 6, 2008, 321 Posts, 3035 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on December 27, 2009 at 7:28 PM

They really are a beautiful bird Ron.. Stunning detail and depth of focus through the bird and I like the over the shoulder look. Probably prefer a less imposing perch but the scattering of snow on the top is a nice touch.

cheers
Rob

Registered on November 8, 2003, 617 Posts, 8267 Comments

Comment posted by Michael Twaddell on December 27, 2009 at 7:40 PM

Over the top!

Registered on August 16, 2007, 199 Posts, 2132 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Harbour on December 27, 2009 at 7:59 PM

Beautiful shot, Ron. I love the kestrel's colors. Very sharp and a great head turn.

Registered on January 4, 2008, 113 Posts, 2416 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on December 27, 2009 at 8:00 PM

This guy looks a little bedraggled. . . I had the fantastic opportunity to photograph one of these today which are rarely seen in winter and certainly did not come away with anything near this good. Great detail, headturn, catchlight and I love the addition of the snow.

Registered on February 4, 2009, 1093 Posts, 7035 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on December 27, 2009 at 9:18 PM

Ron, You've left me breathless and so happy it was shot with a 7D Hee! What a glorious image with amazing colors and detail. WOW

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on December 27, 2009 at 9:19 PM

Terrific detail - very impressive!

Registered on November 1, 2003, 1031 Posts, 12705 Comments

Comment posted by David Bostock on December 27, 2009 at 10:04 PM

Perfect in every way, Ron. Congratulations.

Registered on November 1, 2003, 90 Posts, 2778 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on December 27, 2009 at 10:58 PM

Beautiful detail, Ron and I like the over-the-shoulder look.

Registered on January 28, 2008, 1767 Posts, 23192 Comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on December 28, 2009 at 12:14 AM

What a magnificent photo. This gets my vote for picture of the year. DOF is perfect and detail and sharpness are top notch.

Registered on April 19, 2009, 367 Posts, 3589 Comments

Comment posted by Gary Gulash on December 28, 2009 at 1:00 AM

I really enjoy reveling in the sensational colors and details on the entire bird. It's incredible that the image quality is so high, when technically you made some compromises, ie. hand held, teleconverter, cropped over 50%. I realize the "compromises" are quite standard, but just says a lot about the advancements in the technological state of avian photography these days!

Registered on January 28, 2005, 879 Posts, 12098 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on December 28, 2009 at 3:31 AM

Ron, You're killin' me... I can't even FIND a kestrel, let alone get a shot like this.
Just beautiful - great feather detail, nice perch, head turn is perfect, and that eye..

Sandy r

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on December 28, 2009 at 7:05 AM

Ron,

I love how the kestrel has his side and chest feathers fluffed up, how his head feathers are slightly raised, the great over the shoulder look at the eye and the rich, natural colors. The soft blue sky seems to enrich the colors in the bird.

As you know I have a life long fondness and fascination with this small raptor species and you have done this bird proud

An excellent image as posted.

Registered on June 25, 2007, 491 Posts, 12566 Comments

Comment posted by May Haga on December 28, 2009 at 8:18 AM

The puffed up feathers, the over-the-shoulder look, clean background and interesting perch creates a stunning image.
May

Registered on February 22, 2007, 714 Posts, 8470 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on December 28, 2009 at 8:34 AM

what a beautiful bird. great sharpness, textures and DOF, very nice over the shoulder look. I like the comp a lot.

Registered on March 21, 2009, 202 Posts, 4187 Comments

Comment posted by Sally King on December 28, 2009 at 10:39 AM

The colors are fantastic as are the details in the feathers. Gotta love that headturn and the look he is giving you or maybe he's just keeping an eye out for that eagle. Really amazingly good shot.

Registered on December 2, 2008, 416 Posts, 4450 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Rhodus on December 28, 2009 at 1:56 PM

Jackpot! A beautiful specimen, inviting pose perfectly rendered. Great image!

Registered on November 16, 2003, 157 Posts, 3326 Comments

Comment posted by Peter Conway on December 28, 2009 at 2:08 PM

Wonderful image of one of my favorite birds.

Peter

Registered on June 25, 2007, 347 Posts, 3913 Comments

Comment posted by Ian Mason on December 28, 2009 at 3:54 PM

Superb! Pose, colours, detail and composition are all spot on.

Registered on December 14, 2005, 399 Posts, 2305 Comments

Comment posted by David Williams on December 28, 2009 at 6:09 PM

You are getting pretty good with these Kestrels, Ron. This is a beauty in every way, and I really like the headturn.......nice story, too!

Registered on March 8, 2005, 315 Posts, 2291 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on December 29, 2009 at 6:53 PM

Ron, sorry I am late to this one. What a great shot. I am so envious. I just can't get close to these birds. Super light, detail, and color. What a great head turn. A steller comp. Top notch all the way. Very well done.

Registered on December 6, 2008, 360 Posts, 7132 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on December 29, 2009 at 9:42 PM

I need to comment again on how much I love this image.

Registered on June 30, 2009, 300 Posts, 5051 Comments