White Tail Kite

Gallery: AvianPosted February 8, 2011162 views22 comments

Harry....This ones for you! Harry Harris and I were out shooting in Southern California when we came across some kites. Most were just hanging out on the top of tree branches here and there but occasionally one would take to the sky and do a quick search for food and then come back and land. That's when I got an image of this bird....banking while coming back in for a landing. Harry has seen this image and asked that I post it. Harry got some shots as well but was at a completely different angle than me. Cheers Harry!

Nikon D300s
600mm w/1.4 tc
F/5.6
1/2000
ISO 400
Metering mode Spot
Exposure mode manual
White Balance Sunny
Shot in RAW
Wimberley/Tripod
Please see larger version. Thanks for looking as well as any and all advise and comments.

Comments

22 comments

Comment posted by Harry Harris on February 8, 2011 at 4:22 AM

Thank you David. I am glad you shared this with NPN. This is my favorite flight shot. With the folks at NPN and your tutoring, my flight shoots are improving. Of course I blame you for my poot panning skills.

I have not seen this angle on a White-tailed Kite in flight posted before.

Registered on August 2, 2010, 169 Posts, 741 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Bunch on February 8, 2011 at 5:45 AM

Excellent! An amazing bird and a beautiful blue sky BG. That amber colored eye really pops.

Registered on May 18, 2004, 124 Posts, 2503 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on February 8, 2011 at 6:53 AM

Terrific pose, great wing spread, eye contact and fan tail !
Jagdeep Rajput

Registered on April 29, 2008, 686 Posts, 2857 Comments

Comment posted by Randy Bacon on February 8, 2011 at 8:03 AM

Very nice indeed, sweet pose, great eye contact and I love the bright eye. The sky seems just a bit saturated, but other than that, I love this shot.

Registered on November 24, 2008, 56 Posts, 492 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on February 8, 2011 at 8:20 AM

Large view looks very nice David, that red eye really connects with the viewer here.
Well done

Registered on July 24, 2008, 1201 Posts, 10758 Comments

Comment posted by Jeff Loomis on February 8, 2011 at 8:52 AM

Awesome! Love the banked turn and the eye contact. I have a couple distant shots from a rare sighting in New Jersey. But I'd love to have this one in my files.

Registered on January 26, 2010, 68 Posts, 719 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on February 8, 2011 at 10:00 AM

Excellent flight capture with very nice eye contact! I've not been able to get close enough to one yet - even in a car hide.

Registered on November 15, 2004, 519 Posts, 8278 Comments

Comment posted by Robert Holguin on February 8, 2011 at 12:11 PM

Excellent image. Love the flight pose, tack sharp with great detail. Well done.

Registered on January 25, 2011, 44 Posts, 294 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on February 8, 2011 at 2:54 PM

Ack!
My nemesis!
Great pose and exceptional eye.
Very tough to catch - good work!!
'Sandy

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

Comment posted by Michael Twaddell on February 8, 2011 at 2:56 PM

Excellent! Love the eye contact!

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on February 8, 2011 at 3:11 PM

What a look from the kite, that red eye really draws me in, wonderful flight shot, well done.

Registered on September 17, 2009, 302 Posts, 5535 Comments

Comment posted by Karen Summers on February 8, 2011 at 3:15 PM

super flight image and that red eye is stunning you have captured some lovely detail in this

Registered on December 3, 2009, 83 Posts, 818 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on February 8, 2011 at 3:38 PM

Like the position of the bird and the eye contact. Nice blue sky as well.

Registered on October 30, 2005, 405 Posts, 3693 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on February 8, 2011 at 4:40 PM

Nice! I have only seen this species a few times and nothing near this nice came off my CF card. Well done.

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

Comment posted by Simon Bennett on February 8, 2011 at 5:22 PM

Lovely banking pose and eye contact.

Registered on February 4, 2007, 350 Posts, 4614 Comments

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on February 8, 2011 at 10:10 PM

Sweet eye contact and banking pose, David. Really nicely done. I am surprised you'd use spot metering on a subject like this, as easy as it would be for the "spot" to slip from gray to black to white resulting in wildly different exposures. Worked out just fine here though, that is for sure.

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

Comment posted by Jay Levin on February 8, 2011 at 10:24 PM

Hi David. I am not an avian specialist, but the details and the eye contact are absolutely amazing. Also great capture of the bird in banking mode. Superb capture. Sorry that I can't come up with anything that should be faulted.

Registered on April 24, 2009, 21 Posts, 184 Comments

Comment posted by Albert Darmo on February 8, 2011 at 11:06 PM

Hi David

This composition is over the top

Awsome detail, eye and flight capture

Albert Darmo. Canada

Registered on November 25, 2008, 1386 Posts, 11978 Comments

Comment posted by Dennis Plank on February 9, 2011 at 12:16 AM

Beautiful, David. Excellent detail and exposure and the eye contact is fantastic.

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

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on February 9, 2011 at 2:03 AM

Magic David - great detail, eye contact and i lovce the fanned tail

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Wayne Rhodus on February 9, 2011 at 7:17 AM

Simply wonderful in all respects. A beautiful flight shot David.

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

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on February 11, 2011 at 8:07 AM

Really nice David. The combination of that banking turn, wonderful eye contact and striking eye color couldn't be better. Add to that the fact that the bird is a beautiful and difficult subject and you have a quite unique image IMO. Well done.

Registered on March 30, 2007, 437 Posts, 10915 Comments