GBH with trout

Gallery: AvianPosted February 17, 2011142 views11 comments

Southern California, Feb 10, mid morning waiting for anything to happen when a GBH flew over the lake and quite near me decided to flutter above the surface and then proceed to scoop a trout out of the water with his beak without landing in the water. I have never seen this before but one of the other photographers I was near said that he saw this same thing happen a couple weeks prior. Probably the same GBH. I was so stunned to see it happen that I didn't get any shots of him other than the one here where he's flying away with his catch. I hope to get this action during the catch in the future.

Nikon D90
200-400mm @ 400mm
F/5.0
SS 1/4000
ISO 400
Exposure Mode Manual
Metering Mode Spot
Raw
Hand Held
Comments and suggestions always welcomed and appreciated. Larger version for detail. Thanks for looking

Comments

11 comments

Comment posted by Angela McCain on February 17, 2011 at 6:04 AM

The one image you got was certainly a winner. In Flight, large fish, good detail, few water droplets falling from the feet. This has a lot going for it. Great story too.

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

Comment posted by Andy Shepherd on February 17, 2011 at 9:02 AM

Like the lighting on this one, David and always great to capture a bird with prey in it's beak.

Andy...

Registered on September 24, 2006, 123 Posts, 1254 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on February 17, 2011 at 10:48 AM

Great catch! Like the trout in the bill and the wing position.

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

Comment posted by Paul Powers on February 17, 2011 at 12:01 PM

What timing and unlike me when things like this happen I never have my camera setting just right - It looks like you did - Congrad !!!!

Registered on July 25, 2010, 30 Posts, 72 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on February 17, 2011 at 3:42 PM

Great catch by you and the bird, David. We have a great view of both bird and fish too. Nice detail and exposure. Fast shutter speed really helped too.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Harry Harris on February 17, 2011 at 4:05 PM

Great actin shot. Good shooting as usual. The detail is upto Haynes standards which I hope to achieve one day. I have never seen the described behavior either.

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

Comment posted by Jim DeWitt on February 17, 2011 at 5:12 PM

A very nice image; a great story to go with it. I know that stunned reaction to unusual behavior all too well...

Registered on August 28, 2006, 1240 Posts, 8506 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on February 17, 2011 at 6:03 PM

Nice and sharp David and the fish is a bonus. Flying towards you would be very special.

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Geoffrey Baker on February 17, 2011 at 6:38 PM

Excellent work.
A fish in the beak too, that's a great bonus.
Well done.

Geoff.

Registered on August 20, 2010, 192 Posts, 980 Comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on February 18, 2011 at 7:41 AM

great capture- excellent pose, light an details- well done, Fabio

Registered on December 3, 2010, 90 Posts, 1614 Comments

Comment posted by Alan Bryant on February 19, 2011 at 12:16 PM

The smaller 720x size doesn't give your image any justice, as the larger version is very, very nice.

Sharp, inflight and with a fish

Well done

Registered on March 31, 2006, 473 Posts, 1081 Comments