Snail kite

Gallery: AvianPosted April 18, 2011263 views30 comments

I have these birds available and who knows if I will ever have another chance to get good images of them, so I keep going back. Please pardon my obsession. This adult male did a nice bank for me. This bird has a snail, but, of course, you can see it from this angle. I really like the angle and the BG. Please view the larger image for max details. Thanks so much for looking and commenting.

Canon 1DM4
500mm f/4 + 1.4x TC
ISO 800
1/2500s
f/7.1
Manual exp.
Hand held from my boat
48% of FF crop from horizontal to vertical
Not baited or harassed in any way

Comments

30 comments

Comment posted by Fabio Giarrizzo on April 18, 2011 at 1:15 PM

Another killer shot- Pose, detail, and BG are really incredible on this- No problem for your obsession, I'd be quite happy to obtain one day a shot with half the quality of this image- Great skill, Fabio

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

Comment posted by Dan Harbour on April 18, 2011 at 1:35 PM

super shot, Ron. Great flight pose, wonderful detail. nice diagonal composition. Excellent

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

Comment posted by Ron Huff on April 18, 2011 at 1:37 PM

Awesome shot. Really great detail and color in the Snail Kite and the BG is really nice. I would keep going back too.

Ron Huff

Registered on August 31, 2010, 69 Posts, 440 Comments

Comment posted by Wayne Willison on April 18, 2011 at 2:00 PM

Ron, don't fight it. Snail Kites have become your specialty. Wonderful image, love the banked pose, the eye, and all that feather detail. There is one thing that bothers me, though but not until I opened the larger version. It's the grey in the URC. I think I'd tone it down slightly.

Registered on April 10, 2009, 292 Posts, 3967 Comments

Comment posted by Charlie Baugh on April 18, 2011 at 2:00 PM

Ron this is as good as it it possibly could be, I think. Wonderful when more common birds are the subject of such skilled exposure.

Registered on April 18, 2011, 329 Posts, 1985 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on April 18, 2011 at 2:17 PM

I'll never get tired of the kites - although I sure wish the shots were mine! I had only a half-day with them and they were not very "cooperative".
Unusual shot of the topside and excellent detail.
Nice eye and BG too.
Sandy

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

Comment posted by keith mitchell on April 18, 2011 at 2:32 PM

Ron keep them coming there great! this bird is superb.

Keith.

Registered on July 12, 2008, 127 Posts, 1735 Comments

Comment posted by Dan Walters on April 18, 2011 at 3:09 PM

Love the flight pose with the nice details in the wings and back. Nice vertical crop as well.

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

Comment posted by Keith A Anderson on April 18, 2011 at 3:16 PM

Another gorgeous BIF. The bank and light angle are perfect for showing off the feather detail on the kite's back and the bg really sets the bird of well.

Registered on February 13, 2006, 166 Posts, 1818 Comments

Comment posted by Phillip Tomkinson on April 18, 2011 at 3:31 PM

Hi Ron it's a very nice image.

Phil.

Registered on July 14, 2005, 194 Posts, 427 Comments

Comment posted by Bill Leggett on April 18, 2011 at 5:05 PM

Outstanding, Ron! Fine image quality as usual, really nice bank, wingspread and headturn. Only curious to know how you think it would work with a slightly looser crop, possibly with a bit more room at bottom and RHS.

Registered on July 21, 2004, 706 Posts, 3233 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Bielefeld on April 18, 2011 at 5:14 PM

Bill, thanks so much for the comment. I have no more room on the bottom. I just fit the bird in the frame top to bottom with very little room to spare. I have more room to the right, but I like the comp presented as it puts the bird looking/flying toward the LRHC of the frame. Thus, to me the bird has room to fly into. Lastly, this crop provided a closer look at the bird and thus the feather detail. Just explaining why I like the current comp. Cheers.

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

Comment posted by Richard Teller on April 18, 2011 at 6:46 PM

Just an outstanding image. Everything about it is great, the pose, background, detail, color and focus.

Registered on August 23, 2010, 1162 Posts, 6692 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on April 18, 2011 at 7:30 PM

A wonderful full wing spread seen at a perfect angle.

Well done.

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

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on April 18, 2011 at 7:32 PM

Ron,

I have great respect for your talents, especially with our most rare raptor in North America! This is excellent. I would be so happy to have this in my files. Maybe on my next trip to FL.

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

Comment posted by Eric Diller on April 18, 2011 at 8:52 PM

Another spot on shot Ron! Would have liked a tad more light on the face but still an amazing capture~

Registered on October 2, 2009, 69 Posts, 434 Comments

Comment posted by Sharon Hallowell on April 18, 2011 at 9:03 PM

Excellent capture again...even without a snail! Please keep going back.
Details are wonderful! Sharon

Registered on November 1, 2003, 392 Posts, 4810 Comments

Comment posted by KC Choo on April 18, 2011 at 10:00 PM

I guess I'd be out there every day, too! Wonderful banking shot!

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

Comment posted by Brian Gatlin on April 18, 2011 at 10:04 PM

love it, Ron. great banking pose with sweet details and nice light in the eye. nice comp. actually I love everything about this. you must be having fun with these!

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

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on April 18, 2011 at 10:08 PM

It's all been said before... but I wish for a head turn to show off the face more. Only problem with that is that the bird would have been focused on you instead of whatever else it was doing which of course is more natural!

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

Comment posted by Ken Archer on April 18, 2011 at 11:07 PM

WoW

No Nits Here.

Ken Archer

Registered on October 28, 2004, 222 Posts, 6683 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on April 19, 2011 at 1:02 PM

Beautiful image Ron, love this!

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

Comment posted by Vincent Grafhorst on April 19, 2011 at 1:34 PM

Excellent pose, detail and light Ron!

Personally I would have given the bird a bit more room all around though.

Registered on February 24, 2006, 504 Posts, 7203 Comments

Comment posted by Oscar Dewhurst on April 19, 2011 at 4:33 PM

Fantastic shot - great pose, detail, and light

Oscar

Registered on August 6, 2009, 85 Posts, 502 Comments

Comment posted by Cheryl Molennor on April 19, 2011 at 7:52 PM

Ron, I pegged it as yours and there it is! The light on those wings is just amazing as is the detail. You continue to amaze me.

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

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on April 19, 2011 at 10:06 PM

The flight pose in this one is killer Ron! Awesome work!

Registered on June 19, 2008, 1005 Posts, 8028 Comments

Comment posted by S Govindarajan on April 19, 2011 at 10:09 PM

Outstanding pose and image, Ron. Nothing to add to what others have already said. I hope to see this species some day. Congrats on this image and thanks for sharing it.

Registered on April 19, 2008, 115 Posts, 1921 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on April 20, 2011 at 12:47 PM

Terrific frame !!!
Large posting is a pleasure to view !
Jagdeep Rajput

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

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on April 20, 2011 at 4:50 PM

One of your very best and that's saying a lot Ron. Love the excellent and dramatic view of the topside, the great lighting and that to die for background. Your framing is excellent for my tastes and that beautifully fanned tail tops everthing off perfectly. Simply wonderful.

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

Comment posted by Jim Hackley on April 22, 2011 at 5:00 PM

Back from vacation and almost missed this one, a real beauty and what a wonderful wing spread pattern, I have never seen one of these, I can see why you like them, excellent shot and background to compliment, way to go.

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