Merlin

Gallery: AvianPosted March 21, 20151,137 views8 comments

Yesterday morning I photographed a merlin eating a small bird on a neighbors tree. There are a collection of dead or dying trees along the road which I'm sure some people hate - but I understand the importance of these snags to wildlife and from time to time I've seen raptors on them (usually on the way to work when I have no time). When I came home, it was snowing and the Merlin was once again there - and sure enough this morning it was present again when I had the best lighting of the 3 encounters.

Nikon D7100 80-400mm @ 400mm HH
f/8
1/1000s
ISO 400

Cropped to Vertical, minor adjustments including a Subtle HDR filter in Perfect Effects 8

Comments

8 comments

Comment posted by Jerry Austin on March 21, 2015 at 6:16 PM

You managed to capture some really nice feather detail. Love the branch and the simple background really shows this guy off. Well done.

Registered on January 6, 2012, 651 Posts, 3448 Comments

Comment posted by Ralph Kerr on March 21, 2015 at 6:48 PM

A great image Luke. For my taste, I would prefer just a bit more light on the face, at least the way it looks on my monitor, and of course some catch light in the eye. However, remembering that we take the situation handed to us. Congrats.

Registered on January 30, 2007, 369 Posts, 852 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Frye on March 21, 2015 at 8:21 PM

Great feather detail and I like the green moss on the perch -- a little too much perch for my taste -- I would copr the perch to just about where the moss starts

Registered on February 3, 2007, 387 Posts, 1136 Comments

Comment posted by Philip Hodgkins on March 21, 2015 at 9:23 PM

Nice one, Luke. Simple and strong detail. Excellent!

Registered on July 24, 2006, 2741 Posts, 12349 Comments

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on March 22, 2015 at 11:14 AM

Scott - thanks for the comment. I have to correct your use of the word "moss" as the green stuff is in fact a Lichen. I'm pointing this out tongue-in-cheek because I was at a conference on Friday where one of the topics was lichens and the person who presented has dedicated their entire academic life to lichens. I'm sure they try and explain what they study and most lay people say "oh, you mean moss" haha.

FWIW Lichens are composite organisms of algae and fungus with each benefitting from one another. They are indicators of healthy eco-systems and great air quality. If you look at trees in cities you will be hard pressed to find lichens on them - but go out in the mountains and every tree will be covered.

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

Comment posted by Steve Thompson on March 22, 2015 at 3:31 PM

I like this Luke. It's a bit of a steep angle but at least he's looking toward you. The feather detail is very sharp. I also liked the interesting Lichen lesson too.

Registered on August 7, 2014, 125 Posts, 2319 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 22, 2015 at 6:14 PM

The details in the birds feathers are great, Luke. I also like the pose and the branch. I could see cropping even more from the top and left. Yes, that's an unusual comp., but with the bird looking down and out I think it captures some of the intensity of the hunt. BTW, one of the best Canadian wildlife painters, Robert Bateman, has a number of paintings with his animals looking out of the frame and I think they work very well, which is where I got the idea from.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on March 26, 2015 at 10:09 AM

Great details and an unusual comp, works for me.
Like the pose & the lichen covered branch adds a bit more interest Luke

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