Snail kite with snail

Gallery: AvianPosted April 22, 2011182 views15 comments

Had just an unbelievable morning with the snail kites this morning. Here is one of several shots I got that I really like. I got my FF shot with the snail today as well, but I will save that image for my next post or so. I really like this shot with the kite just lifting the the snail from the water. My favorite element of this image are the two blades of grass wrapping around the bird's shoulder. Please view the larger image for max details. Thanks so much for looking.

Canon 1DM4
500mm f/4 + 1.4x TC
ISO 800
1/2000s
f/7.1
Manual exp.
Hand held from my boat
72% of FF
Not baited or harassed in any way

Comments

15 comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on April 23, 2011 at 12:47 AM

Yet another great catch.
I'm moving to THERE for the kites!
I too like the grasses, the lift-off, the pose, and the whole environment.

Sandy

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

Comment posted by Ken Archer on April 23, 2011 at 3:07 AM

Sweet snail grab Ron

Excellent body detail with a bit of wing blur (which I like). Looks like your creating a real nice Snail Kite portfolio, keep'em coming.

Ken Archer

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

Comment posted by Ashley Vincent on April 23, 2011 at 4:47 AM

Excellent capture Ron! The beautifully formed wingspread, exquisite detail and sharpness on the eye (and what a glorious tone of red!) beak and head, and of course the fact that it's flying off with meal doesn't exactly do the image as a whole any harm ;^)

Very well done :^)

Registered on March 1, 2011, 154 Posts, 2083 Comments

Comment posted by Eric Diller on April 23, 2011 at 7:11 AM

NIce capture Ron! You may need to get a boat slip at the lake ;)

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

Comment posted by Keith Bauer on April 23, 2011 at 9:00 AM

Ron: Another fine Snail kite image. I too like the grasses on the birds shoulder. The habitat on this shot really tells a nice story. Sharpness, exposure, details..... superb. Nice image.

Registered on November 20, 2003, 458 Posts, 4836 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Drummond on April 23, 2011 at 9:25 AM

Amazing clarity and detail Ron - just superb

cheers
Rob

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

Comment posted by Luke Ormand on April 23, 2011 at 10:43 AM

Super sweet to get a clear look at the bird with plenty of habitat and the snail in the talons. I wouldn't change a thing.

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

Comment posted by Howard Cheek on April 23, 2011 at 11:04 AM

What Luke said, well done Ron!

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

Comment posted by Kurt Bowman on April 23, 2011 at 12:28 PM

How can it get any better? Great job on this Kite grabbing breakfast Ron! The eye really pops off the page, you managed to get the perfect amount of wing blur and the grasses over the should are simply superb!

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

Comment posted by Mia McPherson on April 23, 2011 at 1:45 PM

Ron,

I am in awe of this image. There isn't a single thing I don't love about it. And yes, I love the grasses too!

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

Comment posted by Richard Ditch on April 23, 2011 at 5:03 PM

Another first rate image - that's quite a collection of these kites. I really like the sense of place this shows.

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

Comment posted by Barbara Graham on April 23, 2011 at 5:37 PM

Beautiful foreground and background colors and light and wonderful action. I love those blades of grass over the bird's shoulder, too. Perfect sharpness of eye and beak.

Registered on July 27, 2010, 1310 Posts, 5035 Comments

Comment posted by Jagdeep Rajput on April 23, 2011 at 10:38 PM

It has all been said Ron !
A terrific frame and I just love the talons and water falling from snail.
Jagdeep Rajput
:

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

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on April 24, 2011 at 1:32 PM

This is an awesome shot, Ron. Several things adding up to make this fantastic. Cheers.

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Dudley on April 26, 2011 at 9:33 AM

Superb Ron, and very unusual with the grasses wrapping around the kite. Those grasses are a very strong element of the image and I like that those in the foreground are sharp. I also like that you caught the snail just as it came out of the water. Perfect focus on the head, great look at the eye and I like your framing. Just excellent!

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