White-Tailed Kite w/Vole

Very nice shot Sandy. I like the details and the POV a lot.

D&L

Hi Sandy,

I like the reflected light from the kite. Looks pretty good and the kite certainly has a tight grip on its lunch.......................Jim

Excellent, Sandy.  The light in the eye and plumage detail really make this one special.

Excellent job.  The light on the bird is wonderful and you did a superb job in bringing out the appropriate detail.  It looks like it's holding a headless mouse or vole.  Interesting that nobody brought this up.

The lighting and detail are really great Sandy.  I would love to hear some of the back story, e.g. locations, situations, observations if you care to share them.

Ed, I have found one of the best perks of groups like NPN is the network of photographers almost anywhere you live or travel. I also keep an eye on e-bird sightings and bird group web sites. In this case, going thru s cal  on the way to AZ, I called and met up with longtime NPN buddies patrick, David, and charlie who always know where birds are. Patrick called another NPN friend who knew there were nesting and hunting kites in fairview Park in Costa Mesa. Then you add a lot of luck and some semblance of skill and you might get some good shots. We a 6lso spend a lot of time skulking around local parks and travel specifically for birds. 
Sandy