Black Kite.

[Ironwood]

I managed to get a few shots of some Kites, Hawks, and Eagles up on the hill behind my house yesterday afternoon. They hang around the area when the neighbour kills one of their cattle and dumps the carcus in their quarry.

I have gone through my shots and deleted the bad ones, still have to do some PP on the keepers.
Here is one that I liked, I am pretty sure its a Black Kite, because of its forked tail.
The sky might look a bit patchy in places, because I took out some unwanted branches. I will tidy it up a bit more later.

Nikon D7100, Tamron 150-600, @600mm, f8, 1/1600th, iso1250

[wigz]

That's a nice shot Brad. Interesting pose with the wings out.

[Ironwood]

Thanks Alan.
I really don't know what it was doing, it sat like that for at least 5 minutes.

[Phoenix]

Good shot.
Nice pose, it looks like it's doing a "Laud Me" pose. But perhaps it's sunbaking?
I can't detect any patchy sky. Wish I could do that.. I find smooth blue impossible to repair.
Do you process raw? I'd like to see it with a smidgeon less exposure.

[Ironwood]

Thanks Jo. Full size on my 27" mac screen I can see the patchiness, but its not really noticeable in the smaller pic.

I do process my shots raw. Most of my shots yesterday were a bit over exposed, I tried to bring it down a bit in post, maybe not enough.

[Alan]

Great shot and job with the cloning

Reminded me of something... (from Wikipedia)

In heraldry, an attitude is the position in which an animal, fictional beast, mythical creature, human or human-like being is emblazoned as a charge, supporter or crest. Attitudes of birds

Some attitudes describe the positioning of birds. The eagle is so often found displayed in early heraldry that this position came to be presumed of the eagle unless some other attitude is specified in the blazon.
The terms Expanded and Elevated or Abaisé and Inverted are similar terms often used interchangeably in heraldry but have specific meanings. There is also sometimes confusion between a Rising bird with Displayed wings and a Displayed bird. The difference is that Rising birds face either to the dexter or in trian aspect and have their feet on the ground. Displayed birds face the viewer, have their legs splayed out, and the tail is completely visible.
Several terms refer to the particular position of the wings, rather than the attitude of the bird itself. A bird in nearly any attitude, except overt, may have its wings displayed or addorsed.

• wings Displayed means the bird's right wing is extended forward and its left wing extended rearward, turned so that the undersides of both wings are fully shown.
  • displayed and Expanded or Espanie / Épandre ("expanded") are spread with the wing tips pointing upward.
  • displayed and Lowered or Abaisé ("lowered") are spread with the wing tips pointing downward.
• wings Addorsed means the wings are raised and spread behind it back-to-back as if about to take flight, so that only the top of the bird's right wing shows behind the fully displayed left wing.
  • addorsed and elevated are raised with the wing tips pointing upward.
  • addorsed and inverted are raised with the wing tips pointing downward.

[Ironwood]

Cheers Alan. Interesting read there.

[Alan]

You're welcome - glad you found it interesting. It's stuff I never knew about and would never have looked up had you not posted your photo and piqued my curiosity - thanks

[avkomp]

nice work on this one. good light etc bit of a bummer with the branch leading out of the frame like that but you would still have to be happy. the forked tail gives its ID away.

[Ironwood]

Thanks Stephen. Up on the hill is a lot more open than down near my house where I do most of my shooting, nice to be out of the shadows for a change.

[Ironwood]

Where did that branch go

[Ironwood]

I don't remember if this was the same bird, possibly was before it spread the wings.
Looking at the marks on the branch, I think it is the same bird in the same spot.

[Isac]

All well done Ironwood. Lovely poses and detail is super as well. I'd get rid of those 3 lower branches though but that's just me.

[seaslug]

Great to get that close to them, I haven't had much luck with the raptors. Might have to leave a few dead bunnies lying around within camera shot!

[Ironwood]

Thanks Greg. This lot were hanging about because the neighbour killed one of their cattle, and they dump the carcass in their quarry just over the back of the hill. I drove around there a couple of years ago when they had just finished butchering one of their cows and saw about 20 birds fighting over the scraps, I didn't have a camera with me, would love to stumble on that scene now. Maybe your Rabbits would bring them in

[Ironwood]

All well done Ironwood. Lovely poses and detail is super as well. I'd get rid of those 3 lower branches though but that's just me.

Thanks Isac, ask and you shall receive

I think it looks better.

[Ironwood]

Here's one of these birds in flight.