Pure, 100% luck I pressed shutter release as this Kingfisher decided to zoom off.
90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.
Very nice pic.
very nice timing Angus catching zippy the Kingie !
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Regards, Hazel
Thank you, William and hazy.
What I'm liking about burst mode is that animal behaviours are revealed in rather surprising manners. Such behaviours are not see by the human eye as they occur so fast. Even on nature programmes, which have the ability to slow motion down, we don't appreciate what is happening.
Kingfishers are a case in point. We tend to see this blue flash plunge vertically arrow like into water (if we are ever lucky to see such in the first place), and then a flash back up to it's perch. I never realised how much a Kingfisher flaps its wings, when diving.
What tends to be a rare sight, including on nature programmes, is seeing a Kingfisher flying towards one. Therefore...with dirty extender glass (it was its first outing and I hadn't realised how dirty it was) and less than stellar light. Actually the low light conditions meant I had to use Program mode...though I hadn't realised I had set the camera's maximum ISO value to 6400.
As usual, my R7 lost focus and tracking as the subject passed in front of an object where contrast was much reduced i.e. the edge detection software could not discern an edge. Matters not helped by such a filthy lens extender (now rectified), lowish light conditions and the sheer speed of burst mode couple with lower processing power.
Still, we're very pleased that the R7 managed to get such an unusual sequence of photos of a Kingfisher.
Angus
Thank you for these shots, so very interesting to not only be able to view, but read ,of your and ( several other wonderful photographers on here) diligence in capturing and then posting for us aged arm chair viewers to enjoy.
Do keep posting
Brilliant photos Angus, kingfishers aren't the easiest of birds to see, let alone photograph.
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Gosh, thank you Sunny Kate. I'll keep posting!
I've been somewhat busy of late, removing decking and repairing a ditch. Plus various birds have been too busy raising young to hang around to be photographed.
I reckon our 'resident' Kingfishers have chicks! Their behaviour changed this week. Now, they catch a fish, kill it, do not eat it but fly off in the direction where I believe their nest to be. We also see them zipping too and fro; heading off to other ponds in the area and back.
Until yesterday. When one bird stayed for quite sometime. It caught one fish, ate it, but seemed quite content to sit there, soaking in the early morning sun. I wondered if it was taking a breather, especially if its chicks were fast a sleep.
Pushing the envelope of what my camera gear can do... I did set shutter speed at a minimum of 1/6400, which seemed to do quite well with the reasonable early morning sun.
Don't forget to try one of the other Focus Cases that are designed to detect rapid movement or change of direction.