[swip]

Another couple of visitors to the feeder. It was a very nice and sunny day today, I finally managed to get some decent shots of these guys.
I used my tripod and a Uniball head recently purchased from a member. It worked really well. It is very solid but compact and easy to control. I like it much better than a gimbal head which is rather bulky.

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Last edited by swip; 04-10-2016 at 07:07 PM.

[Weevil]

I think I have observed a special behavior of the Kestrel in my shooting session yesterday.
I saw it at the top of a tree, so I stopped my car, and installed my bean bag to support my big lens...


Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


and suddenly it flew to another tree that was broken.

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


I did not realized at that time it went there to pick up a mouse, but right after, it went to another big branch to start eating the mouse.

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

After eating the Kestrel took a quick break and then got back to the broken tree...

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


she (because it's a female) start looking into the top crack

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


and was trying to grab something without success...

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

she was trying to find another way by going down the tree trunk... thug life!

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

I think she tried to grab another prey that was previously stored in there... was this a kind of pantry?
Is this a documented behaviour observed before ?
I tried to find something on the Net about that, but could not find any evidences...

[boriscleto]

I think I have observed a special behavior of the Kestrel in my shooting session yesterday.
I saw it at the top of a tree, so I stopped my car, and installed my bean bag to support my big lens...


Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


and suddenly it flew to another tree that was broken.

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


I did not realized at that time it went there to pick up a mouse, but right after, it went to another big branch to start eating the mouse.

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

After eating the Kestrel took a quick break and then got back to the broken tree...

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


she (because it's a female) start looking into the top crack

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


and was trying to grab something without success...

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

she was trying to find another way by going down the tree trunk... thug life!

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

I think she tried to grab another prey that was previously stored in there... was this a kind of pantry?
Is this a documented behaviour observed before ?
I tried to find something on the Net about that, but could not find any evidences...

Falcons will cache surplus food.

Peregrines typically bring their prey to a plucking perch or to a cache site. Small prey items sometimes are consumed in flight. Particularly during the breeding season, excess food often is stored in one or more caches or hiding places. Males sometimes store food on the breeding grounds prior to the female’s arrival and then use this food for courtship feeding. Females may take food from the cache site if their mate is late bringing food back to the nest.

Peregrine Falcon | Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Raptor Conservation, Education, Observation & Research

[Weevil]

Falcons will cache surplus food.



Peregrine Falcon | Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Raptor Conservation, Education, Observation & Research

Ho ! Great!
I found some information where the male would use food to attract a female, but your references says it all!


So maybe that's what I should do when my spouse is waiting for myself at dinner time when I am out in the field shooting those wildlife!

Thanks !

[Scorpio71GR]

So I'm sitting outside in an Adirondack waiting for an interesting birding shot a few minutes ago, holding my camera and fiddling with the settings since it's close to sundown. Apparently I'm not really keeping an eye on the feeders because I see something swoop down and land on the ground in front of them but didn't see what only 40 feet away. I lean up from the chair and there's a Red-shouldered hawk tearing something apart on the ground. I raise my camera to take a shot and dang, it's the menu screen. OK, no panic. I click thru and raise it again. Dang, I forgot I had been setting up manual settings so the focus is on manual too. By the time the 6-10 seconds it took for me to get my wits about me runs off the clock it begins to take off. Still not too late right? LENS CAP!!!

A few weeks ago I was driving back from one of my birding spots. As I was driving I noticed something very large in a tree. I drove up close about 40 feet or 19 meters and rolled down my window. I grabbed the K3 and the Bigma. First the zoom lock was on so stuck at 50mm, not good. Unlock the zoom and press the back focus button, nothing. $%@### thing is turned off. Turn it on and aim again, Gone!. In three years that is the only hawk I have seen there. No more turning the camera off this year.

Lately I have been taking my K50 and HD55-300 with me while walking my dog. It is light enough to carry and handle even with my 100lb German Shepherd. These are some shots over the last few weeks. Overall I am happy with the 55-300 and the K50. For the price and being WR you can not really ask for more. Both the camera and the lens cost less than a DA*300 alone. It also much lighter than the K3 and Bigma. All are at 300mm.
Robin from last week with the K50 and HD55-300.


Sparrow in a pine tree, K50 and 55-300 again.


Two for one.






I have been trying to catch this dove for awhile now. This one is a heavy crop on the 55-300.

[r0ckstarr]

DA*300mm.
Not a birds this time. Can't decide between these two:

I like the first because the pedals seem smooth and thick. I like the second because the pedals look to have some texture to them. I like both because the yellow center grabs your eye. I cannot decide either.

I think I have observed a special behavior of the Kestrel in my shooting session yesterday.

Great photos, and great story.

So maybe that's what I should do when my spouse is waiting for myself at dinner time when I am out in the field shooting those wildlife!

Thanks !

Bring her a dead mouse?

[boriscleto]

So maybe that's what I should do when my spouse is waiting for myself at dinner time when I am out in the field shooting those wildlife!

I'm sure she would appreciate a dead mouse stuck in a tree

[Weevil]

I'm sure she would appreciate a dead mouse stuck in a tree

I like the first because the pedals seem smooth and thick. I like the second because the pedals look to have some texture to them. I like both because the yellow center grabs your eye. I cannot decide either.



Great photos, and great story.



Bring her a dead mouse?

I think I'll have more chance with a TV Dinner hidden in the freezer!

[r0ckstarr]

I think I'll have more chance with a TV Dinner hidden in the freezer!

Maybe she will stuff your dinner in a tree because you're late.

[Canada_Rockies]

Maybe she will stuff your dinner in a tree because you're late.

And hide the step ladder while she is at it. And then demand that you take her to Antonio's for dinner because she went to all that work and you didn't even let her know you were going to be late and this isn't the first time, but it better be the last time and ....

[derekkite]

I think I have observed a special behavior of the Kestrel in my shooting session yesterday.
I saw it at the top of a tree, so I stopped my car, and installed my bean bag to support my big lens...


Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


and suddenly it flew to another tree that was broken.

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


I did not realized at that time it went there to pick up a mouse, but right after, it went to another big branch to start eating the mouse.

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

After eating the Kestrel took a quick break and then got back to the broken tree...

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


she (because it's a female) start looking into the top crack

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


and was trying to grab something without success...

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

she was trying to find another way by going down the tree trunk... thug life!

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Crécerelle d'Amérique / American Kestrel [Falco sparverius] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

I think she tried to grab another prey that was previously stored in there... was this a kind of pantry?
Is this a documented behaviour observed before ?
I tried to find something on the Net about that, but could not find any evidences...

Those are very nice. Watch that area, they may set up a nest a bit later. Listen for their call, late spring they copulate vigorously over a few weeks and is an indication a nesting site is nearby. She will perch on a branch near the nest on warmer days.

[Weevil]

This evening, went to a Fox's hide, and the cabs are already quite tall!



Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

[derekkite]

This evening, went to a Fox's hide, and the cabs are already quite tall!



Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Very nice! An eventful weekend.

[Weevil]

A couple more of the foxes, after the sun went down... hi ISO!



Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr



Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr


Tried using the better beamer, and it helped a bit...

Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr




On the next ones, I had to remove the red eyes...




Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr






Renard roux / Red Fox [Vulpes vulpes] by Sylvain Cote, sur Flickr

[biz-engineer]

It was a very nice and sunny day today, I finally managed to get some decent shots of these guys.

The first one, lighting and smooth out of focus background, excellent.