POST YOUR BIRDS IN FLIGHT !!!

This is a bad image (severe crop!!) but I had to share it. 5 years ago seeing an eagle here in western PA was a rarity. Yesterday I had a baseball game assignment for the newspaper (had the 70-200 mounted, explains severe crop) when I heard a lot of racket overhead and this is what I saw. 2 minutes later the Osprey came back empty handed.

Yellow billed Kite.

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Wj1W​U4

Candor wrote in post #18432322

IMAGE LINK: http://www.mikeswildli​fe.com …rds-of-Prey-1/i-FX6r6Qm/A

Sweet. how has the action been?

Two from today August 20, 2017. Close up.

MISSISSIPPI KITES

There are still lots of Mississippi Kites soaring over the Katy Prairie, catching dragonflies and cicadas in preparation for their long migration to central South America. I am seeing from six to a dozen every morning, some close, some too far to photograph. They will be gone, in another 3 weeks or so. For a while, there was a family group of three, right over my backyard. These two images show the difference between adult and juvenile plumage:

The adult male's light gray head is easy to over expose against the bright blue sky:

Great captures! You got the shots I was after. We also had a family living in the next door tree, but every time I brought out the camera, the lens fogged up too much!
I'm down the road from you near Richmond.

icopus wrote in post #18432628
Great captures! You got the shots I was after. We also had a family living in the next door tree, but every time I brought out the camera, the lens fogged up too much!
I'm down the road from you near Richmond.

Thank you. I take my rig out and set it on the backyard table. Then I go back in the AC and make a cup of coffee, have a few sips and then go back outside. In about 5 minutes, the condensation is gone. I never tire of watching these fantastic flyers

mikeivan wrote in post #18432600
MISSISSIPPI KITES

There are still lots of Mississippi Kites soaring over the Katy Prairie, catching dragonflies and cicadas in preparation for their long migration to central South America. I am seeing from six to a dozen every morning, some close, some too far to photograph. They will be gone, in another 3 weeks or so. For a while, there was a family group of three, right over my backyard. These two images show the difference between adult and juvenile plumage:

The adult male's light gray head is easy to over expose against the bright blue sky:

Hosted photo: posted by mikeivan in
./showthread.php?p=184​32600&i=i146104609
forum: Birds

The juvenile's plumage is more colorful than the adults but they are noticeably less graceful in the sky:

Hosted photo: posted by mikeivan in
./showthread.php?p=184​32600&i=i155032046
forum: Birds

These are handheld, 65 point zone focus and cropped about 50%.

Nice Mike! They are everywhere right now. I was on the Katy Prairie Friday but only saw caracara.

I'm with you on the camera acclimation, put it out early so it's ready.

Practicing for the soon to come main event.

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …20-2017-3-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

IMAGE LINK: https://photos.smugmug​.com …20-2017-4-XL.jpg&lb=1&s=A

Common Kestrel and Gyr falcon are among the birds we see here in Northern Norway, Gyr is the worlds largest falcon.

Common Tern - wingspan is quite large on these birds!