Black Kite

(Milvus migrans) 48-55cm; span 1m

also known as Fork-tailed Kite; Kite-Hawk; Pariah Hawk (India)


These guys can be found over most of Australia and I was so estatic at getting the opportunity to 1) see them in the wild, and 2) getting shots of them, that I accidently bumped up the f stop on my 30D (anyone else find this easy to do?) which slowed down the shutter speed and stuffed up most of my shots

I did manage to find a few good ones. Taken with the Bigma, hand-held; PP'd in photoshop.

1) Floating past

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I think they turned out wonderfully considering the focal length, slow shutter, and lack of IS. Wish I had that steady of a hand!

They are good, considering the slow shutter speed 1/60s, thats really slow for no IS.

Thanks ArticEd and Mitch.

Steady hand? I think the heaviness of the lens helps

I can only lament on how many more keepers I would have had if the AV setting had been at f8, my sweet spot for the Bigma. That dial is just too sensitive when you're excited over a new sighting