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romy ocon | profile | all galleries >> Wild Birds of the Philippines (Photos) >> Bird Galleries by Location >> A raptor's mid-air dinner in sweet light tree view | thumbnails | slideshow

A raptor's mid-air dinner in sweet light

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After a couple of weeks of hectic Christmas activities, I managed to find some time to go afield yesterday, January 6th - my first birding sortie in the new year.
The skies were virtually cloudless over the vast fishponds of Sto. Tomas (La Union). I took off my 1.4x TC III to allow more photons to reach the 7D MII's AF sensor,
thus increasing AF speed and responsiveness under the dying light of the day.

As the sun got low over the South China Sea, my regular customer arrived to catch its next meal.

The raptor promptly grabbed its prey at the well-stocked fishpond and proceeded to eat its dinner in the air, while soaring in the steady breeze. I let go of a long burst,
and I was lucky to have one frame with the beak open, ready to munch the soft flesh of the tilapia. The quality and direction of light was very favorable, allowing me to
expose the contrasting plumage well. It's normally tough to capture detail of this raptor's eye, but in this case the light angle was just right.


Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus, resident, adult) Habitat - Open areas often near water, and also in mountains to 1500 m. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 6, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.
RO726469-1500x1000.jpg

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus, resident, adult)

Habitat - Open areas often near water, and also in mountains to 1500 m.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 6, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II,
400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus, resident, adult) Habitat - Open areas often near water, and also in mountains to 1500 m. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 6, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.
RO726405-1575x1050.jpg

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus, resident, adult)

Habitat - Open areas often near water, and also in mountains to 1500 m.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 6, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II,
400 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus, migrant, non-breeding plumage) Habitat - Bays, tidal flats to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 7, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/3200 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.
RO726772-1575x1050.jpg

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus, migrant, non-breeding plumage)

Habitat - Bays, tidal flats to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 7, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II,
400 mm, f/5.6, 1/3200 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta, migrant) Habitat: Coastal marsh and tidal flats to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 7, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II, 400 mm, f/5.6, 1/3200 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.
RO726782-1575x1050.jpg

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta, migrant)

Habitat: Coastal marsh and tidal flats to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 7, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II,
400 mm, f/5.6, 1/3200 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus, resident, adult) Habitat - Open areas often near water, and also in mountains to 1500 m. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.
RO727110-1575x1050.jpg

Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus, resident, adult)

Habitat - Open areas often near water, and also in mountains to 1500 m.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta, migrant) Habitat: Coastal marsh and tidal flats to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.
RO727222-1575x1050.jpg

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta, migrant)

Habitat: Coastal marsh and tidal flats to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus, migrant) Habitat - Associated with water both along coast and inland. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.
RO726931-1575x1050.jpg

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus, migrant)

Habitat - Associated with water both along coast and inland.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1575 x 1050.

Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant) Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.
RO727178-1500x1000.jpg

Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant)

Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.

 Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant) Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.
RO727179-1500x1000.jpg

Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant)

Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.

 Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant) Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.
RO727180-1500x1000.jpg

Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant)

Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1500 x 1000.
Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant) Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1575 x 1050.
RO727062-1575x1050.jpg

Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant)

Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 1575 x 1050.

 Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant) Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields. Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 17, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III, 560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1800 x 900.
RO727266-1800x900.jpg

Great Egret (Egretta alba, migrant)

Habitat - Uncommon in a variety of wetlands from coastal marshes to ricefields.

Shooting Info - Sto. Tomas, La Union, Philippines, January 17, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/7.1, 1/2500 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 1800 x 900.

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