America Kestrel (Falco sparverius)
This fellow has gotten pretty comfortable with us humans this season. Of course he’s sitting on a sign, but only about 12 feet from my car. This is almost full image, just cropped from the bottom.
Wondering if this is a pleasing portrait. What do you think?
600mm, 1/800 sec @ f/8, ISO 800
A nice portrait of this friendly guy, David. I need to get down there again when the weather breaks. Unfortunately, I’ve had other obligations the last couple of dry days.
Thanks Dennis. Yeah, there’s a Short-eared Owl pair that seem to be wintering there. They’ve become a magnet for the crowds…
I think this is a lovely portrait. The sharpness in eyes, beak and foreground are great and the colour story is lovely.
Gorgeous portrait, David. The eye contact and detail in the feathers couldn’t be better, at least for me. The smooth blue sky is icing on the cake. Nicely seen and captured.
Hi David and wow - I have had no luck getting close to this species even for a full body shot. Really nice you have a friendly subject like this. A very nice portrait. Love the backwards glance over those gorgeous feathers.
Hi David,
I think it looks great! Awesome details and that look is nothing short of awesome as well!
Looks like that 600mm lens is working well for you.
You’ve definitely captured the beauty of a kestrel in this shot. Nice to be able to get close; I’ve found them to be as skittish as any bird I’ve come across.
@Robena.Sirett, @linda_mellor, @Allen_Sparks, @Merv, and @Allen_Brooks thank you for the kind comments. I do appreciate it.
Merv, that new lens is fantastic. 150mm-600mm zoom and fairly slow at f/8 wide open, but it seems to work nicely with the newer cameras.
To both Allens, for some reason the Kestrels are more comfortable at our local refuge, likely because it’s a car tour, so no people walking around. The vehicles act as a nice blind…
Thanks again.
Is it lame to just dogpile on the nice comments here? Should I whip out a critique?! LOL.
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one of these ever so it’s a treat to see one so close. Blown away even if it is habituated to us humanoids.
Yup, those signs and the refuge really create some wonderful perching opportunities for close-ups. The warm colors, head turn, and feather texture work well in this portrait. The blue background sets it all off.
Hi David
What the saying , Ok David"I am ready for my close-up". Very nice shot.
Peter
