When Common can be Uncommon?

[skfoo]

It’s Christmas! I would like to post these images to share with friends in this Forum. Actually, have it not been for a friend of mine (Sree), these images would not be here.

This is what happened.

1) Female Common Kingfisher

I have delayed posting of this image till now due to some “photography in progress” sessions that were going on in that area.

One day, I was inside a portable hide when my handphone rang. Sree who was at the other end of the line (but a distance away from me) asked me if I was able to swing my camera to my left. I took a peep outside the hide and almost immediately (but slowly) moved my tripod outward, turned, composed and fired away. What a lovely female Common Kingfisher! I like the way she looked against a smooth background and nice lighting. Common Kingfisher is migratory. Locally, they are not commonly seen as compared to our resident kingfishers namely Collared Kingfisher and White-throated Kingfisher.




2) Male Common Kestrel

Last year, a Kestrel was spotted at a reclaimed land in Changi. If I am not mistaken, prior to 2004, the last time anyone spotted a Kestrel in Singapore was 10 years ago!

This year, our (Sree and myself) encounter with it came as a shock. Sree almost jammed his breaks when I suddenly sounded out to him that a Kestrel was on the ground. There was a lizard under its claws.

Sree’s equipment was in the car boot. Mine was on the rear passenger seat in his car. Not wanting this rear opportunity to be missed, we decided to setup my gear first. By then, the Kestrel has flown up a nearby tree. As any delay would result in photographing the Kestrel without its food, Sree position his car to allow me to shoot from his rear passenger seat. Half way through, we thought the Kestrel would take its time to feed on its prey. So we backed off for Sree to setup his gear. Setting up the gear was fast but when we returned to the same location, the food is no more. The Kestrel may have swallowed the last bit of the lizard in full.

Kestrel is one of Sree’s favourite bird. He even named his team for the Bird Race in 2004 as Kestrel. His unselfish act to ensure that the images of Kestrel with food are captured is commendable.




Sree, thanks for these images!


I will like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Cheers!

[zcf]

nicely shot, merry christmas & happy new year to you also.

[Lion king]

Season's greeting SK. It's always a pleasure viewing your wonderful photos that you occasionally share with us.
You mentioned that you were in a portable hide when you make the shot of the common kingfisher. You shoot, I believe with a 600mm lens couple mostly with a 1.4TC. I know these guys are small. But out of curiousity, do it necessiate being in a hide to get a decent shot?
Btw, what kind of portable hide are you using?

[cartgate]

Great to meet up with you and the "gang" again yesterday - great shots! And congrats on getting the rare Kestrel - it's a beautiful bird, as is the Common KF. Saw, but not photographed, the CKF at SB yesterday for the first time - wow, kind of made the day, too.

Cheers, KC

[skfoo]

zcf/Lion king/cartgate,

Thanks for the comments!

[skfoo]

Originally Posted by Lion king You mentioned that you were in a portable hide when you make the shot of the common kingfisher. You shoot, I believe with a 600mm lens couple mostly with a 1.4TC. I know these guys are small. But out of curiousity, do it necessiate being in a hide to get a decent shot?Btw, what kind of portable hide are you using?

The key to photograph a Common Kingfisher is recce and patience besides being familiar with our gears and shoot in good light.

Recce - Because we need to locate the Common Kingfisher favourite perch, select a clean background and find an angle that will expose the kingfisher nicely.

Patience - Arrived at the location early and wait for the kingfisher to return to its favourite perch. Sometimes, it will return to the perch timely, other times it may not. We may need to return to the same location a few times before nailing a shot.

I was using a Nikon 500mm lens+1.7X teleconverters. From my experience, a hide is not a must. It depends on the acceptance level of the kingfishers (or subjects) and we should minimize unnecessary movements so as not to spook them.

That day, I was not expecting to photograph a kingfisher. I was in the hide to try to photograph another skittish bird. Yup, I was lucky that the kingfisher landed next to me! The shot was uncropped.

The hide was purchased through a MO organized by chngpe01 (as seen here):

http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthrea...highlight=hide

Cheers!

[Ally]

Not sure if off-topic:
If mine eyes were not playing tricks on me, I had a kestral fly right over me twice in evenings in Nov, in Lim Chu Kang area..
Same place, to and from same tree.. Once, it had wat looked like a dead bird in it's talons.. No cam on hand to shoot since I was on-site ..

I thought it was a falcon at that time, coz when it swooped past low, I could see the grey head, rufus-coloured body with black stripes/specks, with the distinct falcon-profile (angular wings, stubby head/body, longish tail.. at least to me that's falcon-like lah..)

Anyone can confirm my sighting? And are kestrals residents?
(read book on raptors of peninsular m'sia and saw entry for black-thighed falconets instead of kestrals..)