King Fisher

Dennis Kaczor · July 26, 2009

Well, every day I go to the park hoping to get a good image of this bird, and was so hard to approch these guys. Today they were closer than I have seen before and a pair put on a show for 30 minutes.

dlplumer · July 26, 2009

Great capture Dennis. I know how difficult these are to get

IraRunyan · July 26, 2009

Outstanding captures. I especially like the third image with the wing spread.

You Did Good!!

Dennis Kaczor · July 26, 2009

dlplumer wrote:

Great capture Dennis. I know how difficult these are to get

Thanks Dan for your comments on these images, difficult and frustrating they can be. Yet so close, and they see you there gone, and most times just to far for the lens. It felt like pay day today..Grin

Dennis Kaczor · July 26, 2009

IraRunyan wrote:

Outstanding captures. I especially like the third image with the wing spread.

You Did Good!!

Thank you very much for your comments and kind words. I too like that one, it turned out well for me.

grimace · July 26, 2009

WOW!!

Maestro · July 27, 2009

My nemesis bird (one of many). Very well done. I love the last one with the reflection off of the water.

Ric Grupe · July 27, 2009

Now...I AM jealous, Dennis.

Outstanding captures of a nemesis of mine too.

Dennis Kaczor · July 27, 2009

grimace wrote:

WOW!!

Thanks Adam for your comments and I take it that you liked these images with the WOW!

Dennis Kaczor · July 27, 2009

Maestro wrote:

My nemesis bird (one of many). Very well done. I love the last one with the reflection off of the water.

Stephen, well these King Fishers are always there in the park, but never enough in the close range, until that day. I like the one with the wing spread. Nemesis bird for sure, and very hard to get unless you have an 800mm and I think that would be sweet to have, not on my lists to get, to expensive, but the lens would be well within the confort zone for this bird?

Dennis Kaczor · July 27, 2009

Ric Grupe wrote:

Now...I AM jealous, Dennis.

Outstanding captures of a nemesis of mine too.

Thanks Ric, and I have to say that this was a lucky day, and I will be going back, but not holding my breath this time, and a nemesis for most of us that don't have a big 800mm lens at our will.

Thanks for the kind words.

Harryb · July 28, 2009

Excellent set of an extremely difficult subject.

lazarkl · July 28, 2009

Wow. I've shot kingfishers, without very good results. These are exceptional.

Dennis Kaczor · July 28, 2009

Harryb wrote:

Excellent set of an extremely difficult subject.

Thanks Harry for your comments and I agree not the easiest of birds to nail.

Dennis Kaczor · July 28, 2009

lazarkl wrote:

Wow. I've shot kingfishers, without very good results. These are exceptional.

Thanks for your comments, and I have had the same issues, but just kept trying and trying and these are the best images I have of this bird thus far.

Thanks again.

SteveF · July 29, 2009

Really like the last one with the reflection and wing spread.

These guys are tough to sneak up on.

bret · July 29, 2009

Like many others here, I'd like to have a buck for every hour I've stood sweating near some creek, swamp, or marsh trying to get a decent shot of one of the most elusive birds.

Your shots are a victory for all of us.

-bret

Dennis Kaczor · July 29, 2009

SteveF wrote:

Really like the last one with the reflection and wing spread.

These guys are tough to sneak up on.

Hi Steve, strange how I put this image in and not thinking it was a very good shot and yet here on on my forum users seem to like this one go figure. I have to say that I do like the reflection in that shot, and thanks for your comments on these images.

Dennis Kaczor · July 29, 2009

bret wrote:

Like many others here, I'd like to have a buck for every hour I've stood sweating near some creek, swamp, or marsh trying to get a decent shot of one of the most elusive birds.

Your shots are a victory for all of us.

-bret

Hi Bret, well that was a very nice comment in your last line, and I really appreciate that very much. I think we all would be rich, standing and waiting for the King Fisher just to get a bit closer to us. I have to say, that I have tried for years, and nothing that I considered a great shot, and yet luck would have it on this day they came in close enough for me.

Thanks again for your kind words...

bret · July 30, 2009

I share your passion, Dennis.

If I don't get the shot I want that day, I go back another day.
If I don't get the shot then, I go back.
Then I go back some more.
I keep going back.

Sometimes I finally get the shot.
Many times I don't.
But I keep going back.

The good news is that I get a lot of unintended shots while I'm out trying to capture something else. I may go out looking for eagles and end up taking macro pics of a spider mite or something. Or I'll go to the marsh chasing herons and egrets and come home with some nice pics of water lillies or dragonflies. The point is, as Forrest Gump would say, "You never know what you're gonna get."

The only decent Kingfisher shot I ever took was this one, while I was out shooting something else. Nothing compared to yours, though.

-bret

Dennis Kaczor · July 31, 2009

bret wrote:

I share your passion, Dennis.

If I don't get the shot I want that day, I go back another day.
If I don't get the shot then, I go back.
Then I go back some more.
I keep going back.

Sometimes I finally get the shot.
Many times I don't.
But I keep going back.

The good news is that I get a lot of unintended shots while I'm out trying to capture something else. I may go out looking for eagles and end up taking macro pics of a spider mite or something. Or I'll go to the marsh chasing herons and egrets and come home with some nice pics of water lillies or dragonflies. The point is, as Forrest Gump would say, "You never know what you're gonna get."

The only decent Kingfisher shot I ever took was this one, while I was out shooting something else. Nothing compared to yours, though.

-bret

Bret, very true statement, on we go ouot for one type of bird, and end up with some thing else. BUt as I always say, right place at the right time is all it takes. Some days are better than others. This is a nice capture here and I love the perch that this guy is is on. Very nice Bret.

timcallow · July 31, 2009

Terrific captures, I love this bird!

Maestro · August 1, 2009

Dennis Kaczor wrote:

Stephen, well these King Fishers are always there in the park, but never enough in the close range, until that day. I like the one with the wing spread. Nemesis bird for sure, and very hard to get unless you have an 800mm and I think that would be sweet to have, not on my lists to get, to expensive, but the lens would be well within the confort zone for this bird?

Completely, but I can't imagine investing that much money for just one bird.

Perhaps I could just rent one.

Dennis Kaczor · August 1, 2009

timcallow wrote:

Terrific captures, I love this bird!

Thanks for your comments, and I have to agree that most of us do love this bird, but one of the hardest ones to capture.

Dennis Kaczor · August 1, 2009

Maestro wrote:

Completely, but I can't imagine investing that much money for just one bird. Perhaps I could just rent one.

I agree with you there, plus you have to carry the darn thing around with you and that is why I have not bought a larger lens. If I were younger I would do it in a heart beat, but now for get it. A tripod and my current lens is more than enough as it is.

dbaker1221 · August 2, 2009

great captures...I'm jealous I've tried several times to get one...well done

Dennis Kaczor · August 3, 2009

dbaker1221 wrote:

great captures...I'm jealous I've tried several times to get one...well done

Thanks Dave for your comments. I have tried for years, and on this day got lucky. Was there today and they were around, but the Redtail Hawks put on a good show for us. Will post them later on.

King Fisher

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