Osprey - They're Back !!!

PrescottPhotog

Hi Everyone, Finally the birds are arriving and so are the raptors.

Well it has been terrible weather here every afternoon for over a week, sunny, cloudy,
storms, lightening, you name it. I wasn't going to go out yesterday and when I did it
clouded over and there was lightening all around me. I was about to pack up when
this guy showed up.

This was, without a doubt, the BIGGEST (and I do mean HUGE) Osprey I have even seen.
He (she) made two passes over me and at first I couldn't figure out what it was because
it literally lumbered along like an eagle, very slow wing flaps, unlike
most Osprey I have seen that move rather fast and usually high off the water. I knew
something was coming because ALL the other birds went crazy over the lake and then out
of the gray and dull light came this guy cruising about 20 feet off the water.

Even though I was under my camo cover this guy had a bead on me that could kill. It was
hot and humid, my glasses were fogged over and I couldn't really see what I was shooting.
I wasn't expecting the second pass and the last shot he finally got out of the overcast
background and into some sunlight. Thank goodness for RAW

Hope you enjoy (forgive the heavy PP'ing, it took a lot).

#1
1st pass over me..

#2
1st pass over me..

#3
2nd pass over me..

#4
2nd pass over me..

Ann McRae

Boy, he sure has his eyes set on you!!!

Great eye contact


ann

Maestro

Nice series. And I agree with Ann, you have some great eye contact!

dbaker1221

great captures...the last one is fantastic

ShepsMom

Yes, last one is outstanding!!!

PrescottPhotog

Osprey

Ann McRae wrote:

Boy, he sure has his eyes set on you

Thanks Ann for the comments.. most of the series (not posted because of low light) he never took his eyes off me on the second pass.. it was awesome, I just wish the shots would have turned out better.. even in RAW I couldn't make them look very good.

PrescottPhotog

Osprey

Maestro wrote:

Nice series. And I agree with Ann, you have some great eye contact!

Hi Stephen.. Thanks for looking and for your comments.

PrescottPhotog

Osprey

dbaker1221 wrote:

great captures...the last one is fantastic

Hi Dave.. Thanks for your comments. It was hilarious if you had seen me in the middle of cleaning my glasses, camera laying on my lap and totally not ready to shoot anything.. and here he comes again, over the small willow trees coming right at me. I never saw him until he was about 40 yards away.

PrescottPhotog

Osprey

ShepsMom wrote:

Yes, last one is outstanding!!!

Hi Marina.. Thanks for your comments. I'm glad you liked the shot !!

Harryb

Excellent captures especially the last one.

PrescottPhotog

Osprey

Harryb wrote:

Excellent captures especially the last one.

Hi Harry.. Thanks for the comments. After not seeing a raptor of any type since early last spring this really got my blood pumping. I'm ready for a great winter of shooting here in Arizona.

SciurusNiger

PrescottPhotog wrote:

Hi Harry.. Thanks for the comments. After not seeing a raptor of any type since early last spring this really got my blood pumping. I'm ready for a great winter of shooting here in Arizona.

These are great! Saw several in Michigan's U.P. last month and am looking forward to more in a couple of weeks.

None of your photos have exif info (that I can see); how are you capturing these wonderful shots? (Looking for advice.)

PJ.

PrescottPhotog

SciurusNiger wrote:

None of your photos have exif info (that I can see); how are you capturing these wonderful shots? (Looking for advice.)PJ.

Hi PJ.. Thank you for the compliments.

This shot was the Mark III, 500 f/4 lens, monopod, w/ Wimberley Sidekick.. the Sidekick and 500 make it effortless for BIF especially when stalking the birds of prey, which I always do, full camo gear, snake boots and down in the weeds and reeds. I have to around here because the birds won't let you withing 500 yards of them if you are out in the open and everything around Arizona is in the open.. very very jumpy birds.

I have been stalking a great Egret for 6 months (the only one around here) and he won't let anyone within 1/4 mile of him, even by accident. He is always at the lake but as soon as he hears a car door slam from the parking area he is on the move. My only hope is for him to get spooked by someone else and fly my way, but the lake is big and he is very smart.

The EXIF for this shot was.. 1/1600 sec at f/6.3, ISO 320 but it was the wrong setting for the type of day if you aren't working in RAW (big storm clouds and then bright sunlight, lightening in between) so I had to work the RAW file over quite a bit, that's why I didn't post it.