Kingfisher Diving Sequence - Tamron 500mm

There is a little man made stream that runs through our compound, not more than 18 inches (ca. 45cm) deep anywhere except where it empties into a pool containing huge goldfish. However that doesn't deter a pair of Kingfishers from coming here to fish (and I've spotted them for at least the last 3-4 years now).

This is the first time I've been able to shoot them - and even then the closest I could get was 35m before these noisy starling like birds start up their warning calls and panic everything around them !

Anyway, I was so excited to see them that I had to post - regardless that I know they are barely keepers never mind post-able ! These were all taken from around 40m away and are heavily cropped of course.

The Female Fishing :-

1. On Your Marks

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Diving-Sequence/1191275113_d6wQ8-L.jpg[/IMG]

2. Get Set

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Diving-Sequence/1191275896_ts9vh-L.jpg[/IMG]

3. Go !

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Diving-Sequence/1191276946_g7qg9-L.jpg[/IMG]

4. Mach One

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Diving-Sequence/1191277593_6bLKw-L.jpg[/IMG]

5. Houston - We Have Entry

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Entering-The-Water/1191347489_Sig5r-L.jpg[/IMG]

6. Mission Impossible - But The Boy Is Back In Town (Poor quality but I like the pose) !

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Diving-Sequence/1191281851_J4ks8-L.jpg[/IMG]

7. So I'd Better Make Myself Pretty ! (Poor quality but I like the pose) !

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Diving-Sequence/1191282019_8mzgS-L.jpg[/IMG]

8. Looking Good Baby ! (Poor quality but I like the pose) !

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Kingfisher-Diving-Sequence/1191282135_fJC9Q-L.jpg[/IMG]

9. The Male

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Male-Kingfisher-Shanghai/1191290985_UuyRG-L.jpg[/IMG]


10. A Reason to Leave .... Pronto !

[IMG]http://frogfish.smugmug.com/Other/Birds/Where-Have-All-The-Birds-Gone/1191290296_shoQC-L.jpg[/IMG]

From 40m away they are very good, especially the male in the last shot (no not the Tom) although despite his bird hunting habits he looks quite cute and cuddly

The male was taken from the closest I have been able to get to date (35M) !

Actually I correct that ... the male landed just 5m from me once whilst I was sitting on a rock deciding on the best place to settle .... and the camera was not ready ! All I could do was sit motionless and admire him for the 60 secs he stayed there.

There are numerous stray cats that live in our compound, they must feel safe here - though maybe that's why the birds in our compound are so skittish and frightened of their own shadows !

Nice set - a very difficult fast moving subject.

Was that a 500mm Tammy mirror?

Yes it was. 500mm, fixed f8, manual focus of course .... but the Tammy has a fantastically smooooth focus ring, the best I've ever come across.

Yes, a lovely feel to them. The 500 and the 90mm 2.5 are a real joy to use.

A really lovely series

Thank you TT !

Given my current longing for a 500mm Sigma zoom, this seems like a plot to get me to concentrate on my Tamron SP 500. A great story these pics tell, and at least one keeper.

I may well get a long zoom, but I don't see me replacing the 90mm f2.5 in a hurry

Nice set, a good example of how not all photographs need be super sharp and noise free.
Sometimes the setting means much more.
Well done.

davex

Thank you Blythman - I have realised I was tragically under-utilising my 500 Tammy, from 40-50yds away the IQ is better (if you nail the MF - and I'm improving in that regard) than those cropped from the 55-300.

Thanks for the kind words Dave !

Thanks Gareth.

BTW - just so people know how to tell them apart. The female is the one with the red patch on her lower mandible. The male's is all black .... and he was the one sitting back watching the wife catch dinner.

Great shots, I really wish I'd seen one of these in the wild let alone photographed one!!

Simon

Thank you Simon ! Yes, I feel privileged to have seen them like this.

I actually remember when growing up as a boy I often used to see them at various ponds that I went fishing to in Cheshire. One time one even came and perched on the rod !

As above.

Well captured and great use of the 500 reflex.

A good example of location benefit and being able to get results.

Good work, good effort and thanks for sharing.

Best regards