Red Kites and Dams

Had a nice trip down to the Elan Valley last week, for a look around the various reservoirs and then back to see the Red Kite feeding. I didn't realise the latter was as organised as it turned out to be - when my mates said it was at 3pm, I figured that these things just naturally happened to turn up around 3-ish to feed, not that someone would come and shovel lots of raw meat out onto a field at exactly that time. Anyway, an interesting experience and one that highlights how difficult it is to track these things when they've seen food.

1. Spotted something


procIMGP9412 by Mike Edwards, on Flickr

2. Got some


procIMGP9381 by Mike Edwards, on Flickr

3. Crowded sky


procIMGP9384 by Mike Edwards, on Flickr

4. Tag someone you know


procIMGP9459 by Mike Edwards, on Flickr

5.


procIMGP9270 by Mike Edwards, on Flickr

6.


IMGP9276_stitch by Mike Edwards, on Flickr

Some of the birds came out better than I expected, though as with most fast-moving things, I've deleted plenty of shots. I found it quite uncomfortable shooting from inside the hide we were in, though that might have been partly because I was at the end aimed at wheelchair users so the slot is a bit lower down. I kept tracking a bird and then finding I was up into the roof of the hide, so I went outside after a bit. I'm not sure I should have done that. The bird shots are using the Sigma 50-500, but I've had to do a bit of sharpening and fiddling.

I'd like to visit the reservoirs again, we didn't really leave ourselves enough time to have much of a look and ended up having to miss one of the dams out. I think the solution would be to just pick one or maybe two and walk around, rather than driving as we did, as there are several places where parking isn't possible but might have made a decent image.

As always, comments and critique welcome.

I never knew that event occured at all. To see one such round here is wonderful. To have that many is amazing. No.1 really is fantastic.

I bet it was a great experience - and got to agree with David, the first one is superb

Nice shots. I like the first best.

These are actually Orange Kites, but they were named red because there wasn't a name for orange..... It's the same with red hair..... Nobody has red hair it's orange.
(Source QI)


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Thanks all.

The first is very nice.

No. 1 for me too - great composition, even if a touch accidental!

Oh, they were all accidental - I'd long since given up trying to track any of them and was just hoping for something. I've got another similar one, with a nice grouping of three or four birds, one very sharp and the others much more out of focus than in the one above. Trouble is, it's not the front one that's in focus. But that's the luck of the draw, for me at least. Maybe I'll do some more bird-related stuff, but I have enough trouble with moving shots on cars that are at least only moving in one direction.

Went to the feeding site a few years back. The birds know when the food is coming - however they do all suddenly appear en-masse - spectacular!

I too like no1 best

Terrific.
David