Hey All...

[ront]

I do not get around here as often as I used to, but wanted to share some of what occupies my time. I hope that you do not mind.
I don't generally post a lot of bird pictures for a couple of reasons. Number one is that I don't seem to get many chances to take them and frankly when I do, they are not great. Well, I am not sure that these are great either, but they are some of the best I have taken to date.
This last Saturday, a man was in one of the wheat fields behind our house working with his birds. He had a Gyr/Peregrine and a Peregrine falcon. If you have never had then chance to watch this up close and do get the chance, take it!! It is awesome to watch and a bit challenging to capture the birds in flight.
The following are a few pics that I took and a link to the rest of them can be found in this link.
http://ront.smugmug.com/gallery/7958636_n4mHE#517673698_R9AhJ
I used my Sony A700 and 18-250mm lens for these.

I hope that you enjoy these.

Ron


http://ront.smugmug.com/photos/517675176_gpxX3-L.jpg

http://ront.smugmug.com/photos/517676725_BbKMq-L.jpg

http://ront.smugmug.com/photos/517677257_VTrZm-L.jpg

http://ront.smugmug.com/photos/517677841_Mph5m-L.jpg

http://ront.smugmug.com/photos/517678690_QVkSe-L.jpg

http://ront.smugmug.com/photos/517681757_YCW8i-L.jpg

http://ront.smugmug.com/photos/517683616_DuzX5-L.jpg

[ghostrider]

Sweeeet pics!


Thanks for sharing.

[mrappraisit]

ront - those pic's are great! I would have loved to have been that close to a Peregrine, lucky you.:) Thanks for sharing the pic's.

If any of you have ever seen video of Peregrine Falcon they are amazing birds. One was clocked at 242MPH once!! Amazing predators!

[bh49]

Ron,
Great pictures, especially birds in the air.
Thank you for sharing.

[clovisc]

Very cool bird, man!

Here are a couple of me, working with a juvenile bald eagle... :D

<a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/?action=view&current=DSC00479.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/DSC00479.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/?action=view&current=DSC00472.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/DSC00472.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/?action=view&current=DSC00481.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/DSC00481.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


and a cute barn owl, for good measure... :D

<a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/?action=view&current=DSC00463.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q220/jsn0jsn/DSC00463.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[jb2009]

Thats a pretty amazing looking bird!!!!

[clovisc]

the bloodied beak photo is especially great.

falcons are great fun to work with... they're so intelligent!

[SimpleIsGood229]

Excellent pics! What beautiful birds.

[Blueboost]

great shots. National Geographic great.

clovisc, you say juvenile, but he is HUGE. And here I thought my buddy Mariner was a big boy-

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Blueboost/DSCF0095.jpg

[fret]

Nice photos. I like birds but would be wary of the huge birds here.

[Peter1960]

Ron, I enjoy your pictures of a wonderful bird of prey. Thank you :)

[tonydahose]

very cool pics everyone, you need to get them clutching a :spyder:, closed of course:D

[ront]

Thanks for the comments my friends!!:). It was a lot of fun to take these pictures. I hope to get more chances in the next few months.

clovisc, great shots. Man that is a big bird!! I would love to get that close to an Eagle!! What a magnificent bird!!

Ron

[Jazz]

Thank you boys for the beautiful pics! I'm a birdwatcher, so I love them - and I love aircraft - the falcons are like jet fighters of the bird world. Seeing them showing off is always a thrill. We have a lot of Merlins around here and they're in top form in the Spring. The Bald Eagle - wow! I thought they looked huge watching them fly over the river here, but up close - wow. I love the owl and parrot, too. Much appreciated.

- best wishes, Jazz.

[dialex]

Thanks for the great pics. The falcons and eagles are spectacular birds, but I'm particularily fond of owls - I read they are very interesting.

[224477]

Amazing pics, thanks.

[spydutch]

Very nice pics:cool::cool:

[Peter1960]

Hi Ron,

During the last months I always had your thread in mind. I hope that you rejoice in my pictures from last Sunday. Equipment was Nikon D300/battery grip/70-300 mm lens:


http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6815/20091025gemeindeausfllud.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/815/20091025gemeindeausfllu.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/815/20091025gemeindeausfllu.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/815/20091025gemeindeausfllu.jpg

[D1omedes]

Superb photos everyone. It must be awesome to work with such magnificent creatures. Probably a bit nerve-wracking too - as they could tear out your eyeball in a heartbeat.

My family used to have a parrot and I absolutely hated it. He was very friendly when he was young but after six months or so, he was a nightmare. Constant attention, extremely loud and mean as hell. He would constantly bite whenever you grabbed him or he perched on your arm. I actually considered doing some terrible things to it when my mom finally sold it.

It would have been great to see a bird of prey teach that parrot a lesson. :)

[Freediver]

Absolutely amazing pictures.

[TheKnifeCollector]

Incredible pix!!!

[christopher]

Amazing Pics!! Please keep 'em coming.

[ront]

Oh man Peter, you have some awesome photos here!!!! I especially like the 2nd one. The look in his eyes is just incredible and the lighting and exposure is superb. You have some nice gear and definitely know how to use it!!

I really enjoyed these! Ron





Hi Ron,

During the last months I always had your thread in mind. I hope that you rejoice in my pictures from last Sunday. Equipment was Nikon D300/battery grip/70-300 mm lens:


http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/6815/20091025gemeindeausfllud.jpg

http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/815/20091025gemeindeausfllu.jpg

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/815/20091025gemeindeausfllu.jpg

http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/815/20091025gemeindeausfllu.jpg

[Water Bug]

Wow, how did I miss this thread?

Ron, outstanding pictures of the falcon! Loved the eyes and the bluish gray color of its bill stands out. Beautiful bird!

Outstanding pictures by everyone else.

Peter, was that a Nikon 70-300 VR you were using? It's a fantastic lens.

I remember chatting with the Pest Management Shop Foreman at McConnell AFB KS, a few years back. He recalls a hangar where they had pigeon problems. They couldn't keep the pigeons out, they wouldn't leave, and they made a mess everywhere. Then one day a young falcon came along. The foreman noted that the falcon appeared to be injured and had roosted up in the rafters to heal up. He said over time the pigeons decided to make their exit until they were all gone. The falcon stayed for a few days until it was healed and flew off. Those apparently were the nicest days that the hangar crew had for working on the aircraft.

[bh49]

Great pictures Peter,
Thank you

Oh man Peter, you have some awesome photos here!!!! I especially like the 2nd one. The look in his eyes is just incredible and the lighting and exposure is superb. You have some nice gear and definitely know how to use it!!

I really enjoyed these! Ron

Ron,
I am with you. Second picture is the best for me. Amazing shot.

[ront]

Thanks Water Bug.

The man that owned the Falcon that I took pics of uses some his birds around the AFB here in Spokane to keep the area clear of other birds. I hear that it is quite effective!

Ron

[Peter1960]

Peter, was that a Nikon 70-300 VR you were using? It's a fantastic lens.
Yep, it is the AF-S VR Zoom Nikkor 70-300mm 1:4,5-5,6G. VR is good but not on moving objects like birds.

Ron & Roman: I'm glad you enjoy the red kite. It's my actual desktop picture.

[buglerbilly]

Super shots people! Massive thumbs up from me...............;)

Regards,

BRIAN