Talk About Being in the Right Spot...

[Second Hand Pat]

If you ever watch a large hawk/eagle catch fish you would not expect this.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1484/25158533135_77b3080143_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Ekb4oF)DSC_6538 (https://flic.kr/p/Ekb4oF)

That is the head and upper wings of an osprey.

[Second Hand Pat]

Then this happened.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1552/25065272951_b201bf0b2e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/EbW5ot)DSC_6539 (https://flic.kr/p/EbW5ot) [/url]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1549/24790824919_f51b09bff3_z.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/)DSC_6542 (https://flic.kr/p/DLFsxR) by

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1582/25065265781_1ef7ef5229_z.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/)DSC_6543 (https://flic.kr/p/EbW3fR) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/]

[Second Hand Pat]

Here's the size of the lake

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1464/25040263222_1c9a0f5e28_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/E9HTSf)DSC_6544 (https://flic.kr/p/E9HTSf)

[Second Hand Pat]

Then this happened.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1624/24531680253_6757bf6a3e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DnMgSn)DSC_6554 (https://flic.kr/p/DnMgSn) [/url]

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1569/25132172956_50fc788e27_c.jpg (https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/)DSC_6555 (https://flic.kr/p/EhQXqQ) [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/]

The bird liberally flew over me.

[DJW]

Nice catch!

Watch out, sometimes they lose their grip and drop things. I saw a snake fall out of the sky once.

[Keith Perkins]

How awesome is that, what a cool day taking photos.

[nc0gnet0]

Osprey?

[Akili]

Nice Shots Pat and like always Thanks for sharing!!!

[Second Hand Pat]

Nice catch!

Watch out, sometimes they lose their grip and drop things. I saw a snake fall out of the sky once.

That looked like a nice fish. I wouldn't have minded that. :D


How awesome is that, what a cool day taking photos.

It was Keith and I was pretty excited getting these shots. :)


Osprey?

Yes Rick :)


Nice Shots Pat and like always Thanks for sharing!!!

Thanks Akili :D

[nc0gnet0]

oops, missed your text below the first pic, very cool!

[Second Hand Pat]

oops, missed your text below the first pic, very cool!

Thanks Rick, think so too. :D

[Cosmo]

pretty awesome pics Pat, somehow I never get anything near that cool lol Are you a professional photographer or just out for a stroll with your camera?

[Second Hand Pat]

pretty awesome pics Pat, somehow I never get anything near that cool lol Are you a professional photographer or just out for a stroll with your camera?

I am learning Jim and got lucky today :)
Pat

[Loosir]

Wow!! You need to frame or sell that last photo!!!6555, so close and he's looking right at you, and no blur!! I'm blown away

[Larry Bugg]

Awesome pics Pat.

[Altum Nut]

Your title says it all Pat...that is a WOW factor for sure.
How many frames did you get off to capture these exceptional shots.
I agree with Geoff...that last pic is striking.
Hope the Rodeo was just as fun today.

...Ralph

[Second Hand Pat]

Wow!! You need to frame or sell that last photo!!!6555, so close and he's looking right at you, and no blur!! I'm blown away

Thanks Geoff, nice words indeed.


Awesome pics Pat.

Thanks Larry :)


Your title says it all Pat...that is a WOW factor for sure.
How many frames did you get off to capture these exceptional shots.
I agree with Geoff...that last pic is striking.
Hope the Rodeo was just as fun today.

...Ralph

I only have a few I did not post Ralph. I felt pretty lucky I got even the long distance shots. I did not think they would be useful but did help tell the story a bit. Only did the fair. Rodeo did not start in this evening and we have another commitment.
Pat

[discuspaul]

What a fabulous batch of pics, Pat !!!

[SMB2]

The last one is super Pat
I love how Osprey turn the fish head first to make it "aerodynamic" in flight.
It is amazing that they will get almost totally submerged when they dive, then have the power to get out of the water with the fish that may weigh as much as they do and then get airborne, all while being wet!

[brewmaster15]

Pat now you know why to never leave home without your camera. VERY COOL OSPREY SHOTS!

Al

[Second Hand Pat]

The last one is super Pat
I love how Osprey turn the fish head first to make it "aerodynamic" in flight.
It is amazing that they will get almost totally submerged when they dive, then have the power to get out of the water with the fish that may weigh as much as they do and then get airborne, all while being wet!

Thanks Stan, I never considering the position of the fish but makes perfect sense. I have one more picture in this series but I do not think it is better then that 6555.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat now you know why to never leave home without your camera. VERY COOL OSPREY SHOTS!

Al

Indeed Al and thanks. :D I thought you might appreciate the "documentation" nature of the series of spots of the bird lifting itself out of the water even thru the photos themselves are not noteworthy.

[Second Hand Pat]

What a fabulous batch of pics, Pat !!!

Thanks Paul :D

[mee]

Looks like it was almost too big for him. Up in the NW eagles sometimes will swim salmon to shore.. On some documentary I saw an Eagle swim an emperor cichlid (think it was an emperor cichlid) to shore.


Seriously awesome pics Pat, the last one is awesome, but so are the ones of the catch ! Making me hungry looking at that fish.

[Discus-n00b]

Those last 2 shots are excellent!! Ospreys were always one of my favorite birds growing up.

[Second Hand Pat]

Looks like it was almost too big for him. Up in the NW eagles sometimes will swim salmon to shore.. On some documentary I saw an Eagle swim an emperor cichlid (think it was an emperor cichlid) to shore.


Seriously awesome pics Pat, the last one is awesome, but so are the ones of the catch ! Making me hungry looking at that fish.

Thank mee, I have seen video of eagles swimming to shore...slow but effective.


Those last 2 shots are excellent!! Ospreys were always one of my favorite birds growing up.

Thanks Matt, they are still one of my favorites. :)

[Second Hand Pat]

Redid that last shot a little. I do like how this came out.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1625/24547418733_a3f66b7a73_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DpaWnt)DSC_6555-2 (https://flic.kr/p/DpaWnt)

[Second Hand Pat]

Al, you know what this guy is?

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1712/25179523625_f5091f0b18_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/En2D8F)DSC_6641 (https://flic.kr/p/En2D8F)

[Second Hand Pat]

I caught several photos of ospreys pretty far away so the photos are not great but this illustrates the point made by Stan where the ospreys points the fish head first so the fish is aerodynamic. The ospery also keeps the fish in line with its own body during flight.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1607/24816952159_47a1c82155_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/DNZngv)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/DNZngv)

[SMB2]

Pat that is a bit strange. I would say a Little Egret but without yellow feet, which can happen. The beak has a funny curve and the blue wing tips are odd.
The other possibility is a white morph of a Reddish Egret.
You can post the pic on FB "Can you ID this bird"; location of shot and even your guess.

[Second Hand Pat]

Pat that is a bit strange. I would say a Little Egret but without yellow feet, which can happen. The beak has a funny curve and the blue wing tips are odd.
The other possibility is a white morph of a Reddish Egret.
You can post the pic on FB "Can you ID this bird"; location of shot and even your guess.

Stan, I posted it in the North American Bird Photography group on FB so we will see if anyone knows. Al is a birder so why I asked him.
Pat

[Discus-n00b]

I would of guessed the same as Stan, but everything about this bird is throwing me off on the ID LOL weird. Pretty bird though.

Did you brush that bird with anything in post Pat? The edges look weird to me, some spots looks like it was photoshopped/sharpened on top of a water background others it's really soft like a blur tool was used. Perhaps it is my tired eyes? Maybe the soft areas are motion blur? I can't really tell just looks a bit strange to me.

[nc0gnet0]

https://www.google.com/search?q=great+egret+with+dark+bill&rlz=1T4PLXB_enUS621US621&tbm=isch&imgil=yfZ6BDZ9b2Tr6M%253A%253BtoVZy2OkALeNXM%253Bh ttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.birdzilla.com%25252Fbi rd-identification%25252Fid-skill-development%25252Fbird-families%25252Fegrets-herons-similar%25252Fegrets.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=yfZ6BDZ9b2Tr6M%253A%252CtoVZy2OkALeNXM%252C_&usg=__paG_HMiWAi6ha_8FSP5tS1H2zxc%3D&biw=1152&bih=609&ved=0ahUKEwiRzMqFx4rLAhXBRCYKHSZeCHEQyjcIJg&ei=X5HKVtGgC8GJmQGmvKGIBw#imgrc=yfZ6BDZ9b2Tr6M%3A

[Second Hand Pat]

I would of guessed the same as Stan, but everything about this bird is throwing me off on the ID LOL weird. Pretty bird though.

Did you brush that bird with anything in post Pat? The edges look weird to me, some spots looks like it was photoshopped/sharpened on top of a water background others it's really soft like a blur tool was used. Perhaps it is my tired eyes? Maybe the soft areas are motion blur? I can't really tell just looks a bit strange to me.

I used adjustment brushes both on the bird and water Matt mainly to give a nicer background and to pull that bluish cast from the feathers. The back wing edge in foreground was giving me fits between the water and the bird. Here's the original photo. I was attempting to use Stan's manual settings for white birds in florida.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1519/25191513985_441ed34fb9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Eo66s2)[/url] [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/129594174@N08/] (https://flic.kr/p/Eo66s2)

[Second Hand Pat]

https://www.google.com/search?q=great+egret+with+dark+bill&rlz=1T4PLXB_enUS621US621&tbm=isch&imgil=yfZ6BDZ9b2Tr6M%253A%253BtoVZy2OkALeNXM%253Bh ttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.birdzilla.com%25252Fbi rd-identification%25252Fid-skill-development%25252Fbird-families%25252Fegrets-herons-similar%25252Fegrets.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=yfZ6BDZ9b2Tr6M%253A%252CtoVZy2OkALeNXM%252C_&usg=__paG_HMiWAi6ha_8FSP5tS1H2zxc%3D&biw=1152&bih=609&ved=0ahUKEwiRzMqFx4rLAhXBRCYKHSZeCHEQyjcIJg&ei=X5HKVtGgC8GJmQGmvKGIBw#imgrc=yfZ6BDZ9b2Tr6M%3A

Not sure Rick, would like to see the wing tips.
Pat

[blueluv]

These are awesome shots Pat. I like how you captured the moment from beginning to end

[brewmaster15]

Al, you know what this guy is?

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1712/25179523625_f5091f0b18_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/En2D8F)DSC_6641 (https://flic.kr/p/En2D8F)

Immature Little blue Heron

[SMB2]

You da man, Al.

94935

[Second Hand Pat]

Thanks Al :)...and Stan lol.

[rickztahone]

Those first 2 shots are just lovely Pat :). I am yet to come close to taking a nice BIF shot like that where the bird's eyes are actually looking my way. I'd be super proud of that shot had I taken it.

The last shot is also a very nice one, but as Matt pointed out, you can actually see some artifacts of PP. You want to be very careful when you are trying to pull detail from files and if you are zoomed in on a shot, make sure you zoom out often to get a global look of the shot. I'm pretty sure you are doing this, but you always want to work on a file before you crop/resize it. If you aren't doing this currently, do it from now on.

Lastly, I actually like the last one you posted of the original almost lacking all color. It is a spectacular shot IMHO