Magnificent Frigatebirds wait for the fishing fleet to arrive
Jun 12, 2017 07:20:47 #
Each afternoon when the charter sport fishing boats return to the hotels near my home, the Frigatebirds wait for the boats to discard their unused bait. They pick up the fish with their beaks without ever landing on the water. In fact Magnificent Frigatebirds never land on water and seldom land at all; they have been recorded staying airborne for 1-2 months at a time even "sleeping" in the air.
While they expend significant energy finding and chasing small fish on the surface, they spend more time chasing each other in an attempt to rob other birds of their prey. Their long wings and incredible tails make them very agile and aerodynamic.
I have spent many afternoons, at about 3:00 PM, watching these aerial acrobats. The shooting conditions are challenging as these birds are very fast and agile. These were taken with a Canon 7DII, on a customized Case 3 AF mode. A 100-400 II lens was used, between 100 and 250 mm, and all were handheld. Most shots were at 1/2000, f/4.0-5.6, in Shutter Priority mode with auto ISO. The biggest exposure problem is the bird's dark brown, almost black undersides and the very bright sky behind them. I used +2 EC on most of the shots.
While they expend significant energy finding and chasing small fish on the surface, they spend more time chasing each other in an attempt to rob other birds of their prey. Their long wings and incredible tails make them very agile and aerodynamic.
I have spent many afternoons, at about 3:00 PM, watching these aerial acrobats. The shooting conditions are challenging as these birds are very fast and agile. These were taken with a Canon 7DII, on a customized Case 3 AF mode. A 100-400 II lens was used, between 100 and 250 mm, and all were handheld. Most shots were at 1/2000, f/4.0-5.6, in Shutter Priority mode with auto ISO. The biggest exposure problem is the bird's dark brown, almost black undersides and the very bright sky behind them. I used +2 EC on most of the shots.
Jun 12, 2017 22:44:31 #
Jun 13, 2017 07:41:13 #
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