I captured this male stonechat while driving around, “modern lightweight beanbag” (polysterene chips) on the window. I saw the bird perched, it already had a prey in its beak. At the moment that I pressed the release button the bird turned its head and noticed the flying insect at the right side of the frame. A fraction of a second later the insect was snapped, without losing the other catch.
No continuous shooting, unfortunately, so I missed the moment. But I like this one anyway.
All feedback welcome.
Pertinent technical details or techniques:
Pentax K5, Sigma EX DG APO 100-300 mm @300mm with 1.4x extender (420mm). ISO400, f5.6, 1/500sec. About 50% crop.
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Wow, fantastic capture Han. The composition along with the blurred background work really well to set off the bird. Love the detail in the old worn post. Great job.
Love the prey item, the background, and the flying insect. The detail in the bird is pretty good but could be a little better. My preference would be for a natural perch, but this is about as good as you can get for a man made one.
Nice head turn and detail. The background contrasts well with the bird. Like the detail in the perch. The bug coming into the frame and the bird eyeing it is a nice bonus.
LOvely. I like the oof back ground and rustic perch. With that glint in bird’s eye it would seem to be watching you but obviously it was not. Nice pose and good for you to be able to include the other prey item.
Excellent, Han. The head turn and flying insect are perfect. It’s amazing what birds can do with a pair of tweezers. I’ve seen our Western Bluebirds with four prey items in their beak. I like the perch-it has a ton of character.
Thank you all for your comments, @Lyle_Gruby, @linda_mellor, @Dennis_Plank, @Allen_Brooks, @David_Leroy.
I have more images of the bird, some with more detail in the bird, but I prefer this one because of the attention for the flying bug.
