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How 'bout it Love .... ?
Chosun Juan

How 'bout it Love .... ? (Elanus axillaris)

Apparently this is what passes for foreplay in the Black Shouldered Kite world ! :loveme:

I had stalked closer over an hour or so, crawling through the knee deep riparian grass, sedge, and reed vegetation to get closer with scant cover .... all the while praying desperately not to run into one of the cranky and highly deadly brown snakes there :eek!:

Luckily these two were in a bit of a world of their own and I lay in the grass snapping away .... sorry for the duff IQ but this was my old film rig shot manually focused at 800mm f11 on 800asa in dull light, and the rudimentary digitization by my phone has lost detail and sharpness .....




Image Copyright Chosun Juan
Click to expand...
Habitat
Grassy Box Gum Woodland, riparian poolside perch
Location
Central West NSW
Date taken
~2011
Scientific name
Elanus axillaris
Equipment used
Minolta 700Si 35mm film camera + Tamron 200-400mmf5.6 with 2xTC, 800asa Fujifilm - original print photographed by Samsung Note 3.
Chosun Juan
Thanks Chris :t: I wish I could have captured the actual mating, but I had used up all my shots by the time I realised what was going on ......



Chosun :gh:
 
Chosun Juan
Thanks Mo :t: yes, it was not easy, as I was tucked awkwardly behind a stump, and couldn't come out for risk of them seeing me and being scared off which I will do anything to avoid ..... even if it means several hours contorted hidden behind blades of grass or whatever .....

I was further away than I would have liked too, but I wanted to share this behaviour :t:



Chosun :gh:
 
delia todd
Staff member
Opus Editor
Supporter
It sounds like you had some fun trying to get to them.... and watching them too Chosun LOL

A super pair of images telling the story - very well done lass.
 
Chosun Juan
Thanks Donald :t: with film you just have to hope that you've pressed the button at the right moment (definitely no 'chimping' to check and delete dud shots), and that there won't be even better moments later when you have no shots left ! :) :-O


Chosun :gh:
 
Chosun Juan
Thanks Delia :t: it's rather nerve wracking actually ! :eek!: you're never too sure how close you're going to get before you run out of cover, or before the risk of disturbing them is too great, or ..... you run out of bravery risking running into a Brown Snake !! :eek!: :eek!:

Soooooo annoyed that I ran out of shots to capture the Mating, I burned up too many shots on the way getting close and with blurry attempted in flight shots -- but glad that they raised many healthy chicks at this location :)


I do love it any time I can just see these birds though :)




Chosun :gh:
 

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Category
Asia, Australia & Pacific Islands
Added by
Chosun Juan
Date added
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791
Comment count
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