Older photographs of Black Kites

Black Kite [24 September 2022: Nikon D850, AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR, AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III @ 700mm 1/2500s f/8 ISO640]
Black Kite [30 April 2023: Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/800s f/6.3 ISO160]

As I am a bit incapacitated at the moment, due to a cold followed by a defective foot, I am not able to go out for photography. I thought I go into my archive and post a couple of photographs from the not too distant past.

These photographs are both taken at different times at the Western Treatment Plant with different gear. The first photograph was my first successful bird-in-flight photograph. As the bird is gliding, it has a large horizontal span which makes the subject look smaller and further away but, if you look closer, the details of the bird are all there.

The second photograph is another rather Black Kite. This curious bird came to have a closer look at me. It is one of my first bird-in-flight photographs using the 800mm lens and the Nikon Z9. The shutter speed is a bit slow, so its not perfectly sharp but its good enough.

These photographs have also been re-processed using Affinity Photo 2.

Black Kite spotted at Etiwanda Wetlands

Black Kite

Etiwanda Wetlands is a man-made wetlands that is used to treat stormwater at Mildura. Like many such wetlands, it is full of wildlife ranging to ducks to small birds (including the sort after Purple-backed Fairywren) and, of course, raptors. We visited this location twice and we have seen a Collared Sparrowhawk, a resident Whistling Kite and a Black Kite. This photograph of the Black Kite was taken on the morning of 7 September 2024.

Nikon Z 9, Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S @ 1/3200s f/6.3 ISO900.