Cindy Marple
December 2024 - Fish Flipper
Original
About the Image(s)
When birds eat whole fish, they typically swallow them head-first so that the scales don’t cause a problem on the way down. So when the bird comes up with a fish, they toss it and catch it to orient it. Sometimes this goes on for quite a while, giving many opportunities for a photo. I’ll watch for the bird to be well lit and in a nice position and then shoot in bursts as the action happens. You can get some interesting poses this way!
Neotropic Cormorant photographed in my local park.
Nikon Z8, 600mm, 1/2500 f/7.1 ISO500. Post processing: crop, increased exposure, Topaz Denoise and sharpen.
3 comments posted
Cindy,
Wow you sure captured a terrific moment! Thanks for the explanation on how the bird flips the fish to get it to go down its throat head first! Terrific that you got the eye of both the bird and the fish very sharp! The blurred background is spot on. I also like that you have a sliver of blue surrounding the bird. No suggestions for improvement! Posted: 12/06/2024 16:55:11
Wow you sure captured a terrific moment! Thanks for the explanation on how the bird flips the fish to get it to go down its throat head first! Terrific that you got the eye of both the bird and the fish very sharp! The blurred background is spot on. I also like that you have a sliver of blue surrounding the bird. No suggestions for improvement! Posted: 12/06/2024 16:55:11
Cindy, this is an excellent action shot! I love the eyes and the water drops. The color of cormorant eyes always intrigues me. Beautiful! Posted: 12/07/2024 19:28:02
Cormorants are famous for this activity and it does allow for great photo opportunities. It is amazing. Every now and then I see one miss the catch after the flip and the fish gets away. I especially like the arc of water drops creating a leading line. Posted: 12/08/2024 13:06:14