Post by Ely Teehankee on Oct 29, 2010 12:45:56 GMT
The Kookaburra(genus Dacelo) is a fascinating bird. It is one of the biggest Kingfisher if not the biggest. It laughs somewhat like a hysterical human being and the sound it makes was adopted by Disney as the distinctive sound of the jungle. It is hard to find it in the dense forest. I walked 1.5 kilometers to a waterfall in Manly Dam and saw some lifers but not the Kookaburra. You can easily find it where people are eating. He will be in their midst waiting for some free food. Sometimes when he cannot wait he will snatch the food from the plate as he did in this case from a lady who was just simply and innocently enjoying her lunch. Swooping out from a nearby branch he picks up the steak in one sweeping motion.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 300mm
f/2.8L IS USM with Canon Extender 2X II.
Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Wimberley WH200 head. Manual exposure in available light.
f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/500 sec.
f/8, ISO 800, 1/200 sec. Full frame.
f/8, ISO 800, 1/125 sec. Full frame.
f/8, ISO 500, 1/640 sec. Full frame.
f/8, ISO 500, 1/640 sec. Full frame. As mentioned by Romy, Wikipedia says: The nictitating membrane (from Latin nictare, to blink) is a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye for protection and to moisten the eye while also maintaining visibility. This Kookaburra was beating the steak against the ground by moving his head side to side without letting go of the steak. I wonder how he is going to eat it without a knife to cut it with. He finally flew away with the steak still on his beak.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 300mm
f/2.8L IS USM with Canon Extender 2X II.
Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, Wimberley WH200 head. Manual exposure in available light.
f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/500 sec.
f/8, ISO 800, 1/200 sec. Full frame.
f/8, ISO 800, 1/125 sec. Full frame.
f/8, ISO 500, 1/640 sec. Full frame.
f/8, ISO 500, 1/640 sec. Full frame. As mentioned by Romy, Wikipedia says: The nictitating membrane (from Latin nictare, to blink) is a transparent or translucent third eyelid present in some animals that can be drawn across the eye for protection and to moisten the eye while also maintaining visibility. This Kookaburra was beating the steak against the ground by moving his head side to side without letting go of the steak. I wonder how he is going to eat it without a knife to cut it with. He finally flew away with the steak still on his beak.
