Post by Ely Teehankee on Jun 20, 2012 2:46:56 GMT
This is the part that makes it thrilling when you are doing bird photography. To see a Besra (Accipiter virgatus)10 1/4 inches, is a treat but to see a Besra feeding her hatchlings is ecstatic. Thank you Ramon for inviting me to see what I have never seen before. It was a steep and hard climb but not as difficult as it was on the way down. I thought that going to the gym regularly would keep me fit, but after the climb of Mount Banahaw to see the nest, my calves and thigh were aching. It was worth it. Now I know my exercise routine is not enough.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.
We waited for the mother for about an hour before she arrived and stayed for a while to check on her hatchlings. The next time she came back she began to feed them. Here the mother looks around while her hatchlings starts on taking bites at the prey which is probably a small bird.
1/100 sec., f/8, ISO 1600
The mother makes it easier by tearing small pieces of meat with her powerful beak to feed the hatchlings.
1/250 sec., f/8, ISO 3200
After setting up our gears we trained our cameras on the nest and set it up on live view to alert us of any new activity. This is how we know if the mother has arrived. There are blinds set up by Chris the caretaker of Ramon. He was also able to cut a trail for us to get to this site. He certainly did a good job.
Having seen the mother feed the hatchling, here are two smiling birdnuts with a sense of fulfillment.
Our view of the nest is located about 21.1 meters in front of us. It is on the tree to the right of the tip of the lens. It is the tree with leaves and a lot of white branches without any leaf.
This is the forest snail that Eddie our other guide brought to us to see. I place it on top of a rock and it was soon walking. Eddie says that this is a delicacy enjoyed by the locals.
Ramon had to leave for Subic to be with his family and I went back to the nest the following day with Chris. The hatchling seem to have grown. I noticed that there were more feathers and they were longer than that of the previous day. The pictures will show you the difference and they can be seen on this thread of Ramon:
birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=8618
The mother arrived earlier that morning with a prey on her claws.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The hatchlings were hungry and started to nibble on the prey.
1/160 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The mother comes to their aid by tearing small pieces of meat for the hatchlings to eat.
1/200 sec/. f/5.6, ISO 1600
She now feeds them until they are satisfied.
1/200 sec/. f/5.6, ISO 1600
She than picks the carcass and takes off. I presume that she is taking what is left to the male for him to eat. This keeps the nest free of leftovers. It is the male who hunts for the food. This shows that there is harmony in the family with each parent taking care of their responsibility.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
After a few minutes she comes back and looks around. It is at this time that I try to time the shot when I can see both eyes and sometimes I get lucky to do that.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
She than sits with her hatchlings to keep them warm. What an experienced to have seen all this happen and be able to photograph them.
1/125 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
I asked Malou, the cook of Ramon to prepare some chop garlic and sauteed the snail with butter. For me it is even better than escargot as it is crunchy when you bite it.
Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, Canon EF 800mm f5.6L IS USM, Gitzo GT3530LS tripod, M-3.6 Mongoose Gimbal Action Head. Manual exposure in available light.
We waited for the mother for about an hour before she arrived and stayed for a while to check on her hatchlings. The next time she came back she began to feed them. Here the mother looks around while her hatchlings starts on taking bites at the prey which is probably a small bird.
1/100 sec., f/8, ISO 1600
The mother makes it easier by tearing small pieces of meat with her powerful beak to feed the hatchlings.
1/250 sec., f/8, ISO 3200
After setting up our gears we trained our cameras on the nest and set it up on live view to alert us of any new activity. This is how we know if the mother has arrived. There are blinds set up by Chris the caretaker of Ramon. He was also able to cut a trail for us to get to this site. He certainly did a good job.
Having seen the mother feed the hatchling, here are two smiling birdnuts with a sense of fulfillment.
Our view of the nest is located about 21.1 meters in front of us. It is on the tree to the right of the tip of the lens. It is the tree with leaves and a lot of white branches without any leaf.
This is the forest snail that Eddie our other guide brought to us to see. I place it on top of a rock and it was soon walking. Eddie says that this is a delicacy enjoyed by the locals.
Ramon had to leave for Subic to be with his family and I went back to the nest the following day with Chris. The hatchling seem to have grown. I noticed that there were more feathers and they were longer than that of the previous day. The pictures will show you the difference and they can be seen on this thread of Ramon:
birdphotoph.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=photo&action=display&thread=8618
The mother arrived earlier that morning with a prey on her claws.
1/200 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The hatchlings were hungry and started to nibble on the prey.
1/160 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
The mother comes to their aid by tearing small pieces of meat for the hatchlings to eat.
1/200 sec/. f/5.6, ISO 1600
She now feeds them until they are satisfied.
1/200 sec/. f/5.6, ISO 1600
She than picks the carcass and takes off. I presume that she is taking what is left to the male for him to eat. This keeps the nest free of leftovers. It is the male who hunts for the food. This shows that there is harmony in the family with each parent taking care of their responsibility.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
After a few minutes she comes back and looks around. It is at this time that I try to time the shot when I can see both eyes and sometimes I get lucky to do that.
1/250 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
She than sits with her hatchlings to keep them warm. What an experienced to have seen all this happen and be able to photograph them.
1/125 sec., f/5.6, ISO 1600
I asked Malou, the cook of Ramon to prepare some chop garlic and sauteed the snail with butter. For me it is even better than escargot as it is crunchy when you bite it.
