Juvenile Shikra

[Anand Madabhushi]

In Gir Lion Sanctuary. AV mode; 1/320; f7.1; ISO 400; 100-400@370; Manual Focusing on the eye.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Nice image.this is an adult male.

wud been nice to include the legs in full. you can consider toning down the highlights as well.

TFS
Roopak

[Anand Madabhushi]

Roopakji

About legs, I was in a gypsy with three other photographers (that I normally do not do). The others were more keen about the lions. Since the AF was hunting, I had time to manually focus and take one shot.

The id of the subject was provided by the guide. One naturalist, a day earlier, identified a larger bird of the same specie as juvenile. Please see the attachment. Tv mode; 1/400; f 11; ISO 200; 100-440@400.

Thank you so much for your inputs.

Regards

Anand



Nice image.this is an adult male.

wud been nice to include the legs in full. you can consider toning down the highlights as well.

TFS
Roopak

[Saktipada Panigrahi]

First photo with distinct Red eyes of a Male,Second image is with almost Yellow eyes of a Female!
Thanks for sharing.
SaktiWild

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Anand sab,

The second image seems to be a immature female.

Iam not a Raptor expert but as far my undertsaning goes the plumage of a Juv/immature shikra is mostly brownish upper parts with rufous border to the upper feathers. Instead of the fine barring on the underside as you see in your original image it has thick tear drop like streaking on the underside.The supercilium (whitish line on the eyebrow) and gular stripe (dark stripe on the throat) is more prominent in the Juv. A good example :

Shikra - Indiawilds: Land of the Tiger. Conservation, Wildlife Photography, Communities (http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8296&highlight=shikra)

Shikra - Indiawilds: Land of the Tiger. Conservation, Wildlife Photography, Communities (http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7561&highlight=shikra)

The mature male has slaty upper parts with fine orange brown barring on the underside. Eye is red and the tail has 5 or more thin bands.

Shikra - Indiawilds: Land of the Tiger. Conservation, Wildlife Photography, Communities (http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8074&highlight=shikra)

shikra - Indiawilds: Land of the Tiger. Conservation, Wildlife Photography, Communities (http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2443&highlight=shikra)

Female is larger than the male with brownish grey upper parts rest of the plumage is similar to the male with orange /yellow eyes.

Shikra - Indiawilds: Land of the Tiger. Conservation, Wildlife Photography, Communities (http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7510&highlight=shikra)

Morning Hunter (Female Shikra) - Indiawilds: Land of the Tiger. Conservation, Wildlife Photography, Communities (http://www.indiawilds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7814&highlight=shikra)

Hope this helps

Rgds
Roopak

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice sighting. Good you used manual focus, as I think the focus would be getting locked on the branch in the foreground. Maybe zooming out a bit would have helped as you were using 100-400mm lens. Thanks for sharing.

[Sabyasachi Patra]

I agree with the previous comment and the ids. The shadow side of the bird was towards you. Else, it would have been better. It is better to use manual focus as the AF will only lock on to the high contrast areas.

Good links provided by Roopak. It will clarify doubts.

Sabyasachi

[Anand Madabhushi]

Patraji

Nice to have you commented. I have planned to visit a park near by and practice shooting with AF. Better late than never. If I could comfortable do with a long lens, I guess it would be easier with short lenses.

Thank you,

Anand


I agree with the previous comment and the ids. The shadow side of the bird was towards you. Else, it would have been better. It is better to use manual focus as the AF will only lock on to the high contrast areas.

Good links provided by Roopak. It will clarify doubts.

Sabyasachi

[Bhargava Srivari]

Agree that including the legs in full would have been better. When shooting a stationary subject, one can take a few seconds time to analyse the composition in the viewfinder and recompose if necessary with the focus still locked (shutter button half pressed even while moving the camera slight, to recompose) and then click to shoot.

Roopak, Thanks for those links :)

[Anand Madabhushi]

Thank you Bhargava garu,

I would have done all this and much more if I were alone in the gypsy. :-) I know to compose when time permits. I have photographed more lionesses with compositions and variant exposures while on the last safari when I had all the time and above all space in the gypsy....alone :-)

Please see my reply to Roopakji.

Regards

Anand


Agree that including the legs in full would have been better. When shooting a stationary subject, one can take a few seconds time to analyse the composition in the viewfinder and recompose if necessary with the focus still locked (shutter button half pressed even while moving the camera slight, to recompose) and then click to shoot.

Roopak, Thanks for those links :)