Purple Martin with Dragonfly

[kentw]

Attached is one of a number of photos taken at the Chicago Botanic Garden this past July. Purple Martins were catching dragonflies and bringing them to their nestlings in the martin houses.

I used a Canon 40D, Canon 100-400 IS lens @ 300mm. exposure was 1/800, f/7.1, IOS 400, Flash Comp -1.

Comments and criticism appreciated. Thanks for looking.

kent wilson

[Mad Aussie]

Well I know how hard it is to catch a bird flying, even with that camera and lens (I have the same combination) and I don't think any of my photos are any better than yours.

Like mine, that one looks to have fallen short in the focus department but it's a great capture in terms of the birds posture!

[Marko]

As M.A. said this was a great effort but it fails in the sharpness department and so IMO this shot is not a keeper but rather makes for a great souvenir of the experience. ....

[kentw]

Thanks for the feedback. These guys are so fast, it is hard to keep a focus point on them. The best way is when there is wind, for they will land coming in to the wind. Unfortunately, there was never any wind when I was there:(

I'm going out this weekend to photograph eagles. Should be a lot easier to get and maintain focus. Wish me luck.

Thanks again Mad and Marko for looking and for your comments.

[Mad Aussie]

Don't be so sure of the eagles being easier. I've done a bit of that lately and if they are wild eagles then they don't come so close so you are still dealing with similar problems. Through the lens they are still small, you are still zoomed in and there camera shake is a battle and at the full extent of the lens, it isn't as sharp as lesser focal lengths I think. But yes, best of luck. Would love to see them.

We have lots of swallows around our place at present. They'd fit in your hand and it's windy. They are so fast I'm lucky to get them in the frame at all let alone get a good shot!

[kentw]

Hi again MA --

I didn't mean to suggest that photographing eagles is easy, just that they are larger and fly more slowly and less erratically. Just the cold temps make it a challenge. Getting close enough is a major challenge, but I'm told that where we will be photographing, we can get close ("close enough so a 200mm lens will suffice"). Last year when I photographed them (at a different location), the distance was a major problem. Even guys with 500mm lenses and crop bodies complained that they couldn't get close.

I assume you aren't in North America. In winter here, when the Mississippi River freezes, there are short stretches of open water below dams. Bald Eagles congregate there to catch fish. It is not unusual to see 200 eagles at one spot. This makes photographing them a bit easier. Even so, one can't always get as close as the equipment requires for large-in-the-frame images.

Oh yes, I've tried swallows and dragonflies also. Very challenging! Even butterflies can be difficult, because their flight is ofter so erratic.

And thanks. I'll need all the luck I can get.

[Mad Aussie]

WOW ... 200 Eagles in one spot!! I'm in Australia. I saw two Brahminy Kites and 2 Wedgetails Eagles the other day and then an Osprey flew past ... I've never seen that many birds of prey in one spot before and thought I was blessed!
I'll be living vicariously through your shots if you show enough of them off