One day in the sunshine

Its been said, that I’ve lost my bird karma, and over the past few weeks, probably my weather karma as well.
Can’t recall a good day in the sunshine, so we’ve been, as we say on Flickr, practicing.

I’ve been keeping an eye on a pair of Black-shouldered Kites at The Office. (Werribee River Park).

And today, with some sunshine, I needed a place to practice,  I’d been reading John Shaw and he seemed to have some pretty fine results using the Nikon 3D tracking, so thought I’d give it a go. Never been one of my favourite settings, I do have to concede.

Knowing I only had a few minutes, I grabbed the D7100 with the 300mm PF.  A pretty nice combo now I’ve made some focus adjustments care of Reikan’s FoCal software.

After a little messing with some distant falcons and Black Kites, I was about to return home when sailing over the trees came a Black-shouldered Kite with a mouse, and pretty much immediately pursued by a female crying out for her food.

That was enough for me to drop into the open paddock, (among all the stinging nettles as it turned out!!! – that wasn’t in John’s book!), and see  him come in with several mice over the next half hour or so.

Here’s a selection.