Osprey Action

[Mongo]

Sometimes you get lucky and find an active, close and accessible nest. Such was the case quite a few weeks ago in Port Douglas, Queensland. Here are just a few of the many dozens of images. Would have liked more featured sky i.e. some mixed cloud but only a few had such a sky.

All with D810 and 200-500mm Nikon at various settings plus monopod. D810 needs to be serviced and calibrated

[pluton]

A great series, Mongo.  Birds seem to be most interesting while taking off and while landing.

[Hugh_3170]

Mongo, great work as always. 

Your 200-500mm has not let you down with these subjects.

[Jakov Minić]

Don't service or calibrate, the images look super crisp and clean. Well done.

[Erik Lund]

First image is outstanding! Very nice

[atpaula]

Great set.
It's nice to see the eyes in sharp focus in most of them (in some the eyes are dark).
The attack move on the 4th is awesome too. Makes me wonder in what is it attacking.

[ArthurDent]

Great series! I was thinking I wanted a D850, but your D810 images look great, causing me to reconsider.

[Akira]

The first one knocks me out!  Too cool!

[beryllium10]

Mongo, these are great! The first one catches a specially fine moment, but they're all good.  The 200-500 obviously does a great job, and your timing on these is spot-on. 

The osprey in most of these is a fledgling, and still has the darker, speckled feathers and the distinctive orange-coloured eyes that the young ones have. I assume the bird on the left in the second picture is a proud parent.  This past summer (here in the northern hemisphere) I spent a lot of time watching a pair who reared three very active, noisy and amusing chicks.  They are really interesting, hard-working, and enterprising birds, as well as very photogenic! 

Cheers,  John

[armando_m]

Impresive shots

[golunvolo]

Mongo, I like the series but the first one is very good!
 
   Thanks for bringing this a little closer to us.

[Jan Anne]

Nice work Mongo!!!

Seems you had a lot more quality time with this couple than we had with the ones in Sydney

[Mongo]

thank you all for looking in and for your kind comments.

Just to reposed to some elf your comments:-

Keith, have to agree. Even good BIF images are often not as interesting or rewarding as the take off/ landing images on a good day.

Atpaula, #4 does look like an “attack”/ “swoop” mode. However, in truth, it is the bird preparing to land from high speed onto a large horizontal cable just out of frame. It does make for a dramatic image nonetheless.

Arthur, cannot advise you directly about D810 v D850. There are from Mongo’s knowledge good and not so good things in that exercise. A close friend who has had both has said that the picture quality in not much different and certainly not enough to have warranted the change to the D850. The AF qualities of the D850 he says are better. Personally, Mongo has no desire to “upgrade” to the D850. Perhaps the next generation will be worth the change - let’s see.

John, your observations about eye colour and feathers are probably correct as Mongo is no expert. Can tell you it was a nest of at least two (hard working)  adults and at least 2 fledglings who seem to have no idea what they were doing but were trying feverishly to learn ( in a lot of the wrong ways) much to the adults’ concern.  Fascinating to watch this for hours.

JA, the short answer is , “yes’. However, we were lucky and had a dedicated nest to work with for a week. This greatly increased our odds.