Wild Birds of Prey
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Up to 3 birds were coming close, very close. But a real challenge to get onto as they were moving so fast. Glad I wasn't trying with a DSLR!
The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere
A BULKY, broad -winged raptor , medium sized bird of prey, and still not that many in the south-east area of Kent. A pure joy to see coming of the fields at Elmley Nature Reserve, the brown and black blobs on the ground are cows!!
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Please stay safe , God bless....Tomx
Birds of prey are fascinating and majestic animals. They can generally be defined as birds that feed on animals that they catch alive. Representatives of these two orders can be found almost everywhere in the world. Although these groups are distantly related, the behavioural and anatomical characteristics they share appear to be mainly the result of parallel evolution.
Red Kite - Milvus Milvus
Persecuted to near extinction in the UK, the Red Kite has made a tremendous comeback thanks to reintroduction programmes and legal protection. Seeing one of these magnificent birds soaring high in the sky is a true delight.
Once a very rare bird that could only be found in Central Wales, the Red Kite has been successfully reintroduced to several areas of the UK and can now be seen in Wales, Yorkshire, the East Midlands and the Chilterns. A large, graceful bird of prey, it soars over woods and open areas, its distinctive shape and 'mewing' calls making it easy to identify. Red Kites were routinely persecuted as hunters of game and domestic animals, but they are in fact scavengers, eating carrion and scraps, and taking only small prey like rabbits.
Red kites were common in Shakespearean London, where they fed on scraps in the streets and collected rags or stole hung-out washing for nest-building materials. Shakespeare even referred to this habit in 'The Winter's Tale' when he wrote: 'When the kite builds, look to lesser linen'. The nest of a red kite is an untidy affair, often built on top of an old Crow's nest. It is lined with sheep's wool and decorated with all kinds of objects like paper, plastic and cloth.
Labyrinth Spider (Agelena labyrinthica) & Sweat Bee (Andrena Sp.) | 05-2022 | Ticino | Switzerland
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
A version in color of this photo (and of one where the spider attacks and is in focus) you can find here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/other-fauna?pgid=krc12ip9-c9a0a...
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:
I was trying to get a good shot of a labyrinth spider in my garden, when suddenly this little sweat bee got caught in the web. As the bee frantically tried to escape the sticky trap, the spider attacked. I thought the little bee was all done for, but to my surprise, it used its sting to great effect.
The spider attacked again and again, but it had huge respect of the little fella's sting, and it just couldn't get the right angle to overwhelm the bee and tie it up. Eventually, the spider retreated, and the little guy made it out alive and unharmed.
Now for those of you who feel sorry for the spider that lost a juicy meal, don't worry: that web of hers was incredibly efficient, and she feasted like a queen every day during the time I was there (which is probably partly the reason why she gave up relatively easily on the little bee).
In case you're interested, you can find the color version of this photo and of one where the spider attacks and is in focus through the link above, but the reason I prefer the one in b/w (intentionally "over-sharpened" to create a "grainy", "grungy" look ;-) and with the focus on the little bee is that it reminds me of the posters for horror/sci-fi B-movies of the 50s like 'Tarantula' or 'Them' - and I adore those 😉
As always, many greetings from Switzerland; try to stay out of the heat and let me know what you think in the comments 😊
Taken in Langley Township, British Columbia, Canada by David
The prey is a Song Sparrow who had just finished doing an excellent imitation of a Swan.
David
Lammergeier after bathing in red iron oxide rich soil or water.
The adult Lammergeier has snow-white feathers on its neck, shoulders and chest. On this white feather cloth, the vultures paint a rust-red color by bathing in soil or water rich in red iron oxide deposits.
all the bee eaters love wasps and hornets.southern carmine bee eaters (merpos rubicoides) are quite big--max38cm-- and they are used to catch on bigger insect.this time the prey is a tarantula hawk wasp or something similar...a dangerous prey
Kruger national park,SA
original HD file here:
Another shot from a session with falconry birds put on by Roy Rimmer and Mick Hudson at Northwest Wildlife Workshops.
This shot has done well for me at the British Photography Exhibitions gaining four acceptances so far. Because they are captive birds I enter them in open colour rather than Nature.
I’m told this bird is a hybrid falcon, half American Kestrel, half Peregrine.
As always thanks for viewing my photos and for any favourites and comments, it’s much appreciated 👍
Falco tinnunculus
with a vole for its chicks.
(Partly obscured by out of focus grass, no time to get a clearer shot.)
Barn Owl in hunting mode, this one was sitting on a nearby post and must have heard something and then went investigate.
Short-eared Owl diving on some prey by a Northumberland lake. A noisy and soft image but still nice to see them in action.
A harvestman with a parasitic mite attached.
This is one of those moments in which I saw the harvestman and a red dot, but I had no idea what I was seeing until I took the shot(s). Gotta love macro lenses!
Mara North Conservancy, Kenya
half an hour later the prey was taken over by hyaenas
cheetah
acinonyx jubatus
jachtluipaard
guépard
Gepard
guepardo o chita
ghepardo
IUCN RED LIST Status: Vulnerable and the trend is DECREASING
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Long Island, New York