Coming Home

Congratulations! This is the Image of the Week selection for the Birds Gallery, week ending 10th February, 2012!I've been wanting an image like this for a while. These guys are swift and erratic, but on this occasion I had a vantage point where I could prefocus on the nest and keep my other eye open for when he would return with another "building block" for the nest. The males construct multiple nests pending the approval of his mate. She inspects the home, and if she disapproves, she rips it apart to let it fall in the water below...and he has to start over.

Techs:
Nikon D3s with Nikkor 500mm f4 VR-II + 1.4xTC @ 700mm
f8.0 @ 1/2500 SS @ ISO-1800 (auto ISO)
Cropped from horizontal format

Great timing and wingspread. So avian species behaviour isn't that much different than human.

Quite nice, Morkel. Nice job visualizing this beforehand. The light is perfect.

Max

Excellent capture. Nice detail and lighting.

excellent capture

How cool is that!!!

Nice work!

Absolute killer image!!

Morkel
I absolutely love this....one of the more interesting images that I've seen lately.

Nice work!

Tantalizing as it is, Morkel. Well done.

Fantastic image with vibrant color, spot on sharpness and behavioral interest.

Thank you so much for your kind comments, folks!!

superb shot Morkel, though I do so feel sorry for him. I hope his potential partner likes his hard work.

Very impressive image, Morkel!. Such a brilliant and well deserved IOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stunning!

Stunning!

Thanks folks!!