Supper Time

I borrowed the 70/400mm 4.5-5.6D Nikon zoom from Doug yesterday. I couldn't wait to drive home to see what else I could pick up with it when photographing our canyon's newest residents.

It is a tad better than what I had been using but this lens presents its own unique set of problems. I think that with patience I can still get what my pro photographer friend Kerry calls the money shot!

Please appreciate that this nest is located on a treetop more than a hundred yards away across a river canyon. It ain't easy.

I will post a picture for scale soon so that you can consider the distance. I am getting a very private view of my raptor friends!

KJ remonstrated me yesterday for the poor clarity and focus of the last shots I posted. Trying as best as I can.

This particular lens is AF but not AFS so I had to manually focus and I stupidly didn't bring my tripod with me so this is all handhold.

Images are a tad sharper than with my 300mm but not demonstrably so. I may need to rent a 500mm or larger lens to achieve the level of clarity that I am hoping for but the tripod just might do the trick. Dumb. I will keep shooting until I get it right. Shame to blow this opportunity.

Still isn't it wonderful to see the little hawk chicks crane their little necks up for a piece of ground squirrel supper?