ML191912431

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

After watching a female Reunion Harrier circling over a forested ridge and then disappearing behind it, I was scanning constantly and waiting for the bird to reappear. After about five minutes I picked up two distant raptors over the same ridge, but on silhouette alone quickly realised they were falcons and not harriers. Size and shape - medium-large with rather long, pointed wings but longer tailed than Peregrine - pointed to Eleonora’s Falcon but it was not possible to discern any meaningful plumage coloration or detail at such a distance. Having got NB onto the birds I then took several long-range documentation shots, from which it is possible to make out basic plumage details, particularly the black hood and ‘moustache’ with contrasting white cheeks indicative of light morphs of this species - see accompanying images. Both falcons quickly moved off behind the ridge and did not reappear again.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

ISO

400

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

1/6400 sec

Dimensions

3333 pixels x 2222 pixels

Original file size

968.54 KB