Picture Of The Week 03-26-12

Where: Christmas, FL • Tosohatchee WMA

Notes: WOW! Now I know why the word "kite" fits these birds so well. I have never before witnessed such dynamic flight without a single wing beat. Soaring to tremendous heights and then plummeting into turns and loops just over the tree tops. We literally spent several hours over a couple of days watching these spectacular birds. This two foot long raptor (including its tail) has a four foot wing span and will often eat in flight as this bird is. These Swallow-tails must have recently returned form their wintering grounds in South America. We saw them gathering and carrying nesting material and in several shots there were small lizards grasped in their talons. They feed on small snakes, lizards, frogs, grasshoppers, crickets, small birds and small mammals. It drinks by skimming the surface and collecting water in its beak. Sometimes we would see as many as six or seven of these magnificent creatures in the sky at one time. Swallow-tailed Kites are not listed as endangered or threatened by the federal government, but they are listed as endangered by the state of South Carolina and as threatened by the state of Texas. They are listed as "rare" by the state of Georgia. Destruction of habitats is chiefly responsible for the decline in numbers.

Equipment: Canon EOS 7D • Canon 100-400mm f-5.6 Zoom L Series Lens • Hand Held

Exposure: Shutter Speed = 1/2000 second • Aperture = f 5.6 • Exposure Mode = Manual • Focus Mode: AiServo • Lens (Focal) Length = 400 mm • ISO = 400 • Aprox. Camera Distance = ~40 Feet • Date Shot: 03-15-12

©2012 Robert W. Schamerhorn. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.