My 'in-house model' got injured

I noticed the arrival of this female migrant at Bued River about three weeks ago.

It was a nice, perfectly healthy specimen, albeit initially skittish as it tried to get used to its new locale. I purposely didn't approach it for some time to allow it to familiarize itself to things (including this birdnut) around its new habitat. This species usually stays in one general area throughout its visit to our islands. I reckoned I'd have enough time to photograph it well later, after it has recovered from the long migration flight.

About a week ago, just as it had started to allow me to get a bit closer, I was shocked to discover that its right thigh was seriously injured. Could it be the result of a slingshot damage? Or an injury from escaping a predator such as a cat or dog? Or perhaps a result of a natural accident? I'd never know. 

The right tarsus and claw hung from its thigh at an odd angle as it perched on a bamboo branchlet. Thinking that it might not survive long with its horrific injury, I took a lot of images, if only to record its beauty in pixels before it passes on to the great beyond.

Today, about a week after this image was captured, I was very happy to it see it alive and well, foraging for insects and invertebrates, with its injury appearing to heal nicely. I wish it will recover fully and be able to fly the long migration trip later, and breed more in-house models in the years ahead. 

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Blue Rock-Thrush (Monticola solitarius, migrant, female)

Habitat - Rocky exposed slopes, road cuts, and along rocky streams and rivers.

 

Shooting Info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, September 13, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 

  High res 1500 x 1000 version

A banking Red Turtle-Dove

This dove was in a gliding flight above the Bued River when it suddenly banked as it got near my position. Its straight trajectory made it easy to acquire, and I managed to shoot a burst of 6 frames at 10 fps before a tree got in the line of fire. 

The early morning sun was behind me, and I'm glad its head turned towards me at the critical time, allowing me a good eye contact. Here's a couple of frames from the short burst.

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Red Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica, resident)

Habitat - Open country or lawns. 

Shooting Info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, September 10, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II,
400 mm, f/5.0, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 800 x 533.

 High res 1500 x 1000 version

Shooting Info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, September 10, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 DO IS II,
400 mm, f/5.0, 1/2000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 800 x 533.

 High res 1500 x 1000 version

White-eye against the blue sky

These tiny dynamos are tough enough to capture when they are perched or foraging in fruiting trees.

When one takes  to air, given its unpredictable flight trajectory,  the degree of difficulty of acquiring the microscopic subject, keeping it in the viewfinder and maintaining good focus is multiplied several fold. Let's not even talk about nailing the exposure - i.e., avoiding over exposure of the white eye ring.

That wouldn't keep me though  from trying to catch these in flight. 

Most of my attempts wouldn't even result into a shutter press, as often the bird has passed me before I have a chance to acquire it in the viewfinder. But this fine Saturday morning, while birding along the banks of the Bued River, I  got lucky and managed to get one in the air, with reasonably good exposure. Thanks to the 7D MII's wide AF net (all-points AI servo) and the 400 DO II's responsive auto focus, the erratically flying target was caught with decent detail even if it was very small in the frame.

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Lowland White-eye (Zosterops meyeni, a near Philippine endemic)

Habitat - Second growth, scrub and gardens. 

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, September 10, 2016, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 F/4 DO IS II,
400 mm, f/5.0, ISO 320, 1/2000 sec, hand held, manual exposure in available light, major crop resized to 800 x 533.

  1200 x 800 version