Squawk said:

Ours has been renamed yellow billed kite (North Africa kept the black kite label). It's my practice BIF bird and I've always struggled with the exposure. I've seen over 50 in one place when there's a free meal. There was one rescue - release bird that thought the best game was to sneak up behind people and tap them on the head. Not popular with some people.

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Peter
Interesting - YBK vs BK. here in SA, they are two, distinct species. YBK is Milvus parasitus vs the BK Milvus migrans, The YB has a much deeper fork in the tail than the BK. I shot what I thought was BK in the Kgalagadi, but an expert told me it was juvie YBK. Here are 2 YBK that I thought was BK from Kgalagadi TFP. And then the perching one is a YBK.




Notice, no fork in the tail
Here is the YBK, the fork is there even while sitting.


Here is one from Richardsbay; he has stolen the bait, and line, off a fisherman.




Note the yellow bill vs the black bill on BK. The YBK has a dark reddish eye.

Callie said:

Another beaut vulture, not common ~ Kruger NP

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I haven't seen a white headed for about 4 years now. Really struggling like the rest. I've noticed jackel shots are getting easier and I've put it down to vultures getting hammered. So these guys don't get to poison the lion because it's gone but do get rabies because of what they did get.

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

I took this photo early this morning in a public park of Quebec City; it was very cold and the owl was sleeping until she wakes up for a short time
D500 + 500 PF @ 1/640, F/5.6, ISO 900

Steppe Eagle - photographed in Saudi Arabia. Only available camera was Nikon1 J3 with FT1 adapter and FX 70-300 mm lens.

Cristobal said:

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

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Cutie, thanks!

Cristobal said:

Northern Saw-Whet Owl

I took this photo early this morning in a public park of Quebec City; it was very cold and the owl was sleeping until she wakes up for a short time
D500 + 500 PF @ 1/640, F/5.6, ISO 900

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That's tiny. It's adorable (if you're not a mouse).

JAS said:

Steppe Eagle - photographed in Saudi Arabia. Only available camera was Nikon1 J3 with FT1 adapter and FX 70-300 mm lens.

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I’ve got a soft spot for these. There’s been quite a bit of research using tracking packs that’s worth checking out. Even if you have posted, I can’t resist adding my own.

Squawk said:

I’ve got a soft spot for these. There’s been quite a bit of research using tracking packs that’s worth checking out. Even if you have posted, I can’t resist adding my own.

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Love them too, long time since we have seen one. The gape here shows nicely that it is NOT a Tawny!

Lizard Buzzard, Kaupifalco monogrammicus ~ Kruger NP ~ not one we often see!

Cape Vulture, Gyps coprotheres, ~ vulnerable~ Giant's Castle, Kwazulu/Natal
Note the light eye vs dark on the White-backed Vulture



In flight mugshot

White-backed Vulture, Gyps africanus - a sometimes handsome vulture
From Kruger and Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park,
Curling fingers - juvie



You almost never can see the white back when the bird is at rest

Roadside Hawk, Costa Rica

I have seen and shot many African Fish-Eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer, but never yet the magical stretch, grab and off with the fish shot. However, I have seen it hover like a kingfisher, plonk down and come-up vertically like can be seen on this image below.






Juvie

juvie and adult Hooded Vulture, Necrosyrtes monachus, ~ Kruger NP

The guy with attitude and panache ~ Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax - Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Booted Eagle, Aquila pennatus, ~ Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park ~ A guy we have seldom seen and never yet to get anything but record shots.





The white shoulder patches are diagnostic

A few scanned slides from 1981
all: Denali National Park, Alaska USA

Doug Herr said:

A few scanned slides from 1981
all: Denali National Park, Alaska USA

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Love that cute owl! Great scans!

Gary Dietz said:

Roadside Hawk, Costa Rica
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Lovely bird. It deserves a better name.

Doug Herr said:

A few scanned slides from 1981
all: Denali National Park, Alaska USA

adult Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
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immature Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
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fledgeling Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)
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Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
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Spectacular, and even more so for the date. The adult Gos breast plumage is amazing, diurnal owls is a surprise and your falcon actually looks like a gryphon.

Squawk said:

Wow. Great shots. You've cornered the owl market. Where's the Pel's fishing owl (preferably catching a fish)?

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Now that you ask - same trip to the Delta, same rig but very well hidden in the late afternoon shade

Pel's Fishing Owl

Oosty said:

Now that you ask - same trip to the Delta, same rig but very well hidden in the late afternoon shade

Pel's Fishing Owl

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Oosty
You are da Man. I am past green

Oosty said:

Now that you ask - same trip to the Delta, same rig but very well hidden in the late afternoon shade

Pel's Fishing Owl

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Very beautiful and a really special bird. Thanks

And one last bird that's special and hasn't turned up. African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster). Saw this guy with a crop full, drove a few miles and saw a Bateleur with a meal, drove a few more miles and saw a Martial come down for a kill. Some days just work.

Squawk said:

And one last bird that's special and hasn't turned up. African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster). Saw this guy with a crop full, drove a few miles and saw a Bateleur with a meal, drove a few more miles and saw a Martial come down for a kill. Some days just work.

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Making us feel low on this side of the bush, Peter!
Do you have an image of his smaller cousin? I have onle ever seen one once a long time ago in Kruger