Photographing Kestrels

I was lucky enough to come across a family of Kestrels feeding over a field of recently cut grass. There was rarely a moment when a bird was not hovering somewhere in the field.
Mike Lane wildlife photography www.nature-photography.co.uk
Music credited to Bensound.com
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[@masguapoako]

I like taking pictures of kestrel when they are feeding I got photos of mostly centipedes or a bug in the beak.

[@catherinetremerryn]

Tremendous and great tips. Ishall very much look forward to your film.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@JimNicholls]

Another very interesting and informative video, Mike. It's sad to know the leverets may have perished when the grass was cut, and skylarks' nests may have been destroyed. You'd expect landowners to be better informed and more careful these days. Waiting a few more weeks might have saved a lot of wildlife.

[@metehakan]

Amazing !

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@dbphotofilm]

great stuff

[@CamillaI]

Love Kestrels a common sight now and great to photograph lovely video thanks Mike !

[@BadgerBotherer1]

You got some cracking footage there. I used to find the Gower cliffs, where you were in a recent video, pretty good for photographing Kestrels.

[@GiuseppeGessa]

The kestrel, with the buzzard, is one of my favourite bird of prey.

[@lisabirdluvr9742]

Mike, I really really enjoy your videos and this one was absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing your fast knowledge.

[@cabelas1987]

Love the fact a kestrel flies into the back of your shot at 3:12 just before you say there's no way of predicting where they're gonna be.

[@HuFilms]

Nice one Mike. You got remarkably good footage. I agree with you on the sky thing, some photographers say overcast days are best but blue skies are much nicer for me.

[@MrAppoline]

Great video as always. I was on holiday in Northumberland recently, walking on the coast and two kestrels were hunting not far away. Fortunately I had my camera with me and a new 1.4x, which was indeed a bonus. What the videos show is how the bird's head stays motionless whilst the wings are flapping like crazy.

[@elphotography3015]

Beautiful work! Many thanks!

[@joncothranphotography9375]

Great stuff Mike! Thanks!

[@JoeHTX]

Awesome video Mike! The slow motion of the kestrels hovering is outstanding!

[@timthorington4498]

Another great video Mike

[@rogerhance5883]

Great video Mike

[@lucieni]

I don’t film them but here in north east Kent we have Kestrels perching and hovering over the fields and roadways plus Buzzards soaring and circling but mostly perched because (I know) they’re lazy buggers!!!

[@cerealkiller4248]

Great Kestrel footage Mike, we have a small field that came with our house, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Red Kite are regularly seen with a Peregrine there once, but sadly no Kestrels. We have Green Woodpeckers too, but I can’t capture them even though they call regularly. I did get lucky’ish last year when one appeared by the conservatory but the windows were misted up so I got a shot which I managed to de-haze in Lightroom to an ok degree, but I’m still looking................

[@eust785]

exceptional video as always. I'm a sony shooter with a 200-600. I am looking to get a 1.4 extender & wondered which one you use or if you can recommend one to work with a Sony E-mount setup.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

I have the Sony 1.4x. I have tried no other.

[@ronschuddeboomdigiscoping3693]

Very nice have a look at my channel where i have hooked up my birdingscope with the A6300 (digiscoping) shooting kestrels…not hoovering though …yet😀regards Ron from the Netherlands.

[@malcolmdodds2850]

Mike Great video - as always. Could you give a bit more detail about the Smallrig rail set up please? I'm struggling to identify the baseplate that attaches to your video head. Many thanks . Malcolm

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The baseplate has no model number on it, but it looks like model "SmallRig 1775 Mounting Plate" on their web site.

[@malcolmdodds2850]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Really helpful - thanks Mike.

[@davidosborn3356]

Another fabulous watch Mike. Really enjoyed it. Can I ask you please to remind me which light pen you are using and the links for it and the illuminated loupe that you’re using.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Hi David, Lenspen SensorKlear Loupe Kit. I used it again last week and it worked very well.

[@davidosborn3356]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Thanks Mike. I’ll get one ordered ASAP. Thanks again.

[@peterking1884]

Great video as usual Mike and even better because I have just got a Sony a1, But I wonder if you are having a problem with the Sony Tough card like me. when I import to lightroom it is unable to open the file for me to work on but if I use an SD card it's fine no one seems to if the card is faulty or not.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

Not had this problem. Copying the same file from SD to Tough card would help to fault find. As would shooting jpeg and importing direct from the camera rather than a card reader. Removes possibility of it being a card reader problem and raw problem.

[@johnboy4584]

I like your small rig setup! Can you add a link for the base plate?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

The baseplate has no model number on it, but it looks like model "SmallRig 1775 Mounting Plate" on their web site.

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

cvp.com/product/smallrig-sr1775-baseplate?Google&Surface%20Across%20Google&New%Shopping%CAmpaign%i0&Surfaces&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwY-LBhD6ARIsACvT72OJi89Kg_-CSKzS6YPvnVi46PYlgWwTaZGcKiUGKjuUTrcpAW2vuMsaAsFkEALw_wcB

[@johnboy4584]

@@MikeLaneFRPS Thank you Sir!

[@ReyhanHamdi]

What is the name smallrig support ?

[@MikeLaneFRPS]

www.smallrig.com

[@ReyhanHamdi]

@@MikeLaneFRPSthank you