Eastern Chanting-Goshawk - Melierax poliopterus
Here is a Daliy Bird dilemma. You see fantastic birds first thing in the morning with fantastic names - take this Goshawk. It's Eastern and it's Chanting. The shame is it's blurred. Early morning light seems to present all sorts of difficulties for the intrepid and sleep deprived Daily Birder. Photography in low light is theoretically possible I guess - you up the "stops". Increasing the aperture to let more light in. The shutter speed will increase a bit. You then need to steady the camera as well - really steady the camera as the shutter speed doesn't seem to drop that significangtly in low light. Anyway I have many caffeine and sugar deprived pictures that are ''soft'' round the edges.
I will have to work on my early morning photography - buy a tripod and fit it - learn to hold my breath. Stuff the birds and mount them on the tree (only kidding).
The "Chanting'' part of the name comes from the male's habit of sitting up on a post during the breeding season and giving out a series of melodic whistles. "Eastern" because this is the Eastern species that occurs in Africa mid-way between "Pale" and "Dark" which occur in the North and South of the continent. Once considered an intermediate bird they are now a clear species in their own right.
I am in the habit of rewarding non-bird lovers with a mammal shot while we on Safari. On the same game drive I came across this beauiful pair of Klipspringers nestled in some rocks. A little antelope that frequents rocky areas it runs or bounces on the nails of its hooves rather than their flat part if that makes sense. The nails have become rubbery and give the animal a nice little bouncy advantage when being chased through the rocks by a leopard.
I think the boys had these on their "Cute 5" - the alternative to the Safari "Big 5". This was a rather sacharine, Disneyesque moment. Where's a leopard when you need one.
Eastern Chanting-Goshawk, Melierax poliopterus
Tanzania, Northern Serengetti
July 2012
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