That has been, without a doubt, a remarkable bird-in-snow week in February. One of the harshest cold spells in the last ten years hit a large area in north-western Europe in the first half of February and resulted, among other things, in a invasion of Eurasian Woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) in search of non-frozen places to feed. In Denmark, Eurasian Woodcocks by the dozen were found looking for worms in gardens and ditches. But other birds could also be observed extremely well and – with luck – photographed for example at feeding sites. This is also the case with the Red Kite (Milvus milvus), which appeared at a site with a bait after an elegant flight through the pine forest.
While there have been a lot of great shots of this bird species on a field in the snow lately in winter, this flight shot is really fascinating. Perfect winter light produced a beautiful color rendering of the bird from below, with the sun probably being reflected from the lying snow. A shutter speed of 1/2000 sec. has captured this fast-flying bird perfectly and created a sharp image in a brilliant pose, which makes it possible to admire the beautiful red and white plumage of the Red Kite in all its beauty.
Now, only one other bird with a raptor flight is missing now. This should be a Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) in its winter habitat. This bird can be seen in the south of Brandenburg for a good 4 – 5 months in a few years. Luck should be there too.
In order to cope with the growing demand for top images of the rarer species of the Palearctic, Bird-lens.com endeavors to further expand the range of images of birds in the Western Palearctic. Trips to nearby and remote locations to snap pictures of rare birds of the Western Palearctic have been very successful. The beautiful picture on the blog is just a first impression, which you can find very soon in the gallery in the “Picture Shop“. Just leave a message if bird-lens.com can serve with a picture.