Fighting Moorhens

[Craigie]

These shots were taken at my local pond, which has frozen over.
Moorhens are very territorial and will chase off other Moorhens, most times it comes to nothing.
This was the first time I have seen it come to a fight.
C&C most welcome.

1 The chase. f5 1/1000sec ISO 320 FL 100mm


2 The fight. f6.3 1/1000sec ISO 500 FL 300mm

[Shadowman]

Nice acrobatics and captures.

[Chrisclick]

Great shots, Gary! Right place, right time.

I bet you wish you had a 400mm for the second shot. I wonder if you could have squeezed one more click out of the SS, and shot at 1/1250? Looks like you might have had enough light.

Regardless, great work!

[madcrow]

Great images and action, a very well done.

[bje07]

I understand the first to explain the second, I'd like to have #2 cropped (why not in vertical to keep reflections?) as they are so expressive.

[bnnrcn]

+1 to Jean

[Craigie]

Great shots, Gary! Right place, right time.

I bet you wish you had a 400mm for the second shot. I wonder if you could have squeezed one more click out of the SS, and shot at 1/1250? Looks like you might have had enough light.

Regardless, great work!

Thanks for your comments Chris.
I wish I had taken my 150mm-600mm lens with me, but I was traveling light that day and only had my 70mm-300mm lens with me.
There was enough light to up the SS to 1/1250, I thought at the time 1/1000 would be fast enough.

[Craigie]

I understand the first to explain the second, I'd like to have #2 cropped (why not in vertical to keep reflections?) as they are so expressive.

Thanks Jean for input it is much appreciated.
Below is #2 with your suggested crop.

[Craigie]

+1 to Jean

Thanks Binnur.

[Craigie]

Great images and action, a very well done.

Thanks a lot Maurice.

[billtils]

Gary, a very good shot from the start, but even better after cropping as suggested by Jean.

[Craigie]

Cheers Bill for your comments. I agree the crop version is better.

[Jim A]

Wow, great action, Gary ! Very crisp. Agree the cropped shot better.

[Wavelength]

i was going to request for a crop than i saw Jean asking for the same; very well done

[Craigie]

Wow, great action, Gary ! Very crisp. Agree the cropped shot better.

Thanks Jim for your positive comments.

[Craigie]

i was going to request for a crop than i saw Jean asking for the same; very well done

Cheers Nandakumar, the crop version is so much better.

[John 2]

Good capture. Needed a quick trigger finger.

[Craigie]

Good capture. Needed a quick trigger finger.

Thanks John, I did manage to get three shots off, other two not so good.