Critique Red Kites @ Bwlch Nant Yr Arian

rpsmith79

rpsmith79

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Rich
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On a recent trip to Cardigan Bay, i managed to stop off at Bwlch Nant Yr Arian to watch the magnificent site of circa 150 Red Kites feeding by the side of the lake, here are a selection of my favourite shots from the trip

#1

Red Kite by RichPICings, on Flickr

#2

Red Kite by RichPICings, on Flickr

#3

Red Kite by RichPICings, on Flickr

The weather wasn't perfect, but after a 4 hour drive i wasn't going to let that put me off, luckily the rain held off just long enough to see the feeding frenzy
 
Very nice set.

Were you using your 1.4TC for these shots? They seem to be nice and close. Maybe worth a run up for me as it's not too far away after googling the site.
 
wishmaster said:
They are all amazing photos, but the first one really does it for me. Having never seen a Red Kite, I appreciate you sharing these. Thanks.
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Cheers, funnily enough i had been waiting for this trip for months as i had never seen a Red Kite either, up until a few weeks ago that was when one flew over where i live in Chesterfield (although at some considerable distance), still amazing to see these beautiful birds so close up............. well worth a trip if you are ever in the area (Mid Wales, near Aberystwyth)

And yes the first was my favourite too, one of the few shots that i really nailed focus wise, but as it only last a few minutes i didn't have the time to try out different focussing techniques and stuck with what i knew, which in hindsight probably wasn't the idea solution for the scenario, just a shame its a 4 hour trip away from me or i'd go again tomorrow
 
Swanseajack said:
Very nice set.

Were you using your 1.4TC for these shots? They seem to be nice and close. Maybe worth a run up for me as it's not too far away after googling the site.
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No, these were with just the 300mm f4 on a D7100, they are so close i could have even done with a 200mm on some occasions

Saying that, the hide where i was stood was very close to the action, but the birds primarily come from behind you and fly over your head, so a lot of the shots were of their arse end :p

There is however another spot on the opposite bank of the lake which would be ideal to catch them head on as they come in to feed

The other bonus is that this place is totally free (apart from parking charges), unlike Gigrin Farm which charge a small fortune for their hides in comparison
 
Thanks for the reply,. We were talking a couple of weeks ago about going down West Wales for a run and taking the coast road upto Aber as I havent been that way for a while. This place makes it easier as theres something for me:D Is the place okay for ambulant disabled, I can walk short distances on good ground.
 
Swanseajack said:
Thanks for the reply,. We were talking a couple of weeks ago about going down West Wales for a run and taking the coast road upto Aber as I havent been that way for a while. This place makes it easier as theres something for me:D Is the place okay for ambulant disabled, I can walk short distances on good ground.
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Yes, there are wide paths and ramps as well as steps, there is also a good visitors centre who do great cups of tea ;)

It's only a 15min walk around the lake, so should be fine

There is a lot of info on their website

http://naturalresources.wales/out-a...-nant-yr-arian-forest-visitor-centre/?lang=en

Oh, and make sure you get there for 3:00 pm (BST) as that is when they feed the birds daily
 
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Martin Clay said:
Great pics Rich, I'm off there next week hope I get as good as you have.

here's a link for @Swanseajack hope this helps
http://naturalresources.wales/out-a...-nant-yr-arian-forest-visitor-centre/?lang=en
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I'm sure you'll have a great time

I'd seriously consider trying the far bank though as in the hide the Kites seems to swoop in from behind you, so lots of shots of Kite rump

I didn't stand on the far bank with my camera in hand, so not totally sure of the distance, but certainly worth a look when walking round the lake
 
rpsmith79 said:
I'm sure you'll have a great time

I'd seriously consider trying the far bank though as in the hide the Kites seems to swoop in from behind you, so lots of shots of Kite rump

I didn't stand on the far bank with my camera in hand, so not totally sure of the distance, but certainly worth a look when walking round the lake
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Thanks, yeah I'll get there early and do a recce of the place. Weather permitting of course. :oops: :$
 
We love this place - we were at uni in Aberystwyth so went a few times... Didn't get anything as good as your first picture though!!
 
Hope the OP doesn't mind me adding one of my pics to his thread. It's only the one as the rest were pretty average at best. It was bright and sunny when we got there about an hour before feeding time, then ten minutes to 3 o'clock it dulled over. But it was a great experience to witness.


Red Kite by GaseousClay1, on Flickr
 
Nice action shot, glad to see you made it over there, and it really is a wonderful sight to experience

Were you in the hide or across the water?
 
Thanks Rich, yeah I was across the water, the sun would have been behind me had it continued to make an appearance. :(

:D
 
These are good Rich! (y)

Bwlch Nant-yr-arian is about 15 minutes from me so I get up there quite regularly. They're a pretty common sight in Mid-Wales and I'm seeing them further afield these days too. :)

The hide is great for watching but not so good for photographing the birds. They swoop down so fast that they're hard to track. The best spot is on the other side of the lake on the bit of bank that sticks out into the water. Also, I recommend watching them as they drop their food. Some great opportunities can be had as they drop down to the water and snatch the meat up in their talons. If you want a few ideas, I've got some shots on my Flickr stream. :)
 
#3 is a beauty, most of mine have been abject failures :)
Matt
 
Unfortunately it is a 4 hour journey (8 hours round trip) for me to get there, so not likely to get back there any time soon, but I will be sure to try the opposite bank if I do

As for seeing them further afield, I did actually spot one in Chesterfield where I live, although it was at a fair old distance
 
Cheers Matt, to be fair i didn't have a very good hit rate when it came to usable shots............. thank God for digital photography ;)
 
My son has recently been to the Scout Big Camp in Yorkshire. While there, they kept seeing raptors flying overhead and around the place. When he asked one of the leaders, he was told they were Red Kites - which got him really excited as he's seen Rich's pics here. Whether or not they were Red Kites, I can't confirm. I did see the birds in the distance when we went to pick him up, but without a camera or bins I couldn't tell which raptors they might be. The camp is held on the Yorkshire Showground near Harrogate.
 
wishmaster said:
My son has recently been to the Scout Big Camp in Yorkshire. While there, they kept seeing raptors flying overhead and around the place. When he asked one of the leaders, he was told they were Red Kites - which got him really excited as he's seen Rich's pics here. Whether or not they were Red Kites, I can't confirm. I did see the birds in the distance when we went to pick him up, but without a camera or bins I couldn't tell which raptors they might be. The camp is held on the Yorkshire Showground near Harrogate.
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Highly likely as there has been a re-introduction of Red Kites at Harewood House just north of Leeds, which looking on a map isn't to far from the Yorkshire Showground, and i have seen them in Chesterfield, so certainly a good possibility they were indeed Red Kites
 
WOW!! They are great! I like 1, 2 is a little dark but 3 is amazing!!!!!
 
AndyWest said:
WOW!! They are great! I like 1, 2 is a little dark but 3 is amazing!!!!!
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Cheers, i really struggled with #2 as it was lit from above, so had to really work at it to pull the shadows back and show some detail, but i loved the pose/shape of the Red Kite, hence why it was a keeper
 
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