Changeable Hawk Eagle

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

This was quite an experience. We were driving through Pench in the late afternoon and Rohan our guide had stopped the jeep to listen to the forest. After a brief while of looking and listening we turned around and saw this Changeable Hawk eagle perched on a branch right behind us and looking at us. It continued to sit there and scan the environment for a while and flew off after some time...I've never seen a more regal bird of prey...its presence was that of an emperor!
Shot with Nikon D 3000 body, Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens at 300mm; 1/160s - F/5.6; -0.3EV and Daylight WB. A fine moment indeed. Apparently diet includes peacocks!

[Himadri Roy]

hi,
i guess a little breathing space beneath the subject would have been even good!

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

Agree Himadri...have a few more of the same bird in potrait...will share

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

Another view

[Abhishek Jamalabad]

Kaustuv,
Nice eye contact. The head plumes look lovely. Including the toes in completely would have been better. What is the black speck at the left?
I like the second composition better. Please post it as a new thread, so that we can critique both the images separately.
TFS.

[Mrudul Godbole]

Sure it is a regal bird. Agree the head plumes add to the image. Is the horizontal image a crop? Some more space at the bottom would have been good.

The vertical composition looks fine. A slight +EC would have been good. The image doesn't look very sharp, is that a crop? Thanks for sharing.

[Kaustuv Chatterjee]

Hi, yes this is cropped but not significantly. Have not sharpened it on CS...will do and try and see if it improves. The speck on the left hand corner is a spider.