![]() We love the detail in Helen’s image and the bird’s dynamic diagonal across the square frame. She says, ‘They are so beautiful and majestic, it’s scary to think that they were nearly extinct, yet I was able to observe them daily’. Helen captured this red kite circling above her old apartment with her Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary. The focus is exactly where it needs to be, and there’s just enough field depth so that the beetle’s top half is sharp, but the background is an attractive blur of green. Molly used her Sigma 105mm macro lens on her Sony A7 III to photograph this red soldier beetle at the top of a fern, and we think she’s done a brilliant job. The water droplets on its feathers also make the conditions apparent. Like Stephanie, we love the look of quiet fortitude on the bird’s face as it succeeds in its task. Stephanie had to endure much of that too to capture this wonderful image with her Sony RX10 IV. This puffin had to face high winds, heavy rain and the constant attack of black-backed gulls to deliver a beak full of sand eels to its offspring. They are truly amazing creatures!’ Thankfully, Sara did remember to use her Nikon D500 and Sigma 150-600mm to capture some images on this occasion! Stephanie Chadwick When I have occasion to go, I stay there for hours observing them, sometimes even forgetting to take pictures. Hunting, bickering, and mating, they are colourful not only in aspect but in personality too. She says, ‘it’s a true spectacle to see hundreds of these colourful birds together. Sara tells us that every May bee-eaters come to nest in a reservoir at about a 1 hour drive from her home. ![]() CJPOTY June 2023 ‘Wildlife’ shortlisted images Sara Jazbar One of these ten shortlisted images has also been selected as the round winner, with the photographer being awarded a voucher from MPB worth £500 – scroll down to find out who. It made selecting our top ten photographs very hard, and we could easily have included many more! However, the deliberation is over and we are delighted to announce that the following images will be added to our shortlist to be judged by our illustrious panel of judges at the end of the year. Once again, the range and quality of the images was very impressive. Overall, currently, Black kites are classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and their numbers today are stable.The theme for the sixth round of the Camera Jabber Photographer of the Year (CJPOTY) competition was ‘Wildlife’. In Europe, the breeding population is estimated to number 186,000-254,000 breeding pairs, equating to 372,000-507,000 mature individuals. The eagle-owl freely picks off kites of any age from the nestling stage to adulthood and was noted to precipitously decrease kite breeding success when nesting within kilometers of the kites in the Italian Alps.Īccording to the IUCN Red List, the total Black kite population size is around 4,000,000-5,700,000 mature individuals. However, they do have a single serious predator: the Eurasian eagle-owl. As a large raptorial bird, the Black kite has few natural predators. They are also a major nuisance at some airports, where their size makes them a significant birdstrike hazard. Their habit of swooping to pick up dead rodents or other roadkill leads to collisions with vehicles. These birds also often perch on electric wires and are frequent victims of electrocution. ![]() The main threats to Black kites include poisoning, shooting, and the pollution of water by chemicals. Black kites are able to breed after their second year. After 50 days, they begin to move to branches next to the nest. The nestlings are able to stand on their legs after 17-19 days and begin flapping their wings after 27-31 days. Body feathers begin to appear after 18 to 22 days. Newly hatched chicks have a sepia down on the back and black around the eye and buff on the head, neck, and underparts. The incubation period varies from 30-34 days. The typical clutch size is 2 or sometimes 3 eggs. Both the male and female take part in nest building, incubation, and care of chicks. They are made from sticks and twigs and may sometimes be decorated with bright materials such as white plastic. The nests are built on tree branches, cliff ledges, or buildings and may be reused in subsequent years. Black kites nest singly or in loose groups. In India, it begins in winter (mainly January and February), while European birds breed in summer. The time of breeding varies with location. Black kites are monogamous and form strong pair bonds that may last for life.
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