Love Is in the Air

I know, I am behind with the editing of my photos. That's because when I am out in the field I can't stop shooting, and when I get home I have multiple cards worth of shots to go through... good, but bad at the same time...

So, while the Black-winged Stilts have already laid their eggs, here are, in this third installment on this species, some shots taken a few weeks ago still during the mating season. We have seen the fights in my previous post and here is the mating ritual. Females have a brown back while males are black. The colors of the head are not distinctive of sexes and vary from bird to bird.

When the female is ready she lowers her head, keeping the body in a straight position and waits. Sometimes the male is not interested and doesn't respond, otherwise he goes around her a couple of times before finally getting onto her back. After the mating, male and female exchange a tender caress, beak to beak, one next to the other.

I can't wait to see the cute little stilts which will be born soon!

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/1600sec ISO 500

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/1600sec ISO 500

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/1600sec ISO 500

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/1600sec ISO 500

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/2000sec ISO 640

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x III f/6.3 1/2500sec ISO 400

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM +1.4x III f/6.3 1/2500sec ISO 400

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/1600sec ISO 640

             EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 600 mm f/4L IS USM f/6.3 1/2000sec ISO 640

A Day at the "Oasi"

Despite we live only 20 minutes away from this natural preserve area, we just visited it a couple of times so far, but I think I'll try and go there more often in the upcoming weeks to take more photographs.

A previously private shooting ground, "Il Bosco WWF di Vanzago" was later donated to the Italian branch of The World Wildlife Fund, and it's now their largest "oasi" in the country. The habitat is the specific one of the Po Valley, with broad-leaved woods, some open areas and two main lakes.

                                      EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM @24mm
                                      f/9.0 1/160 sec ISO 200

I still remember when my Dad enrolled me as a member of the WWF, when I was little: I felt so proud when I received my membership card and I felt the commitment of working for the protection of wildlife and plants as well as for the preservation of energy. I was proudly wearing a WWF arm badge on my sweater and going to lectures and events organized by the association. I relived that and had a nice feeling, when last Sunday I enrolled my two little nieces and they got their membership cards for the first time.

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @200mm f/5.0 1/200 sec ISO 320

It was a special day, when some of the animals cured at CRAS (the special structure which takes care of wounded or sick wild animals) were released again in the wild. We spent a few hours visiting the area, and we had the opportunity to see mammals, birds and other critters and plants, and the girls enjoyed one of the cutest and most common animals of this habitat, the hedgehog, very close.

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/5.6 1/100 sec ISO 320
              Macrolepiota procera

In the end we were all a little tired, but also happy and satisfied, for the great time we spent admiring this beautiful natural area and the animals which live there.

Scroll down to see some of the shots taken during the day: I hope you'll enjoy them!

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/5.6 1/320 sec ISO 320
              Roe deer

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/5.6 1/320 sec ISO 320
              Roe deer

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/6.3 1/320 sec ISO 320
              Roe deer

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/10 1/800 sec ISO 640
              Hedgehog

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/10 1/1000 sec ISO 640
              Hedgehog

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/9.0 1/640 sec ISO 640
              Hedgehog

                                      EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @340mm
                                      f/7.1 1/400 sec ISO 320
                                     American pokeweed

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 L IS USM @400mm f/6.3 1/400 sec ISO 320
              Dragonfly

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM @105mm f/5.0 1/200 sec ISO 200
              Praying mantis

              EOS 5D Mark III – Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0 L IS USM @70mm f/5.0 1/100 sec ISO 200