Solar Eclipse

At my place solar eclipse of January 15, 2010 was visible only as partial solar eclipse. I used Canon EOS 5D mark II along with Canon EF 300mm f/4.0 L IS USM lens with stacked 2 1.4x tele-converters. I added 2 neutral density filters (2 Stop + 4 Stop) along with a circular polarizer filter. Even with that the intensity of sun was too much. I shot all shots at ISO 100, 1/8000 sec at F/45. I covered the front of lens using a welding glass plate during focusing and aligning with sun thus avoiding direct eye contact. Focus was manual focus using the marking on the lens. Image Stabilization was off as camera was on a tripod. I initially tried to shoot using welding glass only as the protector, but result was disappointing as the glass plate was giving lot of internal reflections. Throughout the eclipse I was wearing protective Mylar film coated glasses to protect my eyes. I did not use live view or auto focus so as to save my sensor getting burnt down by solar rays.

Solar Eclipse Composite View

The solar eclipse of January 15, 2010 was an annular eclipse of the Sun with a magnitude of 0.9190. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby totally or partially obscuring Earth’s view of the Sun. An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon’s apparent diameter is smaller than the Sun, causing the sun to look like an annulus (ring), blocking most of the Sun’s light. An annular eclipse will appear as partial eclipse over a region thousands of kilometres wide.

This was the longest annular solar eclipse of the millennium,[1] and the longest until December 23, 2043, with a maximum length of 11 mins and 7.8 seconds. (The solar eclipse of January 4, 1992 was longer, at 11 minutes, 41 seconds, occurring in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.)

It was visible as a partial eclipse in much of Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It was seen as annular within a narrow stretch of 300 km (190 mi) width across Central Africa, Maldives, South Kerala (India), South Tamil Nadu (India), North Sri Lanka, parts of Burma and parts of China.

Small Blue Symmetry

Pair of Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) on a boat near Sultan’s battery , Mangalore. I used Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM with Tamron SP AF 1.4X TC on Giottos Monopod.

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Oriental Honey Buzzard (Pernis ptilorhyncus) sub adult male. also known as Oriental Honey-buzzard and Crested Honey Buzzard. Despite its name, this species is not related to Buzzards, and is taxonomically closer to the kites.

The head lacks a strong supraciliary ridge giving it a very un-raptor-like facial appearance. It has a long tail and a short head crest. It is brown above, but not as dark as Honey Buzzard, and paler below. There is a dark throat stripe. Unusually for a large bird of prey, the sexes can be distinguished. The male has a blue-grey head, while the female’s head is brown. She is slightly larger and darker than the male. The male has a black tail with a white band, whilst the female resembles female Honey Buzzard. It breeds in Asia from central Siberia east to Japan. It is a summer migrant to Siberia, wintering in tropical south east Asia. Elsewhere it is more-or-less resident. It is a specialist feeder, living mainly on the larvae and nests of wasps, although it will take other small prey.

The Oriental Honey Buzzard breeds in woodland, and is inconspicuous except in the spring, when the mating display includes wing-clapping. The display of roller-coasting in flight and fluttering wings at the peak of the ascent are characteristic of the genus Pernis.

Thanks to Shiva for helping me to identify.

Little Green Bee-eater

Little Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis). Shot using Canon EOS 5D Mark II with Tamron SP AF 1.4X Tele Converter (white model) on Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM lens, hand held.