[Freeman]

[quote='Barbara G.' pid='96789' dateline='1409747628']
Hey guys - I have been on site every day here. I may not always post each day on the forums as it depends on what is going on. Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Labor Day??? xx Jeff

[Freeman]

Hi all

Anyone got any great murmuration shots? These are from yesterday 18 11 14 at John Bennett Reserve, near Pershore just as the light was dying, somewhere around 2,000-4,000 birds I estimate (not all in the images shown)..wonderful to see ... Cheers Jeff

[EdMak]

Great. Nature is amazing. Some about 60 miles from here, supposedly largest in UK. Ed.

[Rolf]

           
Hello! Newbie.... :-)
I wondered if this is the right place (but I am sure that I will get told otherwise if it's not) to reply with some bird shots for you to look at and comment upon.
I'm not sure if I have attached the pics as all I can see is words saying attachment and a number... :-( If it works I can reply with details if anyone would like them

[Rolf]

Hello! Newbie.... :-)
I wondered if this is the right place (but I am sure that I will get told otherwise if it's not) to reply with some bird shots for you to look at and comment upon.
I'm not sure if I have attached the pics as all I can see is words saying attachment and a number... :-( If it works I can reply with details if anyone would like them

Ah, seems it has... ok the Burrowing owl... the little cross looking guy had taken possession of one of my cameras on the table and seemed to be defying me to touch his now possession!
Camera Canon 1D MklV, Lens
24-105mm F4 L
F4
1/50th/sec
No post processing

The Great Horned Owl

Camera as above
Lens Canon 70-200mm f2.8L IS Mkll
F2.8
1/320th/sec
No Post processing

The wet Bald Eagle...
Camera Canon 1Ds Mklll
Lens Canon 300mm F 2.8 L IS
F 2.8
1/2000th/sec
No Post processing

[WesternGuy]

Would you care to share where these were taken? This information is of interest to some of the folks who watch this thread. Thanks.

WesternGuy

[Rolf]

Would you care to share where these were taken? This information is of interest to some of the folks who watch this thread. Thanks.

WesternGuy

Hello WesternGuy They were taken in Coaldale in Southern Alberta Canada. There is a Raptor Sanctuary there that I like to support. Great opportunities to get reasonably close to some of these birds but a decent lens helps not to stress them too. I think that's important because if you stress your subject, you're doing something wrong. I've more photos if anyone is interested in seeing them?

[Freeman]

Yes, I would love to see more please, Rolf...Jeff

[WesternGuy]

Would you care to share where these were taken? This information is of interest to some of the folks who watch this thread. Thanks.

WesternGuy

Hello WesternGuy They were taken in Coaldale in Southern Alberta Canada. There is a Raptor Sanctuary there that I like to support. Great opportunities to get reasonably close to some of these birds but a decent lens helps not to stress them too. I think that's important because if you stress your subject, you're doing something wrong. I've more photos if anyone is interested in seeing them?

Thanks. I must get there some day as these are neat images.

WesternGuy

[Rolf]

Would you care to share where these were taken? This information is of interest to some of the folks who watch this thread. Thanks.

WesternGuy

Hello WesternGuy They were taken in Coaldale in Southern Alberta Canada. There is a Raptor Sanctuary there that I like to support. Great opportunities to get reasonably close to some of these birds but a decent lens helps not to stress them too. I think that's important because if you stress your subject, you're doing something wrong. I've more photos if anyone is interested in seeing them?

Thanks. I must get there some day as these are neat images.

WesternGuy

Thank you ! Let me know and I could come down and meet you share the experience

[Rolf]

quote='Freeman' pid='98019' dateline='1416497565']
Yes, I would love to see more please, Rolf...Jeff


[/quote]

Hi Jeff A few more... :-) The details are similar to the others but if you want specifics let me know?

               

[Freeman]

Thanks, Rolf, I don't recognise any of these characters - mean looking creatures all of them...and you have got them in imperious postures too, imposing shots...Jeff

[Rolf]

Thanks, Rolf, I don't recognise any of these characters - mean looking creatures all of them...and you have got them in imperious postures too, imposing shots...Jeff

Thanks Jeff, but let the Birds take the credit - I was just the record maker :-)
Kind regards
Rolf

[Mark Stewart-Clarke]

In for a pound in for a penny not my favorite subject matter

http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images..._heron.JPG
Taken in Vancouver harbor 5.6.2005 with a Canon Power shot S50 f 4 1/80 sec
http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images...a/swan.JPG
Taken in Nene Park Peterborough 6-11-2009 with Sony A700 with Sigma 50-250mm at f 5.6 1/80 sec ISO100
http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images...tp.png.JPG
Taken in the Galapagos 5-11-2008 with a Sony A700 Sigma 200-500mm lens f6.3 1/500 sec ISO 800 so a bit noisy
http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images...tp.png.JPG
Taken in the Galapagos 6-11-2008 with a Sony A700 Sigma 200-500mm lens f 5.6 1/500 sec ISO 500

Mark

[Rolf]

In for a pound in for a penny not my favorite subject matter

http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images..._heron.JPG
Taken in Vancouver harbor 5.6.2005 with a Canon Power shot S50 f 4 1/80 sec
http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images...a/swan.JPG
Taken in Nene Park Peterborough 6-11-2009 with Sony A700 with Sigma 50-250mm at f 5.6 1/80 sec ISO100
http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images...tp.png.JPG
Taken in the Galapagos 5-11-2008 with a Sony A700 Sigma 200-500mm lens f6.3 1/500 sec ISO 800 so a bit noisy
http://www.picture-in-focus.co.uk/images...tp.png.JPG
Taken in the Galapagos 6-11-2008 with a Sony A700 Sigma 200-500mm lens f 5.6 1/500 sec ISO 500

Mark

Hi Mark, Thanks for sharing. BTW, if you ever go to the Galapagos again and need an assistant be sure to send me a ticket... ( not necessarily Business class... :-) )

Kind regards

[Rolf]

[quote='Barbara G.' pid='96789' dateline='1409747628']
Hey guys - I have been on site every day here. I may not always post each day on the forums as it depends on what is going on. Hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend!

Labor Day??? xx Jeff

Labour Day... a day when work gets done? The other 364 lead up to it... :-) Rolf

[Freeman]

Hi all, here's sharing some recent Ecuador bird images which I hope you will enjoy. I would like to add more but maybe four will suffice.

1. Red toucan in the cloud forest 100 km north west of Quito
2. Unknown (to me) name bird! Found in forest canopy a few (on foot) miles away in the same general area. I was climbing a tower to the forest canopy when I saw this bird but no idea how I managed to take the shot - I was struggling to stand let alone take pictures - I never did get to the top).
3. Vermillion flycatcher on Rabida Island, Galapagos. I understand not often seen. This one is a massive crop but what fantastic creature.
4. Galapagos flycatcher - these birds come very close and present themselves for photos.

Regards, Jeff

[EnglishBob]

What a great thread, and how have I missed it since returning! Wonderful images in here.

[EnglishBob]

May as well add some of mine:

Gull in Flight
Canon 50D, 1/1600s, F7.1, ISO 100, -2 EV, 417mm


Brown Pelican in Flight
Canon 50D, 1/2000s, F/6.3, ISO 200, 500mm


Foraging Jay
Canon 50D, 1/400s, F5.6, ISO 160, 313mm

[EdMak]

More Crackers, great. Ed.

[Gandalf1953]

Great shots English Bob and Ed, Here are Red Kites I still can't get over the fact that we have them soaring over suburban Southern England. I'm afraid I am still experimenting with my new EF 300mm so these are my first stabs at birds in flight. Unfortunately I had to do more sharpening than I would have liked as I had a bit of action blur and I have had to use about a 50% crop. Not in your league (yet) I'm afraid.

Both pictures were shot on a Canon 50D with EF300mm L f/4 ISO 400 f/5.6 at 1/1000
   

   

[EnglishBob]

They are certainly better than my first (several) attempts at birds in flight!

[EdMak]

Posted elsewhere. This was my first real foray into the unknown, Digital. Olympus Compact, 3.1M Pixels, paid about £175, from memory.
Was not aware of EXIF, cropping and saving as original reduced file size, this became about 250/300 Kb. Lay dormant until I started Photoshop. probably taken about, 2006/7.

I live in the town centre, between the two main streets, about 20 yards from the main A7 road. This was taken, in our large yard car park, about 10 yards from the main road, surrounded by buildings.
The sparrow hawk had captured the pigeon, and was eating it; apparently the back on the neck is the best part. After taking several pictures, I was getting closer to it, eventually about 4/5 feet, not bothering it at all.
Then I thought if it’s not worrying about me, should I be worrying about it! Retreated a fair bit, and used the zoom lens.
It was eventually chased off by a car back firing, (Gunshot)? Leaving the pigeon still alive (humanely killed).
The hawk lives/lived in a church steeple a few hundred yards away.

[Freeman]

I'm loving this thread!

You probably know that the smallest of the UK birds is the goldcrest. He's tricky to photograph because, even if you can find him, he is likely high up in the treetop and he has a frenetic habit of constantly twisting and turning. But there is also such a thing photographer's fortune. Here's my best attempt at capturing a bird that weighs not much more than a tenth of the weight of a large hen's egg (57g). Cropped of course....

(Wikipedia says: The goldcrest is the smallest European bird, 8.5–9.5 cm (3.3–3.7 in) in length, with a 13.5–15.5 cm (5.3–6.1 in) wingspan and a weight of 4.5–7.0 g)

Cheers! Jeff

(Nikon D610+80-400G at 400mm f7.1 1/1250 ISO 400, spot metering)

[Freeman]

Well, it's April 1st and migratory birds are beginning to arrive back in UK. Today I have seen both swallows and sand martins - both for the first time for me this year. The chiffchaff is also back with us from southern Europe and delighting us with his vigorous monotone onomatopoeic call. Here he is. Unlike the secretive goldcrest, I'm sure he came to investigate me today in the wilds of Worcestershire.

Wikipedia says: The common chiffchaff is a small, dumpy, 10–12 centimetres (4 in) long leaf warbler. The male weighs 7–8 grammes (0.28–0.31 oz), and the female 6–7 grammes (0.25–0.28 oz).

Not so very much more weighty than the goldcrest, then....

Regards all, Jeff