[Freeman]

Hi all

Great crested grebes never fail to delight! Hope you like these!

Cheers, Jeff

[Freeman]

At Ripple Gravel Pits near Upton on Severn on 15th April, I was watching skylarks and ringed plovers when suddenly this....it's a quick reaction series with little time to think and it always baffles me how to get decent photos of black crows! Jeff

[WesternGuy]

Jeff, nice shots of the Grebe, particularly the second one where he is looking right at you.

The crow shots reminded me of an encounter I saw today as I was driving along the expressway - a Red-winged Blackbird was taking on two crows - obviously not the best of friends . Your shots are quite good documentation of this type of an encounter. I am not quite sure what type of bird the attacker was - looks like a tern of some sort, but I am not sure - perhaps an Arctic Tern or some relative of one?

WesternGuy

[Freeman]

Jeff, nice shots of the Grebe, particularly the second one where he is looking right at you.

The crow shots reminded me of an encounter I saw today as I was driving along the expressway - a Red-winged Blackbird was taking on two crows - obviously not the best of friends . Your shots are quite good documentation of this type of an encounter. I am not quite sure what type of bird the attacker was - looks like a tern of some sort, but I am not sure - perhaps an Arctic Tern or some relative of one?

WesternGuy

Hi WesternGuy

This is an oyster catcher (the Romans considered British oysters the finest of all!). UK has maybe 50,000 pairs of breeding oyster catchers and many more in winter. They are mainly coastal, but these days quite often come inland to breed, as here. I do have a great liking for observing and photographing bird behaviour. Sounds like you share that. Since taking this shot, I have seen the same OYC on crow (well deserved) behaviour elsewhere.

All the best

Jeff

[Freeman]

Hi guys Can't resist sharing this little chappie - a yellow wagtail fresh back from Africa. Regards Jeff

[WesternGuy]

Jeff, nice shots of the Grebe, particularly the second one where he is looking right at you.

The crow shots reminded me of an encounter I saw today as I was driving along the expressway - a Red-winged Blackbird was taking on two crows - obviously not the best of friends . Your shots are quite good documentation of this type of an encounter. I am not quite sure what type of bird the attacker was - looks like a tern of some sort, but I am not sure - perhaps an Arctic Tern or some relative of one?

WesternGuy

Hi WesternGuy

This is an oyster catcher (the Romans considered British oysters the finest of all!). UK has maybe 50,000 pairs of breeding oyster catchers and many more in winter. They are mainly coastal, but these days quite often come inland to breed, as here. I do have a great liking for observing and photographing bird behaviour. Sounds like you share that. Since taking this shot, I have seen the same OYC on crow (well deserved) behaviour elsewhere.

All the best

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I don't know how I missed that - of course it's an Oyster catcher . My mind went right to tern - duh! We don't have any where I live - not enough water here in the foothills of the Rockies . I have seen them along our west coast though.

WesternGuy

[Freeman]

Hi WesternGuy - Interestingly I have seen this oyster catcher on crow activity again once or twice recently - obviously defending nesting territory - and also lapwings on crows. On one occasion I saw both pursuing a crow at the some time. Regards, Jeff

[Freeman]

Hi all,

Here's a very wild cygnet taken at John Bennett Reserve 5th May 2015.

I've used a different camera here - it's my D3s Nikon first outing - but using my usual Nikon 80-400mm lens. ISO 1600 1/6400 f/10 400mm and cropped about a third to a half.

What do you think of it?

Cheers

Jeff

[Plantsman]

Hi all,

Here's a very wild cygnet taken at John Bennett Reserve 5th May 2015.

I've used a different camera here - it's my D3s Nikon first outing - but using my usual Nikon 80-400mm lens. ISO 1600 1/6400 f/10 400mm and cropped about a third to a half.

What do you think of it?

Cheers

Jeff

Great shot - how cute can they get!!

[Dean]

Really sharp image. Like it.

[WesternGuy]

Jeff, very nice. They look so "cute" when they are all fluffy looking. Hard to believe what they will grow up to look like.

WesternGuy

[Freeman]

Hi all, if you look at this picture and think it not terribly inspiring, let me tell you that for a Worcestershire dweller, it is - that is if you like birds The fact is - and I didn't realise it until I was alerted by someone who saw the shot a while after I took it - this is only the third time in over 60 years that a shoveler - which this is - has produced offspring in this county, and this shot is on its way to being accepted by the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust as a recorded sighting. So, this must rank as one of my best bird shots even if, well...you'll see..Regards Jeff

[Freeman]

Here's a Little Owl - not that much larger than your hand...captive but oh so pretty...Regards all, Jeff

[EdMak]

Looks wise! Great. Ed.

[Phil J]

I really must confess that I know next to nothing about birds. However, last Saturday the family went out together for the day and spent some pleasurable and fascinating hours in a 'Bird Sanctuary'. Here are some of the resultant photos from that day. I'll leave it to the resident experts here to identify the model and make, but I considered the images to be OK.

Thanks for looking. Hope you enjoy.

Phil.

As usual all images Nikon D300 and various focal lengths, speeds & apertures.

   

   

   

   

   

Other types coming up!!

[Phil J]

Here are some more.

Can anyone identify them? Oh yes, even I can recognize a Flamingo!!

   

   

   

   

   

[Phil J]

These are the last for today. Tune in tomorrow for the next thrilling installment of 'To Catch an Unsuspecting Bird'. Feathered variety that is !!.

Cheers all.

Phil.

   

   

[EdMak]

Super series Phil. Cheers. Ed.

[Phil J]

Thanks Ed. I've loads more to edit. Oh, whilst I think of it, Post Production done in PhotoPlus X5.

Best regards.

Phil.

[Freeman]

My goodness Phil, cracking shots!

I think I spy Great White Stork (S Europe), King Penguin (N Antartica), Hornbill (not sure which variety) (Africa), kookaburra (Australia), and snowy owl (visits Shetlands from N Europe and Russia)?

All the best

Jeff

[cuilin]

wow, some amazing photos in this thread. i'm a sucker for the owl shots.



a cardinal from one of those really rare snow days that i actually had off. from years ago when i had a canon and the 100-400mm L. one of the only lenses that i miss and don't yet have a replacement for with my fuji..

[Phil J]

My goodness Phil, cracking shots!

I think I spy Great White Stork (S Europe), King Penguin (N Antartica), Hornbill (not sure which variety) (Africa), kookaburra (Australia), and snowy owl (visits Shetlands from N Europe and Russia)?

All the best

Jeff

Thanks Jeff. I'm glad you know your stuff when it comes to our feathered friends, I'm hopeless at it.

Regards.

Phil.

[Phil J]

    So, some of the latest effort of the Birds, today's edition.

Hope you like them.

Starting with, the previous Owl from a different angle.

   

   

Am I right? If one is good for you, imagine what Toucan do?

   

To be fair, only it's mother could love this one. How they ever managed to bring babies to new Mums I can't fathom out.

   

[EdMak]

Great pics, great series. Ed.

[Phil J]

Thanks Ed.

My apologies folks. Something went dramatically wrong when I went to 'edit' my last post in order to get the photos in the correct order. I have no idea what though.

Regards.

Phil.