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| Moderated by: chrisbet, | ||
| Author | Post | |||||||||
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Eric
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Here you go Jeff…a new chapter for 2023 Memo to self….. don’t attempt to take bird photographs with a standard lens on the camera.  ‘Spot the Stonechat’  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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When you know where to look for them you find it on the first image. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:When you know where to look for them you find it on the first image.600mm at home  Ok Iain….how are you on other flying things? This landed on the heather in the same location….  Click here to comment on this image. Is it an immature fly? Like a green bottle? I didn’t know if flies emerge as immature with different colours/appearance before turning into the adults?  It was the light green legs that confused me. Flies have black legs, I thought. |
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blackfox
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ah cheers Eric .. a good start to high tide week today little egret catches a black rat right in front of me then takes it on a fly past before teaching it to parachute  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Amazing capture Jeff Did the rat survive? Coincidentally I had some Ratatouille this evening ….but served on a plate.  |
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blackfox
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not a chance Eric the gulls swooped in as it fell not even sure it hit the water |
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Iain
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Eric, Not sure of your fly, you could be right with a green bottle. Nice set of pics Jeff. |
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blackfox
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few from todays high tide ,nice blue sky but bitter cold on the beach  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Jeff/Iain I assume this is a year old male (with ‘female’ eyebrow stripes) and not a transgender Sparrowhawk?   Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:Jeff/IainIt looks like it. I'm surprised your still alive with the look its giving you. |
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Iain
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Our local Kestrel from yesterday. DSC00658-Edit-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:Our local Kestrel from yesterday.Weather not too kind for you ….like us down here. Where is the sunshine when you need it? |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:Weather not too kind for you ….like us down here. Where is the sunshine when you need it?I know. It would look so much better with blue sky. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:I know. It would look so much better with blue sky.There you go….   Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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Shame it doesn't work in real life! |
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Graham Whistler
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Super photo Eric! |
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Iain
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Don’t know what’s going on. But that’s a few times I have posted something and ended up with a blank post. |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:There you go….It’s easy for those that are a whizz with photo software. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:It’s easy for those that are a whizz with photo software.  Cracking bird…whatever the sky colour. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:Don’t know what’s going on. But that’s a few times I have posted something and ended up with a blank post.I get that if I try to use my keyboard emojis rather than the button on the forum header. |
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Iain
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Just a plain old Robin. DSC01078 by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Graham Whistler
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Super quality shot Ian |
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Iain
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Graham Whistler wrote:Super quality shot IanThat was with the Sony A7 iv and 200-600mm + 1.4tc |
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blackfox
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nice shot iain |
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blackfox
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couple of mine from yesterday ,after the overnight blizzard cleared blue skies appeared and off I trotted .not been out for a week waiting on a repair on the car . so a welcome but cold couple of hours  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Nice shots Jeff. |
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Iain
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A dancing Blue Tit and a drinking Siskin. DSC01240-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr  DSC01217 by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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Great to see the birds in best breeding plumage. They look so dishevelled after raising their broods. Great captures Iain & Jeff. |
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Iain
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This is the oldest Red Kite in the area, if you look between the wing and the tail you will see a radio transmitter arial. They only put them on a few birds in the first three years of release so this bird is at lease 17 years old. DSC01291-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Graham Whistler
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Had a good wild bird shoot in local woods today with friend Jiom Carling. All with Sony A1 and 200-600mm lens plus x1.4 Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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Nice work |
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Graham Whistler
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I did not like the out of focus tail in this previous post so found a sharper one and corrected in Photoshop. QED  Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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That doesn't look like quite the right angle and the green hue is strange .... |
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Graham Whistler
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From the same shoot, this is Sony A1 600mm +1.4 ISO 4000 with very little noise these modern cameras produce very good work even in dull weather like this early in the morning.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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I actually thought the Wren was the nicest photograph, the out of focus tail didn’t matter but the light stone behind was distracting…I see you’ve cloned that out but the tail is too contrasty and colour balance is a bit off. Personally, the composition with the greater inclusion of habitat makes a more pleasing image than the other closer cropped images. But they are all super sharp. |
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Graham Whistler
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Tail toned down! Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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Iain
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That looks better. |
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blackfox
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couple from this weeks high spring tides . and managed to get some twite shots a couple of hundred yards from home as the whole sea marsh has flooded for three days bringing them ashore  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Nice ones Jeff, well taken. Blu Tit is from the same above shoot a week ago. Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Nice shot Graham. I like a shot with a clear background. |
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Graham Whistler
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Chaffinch more fron the A1 Sony and 600-200mmlens with x1.4 Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Well it’s Easter again! 20+years ago we had Mallards nesting in the garden. I had to place out bowls and containers with water on the lawn to give swimming lessons to the ducklings…and entertain us! But what a mess! We stopped having them nest here in 2010. But every year since then one or two adult ducks come here for short visits around Easter. It cannot be the original ‘parents’ they will be long gone ……so it must be successive offspring handing down the imprinted location of their birth???? They don’t wander around the garden aimlessly like the wood pigeons, they come directly to the patio and wait by the window, sometimes even tapping the glass with their beaks. It’s quite staggering to think a simple duck can remember where to come to get safe haven…and some corn! Anyway two just landed while we were scarifying the lawns. They ambled past the scarifier and onto the patio for ….porridge. Yes we have found every bird seems to like porridge rooks, crow, jackdaws, magpies, blackbirds, doves, pigeons, robins, great tits, dunnocks …even squirrels. We buy a bag of cheap stuck and spread a few handfuls each day on the lawn ….because it’s so fragmented …it lasts for ages because they have to work for it. So I commend you to porridge to attract the bigger birds…..no milk or sugar required. Not having a camera to hand I am belatedly posting some shots of maybe their grandmother/ grandfather ducks?    |
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Eric
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Found ye olde video (BHD) of the duck pond nursery and them learning to dabble in mud tray. Note their stamping feet despite being outside the tray on grass. Fortunately I was partially cropped from the frame to hide my belly and love handles…..now significantly reduced (thank God). Sitting at a computer for hours on end does nothing for the figure. |
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Graham Whistler
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All good fun and Happy Easter to all! |
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Iain
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A Mandarin Duck on a local pond. A7402371-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Iain
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A Chiffchaff. A7402013-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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We bought one of those special feeders that have depressible perches. When heavy birds attempt to land the perch drops and their access to the food is blocked. Works fine for squirrels but the Jay developed a ‘fly at bang into it’ approach very early on…scattering peanuts to the ground for him to retrieve. But now the ‘ground crew’ are sitting waiting to grab his spoils, he has refined and perfected his approach. He hovers to take the nut and only touches the perch lightly with one foot to push himself away. (Sequential frames) Notice the feeder has barely swung …relative to the tree markings behind. I say ‘he’ but it could be a ‘her’…or these days even a ‘they’.   Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:A Chiffchaff.We had a chiffchaff in the garden calling earlier this week…got lovely sighting but no camera to hand. And a blackcap was singing this morning when I was out there. Annoyingly he sings on the other side of the hedges to my place so the neighbour would get the sighting….but he isnt bothered. He has just gained planning permission to build 2 houses in his garden. I managed to get the original plan for 3 houses reduced and moved away from my boundary by 30feet by claiming my deeds stated this was a stipulation. When asked to produce evidence I said I would gladly get the deeds out of storage ….once they had built the houses too close. But sadly despite protests from all surrounding neighbours and even the Town Civic Society, who put up a stirling protest about loss of green spaces, the plans were approved. I fear my Tawny won’t be spending the day in our boundary trees any more. When we came here 50 years ago we had spotted flycatcher, linnets, redpolls nesting in the garden: nightingales in audible distance and house martins, swifts and swallows cutting a cross the lawn. All gone, as has the glorious cacophony of a dawn chorus…now just blackbirds and collared doves halfhearted attempts.  Sorry for thread drift. |
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Iain
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You’re not on your own with the bird numbers going down, it’s the same here. I wonder if bird flu has affected the small bird population as well but just not been noticed. Who knows. |
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chrisbet
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We are getting an increase in bird species here - this year we have chiff chaff and Greater Spotted Woodpecker for the first time in the garden. |
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Iain
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Breading season is here, a Robin taking food into a female on the nest. A7403103-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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Nicely caught Iain. I was taking a walk in a woodland yesterday and saw the same thing……  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Couldn’t resist a couple more food moments….. Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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This bloke never brought any food, but was trying his best to attract a lady in the shrubbery….it worked. Click here to comment on this image. These two were just hanging round waiting for a lady friend….  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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This crew were circling overhead. Presumable rented by the RSPB to monitor the breeding programme?  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Nice set of images Eric. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:Nice set of images Eric.Thx. Small birds are so hard to follow in woodland. The Sony struggled with the multitude of branches. Totally failed to capture a single image of the blackcap and chiffchaff that were flitting around. Most of the bird shots were at 12,800iso….because I tried to move the exp comp wheel and mistakenly turned the shutter speed to 1/2500 and the auto iso did the rest! Although that speed was useful on the flitting birds I was expecting the high iso to be riddled with noise….but it wasn’t. It makes me wonder if you get less noise per iso setting by using higher shutter speeds. I know it’s true that long exposures (>1sec) DO introduce more sensor noise but never considered that the reverse might apply when using high shutter speeds. I suppose it’s logical. It may also explain why sometimes I’ve been unhappy with noise levels on my bird shots. I have usually tried to keep iso down by using the slowest shutter speed I can get away with. I feel a test coming on. |
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Graham Whistler
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Super Robin Ian. Eric good set as well and at 12800 ISO is amazing quality!!!!! |
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Iain
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I use centre spot for AF and find that 90% of the time that works. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:I use centre spot for AF and find that 90% of the time that works.Do you still get the eye detection when using centre spot? I was under the impression it was only in area mode. Perhaps that’s where I was going wrong. I will have to check. Maybe something else I got wrong on the day. |
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Eric
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Eric
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Seem to have created a black hole in the above post. Every time I try to populate the post it turns out blank. The sparrow nest box I fitted under the eaves in 2019 has finally been used…by blue tits. We’ve been watching their antics over a few weeks but today saw the confirmatory sign they have “messy offspring” inside. Mum taking out the poo, yuk.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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Seem to have created a black hole in the above post. Every time I try to populate the post it turns out blank.Because the is no post text associated with the post number - no idea what causes that! Once posted there is no way to generate a referenced text to populate the post so indeed, a black hole! |
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Iain
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Nice to know its being used Eric. Chris, I have had the same issue on a couple of occasions. |
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Graham Whistler
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Weaver Bird female with nest Kenya Nikon D500 Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Spotted Thick-Knee, Kenya very like our Stone Curlew, Nikon D500 Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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It's funny how I look at these pics from the D500 and my own from the D500 and they don't look as good as the ones you and I are getting from the Sony kit. At the time they were great but things have moved on. |
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Iain
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A Gadwall and a Tufted Duck in the rain both male. A9200049-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr  A7403460-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Graham Whistler
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Ian I agree I have been going through these Kenys photos and a lot failed as out of focus, I was getting less than 1 in 4 good shots. Now in the last two years with the Sony A1 I get nearly 100% sharp photos, perhaps I have become more skilled at bird photography. I think the whole range of Sony lenses I now have 5 and they are all very sharp and very quick to lock on and hold sharp focus even with fast-moving birds in flight. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:It's funny how I look at these pics from the D500 and my own from the D500 and they don't look as good as the ones you and I are getting from the Sony kit. At the time they were great but things have moved on.I do wonder if the latest iterations of Nikon Z cameras will have followed Sony’s lead and upped their game in the focusing stakes. Jonathan was telling me the latest Fuji cameras have the same sort of focus speed plus viewfinder blackout control like the Sony A1. So it does seem as the A1 set the bar high and others are now having to match it. That said I was looking at some of my old D3 images recently and although they didn’t have the bitingly sharp detail when enlarged, somehow when I am not pixel peeping and just ‘look at the full composition’, they are still extremely good images standing the test of time. |
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Graham Whistler
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Geoff the local TV Aerial man removed our old damaged aerial no longer needed apart from much used by the birds. He also kindly removed the results of 12 years bird droppings from our Sola Panels so perhaps we will get a few more volts! Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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I have to agree with the Sony lens I have four and even the cheapest one is sharp also there are not many zoom lenses in the 200-600 range you can put on a body and get sharp images at 600mm wide open. |
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Graham Whistler
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Ian when I go back on D850 bird photos with top-range £6000 f4 Nikon lens it makes our Sony 200-600 look amazing I just can not find fault with it apart from bit heavy to handhold for too long at 82 yrs!!! |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:I do wonder if the latest iterations of Nikon Z cameras will have followed Sony’s lead and upped their game in the focusing stakes. Jonathan was telling me the latest Fuji cameras have the same sort of focus speed plus viewfinder blackout control like the Sony A1. So it does seem as the A1 set the bar high and others are now having to match it.I’m not sure they have Eric. Speaking to guys using the Z9 they are saying that even it misses focus on too many shots for their liking. |
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Iain
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Grey Heron having a bad hair day. A9200300 by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Graham Whistler
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Super photo Ian in perfect light and setting. |
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Iain
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Thanks Graham. |
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Eric
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We ‘had’ a solar pump that produced a small fountain. Sadly the solar panel died and we have been considering replacements or alternatives for a while. Not all alternatives have been worthy of further consideration. The search continues.  Click here to comment on this image. No….I have no idea what it was doing. |
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chrisbet
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Depends what voltage the pump is - small 12v solar panels are available for around £15 |
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Iain
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He’s had his head put on the wrong way round. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:He’s had his head put on the wrong way round.It was just one frame in the middle of a sequence of 5 on Medium shutter speed. The other 4 were facing the right way. So in the space of one frame it spun its head up and back again. Impressive. I can only assume it thought it saw or was checking for a raptor? |
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Iain
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A GSW from today. Not an easy shot to get because of the way they fly but the Sony A1 nailed it. A0101411-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Graham Whistler
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I like that Ian. |
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Eric
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Huge crop. If they would only come down a bit lower I know, I know Graham….the bug should have been in focus as well.  Click here to comment on this image. There were some workmen chopping down things in an over grown garden in the next street. Clearly they were disturbing into the air a lot of ‘meal components’ for the Swifts, as they were circling down wind over the next road. I wanted Jan to start shaking our trees or chopping something down….neither request was greeted with success. The Swifts just wouldn’t come over our garden low enough. |
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Graham Whistler
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Also a very big blow up, I am not doing very well at the moment. Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Still a good try Eric. |
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Iain
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That’s a good try Eric. If you focus on the bug next time you might have everything in focus. |
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Graham Whistler
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Above shot was as taken but was as stated big blow-up. I have now worked on noise in Photoshop and the results are a bit better. Shot was taken with A1 and 90mm Macro with single point tracking focus 3200ISO 1/3200 sec at f9 Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Just back from a few days break, which included some bird photography…Kites to be specific. The camera count was 6700 before I left…it’s now 8400. That H+ drive flies. I am therefore picking through a LOT of similar shots. Here’s a couple to be going on with…  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Three more…. Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Those are good Eric. What camera lens combo was it? |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:Those are good Eric. What camera lens combo was it?Thx. If you still have your caravan Iain, this is a cracking campsite here …kites overfly regularly looking for peoples scraps. This photo was taken standing in the caravan doorway….  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Very good, super shots Eric!!!! Sorry just tried 1 min in Photoshop for you! Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Sorry Eric messing with your super photo!!!! Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Looks good but unfortunately we don’t have it anymore, damp got in and did for it. |
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Eric
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On returning home we were greeted by a family of Great Spotted Woodpeckers feeding off our suet and peanuts stations. They are at the stage where they try to use the feeders themselves but prefer Dad to feed them. They also have been hammering seven bells out of an ageing willow tree…so they are getting some natural food as well.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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I've got a mum with two chicks up here doing the same thing. |
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Eric
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Forgot to mention, while distractedly photographing kites, this cheeky chap sneaked up on my kite bait…. Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Yes, they don't miss a chance. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:Yes, they don't miss a chance.They come in a lot slower than a kite. More hesitant and easier to follow. |
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Graham Whistler
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You captured that very well Eric. |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:They come in a lot slower than a kite. More hesitant and easier to follow.Yes, far better for the reflexes at our age. |
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Eric
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One for Chris… Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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Lol - I think the bird gave one to the horse ..... |
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Eric
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chrisbet wrote:Lol - I think the bird gave one to the horse .....I was attempting to photograph the swallows coming in and out of their nests in very poor light. I obviously made too much noise as the horse (which had been laid down in the stable) suddenly stuck its head out somewhat bleary eyed….which matched my surprise and iffy focus. |
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chrisbet
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Any noise is too much noise for a horse - as prey animals they have very acute hearing, did you know that they use their bodies as an amplifier - bit like a radar dish! |
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Eric
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chrisbet wrote:Any noise is too much noise for a horse - as prey animals they have very acute hearing, did you know that they use their bodies as an amplifier - bit like a radar dish!And I was in stealth mode! Useless. |
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chrisbet
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Lol - you would need your 800mm plus 1.4 teleconverter from the other side of the yard to not be heard! |
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Eric
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It’s strange really, horses still considering themselves prey. You would have thought the absence of predators in the UK for centuries might have bred out a bit of that nervousness? Mind you, having seen my wife wolf down a T-bone steak after a hike in the Julian Alps a few years back, I could imagine a horse being nervous in her presence. Even I slept with one eye open that night. |
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chrisbet
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There is a difference between having a prey response (built in the DNA I think) and being nervous, yes some horses shy at any noise, others are so ****y they think "bring it on"! Mine cares not if a dog runs up barking but will shy at a butterfly taking off from the grass .... it is part of the joy of riding |
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Iain
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Captive Saker Falcon. _A013629 by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:Captive Saker Falcon.Doesn’t look ‘captive’ to me. Lol Lovely bird. |
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Eric
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I’ve been getting back to my Yorkshire roots….pigeon fancying. Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Think you might have lucked out with those two, they are definitely a couple. Nice behaviour shots. |
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Iain
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A punk Jay. A dark rainy day, I was surprised that there was so much about. Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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A recent shot of a Kingfisher to try and keep this thread moving. _A014198 by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Graham Whistler
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Sony A1 just a Robin today. Click here to comment on this image. |
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blackfox
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puffin from a recent visit to Bempton Olympus E.M1X +300MM F4 +1.4 TC  Click here to comment on this image. |
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blackfox
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sparrow feeding fledgling .. new Mac mini computer allows me to post here again as old one was hanging on posts  Click here to comment on this image. |
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blackfox
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tree sparrow  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Jeff good to see you back with more of your super photos! |
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Graham Whistler
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Nuthatch Click here to comment on this image. Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Graham Whistler wrote:NuthatchNice detailed shots Graham. |
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Graham Whistler
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Goldfinch Sony A1 with 200-600mm lens Click here to comment on this image. |
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blackfox
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couple more images from Bempton this year ::: extremely cold and windy both Olympus E:M1X +300mm f4 +1.4tc Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Nice shots Jeff. |
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Graham Whistler
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Well taken Jeff, super photos! |
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Iain
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Female Mandarin. _A015149 by Iain Clyne, on Flickr  _A015169 by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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blackfox
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couple from Wednesday this week , small waders seem to be returning at last  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Jeff I like those! A small one for you Click here to comment on this image. : Wren with Sony A1 and 600mm lens |
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Graham Whistler
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Night Owl with flash. Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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Wow!!! |
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Iain
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Nicely balanced exposure. |
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Graham Whistler
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Also in the woods a GS Woodpecker Sony A1 600mm lens 5000 ISO Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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A rather large low flying Airbus flew over our rented villa in Salvagnac S France yesterday. Sony A1 with 100-400mm lens Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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https://www.bonusprint.co.uk/view-online-photo-book?widgetId=08b645ec-2b86-49bb-a584-d49a41a38cd6 This is a link to my Photobook on Bird Photography that may be of interest many of the photos will have been seen on this forum all taken with Nikon DSLRs and some on new Sony A1 |
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Eric
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This fine fellow dropped in for some ants (zoom in on beak end) then had a reccie up an old apple tree. Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Graham Whistler
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Lucky you Eric good shots! |
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Iain
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Nice shots Eric. A bird I haven’t managed to get a good shot of yet. |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:Nice shots Eric. A bird I haven’t managed to get a good shot of yet.Thx. They are routine (not regular) visitors to us probably the ant infested lawn. Lol Strangely they often arrive at this time of year and invariably a great spotted woodpecker usually comes within 24 hours. It’s almost as one acts as a scouting party. The green goes straight to the same location on the lawn. I KNOW there are ants in that area…how do they know? They go straight to that part of the lawn. I can’t believe they can actually see the ants moving about from on high ….but maybe from above the earth disturbances shows a telltale patch? Very clever birds always land in the exact same location. The GSW goes for the feeders or our two knarled, half dead apple and cherry trees. Just looked at exif of a previous visit and it was 11 days later back in 2020..  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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I guess their eyesight is very good either that or there is a smell the ants give off that they smell. |
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chrisbet
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Don't ants give off formic acid? |
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Iain
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Yes they do Chis and this maybe what the woodpecker locks on to. |
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Eric
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Clever little beauties. ….I meant the birds, not you two. Hang on …I thought birds had no sense of smell??? It’s recommend to spray sunflower seed with cayenne pepper to stop squirrels feeding on them. Apparently squirrels can smell the pepper but birds cannot. I did this one year and the birds never stopped feeding but it deterred the fury beasties ….only for 24 hours, presumably till the smell dissipated. The only significant deterrent was for me due to my eyes running and coughing like a maniac. Didn’t repeat the exercise as it also wet the seeds and coated the feeders. |
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chrisbet
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I think they do have some sense of smell but their hearing is good so perhaps they listen for the ants scurrying about? |
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Iain
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A couple of Kes shots from Friday. _A010027-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr  _A019981A-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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Superb!  |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:Superb!Thanks. A lot of it goes down to the super fast and accurate focusing of the A1 and 200-600. |
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Graham Whistler
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Super shots Ian well taken! |
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Graham Whistler
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Photoshop AI sorted out the out-of-focus bottom of the photo in seconds! Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Eric
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Graham Whistler wrote:Photoshop AI sorted out the out-of-focus bottom of the photo in seconds!That’s a good example of AI assisting you in correcting an annoying part of a composition. It’s done a very realistic infill. |
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Iain
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I find it quite affective in most cases. Like everything don't expect too much as sometime it does make a right mess of things. |
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Iain
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Nice to see a Green Finch which is now on the Red list of endangered species. _A011728-Edit-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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blackfox
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having just succumbed to yet another change of camera body (due to health ,age ) related problems .I purchased a olympus OM1 last week couple of shots from first day out with it. Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. |
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Iain
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Nice shots Jeff. |
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Eric
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Wondered why my peanut feeder was emptying so quickly… Click here to comment on this image. We had 3 Jays today that have all learnt to ‘humming bird hover’ and take nuts out of the feeder with supposedly big bird deterrents. |
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Eric
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Woodie is a regular visitor now. Although I do wish he wouldn’t hang about in the darkest area of that garden.  Click here to comment on this image.  Click here to comment on this image. At least there’s more chance of seeing him now the leaves have fallen. I do wish he would come closer and into the remaining sunbathed areas of the garden. There must be 4or5 stops of light difference between the sunlit feeder area and the woodland border…..in addition to 30 meter of extra distance to bridge. Sigh! |
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chrisbet
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Maybe put a couple of Arri spots down there? |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:Wondered why my peanut feeder was emptying so quickly…They soon learn how to overcome problems. |
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Graham Whistler
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More good photos above keep them going. I just wish we could get some new members. |
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Iain
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Another Green finch one. _A011950-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:They soon learn how to overcome problems.Very true. I didn’t get a photo of it but a Rook landed above the feeders and he/she was trying to peck down on some fat balls in a feeder. As the level dropped and he/she couldn’t reach he/she grabbed the side of the cage and swung it up 2 or 3 times till it stuck horizontal on a twig so the cage was at his/her feet. A squirrel disturbed the feast and knocked the feeder back to the swinging position. When the squirrel cleared off, the Rook returned and didn’t try pecking down but immediately swung the cage up to catch on the twig again. Clever bird…..must fill the feeder now!!! Even got Collared Doves hanging off feeders. They perch one level down to reach the hole above. Can’t post the video on here but this is a screen grab…  Click here to comment on this image. |
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chrisbet
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Eric wrote:Can’t post the video on here but this is a screen grab…I need to fix the youtube link in the editor, but you can upload video to YouTube and then use the link icon in the editor menu to include a link to the video in your post. Like this - https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tYyN9oCuNvE |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:Very true. I didn’t get a photo of it but a Rook landed above the feeders and he/she was trying to peck down on some fat balls in a feeder. As the level dropped and he/she couldn’t reach he/she grabbed the side of the cage and swung it up 2 or 3 times till it stuck horizontal on a twig so the cage was at his/her feet. A squirrel disturbed the feast and knocked the feeder back to the swinging position. When the squirrel cleared off, the Rook returned and didn’t try pecking down but immediately swung the cage up to catch on the twig again. Clever bird…..must fill the feeder now!!!They all need food to survive so will adapt a way to get it and they are not as daft as people think. |
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Iain
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At a site I go to a lot we never see the Grey Wagtails in the summer but come winter we get them in the car park. _A016563-Edit by Iain Clyne, on Flickr |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:At a site I go to a lot we never see the Grey Wagtails in the summer but come winter we get them in the car park.I missed this one Iain. That’s a pretty little bird. Not seen around these parts sadly. |
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Iain
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We get it in the car park of one of the reserves I go too and then only in the winter. |
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Eric
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Should we start a new Bird 2024 thread? |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:Should we start a new Bird 2024 thread?We may as well even though it only seems to be you, Graham and me putting anything in it. |
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chrisbet
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Yes - have set up new thread for 2024 |
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Eric
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Iain wrote:We may as well even though it only seems to be you, Graham and me putting anything in it.That sadly sums up most of the forum, Iain. I am beginning to think the whole notion of ‘joining in’ is a dying activity. I was talking to Graham yesterday and he mentioned an offer he made to his local camera club to conduct Zoom tutorials on Photoshop. 15 people said they were interested….1 tuned in to the first episode. I think the whole ‘traditional’ learning procedure has been superseded by YouTube. I confess I recently went there to learn about DaVinci Resolver video editing software. Provided the person isn’t annoying, or repetitive and knows what they are talking about, it’s much better. You can pause and rewind if you didn’t grasp a point….you can’t keep doing that to a live tutor! Everything is done differently now. But keep posting ……bugger the rest of the world.  |
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Iain
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Eric wrote:That sadly sums up most of the forum, Iain. I am beginning to think the whole notion of ‘joining in’ is a dying activity.I have had a camera club for a number of years but the numbers attending now is at the point I wonder if it’s worth it. |
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