Canon EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM

[dolina]

Scotty & Daniel thank you!
Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) by alabang, on Flickr

The Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea) is breeds in colonies in reed beds or trees close to large lakes or other extensive wetlands. It builds a bulky stick nest.

It feeds in shallow water, spearing fish, frogs, insects and small mammals. It will often wait motionless for prey, or slowly stalk its victim. It tends to keep within reedbeds more than the Grey Heron, and is often inconspicuous, despite its size.

It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The long neck of Purple Heron looks particularly snake-like, with more of an S-shape in flight. The call is a loud croaking "krek".

The Purple Heron is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heron

Settings: 1/2000 ƒ/5.6 ISO2500 800mm

Taken at Candaba, Philippines

[Maxis Gamez]

Hooded merganser - Male

Here is one more.

Canon 1D MKIV, Canon 800mm L @ f/8, 1/1500 sec, ISO 800 in Manual mode

Thanks

[dolina]

Great waterbird Maxis!


Red Giant Setting by alabang, on Flickr

Settings: 1/60 ƒ/32 ISO100 800mm

[dolina]

Time to perk this thread again...


Philippine Bulbul (Hypsipetes philippinus) by alabang, on Flickr

The Philippine Bulbul (Hypsipetes philippinus) is a songbird species in the bulbul family (Pycnonotidae). It is often placed in the genus Ixos, but is better retained in Hypsipetes as long as this is not entirely merged into Ixos, as it is quite closely related to the type species of Hypsipetes, the Black Bulbul (H. leucocephalus).[1]

It is endemic to the Philippines. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests; on Mount Kitanglad on Mindanao for example it is abundant in any kind of primary forest at least between 500 and 2,250 m ASL.[2]

Fledglings of the Philippine Bulbul were recorded on Mindanao in late April, but the breeding season seems to be prolonged as females with ripe ovarian follicles were still found in April and May. Territorial songs are heard at lower altitudes as late as May, while further upslope the birds are silent at that time of year and presumably engaged in breeding activity. The Besra (Accipiter virgatus) has been recorded as a predator of young Philippine Bulbuls, and this or other goshawks might also catch adult birds.[3]

A common and adaptable bird as long as sufficient forest remains, it is not considered a threatened species by the IUCN.[4]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Bulbul

Taken: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ternate,_Cavite

Settings: 1/80 ƒ/5.6 ISO160 800mm

[sandymandy]

Nice photos, seems like a really impressive lens that ill never own nor want to own
Anybody got handheld shots?

[dolina]

White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) by alabang, on Flickr

The White-breasted Waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) is a waterbird of the rail and crake family Rallidae that is widely distributed across Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. They are dark slaty birds with a clean white face, breast and belly. They are somewhat bolder than most other rails and are often seen stepping slowly with their tail cocked upright in open marshes or even drains near busy roads. They are largely crepuscular in activity and during the breeding season, just after the first rains, make loud and repetitive croaking calls.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-breasted_Waterhen

Location: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Ba%C3%B1os,_Laguna

[dolina]

“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” by alabang, on Flickr

The Olive-backed Sunbird, Cinnyris jugularis, also known as the Yellow-bellied Sunbird, is a species of sunbird found from Southern Asia to Australia.

The sunbirds are a group of very small Old World passerine birds which feed largely on nectar, although they will also take insects, especially when feeding young. Their flight is fast and direct on their short wings. Most species can take nectar by hovering, but usually perch to feed most of the time.
Olive-backed Sunbird in the Philippines
Male hovering while feeding

The Olive-backed Sunbird is common across southern China to the Philippines and Malaysia down to northeast Australia. They are small songbirds, at most 12 cm long. In most subspecies, the underparts of both male and female are bright yellow, the backs are a dull brown colour. The forehead, throat and upper breast of the adult male is a dark, metallic blue-black. In the Philippines (where they are known as "tamsi") the males of some subspecies have an orange band on the chest, in Wallacea and northern New Guinea some subspecies have most of the underparts blackish, and in southern China and adjacent parts of Vietnam most of the underparts of the male are greyish-white.

Originally from mangrove habitat, the Olive-backed sunbird has adapted well to humans, and is now common even in fairly densely populated areas, even forming their nests in human dwellings.

The birds mate between the months of April and August. Both the male and the female assist in building the nest which is flask-shaped, with an overhanging porch at the entrance, and a trail of hanging material at the bottom end.

After building the nest, the birds abandon the nest for about a week before the female returns to lay one or two greenish-blue eggs. The eggs take a further week to hatch. The female may leave the nest for short periods during the day during incubation. After the chicks have hatched, both male and female assist in the care of the young, which leave the nest about two or three weeks later.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive-backed_Sunbird

Location: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muntinlupa

EXIF: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alabang/9038728093/#meta/