Show your Bird Portraits

josephandrews222

Square Sensors + AI = Better Images
Jul 12, 2013
608
1,845
65
Midwest United States
5D3_6831 ps3 fix crop - Copy.jpg5D3_6832 PS3 fix crop - Copy.jpg5D3_6833 ps3 fix - Copy.jpg

...three successive images (each 0.167 second apart; 6 fps I guess)--processed to brighten the hungry cedar waxing shown in each pic.

I've seen this several times with more than one species--the berry is in the bird's mouth before being flipped in the air and then captured again mid-air before it disappears.

Thanks for this little corner of the internet. The entertainment value during these COVID times is terrific...and I often learn a thing or two as well! Bravo
 
  • Like
Reactions: 12 users
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,298
22,369
View attachment 194048View attachment 194049View attachment 194050

...three successive images (each 0.167 second apart; 6 fps I guess)--processed to brighten the hungry cedar waxing shown in each pic.

I've seen this several times with more than one species--the berry is in the bird's mouth before being flipped in the air and then captured again mid-air before it disappears.

Thanks for this little corner of the internet. The entertainment value during these COVID times is terrific...and I often learn a thing or two as well! Bravo
I love these waxwings. They visited here for a couple of weeks a few years ago, and I went out almost daily to watch them.
 
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,298
22,369
For those interested, I occasionally go for a walk where a Little Owl perches on a log pile, some 50m on the other side of an electrified fence. Here are 3 shots of him taken with 3 different lenses from the same spot over the last month. Top is from the 100-400mm II + 2xTC on the R5, below from the 400mm DO II on the R5 taken this morning and bottom, the 500PF + 1.4xTC on the D850. All were hand held - the DO II was much of a struggle holding the centre spot over the bird. All processed in DxOPL4 with standard lens correction and no additional sharpening, and all small crops of about 1600x1200 px from the centre. OK, the 200-800 isn't the best but it's not too bad for an image that small.

309A2920-DxO_200-800_little_owl_larger_crop-0.6.jpg309A6127-DxO_DO800_little_owl_larger_crop-0.6.jpgDSC_9886-DxO_700PF_little_owl_larger_crop.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
Upvote 0
Jul 29, 2012
17,633
6,333
Canada
...three successive images (each 0.167 second apart; 6 fps I guess)--processed to brighten the hungry cedar waxing shown in each pic.

I've seen this several times with more than one species--the berry is in the bird's mouth before being flipped in the air and then captured again mid-air before it disappears.

Thanks for this little corner of the internet. The entertainment value during these COVID times is terrific...and I often learn a thing or two as well! Bravo


Very nice series, Joseph Andrew, I especially like the second shot. Well done.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,298
22,369
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,298
22,369
Alan that's not a house. It's a birder's paradise!

Are you satisfied with your new combo?
Photographic quality, yes. It's a good copy of the 400mm DO II lens - they do vary - and it produces good sharp images at 800mm. Unlike on my 5DSR, 5DIV and 90D, where the AF at 800mm f/8 was erratic, it's very precise and fast on the R5. The problem for me is that it is just above my comfort zone for weight. I feel it on my shoulder with the BlackRapid strap and I find it difficult to hand-hold steady pointing at a small bird.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0
Jul 29, 2012
17,633
6,333
Canada
Cool. Well done, Alan.
a025.gif
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,298
22,369
If you mean Feral Pigeon - nope, this is the Wood Pigeon. Increasing in numbers in some parts of Europe (mostly the Northern parts and England) but hardly "rats".
Agreed. I look upon them as flying fast food for Peregrine Falcons and so don't mind them fattening themselves on my birdseed.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

josephandrews222

Square Sensors + AI = Better Images
Jul 12, 2013
608
1,845
65
Midwest United States
Photographic quality, yes. It's a good copy of the 400mm DO II lens - they do vary - and it produces good sharp images at 800mm. Unlike on my 5DSR, 5DIV and 90D, where the AF at 800mm f/8 was erratic, it's very precise and fast on the R5. The problem for me is that it is just above my comfort zone for weight. I feel it on my shoulder with the BlackRapid strap and I find it difficult to hand-hold steady pointing at a small bird.

I certainly enjoy reading these kinds of comments here...from people who have real-world experience with gear I have (or would like to have).

With my 5DIII, I find the 100-400 II to be easily handheld (both weight-wise and volume-wise). It turns out that, to my eyes, the 1.4x III teleconverter, when added to the 5Diii/100-400 II combination, yields images that retain a whole lot of detail. So occasionally I set up this way.

But in order to get the best images, in my hands, with the 5DIII/100-400 II/1.4x III trio...I really need to carry a monopod!

And I can't explain it...it just isn't the weight. The whole package just doesn't feel quite right...and after a few minutes it definitely affects my ability to acquire good images.

It is the same sort of thing with our family of M's. Using a tripod, I was able to acquire good-enough-for-us images of the total eclipse a few years ago...with an M10/EF-EFM adapter/100-400 II trio...but the tripod was essential. The 100-400 II...on any M...with the necessary converter...just doesn't feel right.

But my-oh-my, the M6 II, when connected to the 70-300 II via the EF-EFM adapter...that 'system' feels great, handles well with the M-series and is capable of acquiring very very good images (not quite as good as the 100-400 II but is much smaller-and-lighter and does carry-on easy-peezy).

I could go on and on...but thanks for posting, AlanF.

And what software did you use to generate the quite-large gif file?
 
Upvote 0

AlanF

Desperately seeking birds
CR Pro
Aug 16, 2012
12,298
22,369
I certainly enjoy reading these kinds of comments here...from people who have real-world experience with gear I have (or would like to have).

With my 5DIII, I find the 100-400 II to be easily handheld (both weight-wise and volume-wise). It turns out that, to my eyes, the 1.4x III teleconverter, when added to the 5Diii/100-400 II combination, yields images that retain a whole lot of detail. So occasionally I set up this way.

But in order to get the best images, in my hands, with the 5DIII/100-400 II/1.4x III trio...I really need to carry a monopod!

And I can't explain it...it just isn't the weight. The whole package just doesn't feel quite right...and after a few minutes it definitely affects my ability to acquire good images.

It is the same sort of thing with our family of M's. Using a tripod, I was able to acquire good-enough-for-us images of the total eclipse a few years ago...with an M10/EF-EFM adapter/100-400 II trio...but the tripod was essential. The 100-400 II...on any M...with the necessary converter...just doesn't feel right.

But my-oh-my, the M6 II, when connected to the 70-300 II via the EF-EFM adapter...that 'system' feels great, handles well with the M-series and is capable of acquiring very very good images (not quite as good as the 100-400 II but is much smaller-and-lighter and does carry-on easy-peezy).

I could go on and on...but thanks for posting, AlanF.

And what software did you use to generate the quite-large gif file?
I just use an on-line gif maker. The M-series are too small in my experience to handle with the 100-400mm II and are unbalanced. You need high shutter speeds for hand-held telephotos.
 
Upvote 0

josephandrews222

Square Sensors + AI = Better Images
Jul 12, 2013
608
1,845
65
Midwest United States
5D3_7772 - Copy.JPG5D3_7834 - Copy.JPG5D3_7835 - Copy.JPG5D3_7839 - Copy.JPG

...downy woodpecker, I think.

After several days of really nice (lower sixties Fahrenheit, sunny) weather, this morning clouds rolled in and the temps are a bit cooler. Many birds (some that I don't see often) showed up at our front yard tree, which at this date has very few berries remaining. It was as if the birds know weather changes are afoot.

I left the front door of our home open to acquire these images...this very woodpecker flew from the tree toward our home and nearly flew inside (sad emoji) before attaching itself to the stone exterior only inches to the left of the open door and subsequently flying away (relieved emoji).

5D3_7899 - Copy.JPG

Every morning this time of year we get a few bird strikes on the windows nearest the berry tree. I've looked everywhere for sure-fire methods of preventing bird strikes and tried several of them. The only intervention strategy that seems to work for us is to place a ladder...more-or-less in front of the windows. For a time I thought that my presence shooting pictures outside, near the tree, worked a bit, but while shooting a flock of cedar waxwings in the tree they got spooked by a couple of incoming robins and left en masse. One of the waxwings flew within a few feet of my head...at full speed...right into the window pane.

Often the birds that strike the windows literally only knock themselves out for a few minutes. Not this one. Sad day.

Of interest here:

 
  • Like
Reactions: 10 users
Upvote 0