BIRD IN FLIGHT ONLY -- share your BIF photos here

[lion rock]

Thank you very much, AlanF! Great shot.
Hope you enjoy the North Island.
I OD-ed on flat white and their pastries. Got to go for those may be 3 times a day. These coffee/pastry houses are all over the place, each enticing you with their offerings. Just love it!
Even small villages have huge espresso machines, incredible. Though, in Oz, that's not quite true .
-r

Hope your visit was an excellent one.
Visiting there was a great deal already. To get some wonderful shots there was the cream of the trip!
-r

We are now in New Zealand. This afternoon my wife and I took shots of a Gannet almost simultaneously. Her shot using the 100-400mm II on the 5DSR (top) is sharper than mine using the 400mm DO II on the 5DIV, which is expected from the better resolution I find on charts. I seem to have picked up a blue patch in the sky.

I took this one just for you: Lion Rock, Piha Beach, Waitakere.

 

[AlanF]

Thank you very much, AlanF! Great shot.
Hope you enjoy the North Island.
I OD-ed on flat white and their pastries. Got to go for those may be 3 times a day. These coffee/pastry houses are all over the place, each enticing you with their offerings. Just love it!
Even small villages have huge espresso machines, incredible. Though, in Oz, that's not quite true .
-r

Hope your visit was an excellent one.
Visiting there was a great deal already. To get some wonderful shots there was the cream of the trip!
-r

We are now in New Zealand. This afternoon my wife and I took shots of a Gannet almost simultaneously. Her shot using the 100-400mm II on the 5DSR (top) is sharper than mine using the 400mm DO II on the 5DIV, which is expected from the better resolution I find on charts. I seem to have picked up a blue patch in the sky.

I took this one just for you: Lion Rock, Piha Beach, Waitakere.

This grey duck is in flight from me: he stole that biscuit out of my hand when I wasn't watching, just after I took the Lion Rock photo. Being mugged by an NZ duck is no joke when you lose a delicious home made biscuit.

 

[tarntyke]

This grey duck is in flight from me: he stole that biscuit out of my hand when I wasn't watching, just after I took the Lion Rock photo. Being mugged by an NZ duck is no joke when you lose a delicious home made biscuit.

This looks like a female mallard to me. Grey ducks have green wing flash and white stripes above and below the eyes. I am based in U.K. so have not seen a grey duck (the term is used for 3 different species), so I could easily be wrong. Having looked into this some more hybrids of grey duck and mallards are common in NZ, so much that pure grey ducks are in danger of extinction.

 

[lion rock]

Still a nice trade for a comical photo with a biscuit.
I'd take the trade any day ;D 8).
-r

This grey duck is in flight from me: he stole that biscuit out of my hand when I wasn't watching, just after I took the Lion Rock photo. Being mugged by an NZ duck is no joke when you lose a delicious home made biscuit.

 

[ethanz]

Super sharp picture Alan. Was that with a Sony?

 

[AlanF]

This grey duck is in flight from me: he stole that biscuit out of my hand when I wasn't watching, just after I took the Lion Rock photo. Being mugged by an NZ duck is no joke when you lose a delicious home made biscuit.

This looks like a female mallard to me. Grey ducks have green wing flash and white stripes above and below the eyes. I am based in U.K. so have not seen a grey duck (the term is used for 3 different species), so I could easily be wrong. Having looked into this some more hybrids of grey duck and mallards are common in NZ, so much that pure grey ducks are in danger of extinction.

They are indeed all hybrids. This biscuit lover has the leaden grey beak of the grey duck, but the blue speculum and orange legs of a mallard. Here is another in the flock that has more grey features, including sharper eye lines and khaki legs, but the blue speculum.

 

[AlanF]

Super sharp picture Alan. Was that with a Sony?

It was so close that the 100-400mm II was at 182mm. The 5DSR beats any Sony.

 

[AlanF]

Thanks everyone!

 

[Mikehit]

Albatross - Kaikoura, NZ.

The sea was much rougher than it looks here, but managed to get one skimming the waves.

 

[Jack Douglas]

You guys traveling the world ... and here me sits in the snow in April. Not my idea of global warming but maybe impending doom. Nice shot Mike.

Jack

 

[ERHP]

LOL Jack.

From the estuary on the San Diego River, the terns are back for another fish catching season. Here's a Forster's Tern showing off one of the morning's catches.

 

[Jack Douglas]

ERHP, nice low angle, lovely. I did have a first on Friday but no capture - A Bald eagle flew over my house briefly. I know a few hang around the general area but never had a fly over so that was very special. Their numbers obviously are growing but I have no idea what they'd find to eat here.

Jack

 

[Click]

From the estuary on the San Diego River, the terns are back for another fish catching season. Here's a Forster's Tern showing off one of the morning's catches.

Great shot, ERHP.

 

[NancyP]

Agree. ERHP, this is a great shot, and fun to see.

 

[lion rock]

Exceptional shot!
Is the road to Kiakoura fixed?
-r

Albatross - Kaikoura, NZ.

The sea was much rougher than it looks here, but managed to get one skimming the waves.

 

[lion rock]

ERHP,
Beautiful action shot!
-r

LOL Jack.

From the estuary on the San Diego River, the terns are back for another fish catching season. Here's a Forster's Tern showing off one of the morning's catches.

 

[Mikehit]

Exceptional shot!
Is the road to Kiakoura fixed?
-r

Albatross - Kaikoura, NZ.

The sea was much rougher than it looks here, but managed to get one skimming the waves.

Way from it, unfortunately with about 20km of intermittent roadworks north and south.

 

[Nat_WA]

Albatross - Kaikoura, NZ.

The sea was much rougher than it looks here, but managed to get one skimming the waves.

Nice shot, Mikehit - you can see the sea must be quite rough; the right wing (tip) is hidden behind the crest of a wave (which by itself is hardly noticeable in the image...) so these waves must be higher than it appears!

Wiebe.

 

[Nat_WA]

LOL Jack.

From the estuary on the San Diego River, the terns are back for another fish catching season. Here's a Forster's Tern showing off one of the morning's catches.
...

Great action shot Ed! With nice reflection - was the water so smooth, or just that patch?

Wiebe.

 

[Mikehit]

LOL Jack.

From the estuary on the San Diego River, the terns are back for another fish catching season. Here's a Forster's Tern showing off one of the morning's catches.

That's quite a shot - those critters are quick.