Show your Bird Portraits

[AlanF]

I hope you pay those pileates well Jack - they are keeping you sane!

 

[serendipidy]

One last snow-shot. 400 X2 ISO 2500 F8 1/1250 No NR

Jack

Really nice photo, Jack. The red color pops against the snow.

 

[AlanF]

A robin was flitting around a tree in my back garden a few minutes ago, back lit in not so good light. As I am having some problems carrying my heavier lens I thought I'd have a quick comparison of the 5DSR +100-400mm II vs 5DIV + 400mm DO II + 2xTC. It's not a scientific test as they conditions were different, but they show I can get satisfactory results with either as the bird was relatively close. The pose with the 5DSR, more sideways with peak pointing at a good angle towards me, has more of the bird in complete focus (top, size of bird = 1360x1040 px, 1/250s, f/5.6 iso640) than with the 5DIV, which has the front somewhat better resolved than the 5DSR but the head pointing way is less well-focussed because of dof (bottom, size of bird 2270x1320 px 1/400s, f/8 iso1250).

 

[IslanderMV]

Black-Necked Stilt. Very rare here.

Photo taken on a horse farm. It is a minor miracle I got any clear shots as the horses were following me around nuzzling me for pats. Horse nuzzles are not to be ignored. I tried using the horses as a blind - they were not very cooperative.

 

[Click]

Jack, Alan and Jeff, very nice pictures, guys.

 

[lion rock]

Jack,
Good to see you pileated back.
Hope to see more.
-r

One last snow-shot. 400 X2 ISO 2500 F8 1/1250 No NR

Jack

 

[DJL329]

Very nice sequence Daniel.

Great photos and story! 8)

Thank you, guys! It was a fun shoot, thanks to the narrow canal that allowed me to get fairly close without disturbing him, and the nice morning sunlight.

I thought of the "particular set of skills" line because he was so adept at catching the fish. I did shoot video of one of his catches, so I'll have to post it later.

 

[Jack Douglas]

I hope you pay those pileates well Jack - they are keeping you sane!

You're assuming I'm sane?!

Probably mentioned before, but it seems the 1DX2 can benefit from more than usual sharpening??

Thanks Serendipidy,Riley. Jeff that's some bird!

More snow today!! Must be a good 6" so the little creatures are scrounging. 400 X2 ISO 3200 1/1600 F8

Jack

 

[serendipidy]

Jack, Alan and Jeff, very nice pictures, guys.

+1

 

[AlanF]

I adore beeeaters but have to go abroad to see them We caught this flock as they arrived at the beginning of the month in Portugal - it was the day they got there. I had seen before only one or two at a time but we saw dozens in the distance. They were skittish and far off.

 

[jprusa]

Yellow-throated Warbler

 

[Jack Douglas]

I adore beeeaters but have to go abroad to see them We caught this flock as they arrived at the beginning of the month in Portugal - it was the day they got there. I had seen before only one or two at a time but we saw dozens in the distance. They were skittish and far off.

WOW

Jack

 

[Jack Douglas]

Yellow-throated Warbler

Very nice.

Jack

 

[Click]

I adore beeeaters but have to go abroad to see them We caught this flock as they arrived at the beginning of the month in Portugal - it was the day they got there. I had seen before only one or two at a time but we saw dozens in the distance. They were skittish and far off.

Beautiful bird. Very nice series, Alan.

 

[Click]

Yellow-throated Warbler

Very nice.

Jack

+1

Well done, Joseph.

 

[JPAZ]

Cam across some Red and Yellow Barbets. The one in the tree was gone by the time I moved to get the branches out of the way. The others were on a huge termite mound. They were pretty far away. Shot with the 100-400 and cropped.

 

[DominoDude]

I adore beeeaters but have to go abroad to see them We caught this flock as they arrived at the beginning of the month in Portugal - it was the day they got there. I had seen before only one or two at a time but we saw dozens in the distance. They were skittish and far off.

I love your Bee-eaters, AlanF!
They are high on the list of species I want to spot here in Sweden - we've had a few (1-3) the last couple of years that have flown wrong and ended up on our south-east parts. If I remember correctly, one couple even managed to nest on Öland last year or the year before.

 

[JPAZ]

I think this is a Starling. Can anyone verify that? Shot in Omo River Valley in Southern Ethiopia. 100-400 at 400 mm.

 

[DominoDude]

I think this is a Starling. Can anyone verify that? Shot in Omo River Valley in Southern Ethiopia. 100-400 at 400 mm.

It looks more like a Drongo, perhaps a Fork-tailed drongo - Dicrurus adsimilis, but I'm not familiar with the birds in Africa.
The hooked bill doesn't resemble anything I have seen on any Starling, The red eye, and the shape of the tail feathers also make me think along the lines of Drongo.

 

[JPAZ]

It looks more like a Drongo, perhaps a Fork-tailed drongo - Dicrurus adsimilis,

Thanks, @DominoDude. Now that you've given me a name to check, I think that is right, the Fork-Tailed Drongo.