Show your Bird Portraits

[Nat_WA]

A couple more with the kingfisher. I've never had close contact with this species, so although it's a cliché, it was a very rewarding experience.

5DS, 700mm.

Nice pictures of this beautiful, colourful and very fast / agile bird scyrene!

I had the opportunity to use a hide near a kingfisher nesting place two years back; posted some pictures last year of a similarly rewarding experience
Next challenge would be to capture one in flight or diving... Believe me - I tried and failed that first time

Wiebe.

 

[Jack Douglas]

A couple more with the kingfisher. I've never had close contact with this species, so although it's a cliché, it was a very rewarding experience.

5DS, 700mm.

Nice pictures of this beautiful, colourful and very fast / agile bird scyrene!

I had the opportunity to use a hide near a kingfisher nesting place two years back; posted some pictures last year of a similarly rewarding experience
Next challenge would be to capture one in flight or diving... Believe me - I tried and failed that first time

Wiebe.

My very few sightings of the Belted left me in awe as to how anyone could get flight pictures and I still have that feeling. However, like anything in life, humans are humans and if something is being done there must be a way. Not to suggest it's easy by any means, so I'm all ears. I know with my chickadee flight shots of which a few were really good it had more to do with luck than my skill but it did involve scheming and lots of persistence with a plan that had merit.

After a few days of utter failure I had things tuned so that finally, in about 4 hours, I managed a couple half decent. Nothing new but here's one I don't think I posted before?? Of course one needs many birds for many opportunities and in this case a blind.

BTW, it should be pretty obvious that there was no tracking involved. I now have a Miops but not then, so there was no laser involved.

Jack

 

[lion rock]

Great one Jack.
-r

 

[Mikehit]

Cool shot, Jack.
Don't knock 'luck' - in my experience (or this is what I tell myself) having more than one occasion of 'luck' means your technique is starting to 'bed in' and after that it is persistence.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Riley, sorry to embarrass you publicly, but it's luck ... the shot that is. Just kidding, I know what you're saying and I'll take a smidgen of credit. Stubbornness can sometimes be a virtue but in that case we call it persistence. ;D

Jack

 

[lion rock]

I knew it, I knew its your persistence.
It's not my virtue. I have no patience.
keep at it Jack!
-r

 

[Click]

Nice shot, Jack.

 

[Ryananthony]

Here is a pic heavy post. The weather wasn't the best today, but the birds were out.

1DX_6364 by Ryan Kelly, on Flickr
1DX_6331 by Ryan Kelly, on Flickr
1DX_5981 by Ryan Kelly, on Flickr
1DX_5859 by Ryan Kelly, on Flickr
1DX_5892 by Ryan Kelly, on Flickr

 

[lion rock]

Ouch, Ryananthony, you make me so envious!
Those are beauties.
-r

 

[Jack Douglas]

Ouch, Ryananthony, you make me so envious!
Those are beauties.
-r

Me too.

Jack

 

[Eldar]

This thread is incredible

Here´s another one of the Dalmatian Pelicans, from my trip to Lake Kerkini in northern Greece.

1DXII, 16-35mm f2.8L III @16mm

 

[Jack Douglas]

Ooh, I like that, Eldar.

Here's an oldie from me when I was shooting from my observatory in 2015. I've discovered a good number of these I'd never even processed.

Jack

 

[AlanF]

Ooh, I like that, Eldar.

Here's an oldie from me when I was shooting from my observatory in 2015. I've discovered a good number of these I'd never even processed.

Jack

Jack, you were pretty good when you were young.

 

[AlanF]

I haven't logged in for a few days and missed these wonderful shots. Well done everyone, great stuff.

 

[HB]

I spent 3hrs yesterday waiting for a kingfisher to come in for image taking, plenty of flyby views but never close enough, the supporting cast provided entertainment to pass the time without being bored.

 

[Click]

This thread is incredible

Here´s another one of the Dalmatian Pelicans, from my trip to Lake Kerkini in northern Greece.

1DXII, 16-35mm f2.8L III @16mm

I really like this shot. Well done, Eldar.

 

[Click]

I spent 3hrs yesterday waiting for a kingfisher to come in for image taking, plenty of flyby views but never close enough, the supporting cast provided entertainment to pass the time without being bored.

Very nice pictures, HB.

 

[stevelee]

Even if I had a decent long lens, I don't have the patience to take pictures like these. I see so many nice shots on this thread that it tempts me to buy a nice long lens. And then I remember that they don't sell the patience as an accessory.

 

[Jack Douglas]

There is a reason this thread survives and grows - great shots continuously submitted from everyone.

Steve, you have to be educated! Once a long lens is purchased, assuming you love/appreciate nature the patience grows by leaps and bounds. Many things are too challenging if you don't have the appropriate tools. From what others have said it seems that the relatively inexpensive 400 5.6 might be worth considering (used?).

Of course you may not parallel my nature but I had the Nikon 70-300 cheapo and that was fun and got me enthused but getting the 300 2.8 II and 1.4X, 2X, 6D really propelled me. As a a first expensive lens purchase I was apologizing to myself and everyone else for spending so much on such non-essential stuff, but not any more. Scrimped all my life so now is the time for fun. Starting out, I didn't even know the eye "had" to be in focus! ;D ;D

So, no guarantees but I suspect you'd find this to be true.

Jack

 

[Ryananthony]

Gorgeous colours on those images HB.