Show your Bird Portraits

[AlanF]

Interesting, I'd never realized there was such a difference between the UK and the northeastern US in which birds are common or exist at all until seeing your posts, Alan. And I had lived in the UK for nine months, but in an urban area. I'd assumed we had mostly similar birds, but it seems that there are more differences than similarities. Quite interesting to see the birds you have. I'm in Connecticut, and our feeder attracts mostly black-capped chickadees, tufted titmice, American goldfinches, housefinches, white- and red-breasted nuthatches, sparrows (much less common than when I was young), red-winged blackbirds (we back up on a wetland), downy, red-bellied, and hairy woodpeckers, blue-jays, juncos in the winter. Also, not at the feeder, American robins from spring through autumn, and occasional pileated woodpeckers and northern flickers. Crows, starlings, and grackles also. And some raptors (red-tailed hawks, etc.) and turkey vultures (those mostly circle above, but they do land in our trees sometimes).

Edit: And how could I forget, northern cardinals, usually in pairs. And for the last 3 or 4 years a couple of barred owls from spring through autumn (they're not supposed to be migratory, but we never see them in winter). I'm sure I've forgotten some, and the list above is probably biased towards more interesting birds - we hadn't ever seen a northern flicker until just a few years ago, but now we see them quite a few times each summer. Same with the owls.

I am envious, really envious. What a nice selection.

 

[tron]

Both of you have access to nice selections. I have access to pigeons and in rare cases to house sparrows with a touch of blackbirds

And this is the first time that a common chiffchaff visits me almost every day for a few seconds up to a minute.

I am so glad to see it. I think of it as my new little friend!

 

[AlanF]

Here is a moment for me to record and treasure. For the half of CR that live in the Yukon where it snows every day, it's absolutely nothing. But, it snowed here for the first time in about 12 months for about 5 minutes and immediately melted. But, I got it a few minutes ago. Also, I have just put up a new feeder with peanuts and it was being eaten at for the first time.

 

[Click]

Very nice picture, Alan. I really like this shot.

 

[bjd]

And I was waiting for the snow clouds to disappear so I could get enough light to catch this guy....:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2kuRS4n] Watching, Waiting..... by Diane and Brian Dorling, auf Flickr[/URL]

 

[Click]

Very nice close-up. Well done.

 

[ISv]

Today it started bad for me: cloudy and some (rather persistent!) rain around. Took some photos between the rain of some parrots from my lanai (first at ISO 3600, second at ISO 5000 - pretty much a stretch for D500 and I had to post them at very low quality). Later (much later) few shots of boring Night Heron (I'm sending just one). And the bomb in the between: Great egret - from the other site of the island!!! For those that can see it regularly: there were just 3 registered for Oahu and 5 for all Hawaiian Islands starting 1944! It's not my discovery - it was reported previously day or two and after that bunch of birders run there... Not good photos but I'm really happy! There is a problem with the logistics there: from one of the sites there is a net (preserved area for wild life) on the other site - private pools and tennis courts (only for members) and I was not allowed there... The bird has an obvious problem with the right wing and I believe it will stay there for a while... I have no idea what I have to try further - if they have an one day membership - I will probably pay for it (depends on the price...). Or, should I bribe them? The "portrait" was taken trough the net - the bird came about 10 meters closer and low, no way to shoot above the net.

Well, the first photo of the parrot didn't make it - too big file (?!- it's less than 1kb on my comp). You see the photo at ISO 5000 and very reduced quality...

 

[Click]

Beautiful shots, I really like the first one. Well done, ISv.

 

[gruhl28]

I am envious, really envious. What a nice selection.

You have some beautiful ones that we don’t. I’m envious of your skill.

 

[AlanF]

A beautiful bright day, and a Little Egret perched in a tree in my garden (100-500 +R5).

 

[Click]

Nice pictures, Alan.

 

[AlanF]

I took out the R5 with the 400mm DO II + 1.4xTC at 560mm f/5.6. I really needed the 2xTC at 800mm as there were as usual only a couple of birds at quite a distance. I am still amazed how the eyeAF latched on to a tiny eye in a distant bird. Here is a Song Thrush and a Pied Wagtail, both upscaled to 800mm size (1/800s iso2000).

 

[Click]

Very nice shots, Alan.

 

[ISO64]

Pileated woodpeckers, male and female, out together for a late lunch.

On two adjacent trees, back to back, could not get them in a single frame.
7D2, 100-400 L II + 1.4xiii
ISO 640, 1/400s, f8 +1/3 EV

 

[mdmphoto]

...just a few random shots, EOS R, RF 800...

 

[Click]

Very nice series, mdmphoto.

 

[AlanF]

I thought I'd upload some shots to show how good the eyeAF on the R5 is - they are just to illustrate how the camera is able to locate the head of a distant bird that is just visible to the naked eye and partly obscured. They are from the 400mm f/4 with a 2xTC at 800mm and 1/800s. There are screenshots of the full image in DPP4 showing the red square of focus of the bird and the crops upsized 1.4x in Topaz Gigapixel as they are so small - pushing the lens to its limits.

 

[PKinDenmark]

First time for me here in Bird Portraits (for years). Now time to show some R5 shots.
Have these two to share:
1. Kingfisher - approx. 20m distance. R5 w. RF100-500mm + 1.4x TC. @ 700mm, 1/1250s, f/10, ISO 3200. I Like the bird's choice of perch in same colours.
2. Hawfinch in my backyard (taken through double glass window). Same gear @ 700mm, 1/320s, f/10, ISO 2500.
Sofar I am very happy with shift to mirror-less and R5 performance.

One thing that makes me wonder: Shooting through glass from my living-room is just fine (angle somewhat downwards). Shooting through similar (though a little older) glass from basement-level always produce unsharp photos (angle almost level). Very consistent phenomenon. Was the same for DSLR - and did not change with mirror-less.
Any explanations to offer?

 

[Click]

Beautiful shots, PKinDenmark

 

[Click]

Very nice results, Alan.