Show your Bird Portraits
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Great Blue Heron
This was an unexpected and sudden catch. In Cherry Creek State Park, there is a rather sagging, rickety bridge that hangs about a foot above a major inlet to Cherry Creek Reservoir. It's fairly well traveled, by runners and cyclists, so the chance that you'll ever find any birds along this natural dam that sits a short way out from the bridge is extremely rare. I was originally headed for another spot, when as I got to the bridge, I noticed this beautiful GBH sitting right there on the dam.
He saw me at the same I saw him, but for some reason he did not take off immediately like they usually do when startled. He examined me for a while, gave me the opportunity to lift my lens and get some shots...then slowly walked farther out on the dam to get a better look at me. He finally seemed to be settling down and getting comfortable again......when a runner tore over the bridge.
Of course...you know what happened then.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 600mm f/4 L II
Hand-held
This was an unexpected and sudden catch. In Cherry Creek State Park, there is a rather sagging, rickety bridge that hangs about a foot above a major inlet to Cherry Creek Reservoir. It's fairly well traveled, by runners and cyclists, so the chance that you'll ever find any birds along this natural dam that sits a short way out from the bridge is extremely rare. I was originally headed for another spot, when as I got to the bridge, I noticed this beautiful GBH sitting right there on the dam.
He saw me at the same I saw him, but for some reason he did not take off immediately like they usually do when startled. He examined me for a while, gave me the opportunity to lift my lens and get some shots...then slowly walked farther out on the dam to get a better look at me. He finally seemed to be settling down and getting comfortable again......when a runner tore over the bridge.
Of course...you know what happened then. Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 600mm f/4 L II
Hand-held
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Omni Images said:
This is a very cool moment but the lighting is really weird. It looks like you were using a flash to counter the backlit nest but the light maybe didn't balance correctly? The background is black and the adult's head/eye is in deep shadow yet the nest is lit up strongly. What were your settings if you don't mind me asking?
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scyrene said:A lovely male wheatear on its return migration south
Beautiful shot. Excellent pose and framing.
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Canon 5d mkii, Tamron 150-600mm all at 600
First try with my new monopod, still trying to get used to it.
First try with my new monopod, still trying to get used to it.
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Warbling Vireo At 560mm, 100-400+ Kenko 1.4X TC
http://s980.photobucket.com/user/toointen/slideshow/Outdoors/Birds
Virginia Rail at 400mm
http://s980.photobucket.com/user/toointen/slideshow/Outdoors/Birds
Virginia Rail at 400mm
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Great Blue Heron Headshot
Birds need portraits, too!
Forgot about this shot...same time as the last two, I managed to snap off a head shot before the runner came by. One of the more cooperative GBH I've had the privilege to photograph. And it was such a nice scene, too...good distance to background, nice lighting.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 600mm f/4 L II
Hand-held
While I think I could probably do better (less motion-blurring of the feather detail), I've always wanted to get a real close, tight head shot like this ever since I saw Art Morris', particularly the crisp, glistening quality of the birds eyes (that guy is truly a wizard...even though this is one of my best head shots (the much greater DR of the 5D III certainly helps, when you pack on the sensor area), it still doesn't even compare):
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/02/06/birds-as-art-bulletin-455/
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/05/03/birds-as-art-bulletin-460/
http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2014/04/08/striking-while-the-iron-is-hot/
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/05/19/birds-as-art-bulletin-461/
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/06/
http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2014/05/11/teleconverter-versatility/
http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/page/52/
Birds need portraits, too!
Forgot about this shot...same time as the last two, I managed to snap off a head shot before the runner came by. One of the more cooperative GBH I've had the privilege to photograph. And it was such a nice scene, too...good distance to background, nice lighting. Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Canon EF 600mm f/4 L II
Hand-held
While I think I could probably do better (less motion-blurring of the feather detail), I've always wanted to get a real close, tight head shot like this ever since I saw Art Morris', particularly the crisp, glistening quality of the birds eyes (that guy is truly a wizard...even though this is one of my best head shots (the much greater DR of the 5D III certainly helps, when you pack on the sensor area), it still doesn't even compare):
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/02/06/birds-as-art-bulletin-455/
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/05/03/birds-as-art-bulletin-460/
http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2014/04/08/striking-while-the-iron-is-hot/
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/05/19/birds-as-art-bulletin-461/
http://www.birdsasart.com/2014/06/
http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/2014/05/11/teleconverter-versatility/
http://www.birdsasart-blog.com/page/52/
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Chisox2335 said:
I'm inclined to say Solitary Sandpiper...the color is throwing me off, but I'm hoping that is just because it was sunrise or sunset, throwing in the reddish cast. The bill, size and plumage pattern definitely say "Solitary Sandpiper" to me, though...
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jrista said:
Thanks!
That's what we were thinking too although I would've thought it would be further north in July. The picture was taken around 6pm sun probably had started to drop.
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Chisox2335 said:
There are very often stragglers that move through late, or just don't move any farther north. Colorodo, ironically given that birds are my favorite subject, is actually really bad for birds. Except during migration...when you can often find thousands of birds that are never here except a few weeks of the year during spring and fall. However, every so often, I find a rare shorbird or waterfowl that just seemed to decide to stay. Sometimes it's a solitary sandpiper, or a snipe, or an avocet, etc.
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Yes. I love Buffelheads. But we don't seem to have anything similar here in Europe. Maybe I'm mis-reading something in the French language bird guide?
Bufflehead - out for a cruise by Christopher Mark Perez, on Flickr
Bufflehead - out for a cruise by Christopher Mark Perez, on Flickr
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