Show your Bird Portraits

[ISv]

Well, I got back to see again Alan's Kingfishers (great photos!)... and noticed that I put only after the third series. And it was not only me )) - I took a time to count the "likes" on all three series. Second and third differ just by the orientation of the bird: left to right or the opposite (quality of the photos is pretty much the same). The last one got most of the "likes" - probably because some folks (inkl. me) took all three series as one (well, my preferences are for the last two, despite that the first one is telling a story and is very good quality by itself). Is that the reason for the different counts of "like" (most probably) or there is some other reason, like the orientation of the bird (very low probability according to me but who knows...)???
Yeah, when it's dark (night) outside you may spend some time thinking about such a nonsense, especially after good diner !

 

[AlanF]

Well, I got back to see again Alan's Kingfishers (great photos!)... and noticed that I put only after the third series. And it was not only me )) - I took a time to count the "likes" on all three series. Second and third differ just by the orientation of the bird: left to right or the opposite (quality of the photos is pretty much the same). The last one got most of the "likes" - probably because some folks (inkl. me) took all three series as one (well, my preferences are for the last two, despite that the first one is telling a story and is very good quality by itself). Is that the reason for the different counts of "like" (most probably) or there is some other reason, like the orientation of the bird (very low probability according to me but who knows...)???
Yeah, when it's dark (night) outside you may spend some time thinking about such a nonsense, especially after good diner !

Read this comment on Hokusai's Great Wave in http://www.historiamag.com/hokusai-beyond-the-great-wave/

"It’s said that while westerners read paintings from left to right, just as we read writing, so the Japanese, who write from right to left, read paintings in the opposite direction too".

 

[Nat_WA]

Ostrich doing what ostrich do

@Cog - I really like the way the bird stands out being sharp against a soft background!
Did you enhance the 'softness' around the bird in post-processing to further improve this effect? (If you did, I'd like to learn ; it looks very natural)
W.

 

[Nat_WA]

@AlanF - great series of this couple of Kingfishers! Such beautiful birds - and so fast unless sitting down ... Did you have any opportunity for 'in motion' shots? (swinging the fish against the branch to stun / diving / returning from the dive / etc. ...)
W.

 

[AaronT]

Nice pictures ISv! It looks warm out, up here we have three feet of snow on the ground and it snowed today.... again.... About the only colourful birds I have around here now are Cardinals and Blue Jays, and they look cold, but not as cold as the squirrel patiently waiting for scraps below the feeders......

Hi Don. Those 3 were my go to's the last few months. In the last few days the snow has been replaced by mud. Lots of mud. I'm hoping things dry out soon. BTW, I have wild turkeys lurking beneath our bird feeder. The photo below is from March 6, 5 days ago. All is mud now.

 

[Cog]

@Cog - I really like the way the bird stands out being sharp against a soft background!
Did you enhance the 'softness' around the bird in post-processing to further improve this effect? (If you did, I'd like to learn ; it looks very natural)
W.

Thank you, Nat_WA! No, I didn't do anything special. Maybe gently applied the Blur tool on the edges of the frame. But it's the natural environment, mostly. I shot the bird when it was against the empty space, away from the bush.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Well, I got back to see again Alan's Kingfishers (great photos!)... and noticed that I put only after the third series. And it was not only me )) - I took a time to count the "likes" on all three series. Second and third differ just by the orientation of the bird: left to right or the opposite (quality of the photos is pretty much the same). The last one got most of the "likes" - probably because some folks (inkl. me) took all three series as one (well, my preferences are for the last two, despite that the first one is telling a story and is very good quality by itself). Is that the reason for the different counts of "like" (most probably) or there is some other reason, like the orientation of the bird (very low probability according to me but who knows...)???
Yeah, when it's dark (night) outside you may spend some time thinking about such a nonsense, especially after good diner !

You love birds and your photography and are a deep thinker. I wish I could have that depth of engagement.

Jack

 

[AaronT]

Love your photos ISv. The Common Waxbill doesn't look so common to me. And AlanF, absolutely love your series on the Kingfishers.

 

[Mikehit]

Just went out on the off chance this afternoon and took the 400mm DO II + 1.4xTC on the 5DSR not expecting anything but it turned out to be a feast of kingfishers. First, a male caught a fish and called over the female and transferred the fish to her. You can see he his holding the fish face forward in his beak, for transfer, not swallowing.

An excellent series, Alan. To get such clear photos 'on the off chance' is impressive. And makes me so jealous

 

[IslanderMV]

Have not visited "Rumors" in a while. Spent some marveling at the quality of the pictures and the diversity of birds. Quite a treat !
My area is an avian dead zone at the moment. Everyone around here is saying - what happened to all the birds ? Apparently they are visiting you all.
I will post the few interesting shots have gotten lately.

 

[IslanderMV]

Eastern Bluebird. Stumbled onto a small flock of Bluebirds in the woods- followed them around for quite a bit. Finally got the shot I was looking for

 

[Click]

Very nice shot, Jeff.

 

[AaronT]

Eastern Bluebird. Stumbled onto a small flock of Bluebirds in the woods- followed them around for quite a bit. Finally got the shot I was looking forView attachment 183445

A good looking bird Jeff. Nice photo!

 

[IslanderMV]

American Black Duck.
Usually very shy as they are hunted around here.Took a minute to figure why she was so preoccupied. She was drinking from a wide fan of fresh water from a spring that empties into a brackish tidal pond.

 

[IslanderMV]

In one earlier post someone was asking for an id . Thought it might be a Dunlin. I shot a small flock Dunlin about a week ago.

 

[Click]

Beautiful series, Jeff.

 

[ISv]

In one earlier post someone was asking for an id . Thought it might be a Dunlin. I shot a small flock Dunlin about a week ago.View attachment 183447View attachment 183448View attachment 183449

Great photos Jeff, from these we have here only Dunlin but I never got close enough for reasonable photo.

 

[Nat_WA]

Have not visited "Rumors" in a while. Spent some marveling at the quality of the pictures and the diversity of birds. Quite a treat !
My area is an avian dead zone at the moment. Everyone around here is saying - what happened to all the birds ? Apparently they are visiting you all.
I will post the few interesting shots have gotten lately.

Hi Jeff, being in an avian 'dead zone' you still managed to get some excellent bird shots
W.

 

[Jack Douglas]

No, I'm in the dead zone, even the blue jays and redpolls aren't showing up. My daily ration is chickadees, WB nuthatches and Downies.

Jack

 

[AlanF]

No, I'm in the dead zone, even the blue jays and redpolls aren't showing up. My daily ration is chickadees, WB nuthatches and Downies.

Jack

Show us some Jack, before Costa Rica!