Show your Bird Portraits

[ISv]

After that left of me a Red-whiskered Bulbul landed on small bush. Had to increase the ISO from 1000 to 2000.
And when I move to see the newly hatched White Tern there was parent coming to see the well-being of it's fledgling on the next tree. No time to go back, so I just choose the photos where the bird is in more compact configuration. Also, the first photo is misleading: I made three short burst and non of them started with the bird on clear sky (only the middle burst was fussy but I got excellent photos of the Kukui Nut foliage). Didn't pick the photos where the bird is on the background of the leafs - the highlights are totally washed out and also the photos where the bird is with more-open wings (no place in the frame, the distance is in the range 11-16 meters - I was missing my zoom!)!

 

[Maximilian]

Ornithologists are doing this for many many years (and it's how we know what is what...) ...

Fully understand and they know how.
As I said: this would be beyond my capabilities.
So I leave it up to the Ornithologists.

 

[ISv]

Fully understand and they know how.
As I said: this would be beyond my capabilities.
So I leave it up to the Ornithologists.

Maximilian, I wasn't serious when telling you "catch one ...". I also wouldn't know how to catch one (I have difficulties to take a photo of one from acceptable distance, forget catching that one)!
Here are my only photos, taken 2019 in Europe just before the Covid-19 started. Two birds that are giving me a lot of headache: The first one could go for young Gray-Wagtail. The second is juvenile and logically should be also Gray-W (same location on the same day). But the clearly black legs and bill of the juvenile and the rather broad wing bars on both birds are not in synchrony with the Gray-W. The juvenile is looking more like M. citreola (Citrine Wagtail) but it is not breeding in South-East Europe where I took the photos (the second half of August). However during the migration it could be seen there eventually.

 

[Maximilian]

Maximilian, I wasn't serious when telling you "catch one ...". I also wouldn't know how to catch one (I have difficulties to take a photo of one from acceptable distance, forget catching that one)!

ISv, I got the message and the fun at the first time. Don't be afraid.
I thought I could make it clear, using emoticons.
That's the problem with text messages... even when you add emoticons you don't get the tone.
I only wanted to state in addition that I don't have a problem when scientists catch animals for studies - and hopefully also release them again unharmed.
So everything is settled for me

 

[Maximilian]

... The second is juvenile and logically should be also Gray-W (same location on the same day). But the clearly black legs and bill of the juvenile and the rather broad wing bars on both birds are not in synchrony with the Gray-W. The juvenile is looking more like M. citreola (Citrine Wagtail) but it is not breeding in South-East Europe where I took the photos (the second half of August). However during the migration it could be seen there eventually. View attachment 197387

About this second one:
Could it be a third species? A juvenile white wagtail (motacilla alba) ?
Looking at this pic of a juvenile white wagtail to me it could be one.
But I know that I'll be causing even more confusion.
By now we've gone through almost all colors

 

[AlanF]

Managed to get into the grounds of the 17th C Anglesey Abbey for the first time in over a year to visit a tree where there is sometimes a Tree Creeper. And what did I see instead - some small white feathers on the ground and this telltale one.
View attachment 197322

Last week I related how when looking where I knew a Treecreeper might be, I just found the evidence that it had been predated. Yesterday, just out on a walk, my wife spotted a small bird hopping around a tree and I recognised it was a Treecreeper. These are very difficult to photograph as they move very rapidly and are usually half hidden. But 20 fps on the R5 (+100-500) paid off and i managed to get some half decent shots. It's only the 4th or 5th time in 10 years I have got photos of one - they are well evolved to be camouflaged and nippy to avoid predation, and you see usually only their back or profile as they are staring at the bark for most of the time.

 

[Maximilian]

Last week I related how when looking where I knew a Treecreeper might be, I just found the evidence that it had been predated. Yesterday, just out on a walk, my wife spotted a small bird hopping around a tree and I recognised it was a Treecreeper. These are very difficult to photograph as they move very rapidly and are usually half hidden. But 20 fps on the R5 (+100-500) paid off and i managed to get some half decent shots. It's only the 4th or 5th time in 10 years I have got photos of one - they are well evolved to be camouflaged and nippy to avoid predation, and you see usually only their back or profile as they are staring at the bark for most of the time.

Congrats to your wife and you, Alan!
For the sighting as well as for getting the pictures.
I can feel with you, how exiting this must have been.

 

[AlanF]

Congrats to your wife and you, Alan!
For the sighting as well as for getting the pictures.
I can feel with you, how exiting this must have been.

Thanks! It really was exciting. I couldn't see the bird properly through the viewfinder -it was hit and miss as I fired away - and so it was a real delight playing them back and then downloading to have a few good shots. I have one more in profile but it's somewhat spoiled by oof leaves. although it does show the birds large undercarriage well.

 

[Del Paso]

I, too, can now offer a fish photo (sequence) with heron as bg .
Looks like the fish is was a perch.

View attachment 197356

Full sequence:
View attachment 197355 View attachment 197356 View attachment 197357 View attachment 197358

Nice sequence!
I shot a very similar one a few years ago...
Only difference was that the grey heron had caught a frog.

 

[Del Paso]

Last week I related how when looking where I knew a Treecreeper might be, I just found the evidence that it had been predated. Yesterday, just out on a walk, my wife spotted a small bird hopping around a tree and I recognised it was a Treecreeper. These are very difficult to photograph as they move very rapidly and are usually half hidden. But 20 fps on the R5 (+100-500) paid off and i managed to get some half decent shots. It's only the 4th or 5th time in 10 years I have got photos of one - they are well evolved to be camouflaged and nippy to avoid predation, and you see usually only their back or profile as they are staring at the bark for most of the time.

View attachment 197388View attachment 197389

Nice shots of a difficult bird (I failed....)
And by the way: thank you Alan for mentioning in a former post "Topaz sharpening". Even though I was skeptical about it being much better than Lightroom's sharpening feature , I gave it a try, and immediately adopted it. A really convincing software!

 

[pape2]

Great shots Alan ,i see those often but never got anything like that ,not even near

 

[Dockland]

I think it's called "heron"

R5 & RF 100-500

 

[Click]

Very nice series, Alan.

 

[Click]

Beautiful shot, Dockland.

 

[AlanF]

I think it's called "heron"

R5 & RF 100-500

View attachment 197392

Nice shot and you are learning names fast! It's what we Brits call a Grey Heron and Continentals a Blue Heron. Its neck is that reddish colour in the breeding season, for the rest of the year it's more white. Keep posting and we'll fill in the names.

 

[Dockland]

Nice shot and you are learning names fast! It's what we Brits call a Grey Heron and Continentals a Blue Heron. Its neck is that reddish colour in the breeding season, for the rest of the year it's more white. Keep posting and we'll fill in the names.

Thank you. I'm learning, somewhat slowly, but it's so much fun

 

[Dockland]

It's so much fun to shoot birds (and perhaps other animals as well) but i'd like to isolate my subjects even more. This image of the heron is as good as it gets I think.

Do you think the RF 400 f/2.8 will be able to do that? In that case I'll sell this RF 100-500 and buy that one instead. It's a but heavier and might require a tripod, don't know really. I'll check some youtube videos of the EF 400 f/2.8 (approximately the same lens as I understand it?)

E: I might even try the 400 with a RF 1.4x extender (have the EF 2x today, but IQ is not that great with my EF 70-200 f/2.8 III)

 

[AlanF]

It's so much fun to shoot birds (and perhaps other animals as well) but i'd like to isolate my subjects even more. This image of the heron is as good as it gets I think.

Do you think the RF 400 f/2.8 will be able to do that? In that case I'll sell this RF 100-500 and buy that one instead. It's a but heavier and might require a tripod, don't know really. I'll check some youtube videos of the EF 400 f/2.8 (approximately the same lens as I understand it?)

E: I might even try the 400 with a RF 1.4x extender (have the EF 2x today, but IQ is not that great with my EF 70-200 f/2.8 III)

Don't get rid of the 100-500mm - it's so useful for hiking around with and gives lots of opportunities, and also it's light enough for birds in flight, where hand holding is best, and zoom is useful. The really keen birders tend to go for 600/4. I'm waiting to see what Canon will come up with. It's rumoured very light 400/4 and 500/4.

 

[jmeyer]

I am now pretty sure this is a "drab" Magnolia warbler.

You are correct, Magnolia Warbler. It is however, a female and not a "drab" one.

Jeremy

 

[jmeyer]

I had a huge day yesterday, 121 species total! Strong Southwest winds blew all day and night Saturday and kicked off our migration in a big way. I ended up with 20 warbler species, not too bad for the first big day of spring migration. This stunning warbler is a Prothonotary Warbler and another exciting one to see!

Jeremy