Show your Bird Portraits

The goal today was a locality where I have never been before. Expected to see the bird (Semipalmated Plover) from longer distance and attached TC 1.4 to the 500mm PF lens already at home. In the beginning the converter was useful... I notice in what direction the bird is moving and went there (kneeling in the muddy sand/or if you prefer the sandy mud:)). The bird's reaction was up and down: coming closer, getting afraid, closing again and it took a certain time to become a friends.
After that I was sorry that I had that TC1.4 already attached: AF is a bit of slow and not only that! But in that environment I had a 0 wish to change! After getting bunch of photos I concentrated to get a clear (100%) photo useful for ID: there are two Ringed Plovers visiting Hawaii: the Semipalmated (Caradrius semipalmatus) that is more often recorded and the Common Ringed Plover (C. hiaticula). They are very similar: except for the breeding Ringed (that doesn't come to Hawaii in breeding plumage) the Ringed is missing the yellow golden ring around the eyes (not always good visible in Semipalmatus, depends on the angle you see the bird!). Also: the Ringed has a web only between the outer and the middle toe, the Semipalmated has webbed all (outer and inner) toes and the webs are narrow in both species, difficuld to see (especially when covered with mud).
Please note the second picture! The inner web is practically invisible (depends on the angel between the inner toe and the midle one!)!

Here are the photos: first four are my best to proove the Semiplamatus as a 100%. The rest are just photos...

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Yesterday was a good day for birding! I found not one, not two, but three Great Horned Owls roosting together. Also, barely captured a Bald Eagle (see BIF thead) that flew behind me as I was photographing the owls.

I like the angry look of the owl on top LOL. They quickly ignored me and went back to sleep.

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Yesterday was a good day for birding! I found not one, not two, but three Great Horned Owls roosting together. Also, barely captured a Bald Eagle (see BIF thead) that flew behind me as I was photographing the owls.

I like the angry look of the owl on top LOL. They quickly ignored me and went back to sleep.

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I often hear owls in the evening, but I'm never able to locate them. Lovely shots too
 
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Yesterday was a good day for birding! I found not one, not two, but three Great Horned Owls roosting together. Also, barely captured a Bald Eagle (see BIF thead) that flew behind me as I was photographing the owls.

I like the angry look of the owl on top LOL. They quickly ignored me and went back to sleep.

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Nice! Now we are waiting for the next sequence with 3 of them (or may be four if the sequence is logarithmic :))!
 
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From today - in Botanical garden (they have there good picnic areas) where we went to celebrate the Birthday of my daughter. First time in the nature but it was her wish!

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Lovely shots!
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Taking a moment to check the feathers before heading back out on the hunt.
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R5 RF600 w/1.4X 1/800 : f/6.3 : ISO 1000

A Wood Duck drake finding an acorn and taking it back to the lake to eat it.
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R5 RF600 w/1.4X 1/3200 : f/6.3 : ISO 1000

An Acorn Woodpecker waiting in the early morning light before heading down to get a drink from the seep.
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R5 RF600 w/1.4X 1/640 : f/8 : ISO 1000

Western Scrub Jay against fall foliage.
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R5 RF600 w/1.4X 1/1250 : f/8 : ISO 1000

And one of the Red-breasted Nuthatchs.
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R5 RF600 w/1.4X 1/2500 : f/7.1 : ISO 1000
 
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Okay, I've been real lucky lately. I spotted my first Golden Eagle last weekend! I was able to get really close to this magnificent creature. It was not scared of me one bit. LOL
If you look at my post in the BIF thread, I was actually too close to it, and unfortunately cropped a wingtip on the last shot =(

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