Show your Bird Portraits

[AlanF]

My first of the year: Little Grebe (R5 + 100-500mm +1.4xTC).

 

[Click]

Very nice one, Alan.

 

[EricN]

Harpy eagle in our local zoo

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You might need a VPN to fool the server into thinking you're inside US boarders to watch the video, but I think you can enjoy the footage and information.

Nature | Jungle Eagle | Season 30 | Episode 3 | PBS

NATURE enters the secret world of the harpy eagle.

www.pbs.org

 

[EricN]

My first of the year: Little Grebe (R5 + 100-500mm +1.4xTC).

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Beautiful!
Is the way the Little Grebe's feathers sort of clump together versus other birds' feathers keeping a smooth appearance related oil or something else?

 

[AlanF]

Beautiful!
Is the way the Little Grebe's feathers sort of clump together versus other birds' feathers keeping a smooth appearance related oil or something else?

The Little Grebe can control its buoyancy by flattening its feathers against its body.

 

[cooldood]

Grebes are cool. They can sink ( not dive) in a split second. Almost looks like something is pulling them straight down.

 

[RaPhoto]

A few New Years Day photos.

 

[AlanF]

You learn so much about birds from photographing them - it’s all part of the satisfaction.

 

[RaPhoto]

Grebes are cool. They can sink ( not dive) in a split second. Almost looks like something is pulling them straight down.

Grebes also have very cool feet as seen in this Horned Grebe diving/swimming underwater.

 

[EricN]

The Little Grebe can control its buoyancy by flattening its feathers against its body.

Thank you for explaining

 

[Click]

Nice series, RaPhoto.

 

[HenryL]

Beautiful shots, HenryL.

Thanks, Click!

 

[Nemorino]

Which shutter speed do you prefer for this heron in the rain to show the rain?
1/50

or 1/80


or 1/125?

Maybe not the biggest differences
It was really heavy rain and as I got myself wet, I had to hurry.

 

[Click]

The second one. 1/80

I also like the pose of the bird in this one. It looks more miserable in the rain.

 

[EricN]

The second one. 1/80

I also like the pose of the bird in this one. It looks more miserable in the rain.

Agreed. Another couple nice things are you can see a few drops resting on top of the heron and some falling in front of the body.

 

[AlanF]

Which shutter speed do you prefer for this heron in the rain to show the rain?
1/50
View attachment 213896
or 1/80
View attachment 213897

or 1/125?
View attachment 213898
Maybe not the biggest differences
It was really heavy rain and as I got myself wet, I had to hurry.

The Japanese masters of woodblock prints like Hokusai or Hiroshige would have preferred the first as they used shafts of rain. Here's one I've just dug out, Sunshower At Nihonbashi By Utagawa Hiroshige.

 

[cooldood]

The second one. 1/80

I also like the pose of the bird in this one. It looks more miserable in the rain.

This is miserable

 

[Nemorino]

Thank you all for the feedback!

The Japanese masters of woodblock prints like Hokusai or Hiroshige would have preferred the first as they used shafts of rain.

They would have even exposed longer!
I made shots at 1/10 and 1/30 but the heron was unsharp. 1/30 would have been pefect for them, at 1/10 the rain stars getting unvisible.

 

[RaPhoto]

Close encounters of my favorite kind on today's bird walk.

 

[Click]

Nice shots, RaPhoto.