Birds 2011

[InTheSky]

Another one : (with the Bigma)



Frank

[Greg Beetham]

Yes Mark it's so dark and gloomy under the tree where the birdbath is I had no choice but to try and get them with flash, those tiny birds hardly ever stay still and they have lightning reflexes, they can flinch during a shot, I took lots of photos and hardly got one that was both in focus and all movement frozen. I tried with and without HSS and it didn't make much difference. (I have a couple that show the wings about 1/4 open and smudged, when I clicked the shutter the wings were closed).
Greg

KM5D KM100-300apo More impossible Brown Honeyeaters (slightly more accurate colour, I have fuss around more with Elements 8 and colour in the JPEG's from the KM5D than I do with the A100 and A700, E8 doesn't seem to get the KM files properly for some reason)

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The bigma seems to take a good shot Frank.

[mvanrheenen]

Hi Greg, I can imagine using a flash in those situations. Worked quite well too! Which focal length did you use for the shot?

Are these birds all in your back yard?

[Greg Beetham]

Yeah Mark, there's always a few of those little chaps around somewhere in the yard (that birdbath is out in front), problem bird to photograph though, it's body isn't much bigger than your thumb and they are very active, feeding, singing, jumping in the birdbath, chasing one another at high speed, separately or all at once, I had the lens at nearly full extension I think, most of the time, you can't get too close otherwise they get a bit nervous and disappear.
Greg

[redsim74]

Great idea for a thread! Especially since we stopped off at a bird sanctuary on our way back from spending Xmas with family.

All with A700 and CZ16-80

Dove



Shoveler duck



Assorted ducks

[aster]

Lovely bird shots everyone!

The variety is becoming very impressive and I hope we see many more because birds are so much fun to see in photos and to watch in real life conditions as they are acting just like "themselves".


Yildiz

[Greg Beetham]

Nice ones redsim74, I especially like the shoveler with the yellow eye.
Greg

ps. Hi Yildiz, nearly thought you'd gone awol.

[aster]

Hi Yildiz, nearly thought you'd gone awol.

Hi Greg,

That very special day-long SQL Errors left me exhausting while trying to get through. It's like a white-washed wall that we see at squash halls; You attempt to hit it hard and get through but the ball only falls back in your area if not right on your person.

It's fine now, though.

Yildiz

[mvanrheenen]

Hi redsim,

Very nice shots! I especially like the light on the last one. The yellow eye on the duck in the second shot is almost hypnotising!

Never considered photographing birds that much myself, but the last couple of months I'm getting more and more interested in them as a subject. They can be great posers in "portrets" as well as action shots!

Now for getting a half decent lens for this purpose. The kit 55-200 is nice, but not as fast and sharp as I would like.

Keep shooting! (with your camera! )

[redsim74]

Thanks Greg / Mark,

The Shoveler came charging up to me, expecting to be fed. My biggest problem was to keep it far enough away to shoot, which isn't exactly common with birds!

The last shot of the ducks is my favourite, I may even have a slightly better version of what I posted.

It was an overcast, drizzly day (raining later) but it turned out well. The light was nice and soft and the weather kept most of the tourists away.

Cheers!

[Greg Beetham]

Only scored one today late after work, an Ibis that's usually hanging around the yard somewhere, I'll see if I can get a better shot sometime.
Greg
A100 KM24-105

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[mvanrheenen]

No redsim, it's not very common you have to get farther away to get a bird shot

Greg, I envy you. The closest Ibis I can find in the wild would probably be about 2000 miles away in Egypt, and your complaining it's the only thing you saw in you backyard today...

Nice visitor!

Cheers!

[BruceKingston]

My SAL70200G arrived from the States today so I took it out a lunchtime and was lucky enough to get a pelican with complete butt and beak specially for Lonnie (and an Ibis or two for Greg by the looks)

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[Greg Beetham]

Ha ha trust you BK, 13 1/2 Ibises no less and a complete Pelican too boot, I think you got me. Nice crisp shot.
Greg

ps. Are Ibis in your area during summer Mark? We don't have any dogs or cats so the birds are a lot more at ease in our yard I guess, that one is often around, it's becoming more used to me, but a bit nervous if I'm carrying a camera, it's the same story with a lot of the birds, they come really close when I don't have a camera, but the minute I go and get one they get nervous, I guess it pays not to trust humans too much when they're carrying something....very wise.

[mvanrheenen]

Well, I actually just read that the ibis has been introduced to a lake in my vicinity some years ago. So they do actually live here, but never saw them myself. They don't originate from Europe, but were introduced from Africa ans Asia.

I read on a local bird photographer forum that birds and other animals see the lenses as big eyes, possibly of predators. This could very well be the reason why they are more cautious when you point the big tele at them.

Great lunch-shot, Bruce!