Birds 2012

[johna901]

Hi Mark,
Wow, you got some good shots today. Your first grey heron looks almost like a purple heron (Ardea purpurea). Goldcrests are very rare here so I envy you that one. Glad your missus approves!
John A.

[mvanrheenen]

Hi Mark,
Wow, you got some good shots today. Your first grey heron looks almost like a purple heron (Ardea purpurea). Goldcrests are very rare here so I envy you that one. Glad your missus approves!
John A.

Hi John,

Thank you for your kind comments!

The grey heron has some very distinct stripes along it's head and neck. I couldn't see them on this bird, but then again, I've not seen it stretch its neck. I'm in doubt now.

Mark

[Greg Beetham]

That’s a nice little collection Henry, very pretty bird that Heron, and the little blue bird with its quivering wings is cute and I also like the B&W Pelican study and the little grassbird sitting on the wooden posts and rails.

You had some good luck Mark with what looks like two different Herons (only the Egrets are white according too my bird book) that first one is a good shot and an interesting variety I don’t think I’ve seen before. The Goldcrest looks like one of those difficult very small birds, a pretty one though and well worth pursuing. Those Buzzards might have a nest hidden somewhere nearby, but I didn’t think it would be nesting time there at the moment, so maybe not after all.
Greg

[mvanrheenen]

Thanks Greg.

I had a look at the first heron. Although looking very different than the Grey Heron on the second picture, it actually is the same species. I found numerous images of Grey Herons that have the same plumage as displayed on the first image. Maybe it's a juvenile or some form of winter plumage.

Mark

[Birma]

Very nice birds Henry and Mark

[bakubo]

Very nice birds Henry and Mark

Thanks, Birma. Here are some old slide scans.

This is, I think, a White-tailed Eagle. I took this in Japan in 1992 with a Minolta 7xi + Tokina 400mm f5.6 on Fujichrome 100.



This is some sort of eagle, I think, in the Maasai Mara, Kenya in 1991. If you know what it is then please tell me. I took this with a Minolta 7000i + Minolta 100-300mm f4.5-5.6i on Fujichrome 400. I remember that it was late in the day with light fading rapidly.

[Greg Beetham]

Not a bad BIF eagle Henry, I don't know what that African job is, you really need to know things like the nasal cover colour, eye colour, feet colour, and the shape of the tail, also whether the tail is barred on the underside etc. I can see the wings have prominent fingers so at least that cuts out the falcons most likely, but leaves lots of scope for it to be anything from an Eagle to an Harrier. The problem in Africa is the same bird is seen in many different countries and they all have local names for it.
Greg

[mvanrheenen]

Wow, nice BIF there Henry!

I went out today, unfortunately the day didn't go as planned. Not too much birds found. I was a bit sluggish myself, that didn't help either.

Managed a nice shot of a Robin though.



As my a580 has the infamous scroll wheel problem, image taken with the a390, 70-400G and HVL-F43AM mounted on a monopod.

I did saw something else that might peak peoples interest. See the "What, no birds?!?!" topic

[Greg Beetham]

That’s a lovely shot of the Robin Mark.

This is one I have been after for years, the Dusky Honeyeater, I only see one on average about once a year, but maybe I’ll get a chance to get a better shot of these. There were two of them (along with about a dozen brown honeyeaters) jumping about in the sprinkler briefly, until a hawk of some description landed in the tree and all the birds disappeared into the undergrowth, I saw the hawk against the light (couldn’t make out the type) as he saw me, and as I aimed the camera he flew off behind the tree.
Greg
A100 KM100-300apo

DSC03827.jpg (197.61 KiB) Viewed 3984 times

[mvanrheenen]

That Honeyeater is a whole other bird than the ones I find here. Very nice bird, especially when it's like this, scruffy and all

Nice buttery bokeh from the lens by the way!

Mark

[aster]

Herons, NEX 5x set ups, Henry's impressive birds in flight, John's fake bird comparisions, Mark's great captures and Greg's neat wonder of a honeyeater...

Very cute one, Greg. Nice capture. : )

Great run through!

Thanks for sharing everyone.

Yildiz

[Birma]

Wow - the great bird pictures just keep coming - love the Eagle inflight Henry. The sharp eye and the blurred / in flight wings give a real action feel - like it is coming for you . Nice Honey eater and Robin as well Greg and Mark.

I like John's Nex 5N set -up - the Nex being a rear lens cap is a good analogy .

[Greg Beetham]

Thanks guys, I'm a tad excited about the Dusky, I think they might be a breeding pair, I hope that hawk doesn't get one, it's already caught at least one bird, I heard it's cries as it was carried off into the distance but I couldn't get around to the other side of the tree in time to see what it was, I hope it wasn't the female Peewee, I've only noticed the male around since.
Greg

[mvanrheenen]

Did a little bit of peeking in the front- and backyard again today as a diversion from studying all day.

Made some interesting shots of ordinary birds.

#1 Chaffinch

My best close-up, barely cropped!



#2 - Robin

First ever image I had do desaturize. (-10 SAT in Photoshop)



#3 - Robin

Shot through double glass. Came out pretty good!



#4 - Common wood pigeon

Made handheld (!) at 1/25s on 400mm. Pure luck they call that!



Mark

[Birma]

Hi Mark - more nice pictures - #1 and #2 are especially good I think.