Critique Waxwings: after all these years

[Stuart Philpott]

when I was little I can remember reading about this amazing bird,that came here in special magical years. Back then there was none of this irruption cobblers!! These were Waxwing winters mythical magical times for a small boy,who would hope beyond hope that one day these amazing bird with surreal crests,bits of red and yellow would one day appear for him. That kid moved down south where not so many come being so far west,so thoughts of him ever seeing that special bird sort of faded. I guess as i got older I thought mistakenly that they only ever showed up north, not an influx of east to west. A few years back hopes were rekindled,god they were on the tele locally,we went but missed 'em Fast forward to this year,the lads and lasses here are posting them,maybe finally at the wrong side of fifty that kid was going to see a bird that frankly may as well have been a pheonix,almost mythilogical now in it's status. Hopes were high, a break at chimbo, ha ha crap light for most of it, drives, to stunning wilderness locations were made in the pouring rain,ya know aldi car parks macdonalds industrial estates. Stunning places with awesome backgrounds befitting of a bird so chersihed....ok not so much

Fog rain cold over and over one day the sun came out after the rain, crystals sparkled on stripped trees still no birds. I work in construction,well they call it that, work has been slack of late so I got another crack at it this week,naturally forecasts were wonderful freezing fog rain all good,the venue wasn't actually far and hopes were high it seemed like it was a park not a damn carpark no restriction on access. Dawm was a right off so we set of a bit later a short walk and finally after years and years of hope there I was standing looking up at that bird I'd just wanted to see since a child,in minutes of exiting the car,light was lovely at times dark as hell at others but it was sheer bliss.

They were friendly guys I could get close they make this wonderful trill, the boys give their ladies gifts preen each other,their crests go from barely visible to stupidly outrageous. They chuck food in the air and catch it. Gape is awesome how they swallow what they can beyond amazing. I guess just occassionally, the wait, the cold, the failing over and over comes back in the most special way. When the chance finally came these guys were all I hoped for and more. We came home with a bucket ful of shots and went back for more the next day couldn't help meself the mythical waxwing winter I'd imagined as a kid has been frankly a bit pants really,but the birds ahh man they'll do.

Don't have a clue what to post really,i'm still trying to take stock of what just happened but I have to post sommit,so chuffed. special fanks to all whom have posted a waxy here,there has been a few 'orrible days when seeing those on coming home made me go back.

Ha ha rock'n'roll....GET IN


A Waxwing....doubtless more will follow but for now just one usual gear crit welcome exif on flicky

_70F3352 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

sorted

Stu

 

[den]

Nice one Stu....

 

[User.81858]

Glad for you well done I have still to see one

 

[mufftrix]

Glad you got them Stu! It a great image you got all the colours in the wing panels on show and a nice natural background

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Glad for you well done I have still to see one

Charlie,i'm not really new to ickle beasties and nature,but this togging and twitering stuff is all fairly new. Buddy I don't know where you are but my local birding site(which records localsightings of note) and something called waxwingsUK on twitter have been a god send in us finally seeing them,here locally. Mate if I can be any help at all shoot me a pm, I'd love everyone to get a chance Charliee,sure it took us ages and I really fluked this as I should have been working,but was laid off for a couple of days,but you probably have a good a chance now as any time.

Thanks mate more coming

Stu

 

[Jannyfox]

That's a great image, Stu, and a lovely story to go with it. We get occasional reports of them here in the winter (though alnost nothing this year) but am I right in thinking they favour urban parks & supermarket/retail park car parks for the berry bushes they tend to plant there, but they hoover up and go? They don't make it easy when you have to travel to see them knowing they almost certainly won't be there by the time you are.

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Glad you got them Stu! It a great image you got all the colours in the wing panels on show and a nice natural background

Ey up Mick,buddy many thanks as before I kinda owe ya one,you and jeff especailly kept us going out. Ha ha the BKG was just for you mate, as you can imaging I really wanted an orange one
I plausiby have some natural ones just a bit better in the BKG deptment: a bit cleaner,we'll see. I will say this though getting an uncluttered bkg was a mare at this site,but that said I really think I was gifted more to be thankful for than moan about.

Mick this wasn't the typical place we had gone to see waxes at,so we got so see more than just feeding behaviours actually a lot more,as we were able to follow them back to roosting sites while dijesting and back to where they were sourcing food,predominantly rosehips actually some haw/malus aswell,but not rowen so much..Buddy as you can imaging i'd have been thrilled with a dot of a grab shot,but to be able to see and try and get images of all the other stuff preening courting etc as well as feeding,really was awesome.i'd imagine this would be tricky at most sites if not impossibleas one simply wouldn't get these chances,naturally I might be wrong,being my first time at this..

Thanks for the words about the shot,mate two wings over the back all the details(cool aren't they) and a lookback seems to have eluded me,maybe not,but it was something we noticed many others have shown.

Anway I have stacks to sort out so enough waffling and something else huh,oh and 'erm,cough, a non natural bkg at least once

How these birds swallow what they do size wise is bewildering,the quantity they munch also jaw dropping,here's a guy doing the berry toss I mentioned earlier.. As a side note,I was supremely lucky with this frame,i'm unsure what exactly was going on ,but the camera was really struglling to maintain focus,even on a fairly still bird in this particular instance when this was grabbed. I think the branches just held more contrast than the birds not sure, even with a focal point bang on where I wanted it lots went in the bin here,total missed focus. I knew I had taken this and as I got closer to where it is located in DPP I felt sure it would be another for the bin,but it seems not: thankfully

again uncropped,later on I might ponder a bit of gardening to tidy the odd twig,but the RAW is banked which is all I really need at this stage until I can get PS

_70F3247 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Many thanks Mick

Stu

 

[Phil-D]

Great shots Stu and a good read, the detail and colour in the first is lovely.

Like you, I'd only ever heard of Waxwings 'till this year, they were a first for me in the flesh, so to speak, we've had a couple of flocks locally so manage a few short sessions

What a nightmare a nightmare to photograph though! Branches in front, busy bg behind, poor light because of shadows :banghead:

I did manage a few shots but nothing as good as your first one above, very nice, keep them coming

 

[Stuart Philpott]

That's a great image, Stu, and a lovely story to go with it. We get occasional reports of them here in the winter (though alnost nothing this year) but am I right in thinking they favour urban parks & supermarket/retail park car parks for the berry bushes they tend to plant there, but they hoover up and go? They don't make it easy when you have to travel to see them knowing they almost certainly won't be there by the time you are.

Thanks Janny,yes I think so pretty much. Basically I think what is happening is our wild birds and beasties clear up the berries in more rural areas much more quickly than the urban parks industrial estates gardens etc. Flowering trees and bushes give a great bang for the buck with both autumn and spring colours so are planted widely in gadens caparks etc creating a "largely" untapped food source that the waxwings are exploiting in urban areas. They seem bold as hell as well Janny,I have cursed my self as a whole set was ruined by me simply not relising birdie was under 6.4M from me and I hadn't lowered min focus to 2.5 on my lens a school boy error, when on my own not in a block of togs slowly moving in was very easy. So I feel(not know) their bolder temprement and their specialised feeding habits are giving them a feeding chance that they exploit where as maybe a fieldfare or redwing wouldn't,they like apples and pears too mate. Janny as I mentioned to Charlie these web sites are a great asset,sure they may well be here today gone tomorrow,both Mick and I can testify to how frustrating it can be. But info can come in especially on twitter that is almost currant,whether one can exploit that or not another matter,but I doubt I'd have got these couple of chances without the web

So long coming Janny i'm stumped to be sat here now. Haha I have a frame for you too,damn this makes me smile,but it also shows that boldness,for a bird to be having a wash and brush up,he isn't really bothered by the tog , Says it all for me.Cropped this one to 3;4 from landscape

_70F2750 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Take care

Stu

 

[mufftrix]

Ey up Mick,buddy many thanks as before I kinda owe ya one,you and jeff especailly kept us going out. Ha ha the BKG was just for you mate, as you can imaging I really wanted an orange one
I plausiby have some natural ones just a bit better in the BKG deptment: a bit cleaner,we'll see. I will say this though getting an uncluttered bkg was a mare at this site,but that said I really think I was gifted more to be thankful for than moan about.

Mick this wasn't the typical place we had gone to see waxes at,so we got so see more than just feeding behaviours actually a lot more,as we were able to follow them back to roosting sites while dijesting and back to where they were sourcing food,predominantly rosehips actually some haw/malus aswell,but not rowen so much..Buddy as you can imaging i'd have been thrilled with a dot of a grab shot,but to be able to see and try and get images of all the other stuff preening courting etc as well as feeding,really was awesome.i'd imagine this would be tricky at most sites if not impossibleas one simply wouldn't get these chances,naturally I might be wrong,being my first time at this..

Thanks for the words about the shot,mate two wings over the back all the details(cool aren't they) and a lookback seems to have eluded me,maybe not,but it was something we noticed many others have shown.

Anway I have stacks to sort out so enough waffling and something else huh,oh and 'erm,cough, a non natural bkg at least once

How these birds swallow what they do size wise is bewildering,the quantity they munch also jaw dropping,here's a guy doing the berry toss I mentioned earlier.. As a side note,I was supremely lucky with this frame,i'm unsure what exactly was going on ,but the camera was really struglling to maintain focus,even on a fairly still bird in this particular instance when this was grabbed. I think the branches just held more contrast than the birds not sure, even with a focal point bang on where I wanted it lots went in the bin here,total missed focus. I knew I had taken this and as I got closer to where it is located in DPP I felt sure it would be another for the bin,but it seems not: thankfully

again uncropped,later on I might ponder a bit of gardening to tidy the odd twig,but the RAW is banked which is all I really need at this stage until I can get PS

_70F3247 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Many thanks Mick

Stu

Now that a cracker! I think as you say a bit of cleaning the background up would make it even more appealing and with it being a uniform colour should not be over difficult?

But the shot as is I love it and not sure if I would meddle with it!

Good things come to those that wait eventually

 

[Rustydon]

Just LOVE the berry toss shot, Stu
- a little bit of pruning in PS would create an even greater action shot when you have the time. I'm (insanely) jealous

Russ

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Great shots Stu and a good read, the detail and colour in the first is lovely.

Like you, I'd only ever heard of Waxwings 'till this year, they were a first for me in the flesh, so to speak, we've had a couple of flocks locally so manage a few short sessions

What a nightmare a nightmare to photograph though! Branches in front, busy bg behind, poor light because of shadows :banghead:

I did manage a few shots but nothing as good as your first one above, very nice, keep them coming

'ello mate.Phil no doubt I got way beyond lucky here,I can appreciate utterly what you are saying,when feeding on the hips they were proper tricky. My first day was meant to be crap but light was almost perfect sun covered by thin cloud,so the light was softened but still pretty bright ,it did vary mate and I got caught aplenty,especially on the second day,the next shot is just that exposure smack on the frame before than bamm tenth of a second it dropped like a stone: so I was under for this takeoff. I'm bit unsure on the crop (full height, cropped on the width to square). it has to be said, and another busy as hell BKG,but hey the blue car had to go. Hmm the joys of shooting urban...... plastic bags hanging from trees rubbish all ways.orange bkg's cars in places they have no right to be,tis a whole new world dude!!!!!

So much luck in all this Phil we can only make the best of the chances given , but we also make our luck going out when we really shouldn't

_70F3749 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Cheers

Stu

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Now that a cracker! I think as you say a bit of cleaning the background up would make it even more appealing and with it being a uniform colour should not be over difficult?

But the shot as is I love it and not sure if I would meddle with it!

I need ps really Mick to start cloning, I can't have it yet PC won't support. I can sort of do it in dpp mate ,but it feels very coarse,although I know so little about post I might be miles off ,but as you say that rendered wall has to help.

It'll come mick i'm ponderously slow at learning. I think it's sort of how the dog rose is balanced in the frame...... the tangle some how works mate.Beyond my lack of ability in post,i'm slightly unsure on cloning it's those two twigs one with a hip around the head I'd pull if I could( I 'erm think? ),not much else. I think that would just add a bit of "clarity".It isn't deliberately framed I'm on one thing that berry nowt else. Cheers for the thoughts image wise, mate,much to learn good to have others thoughts tis valued. I' t's a bit surreal right now Mick difficult being objective The above is true has to be close to fifty years I've wanted to see that bird then bamm pics too???????



Good things come to those that wait eventually

ain't that the truth !!

Just LOVE the berry toss shot, Stu
- a little bit of pruning in PS would create an even greater action shot when you have the time. I'm (insanely) jealous

Russ

Ahh buddy thank you, Russ I'm me honest as they come I missed it four times amazing how a berry can go up and down and gone in a tenth of a sec and one can be spot on at pressing the shutter in exactly the wrong place,lmao. The food pass I was a gnats too slow but I didn't even know they did this,how would one? Russ how cool the guys of this species are already looking out for thier ladies and kids even before they have flown back home to breed ,what a great stratergy. I'm perplexed at how much behaviour we saw in two days mate short days at that. I know how lucky I've just been, it was a blinding chance mate repeats to learn on.couldn't ask for more. Frankly wish we all got more chances like that,but mate would they be that special if this was easy? I might take no images for days out mate starting to learn that when a chance comes to try and make the best of it

Oh Russ I'm a very humble guy, know how good folks that do this are and how much graft goes into that learning curve to get them there. I have a deep respect for wildlife togs feel I have miles to go...... but insanely jealous,OH I'M 'AVING THAT mate,even if only just once in my life i'm keeping that,LMAO

take care

Ere ya better have a waxy pic wouldn't be fair otherwise, highest contrast light I shot under I believe,amazing what a thin veil of cloud does framing poor here cropped for comp say 85%roughly of full frame,if i'd have framed better there was no need to crop.

_70F3065 by Stuart Philpott, on Flickr

Stu

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Nice one Stu....

Sorry Den I've missed you, rushing about while doing this mate, hey ho, Humble apologies, many thanks what a blast buddy

One for you will follow Den

take care

Stu

 

[wezza13]

Well chuffed that you got these Stu, happy for you

Great story to go with the images, always makes an interesting read. I imagine you've got loads of shots to go through now though lol. Just think of the variety!

Good to see that you had some nice light, always a bonus

Finished window cleaning at the local hospice today, at around 1pm and I'd just sat down with a cup of tea, when my phone rang. It was Steve, the local KOS recorder. "Wez, are you at home?". So I ask him why and he's only watching a flock of 8 Waxies in the next road to me! I legged it round with the camera and we spent the next two hours following them round the village lol. The sky was so grey, and it was raining, that I'd normally keep the camera in the bag. But I was so chuffed to have seen them (first time for me also!) I had to get some record shots. We're talking over 10000 ISO

Luckily, managed to get closer and, in the end, we were about 6 foot from them as they were feeding on rosehips. Great experience though, and to have them on my doorstep was such a bonus! Shame there's no sun forecast at all this week I'll put them on my Flickr at some point but fingers crossed, they hang around

Your first shot's my favourite mate

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Wez how do ya say thanks properly to a mate on the web that hasn't met ya, with little black letters......lovely of ya mate,I do hope you get a chance like us bro back at ya Ahh buddy what phil said on bkgs watch for that mate that feeding is mental fast picking a bird and staying there is hard with distractions which are potential subjects all ways. If ya get chance to ponder background before it all kicks off,is something I didn't do well enough, I'd had it figured second day but not the first, i've got bifs with half a roof half sky they look horrible before I even look at me beloved birdie.

Wez please god you get another chance,the image you like was taken around 2 30 pretty sure grey cloud ,there was this thin vale of white(pollution probably) at some stage man it was lovely to shoot under. You know more about me on this bro might be something of use in this ramble. So many images Wez,I guess I can be forgiven for being trrigger happywe have them down a bit but honestly I don't really know what i've got yet, hard world huh,I really am bewildered mate, funny as,but I am

Mate your nikon aren't you 10,000 is silly high where are you happy too,isowise? Oh to have one of these modern sensors they must be a godsend in blighty,so often the light is crap,if it's good we 're all grafting Heyho, maybe studying weather forecasts should be banned for wildlife togs though,thank god I didn't listen .

Cheers blue I'll wack some more up shortly mate

take care

Stu

 

[The Weasel]

Very well done, Stu...it's a great feeling when it all comes together, and you have certainly made the most of the opportunity, a really good set, but the second image is Top Drawer

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Very well done, Stu...it's a great feeling when it all comes together, and you have certainly made the most of the opportunity, a really good set, but the second image is Top Drawer

Ey up mate ,how ya doin'?

Andy thanks for the words mate lovely of you,little steps hey buddy Thanks for the past thoughts Andy another like so many that push me along and inspire,simply put part of the reason these images are here.. Ahh mate frankly this is cloud cuckooland,I'm still pinching myself. So many images so much behaviour,,I'm still sort of struggling to take it all in. It's not really like they are mine,and mate I was so so lucky to get that particular berry toss,something was playing hell with my focus at that point nearly all were rejected instantly around it, I got real lucky, Andy,for that chance to come with a bird so special to me is so cool,

Cake and eat it Andy with loads of extras for good measure

cheers mucker

Stu

 

[lost]

Hi Stuart
Glad to see you are making good use of the mkiv some really good shots there mate. We have'nt had luck to have any round by us yet but I keep the fingers crossed.
Rich

 

[Stuart Philpott]

Hi Stuart
Glad to see you are making good use of the mkiv some really good shots there mate. We have'nt had luck to have any round by us yet but I keep the fingers crossed.
Rich

'ello Rich ha I've been thinking of you,I need to ask a favour,can I shoot you a pm please ?

Rich,lovely to hear from you thanks for the words,yes very much in love with me picture taking and the old girl,not there yet by any means, but slowly i'm starting to get my head around things.

I think they are here abouts rich it's just being lucky enough to catch up with them,they seem to move on so fast,not surprising with that apetite,I guess

Take care sorry brief ,rushing as normal.

Stu