What birds or bird have you seen today – communal thread, I hope!

Saw this chap earlier today. Despite the dull day and rain, I was still glad it was closer than the usual mile away!

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Went for a beach walk this morning as off work, decided to leave the camera at home as wouldn't see much... Just took the binos.. spotted a male kestrel hovering in the dunes about 60yards away, watched him swoop down and then back up with a vole\mouse in his claws. He then flew straight towards me, landing on some rocks about 20yards away. Stared at me for a second, decided I wasn't a threat and started ripping his breakfast to pieces. I could believe how fast he ate it, he got through half of it and then casually flew off over the dunes. I thought perhaps he was taking the rest back for a brooding mate or young perhaps?

Absolutely gutted that I didn't have the camera as I would of got some cracking images of the Kestrel hunting and the flying with prey and then eating on a rock!! Still very privileged to see it though. Camera is coming with me whenever possible from now on!!
 
WWA said:
Went for a beach walk this morning as off work, decided to leave the camera at home as wouldn't see much... Just took the binos.. spotted a male kestrel hovering in the dunes about 60yards away, watched him swoop down and then back up with a vole\mouse in his claws. He then flew straight towards me, landing on some rocks about 20yards away. Stared at me for a second, decided I wasn't a threat and started ripping his breakfast to pieces. I could believe how fast he ate it, he got through half of it and then casually flew off over the dunes. I thought perhaps he was taking the rest back for a brooding mate or young perhaps?

Absolutely gutted that I didn't have the camera as I would of got some cracking images of the Kestrel hunting and the flying with prey and then eating on a rock!! Still very privileged to see it though. Camera is coming with me whenever possible from now on!!
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Sometimes it's worth taking a compact camera with you, at least you may have a chance of a photo, even if their just record shots in comparison to the quality of your DSLR kit.
 
wezza13 said:
Went to Loch Ness yesterday and within 5 minutes of being there, we got a nice fly past by an Osprey.

Camera was in bag so I quickly grabbed it and obviously it was on the wrong settings, so I only managed a record shot.

Lovely to see one in the wild though :)
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You missed an Osprey Wez??? :eek:
 
gramps said:
I have a picture in my mind of a Blackbird with a crumpled beak! :D
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It was quite amusing, if the wormed had snapped with the Blackbird at that angle, it'd gone a**e over t*t :D
 
macvisual said:
'Morning stretch'
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Niiice, Peter!

Just an idea, you could use the tonal separation
technique to reduce the impact of the busy BG!
 
gramps said:
You missed an Osprey Wez??? :eek:
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Kodiak Qc said:
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+1… what a shame! :banghead:
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I know, tell me about it! :mad::banghead:

Quickly grabbed my camera out of the bag but it was on the wrong settings!

All I got was this, which is a massive crop. I wouldn't even class it as good enough to be called a record shot.

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Before this post, I thought you were a………
With this post, you just proved it! :exit:
 
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…sooooo small, Molly?
 
wezza13 said:
I wouldn't even class it as good enough to be called a record shot.
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You were there and have the shot to prove its an Osprey Wez.....its got to be a record shot :)
 
Just some grab shots and large crops.

Another Robin fledgling and parent appeared in the garden yesterday, this is in addition to the ones I recorded just over a month ago on 9/5/2016 and which I posted in this thread. On that occasion there were three fledglings.

Seen a Great Tit fledgling yesterday but unable to photograph it. Also, managed to capture a couple of grab shots of a Coal Tit fledgling being fed by it's parent in the Holly tree, pleased to record it in the green foliage, rain and wind, the D810 seemed to work good.

Been lucky I suppose this year with the fledglings I have seen in our garden: 2 x Robin, 1 x Nuthatch, 1 x Sparrow, 1 x Coal Tit, 1 x Blue Tit and 1 x Great Tit...... Last year I managed just a Nuthatch and Blue Tit.

Grab shot of Robin Fledgling by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

Grab shot of Robin Fledgling by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

Grab shot of Robin fledgling by Swansea Jack, on Flickr

Coal Tit Fledgling by Swansea Jack, on Flickr
 
Kodiak Qc said:
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You seem to have more luck (and time!) than I
when it comes to small birds… and that makes
me envy your hits score.

Maybe, you could devote a tad more time at
rendering your very cool takes… may I suggest…


Robin%20fledglingpp.jpg
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Thanks for your comments and suggestion Daniel.

Looking at my three photos of the Robin fledgling, they seem to me what was present when I took the photos. Your edit seems way to dark for the bird with too much contrast or pullback on whites and blacks.
 
Swanseajack said:
Your edit seems
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My edit, Simon, has no other purpose than
demonstrate what could be done ever so
quickly and does not pretend to be a final
rendition. I could take it out if you wish…:)
 
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Swanseajack said:
Thanks for your comments and suggestion Daniel.

Looking at my three photos of the Robin fledgling, they seem to me what was present when I took the photos. Your edit seems way to dark for the bird with too much contrast or pullback on whites and blacks.
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Morning Simon

I get that a lot and I think that it demonstrates what you saw with what can be done in pp to make the image look more attractive to the eye ......... I see this a lot with shots that look spectacular but have me wondering "does the bird really look that good"
 
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Duckly exuberance!


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One from a visit to Swell Wood, just up the road from me, last night. We sat in the car watching jays, GS woodpeckers, nuthatches, coal tits, and the inevitable tree rats then went to the hide to see if we could see any herons. Quite a few there but with the trees in full leaf they're hard to see. Then this one walked out onto a branch. Just below it was a little egret tucked down into its nest. Not great quality as it's a fairly big crop in poor light, and my camera doesn't handle high iso very well, but better than the jays, woodpeckers etc that I didn't get at all. These guys are just so fluffy.

Grey heron by Jan, on Flickr
 
Jannyfox said:
One from a visit to Swell Wood, just up the road from me, last night. We sat in the car watching jays, GS woodpeckers, nuthatches, coal tits, and the inevitable tree rats then went to the hide to see if we could see any herons. Quite a few there but with the trees in full leaf they're hard to see. Then this one walked out onto a branch. Just below it was a little egret tucked down into its nest. Not great quality as it's a fairly big crop in poor light, and my camera doesn't handle high iso very well, but better than the jays, woodpeckers etc that I didn't get at all. These guys are just so fluffy.

Grey heron by Jan, on Flickr
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Good to see Jan, it does get hard there once the trees sprout :)
 
Brian Colclough said:
Got these guys (two at the moment) in the garden yesterday
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Superb poses and great takes, Brian.
Though I think I see the renditions
need tweaking… a suggestion:

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I've discovered a very lazy way of taking bird photos, tripod with camera on, in a room upstairs, not double glazing so open the winodw wide and wait forn the birds to land in a nearby tree and snap the shutter. Oh! and push the curtains up over the pole so no reflections. Coffee in hand and
sit and wait.Chiffchaff at home.jpg Very young Dunnock.jpg
 
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