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

Malfis said:
Sorry chaps, haven't got a clue what bird this is. I was out strolling with the camera, and there it was sat in a tree. Not the best quality images.
Is it a domestic escapee? Possible diamond dove?


?? by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr

? by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr

??? by Malcolm Fisher, on Flickr
Click to expand...

I learnt a valuable lesson with these images.
When I saw the bird originally I had the 16-80mm f2.8-4.0 lens on my D7200. I couldn't get a real close up (the image is quite a large crop), so I dashed home and returned with my D500 and 200-500mm. It wouldn't lock focus on auto focus, so thinking it was because of lighting conditions, I tried to quickly focus manually (not very well).
When I got home I couldn't understand why the lens wouldn't auto focus - and immediately realised I had the focus limiting switch set on 6 metres to infinity - doh !! Always check your gear!
 
Last edited:
Today I saw my first Hobby (and second and third, maybe fourth).

Turns out they are hunting dragonflys over a (now permanently) flooded meadow half a mile from me. Too far away to get decent shots but here's the record shot anyway:

Hobby 4 by Ned Awty, on Flickr
 
Juvenile Starling on blackberry bush at RSPB Dungeoness.

Took this one with my Nikon 1 V2 with the FT-1 adapter and a Nikon 300 f4 PF on the front

Starling.jpg
 
Last edited:
mussEd said:
May I ask why you're frustrated at with this shot? I'd be cheesing if I'd managed that. In fact this reminds me that I've never seen an owl of any kind in the wild :banghead::banghead:
Click to expand...

Cheers Ewan

I spend a lot of time on the moors after Owls. Now granted, this year photography has taken a back seat due to helping out on the recording side for the local bird group but to answer your question. If I'd seen the Barnie a few seconds earlier, there was the chance of photographing it in some beautiful light, look at the tree on the right. Also, where it flew from was completely out in the open, so there was a good chance of shooting it with a clear back ground instead of the small tree growing up through it!

Don't get me wrong, I love watching these birds and getting any shot is a bonus but my main aim the other evening was to get a decent shot, in good light with a clean back ground, so i was a tad frustrated with this shot.

What else I've failed to mention, the reason for not seeing the Barnie till last minute, I was watching a Shortie quartering to me right!! :rolleyes: :D
 
Phil-D said:
Cheers Ewan

I spend a lot of time on the moors after Owls. Now granted, this year photography has taken a back seat due to helping out on the recording side for the local bird group but to answer your question. If I'd seen the Barnie a few seconds earlier, there was the chance of photographing it in some beautiful light, look at the tree on the right. Also, where it flew from was completely out in the open, so there was a good chance of shooting it with a clear back ground instead of the small tree growing up through it!

Don't get me wrong, I love watching these birds and getting any shot is a bonus but my main aim the other evening was to get a decent shot, in good light with a clean back ground, so i was a tad frustrated with this shot.

What else I've failed to mention, the reason for not seeing the Barnie till last minute, I was watching a Shortie quartering to me right!! :rolleyes: :D
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply and to compound my general and newly-discovered Owl anxiety there's been two Short-Eared Owls showing well local to me all day today according Twitter and I've been stuck at work! Hopefully they'll hang about until Monday!
 
Blacktoft Sands this afternoon

Ruff

Ruff 1024.jpg

Snipe on a mission

Snipe.jpg

And a Grey heron flyby

Grey Heron 1024.jpg
 
Malfis said:
I was lucky enough to see this female Kingfisher at Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve this morning (after a few unsuccessful trips).
All shot with the Nikon D500 and 200-500mm zoom, at 1/3200th@f8, 500mm, ISO 3200, 2500 and 8000.
Click to expand...

Very nice, don't suppose you shoot RAW and have the ISO 8000 file handy that I could have a look at?
I'm thinking of going down the D500 and long lens route now that Canon's new mirrorless is a non starter for wildlife and would like to get an idea of Nikons ISO handling.
 
Mike.P said:
Very nice, don't suppose you shoot RAW and have the ISO 8000 file handy that I could have a look at?
I'm thinking of going down the D500 and long lens route now that Canon's new mirrorless is a non starter for wildlife and would like to get an idea of Nikons ISO handling.
Click to expand...

I shot these on the fine jpg setting - is that of any use to you?
 
been away on hols (Greece) - didn't see too many birds and of course didn't have too long lens with me.- any ideas what 2 and 3 are?

bird2.jpg

bird3.jpg
birds.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top