White Buzzard on the Wing.

Naboo32

Naboo32

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Name
Andy
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Yes
These are by far the closest shots (even though they're still cropped a bit) I've got of this lovely bird, since first seeing it (or one very much like it ;)) a year and a half ago.

1.
Soaring_White_Buzzard_02_1000.jpg


2.
Soaring_White_Buzzard_03_1000.jpg


3.
Soaring_White_Buzzard_04_1000.jpg


4.
Soaring_White_Buzzard_05_1000.jpg


5.
Soaring_White_Buzzard_06_1000.jpg





I found myself a new hiding place in the woods today, where I can sit and wait for the buzzards to fly overhead. Can't wait 'til Wednesday, when I get my hands on a new Nikon 300mm f/4 AF-S lens :naughty:. That should give me even more reach and perhaps cropping can then become a thing of the past ;).
 
TinaC said:
I like #1 the best, the outlining by the sun is lovely. Don't like #5, cropped too tight!

I look forward to seeing the next set with your nice new lens :razz:
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Thanks Tina. Actually, in the un-cropped shot, I still managed to clip the edge of the wing off :bonk:. The bird was flying pretty fast and close to me, so I found it hard to track it properly - more practise needed there ;).
 
Nawty said:
Beautiful bird, it's certainly just spotted you in 2 :LOL:

What lens were these taken with?
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Yes, I wasn't in a hide, just 'hiding' amongst some tall, thin tree saplings (10 feet tall) - he could easily see me from above ;).

These were taken with a Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II and a Kenko Pro300 DGX 1.4x TC (on a D90 body) - normally the Nikon's a gem of a lens, but not really for this kind of stuff :|. I hope that the 300mm f/4 will work ok with the TC (plenty of reviews suggest that it's a good combination), as this will finally give me the kind of reach I've been wanting all along.
 
A set of 'nearly there' images, and it's mainly to do with the light, the direct sunlight on the back of his head has caused the whites to be slightly hot.

I look forward to more with your new lens.
 
Les McLean said:
A set of 'nearly there' images, and it's mainly to do with the light, the direct sunlight on the back of his head has caused the whites to be slightly hot.

I look forward to more with your new lens.
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That's a very fair appraisal of the whole situation Les, I agree with you (y).

These were taken around midday - not normally my first choice for any kind of photography, but the birds were enjoying riding the thermals and then diving down for a quick swoop around their territory, so it seemed rude not to have a shot at them ;).

I went back this evening and the light was obviously less harsh, but the buzzards weren't anywhere near as close, so I just ended up with a handful of very heavily cropped images like this one :( ...

DSC_2161.jpg


I know that I lot of people say that more expensive gear won't make you a better photographer, but I think where birds are concerned, longer glass is crucial :shrug:. We'll find out next weekend :naughty:.
 
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