[CBM]

Kind of wild we were all just talking about these guys on another thread - and you grabbed a few more! These have great detail and color - would love to see them in person, but not at -10C!

[acoufap]

K-3 and DA 55-300 PLM and HD DA 1.4 TC at 364mm

I was out in the shop, planing some wood when I noticed this guy on a tree nearby. So, run in the house grab the camera, try and sneak out for some images. He was very wary, but he let me have a few. -10ºC





at 400mm


Looking up @ 294mm

Nice guy!

[normhead]

Kind of wild we were all just talking about these guys on another thread - and you grabbed a few more! These have great detail and color - would love to see them in person, but not at -10C!

Right now it's -35ºC, not that it make much difference what's C of F when it's this cold. He's out there again in the morning light this time. I'm not sure I need to get images in -35 however. These will have to do for now. -35 can freeze your hand to the doorknob.

Nice guy!

He must have been hungry. When the weather is cold, they eat more.....

[acoufap]

(x-post)

KP | DA55-300PLM

[acoufap]

Rendezvous with a falcon (x-post)


1


2


3

All shots KP and DA55-300PLM plus significant crop.

[Des]

KP | DA55-300PLM

That's a very poetic image. Kind of a visual haiku.

Some distinctive yard birds, from August to December 2021 (KP + DA 55-300 PLM)

Rainbow Lorikeet


Australian Magpie


Common Bronzewing


Australian King-parrot (female)


Australian King-parrot (male)


Laughing Kookaburra


Olive Whistler

(All X-posted from the yard birds thread and elsewhere)

[CBM]

That's a very poetic image. Kind of a visual haiku.

Some distinctive yard birds, from August to December 2021 (KP + DA 55-300 PLM)

Rainbow Lorikeet


Australian Magpie


Common Bronzewing


Australian King-parrot (female)


Australian King-parrot (male)


Laughing Kookaburra


Olive Whistler

(All X-posted from the yard birds thread and elsewhere)

This a great series! I like the curation - I very much enjoyed the strong finish. Does that Laughing Kookaburra have a little bit of a smirk on his face as he looks back over his shoulder at you? Well, no doubt my imagination, but that made it more interesting for me. Last but not least, the perfect feather detail on the Olive Whistler, that's what I'd like to see in my own photos! Well done - glad to see you cross posted these from "elsewhere" or I would have missed them!

[Des]

This a great series! I like the curation - I very much enjoyed the strong finish. Does that Laughing Kookaburra have a little bit of a smirk on his face as he looks back over his shoulder at you? Well, no doubt my imagination, but that made it more interesting for me. Last but not least, the perfect feather detail on the Olive Whistler, that's what I'd like to see in my own photos! Well done - glad to see you cross posted these from "elsewhere" or I would have missed them!

Thanks very much Chris. I'm glad you like the Olive Whistler, because they are one of my favourite birds - and they are not easy to see. As for the Kookaburra, they always have a bit of a smirk, although the "Laughing" name comes from their cackling call (two or three sing different parts, so they sound like a whole choir). The real trick is getting close enough for 300mm and good detail - that takes time, for the birds to get to know you. My other tip is using Nik Color Efex Pro (free Google version or DxO version, it doesn't matter) for the finishing touches - I particularly like the Darken/Lighten Center filter, because it's hard to achieve the same effect in DxO PL.

Here's a landscape at 55mm (with the KP)

[acoufap]

That's a very poetic image. Kind of a visual haiku.

Thank you for your thoughtful comment! Subject simplicity and colors may support some kind of "meditative flow" and understanding.

[subsea]

K-3 and DA 55-300 PLM and HD DA 1.4 TC at 364mm

I was out in the shop, planing some wood when I noticed this guy on a tree nearby. So, run in the house grab the camera, try and sneak out for some images. He was very wary, but he let me have a few. -10ºC





at 400mm


Looking up @ 294mm

Having seen the damage these guys can cause when one decided to make a nest in the trunk of one of our trees, which later broke during a wind storm, I'm careful about dealing with them when they show up. About 6 months ago, one of them started pounding on our house every morning. It's illegal to kill them because they are, apparently, a migratory species (not that I'd want to kill them anyway!). Consequently, I had to find another way to deal with them. It turns out that they are scared of moving lights or reflections, so I cobbled together this woodpecker deterrent from some mirrored plastic discs. This image shows my woodpecker deterrent hanging on my house and waving in the wind. It works like a charm. I haven't seen, or heard, a woodpecker in the neighborhood since I put it up. I kind of miss them! It also scares some other species of birds, which stopped coming around for a while, but they seemed to lose their fear and started showing up again. K-3III and DA 55-300 PLM.

[CBM]

The real trick is getting close enough for 300mm and good detail - that takes time, for the birds to get to know you.

This Anhinga perched on the wooden handrail of a boardwalk at a local nature preserve. He must be pretty comfortable with people in general as let me walk past him along the opposite rail to get this shot. Cropped down to 8x10 and adjusted for exposure, but otherwise as is. Never saw one with green eye shadow, but then again, I don't think I've ever been this close.

[swanlefitte]

About 6 months ago, one of them started pounding on our house every morning.

There are a few around here. They mostly go to suet feeders and telephone poles in residential areas. They are all over the parks. I saw one fly over me today while I hunted for a shot, of all things, pigeons! Actually doves, because I spotted what I think are collard doves that maps say are not here, but spotters say otherwise.

Despite seeing them frequently and having my camera, I still don't have a satisfactory shot. I get great shots of the back of their head. I get the red of their chin line in a blur, or a shot to far away.

These peck the houses. I was unprepared and my settings were wrong.

[jgnfld]

Now THAT is a great pic!!!!!

Could one of the recent AI denoise programs help finish it?

[swanlefitte]

A pecking woodpecker at 1/125 shutter is just wrong. I normally am at 1/500 to 1/1000 f/8 out the door, but I had shot some macro with flash the night before and forgot. I was more concerned with not shooting into my neighbor's window at the time and not looking like I was. I was on my bicycle headed to the parks. I keep hoping for a second chance. The neighbor enjoyed the photo. I enjoy the fact the owl didn't fool it, but the plastic did.

[Des]

This Anhinga perched on the wooden handrail of a boardwalk at a local nature preserve. He must be pretty comfortable with people in general as let me walk past him along the opposite rail to get this shot. Cropped down to 8x10 and adjusted for exposure, but otherwise as is. Never saw one with green eye shadow, but then again, I don't think I've ever been this close.

Fine shot Chris. Amazing how much detail is revealed when you get close. We have another species of Anhinga (Australasian Darter) - they don't have a blue iris or blue-green skin around the eye like this.