After reviewing my shots for the day I realized a couple of things, being in the bright light and also keeping my eye on about 100 geese and ducks so I wouldn't get bit or flapped,lol. First I couldn't get my exposure right, to bright, to dark, I thought it was all the reflective water and and bright sunlight, Then when I downloaded the card to the Pc I seen that ALL (ugh) the pics had a very blue cast to them. In checking the camera I found that my friends, who had been checking out the camera the day before, had accidentally changed a setting to 'tungsten light'. But the most fascinating thing was while correcting the Grackle photo in Lightroom I seen it had a nictitating membrane. I knew cats had that but didn't know that so do birds. Interesting!

[lesmore49]

Good photo of a bird's nictitating membrane. I believe Canada Geese have this too.

I have seen Pileated Woodpeckers at the nano second they hit the tree with their beak...seem to close their eye completely. Must have something to do with the impact...which is significant.

[sherrvonne]

One article said that it protects the falcon's eye from wind and that ducks and loons have a central lens in the nictitating membrane.

[Mikesul]

After reviewing my shots for the day I realized a couple of things, being in the bright light and also keeping my eye on about 100 geese and ducks so I wouldn't get bit or flapped,lol. First I couldn't get my exposure right, to bright, to dark, I thought it was all the reflective water and and bright sunlight, Then when I downloaded the card to the Pc I seen that ALL (ugh) the pics had a very blue cast to them. In checking the camera I found that my friends, who had been checking out the camera the day before, had accidentally changed a setting to 'tungsten light'. But the most fascinating thing was while correcting the Grackle photo in Lightroom I seen it had a nictitating membrane. I knew cats had that but didn't know that so do birds. Interesting!

Good timing!

[RDP]

I’ve got an incredibly mediocre shot of a juvenile bald eagle that I only kept because the nictitating membrane was closed. My wife thinks I’m the only person who gets excited by things like this. It’s nice to know that there are others out there!

-Robin