Spring is here and the animals are all coming back out. Just a few of what I saw on my drive around are property at work.

[FilmORbitz]

Mother fox says "that's close enough". And you should keep watching that Blue Jay branch, as there seem to be woodpeckers in the neighborhood.
Love the pics, and the beginning of, gulp, Global Summer.

[KiloHotelphoto]

The mom took of down the hill right after I got this shot stopped and then barked at me, it's the first time she has done that so I left after that. And yes we have lots of woodpeckers, specifically pileated. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/12-post-your-photos/344443-nature-some-locals-work.html

[FilmORbitz]

I'll make you a deal -- I can trade an unlimited supply of Downeys, Hairys, Red-bellied, Northern Flicker (often hanging off our feeders simultaneously) and the occasional transient Sapsucker, for one Pileated. Those guys just sit out of sight, laughing at me.
I see your pictures are either K-3+300 (no TC?), or K-1+560. Shots from both are very nice. Does f5.6 max on the 560 create issues getting the exposure you want (I have a lowly Pentax HD 55-300 whose f5.8 max at 300mm is pushing me into ISOs I'd like to avoid)? Any comment on either would be very interesting for me as I'm contemplating both lenses, as well as the 150-450. I live less than a mile from a big bird sanctuary that is a major flyway stopping point. TONS of birds, but very difficult to get close to them -- and no blinds are allowed.
Thanks again for the nice shots.

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Last edited by FilmORbitz; 08-27-2017 at 11:00 PM.

[slowpez]

Nice collection of spring beauties. TFS.

[KiloHotelphoto]

The K1 and 560 I think are a great combo. The higher ISO settings you can use with it are a improvement over the K3. I've only had a couple of times when I wish I would have spent a little more and got a FA 600 F4 because the F5.6 wasn't enough, but I normally use it at F8. It is not the best walking around lens though, I did just get a new monopod but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. My old monopod just wasn't rated for the weight. Normally when I shoot with this combo I go to a location and set up my tripod and stay for a while and hope I picked a good location.

The K3 and the DA*300 I think is a perfect walking around combo, I love that lens. I take it to work with me because it's small enough to keep in a bag on the passenger seat and gives great reach.

We have lots of pileated here, I've seen four at once on a tree. They are not shy around here, I've sat there for 40 minutes watching them destroy a old tree.

[FilmORbitz]

The K1 and 560 I think are a great combo. The higher ISO settings you can use with it are a improvement over the K3. I've only had a couple of times when I wish I would have spent a little more and got a FA 600 F4 because the F5.6 wasn't enough, but I normally use it at F8. It is not the best walking around lens though, I did just get a new monopod but haven't had a chance to try it out yet. My old monopod just wasn't rated for the weight. Normally when I shoot with this combo I go to a location and set up my tripod and stay for a while and hope I picked a good location.

The K3 and the DA*300 I think is a perfect walking around combo, I love that lens. I take it to work with me because it's small enough to keep in a bag on the passenger seat and gives great reach.

We have lots of pileated here, I've seen four at once on a tree. They are not shy around here, I've sat there for 40 minutes watching them destroy a old tree.

Thank you for that info. My wife tells me pileated make distinctive holes in a tree, so I should look for those, then hide out and watch. The 560 would be a sweet lens, but I'm certain I can't run fast enough to steal one.