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Common House Sparrow (3 images)
Lens: M 400/5.6 Camera: Pentax K10D ISO: 100 Shutter Speed: 1/200s 
Posted By: 8540tomg, 12-22-2009, 10:54 AM

Beautiful cold day here in Waterloo.

These Sparrows were the only ones willing to pose today. Not the most exciting of birds but if you take the time to watch them for a while they have some personality to them.







Tom G

Last edited by 8540tomg; 12-22-2009 at 10:57 AM. Reason: typo
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12-22-2009, 11:12 AM   #2
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They may be a common bird but your shots are outstanding. Beautiful lighting and detail in these, congrats!
12-22-2009, 11:14 AM   #3
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Excellent captures! I like these birds, and they are beautiful when you take time to examine them!
12-22-2009, 11:19 AM   #4
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Great shots. I like #2 a lot, it looks like he may have spied breakfast.

12-22-2009, 11:33 AM   #5
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Thanks Scott, Rense, matiki.

There is always something of interest if you take the time to look. Here's a couple more from the same series:





Tom G
12-22-2009, 01:11 PM   #6
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These are really wonderful. I keep looking at their feet especially in the first shot, because I've just never seen them rendered so sharply before. Thanks so much for sharing them.
Susan
12-22-2009, 03:16 PM   #7
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Thanks Susan,

I was pretty close to the minimum focusing distance of 15 feet with the M 400/5.6 when I took the shots of these birds. I cropped them and enlarged the image 50% to get rid of most of the distracting branches. After all that they remain pretty sharp. Their feet are pretty remarkable. Not quite an opposable thumb but they seem to work.

Tom G

12-22-2009, 07:20 PM   #8
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Great shots Tom, the last one from your second post is my favourite - probably just because you have managed to snap the little guy when there was less distracting elements around.

How do you manage to get so close to these little birds?
Maybe I'm just too big and scary (and impatient)
12-22-2009, 08:23 PM   #9
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Thanks Jason,

The lighting was a lot better for this session. It’s nice to have some blue skies for a change. Southern Ontario is always dumping something on us so this was a nice break. I kind of like the first image from the second set. He has a kind of defiant look.

Getting close to these guys is primarily a matter of patience and finding out where they are feeding. As a rule they don’t wander far from the readily available food source in the winter. They hide in the bushes close to the feeders. The bush provides cover and some protection from the marauding hawk. Unfortunately, the bush also makes it difficult to get a clear shot. Typically they will sit in the bush and look at the feeders and then me.
I simply place myself between the cover and the feeders and try to keep the sun at my back. After that I just wait them out. They usually gather in the tree as a group and this gives me the time to grab a few shots. I think they have more or less got used to me and don’t see me as a threat anymore. Usually I can get within the 15-foot minimum focusing distance of the M 400/5.6. I find this much more efficient than walking about hoping I might stumble on something of interest.

Tom G

Last edited by 8540tomg; 12-23-2009 at 06:07 AM. Reason: typo
12-22-2009, 08:56 PM   #10
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You are finding the sweat spot with that lens Tom. Great series. JIM
12-22-2009, 10:44 PM   #11
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gosh, did that thing eat a tennis ball or something? cool shots
12-22-2009, 11:16 PM   #12
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These are all very nice images Tom, thanks for posting them. I tried this morning but also could only get some house sparrows, the finches haven't been around for a week or so and neither have been the Northern Flickers.
12-23-2009, 06:11 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by Jimbo Quote
You are finding the sweat spot with that lens Tom. Great series. JIM
Thanks Jimbo,

I've been using it (M 400/5.6) a lot for the past 9 months and I'm starting to understand where and when I'm likely to get the best out of it.

Tom G

Last edited by 8540tomg; 12-23-2009 at 06:20 AM. Reason: typo
12-23-2009, 06:16 AM   #14
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Thanks Joodiespost,

They do look like they swallowed tennis balls don't they. They just puff up to make the most of the insulation their feathers provide. I was wishing I could puff up a bit during the shoot as it was pretty cold out there yesterday.

Thanks Heinrich,

They can't avoid you forever although at times it seems like they might. We still have a few finches, a lot of Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers in this particular area. I've been on the lookout for Cardinals and Bluejays but no luck so far.


Tom G

Last edited by 8540tomg; 12-23-2009 at 06:18 AM. Reason: typo
12-23-2009, 07:12 AM   #15
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very nice... really like the puffed up sparrow in the 3rd shot....
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