[Pentaxians]

The first migrant that captured under my K70 this year, the juvenile Tiger Shrike.

[MossyRocks]

First shot with the SMC A* 400 f/2.8 from Friday once I got it mostly focused. I'm pretty sure the focus was slightly off as I don't have a bahtinov mask for this lens yet but it is pretty close.

Hopefully it will be clear this coming weekend when the moon won't be full and I can chase some other things in the night sky.

[MossyRocks]

A couple of shots from this summer with my Sigma 300mm f/4 APO macro

[gifthorse]

I hadn't taken the Sigma 150-500 out for a walk lately.

[aslyfox]

snow leopard yawning and posed in its enclosure at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha Nebraska

K 3 II + HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm F4.5-5.6 ED DC AW

hand held taken through the mesh of the enclosure

[swip]

A few birds taken last week at the Minsmere reserve in Suffolk, UK.

Wonderful shots!

---------- Post added 09-15-19 at 11:18 PM ----------

Not much luck with birds today.

Semipalmated Plover


Northern Water Snake trying to get some sun.

[jacamar]

Wonderful shots! ---------- Post added 09-15-19 at 11:18 PM ---------- Not much luck with birds today.

Thanks Swip - we all have days when the birds don't cooperate, but that's a good image of the plover.

[normhead]

Thanks Swip - we all have days when the birds don't cooperate, but that's a good image of the plover.

There' so much food in the bush this year, I have almost no birds coming to my feeders. There are berries and cones, beech nuts every where. Even the squirrels have abandoned us. Our entire feeder entourage includes 2 Blue Jays, one Hairy Woodpecker and a few chipmunks. And they just check in once or twice a day and don't stay long.

[goatsNdonkey]

Wonderful shots!

---------- Post added 09-15-19 at 11:18 PM ----------

Not much luck with birds today.

Semipalmated Plover


Northern Water Snake trying to get some sun.

Northern Water Snakes are somewhat darker around here. Regional differences can be quite fascinating.

[jacamar]

There' so much food in the bush this year, I have almost no birds coming to my feeders. There are berries and cones, beech nuts every where. Even the squirrels have abandoned us. Our entire feeder entourage includes 2 Blue Jays, one Hairy Woodpecker and a few chipmunks. And they just check in once or twice a day and don't stay long.

These folks seem to agree with you - the finch forecast for this winter predicts that there won't be irruptions to the south because the food supply is good, but there will be birds in Algonquin.

Winter Finch Forecast 2019-2020

I noticed a lot of "bush food" in UK as well - brambles loaded with blackberries, lots of beech mast and acorns.
As a bird blind photographer you would like Minsmere - the blinds are two storeys high! During the Second World War the army excavated ponds on the Suffolk coast to help prevent German tanks from moving through. Avocets started showing up to breed after years of absence, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds took over from there. The water levels are carefully controlled, the birds are prolific and the Avocet (pictured in my post) became the organization's emblem.

[swip]

Northern Water Snakes are somewhat darker around here. Regional differences can be quite fascinating.

I checked images on the web to confirm the identity of the snake and definitely there are some that showed very different coloration than the one I got.

---------- Post added 09-16-19 at 12:07 PM ----------

There' so much food in the bush this year, I have almost no birds coming to my feeders. There are berries and cones, beech nuts every where. Even the squirrels have abandoned us. Our entire feeder entourage includes 2 Blue Jays, one Hairy Woodpecker and a few chipmunks. And they just check in once or twice a day and don't stay long.

That is definitely a constant in birding. You never know what you will get from year to year.

[aslyfox]

Tree Top Bird at the Hippo Pool in the Ngorongoro Crater

can any one help with an id ?

Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

https://www.beautyofbirds.com/greyherons.html

[jacamar]

Giant Swallowtail sipping moisture on a Lake Ontario beach.





K-3, DA*300mm

[Canada_Rockies]

Giant Swallowtail sipping moisture on a Lake Ontario beach.

K-3, DA*300mm

Nice catch.

[jacamar]

Nice catch

Thanks. It's always nice to have something when there are no birds around!