[Designosophy]

Looks like some Billy Goat genes got mixed in there someplace. Good job on the focus, its always a challenge, I find that relying on the grass or other surroundings helps me more than the actual animal/bird.

Good one! Are you sure it is not a goat?

Yeah, the grass provides a nice way to grab focus. Maybe my K-5 was having a good day. I don't know if the rabbit beard is a common thing, or something unusual. There was another rabbit farther away that had something very strange going on with its ears. At first I thought it was the result of an injury, but in one of the photos, I could see that there were two oddly formed ears on one side. I'll be watching out for three-eyed birds.

My wife says she prefers your rabbit to my birds. hmmm

Does your wife have a garden? If so, I'm sure the rabbit would love her too! But seriously, birds are tough, and arguably more visually interesting than a rabbit. You have produced many bird photos that I admire.

[Designosophy]

This may well be location specific because the Herons / Egrets in China rarely let you get closer then 50m before they are off ! The best place is the zoo, where the birds are wild but have a colony with acres of empty fields of trees and a large lake, they are much more tolerant there, seeing many, and having no danger from, humans every day.

Nice GBH Derek !

Yes, nicely done. I love the way herons complain grumpily when you get too close and they feel they must leave.

A couple of non-gull shots. I just wish I would have used a wider aperture on the shot with the ducks over the forest. The forest is a bit too much out of focus to me.








Same here in Sweden, at least for me. As soon as they spot me they are off and gone, no matter if I'm in a boat or on land.

Nice focus on all of these. I can rarely manage to catch a bird in flight.

[Frogfish]

Re. Birds comfort zone. If you think herons are bad try cranes ! This Winter we went to Poyang Lake to photograph rare cranes - they were usually 1,000-1,500m away and after we had trudged/sneaked/crawled up to within 500-600m they were up up and away, every time !

[VisualDarkness]

Nice focus on all of these. I can rarely manage to catch a bird in flight.

I've been trying thumb focus lately and it has made all the difference in keeper rate. Now it's mainly finding and getting close enough to the bird that's the problem.

Re. Birds comfort zone. If you think herons are bad try cranes ! This Winter we went to Poyang Lake to photograph rare cranes - they were usually 1,000-1,500m away and after we had trudged/sneaked/crawled up to within 500-600m they were up up and away, every time !

I just managed to get decently close to a crane today in a forest bog, but I messed up and missed the best opportunity.

[dadipentak]

There was another rabbit farther away that had something very strange going on with its ears. At first I thought it was the result of an injury, but in one of the photos, I could see that there were two oddly formed ears on one side.

Those were horns--it was a jack-a-lopeI

[Frogfish]

I had fun last weekend being able to get down and dirty (camo in the grass) with my new exotically coloured lifer, spending 90 mins laying prone in the hope he would alight on the bough(s) I had designated as ideal for both of us.

He however had other ideas and the nearest he came was twice as far away - except for one exciting foray, hover & dive, into the grass not 2 metres from where I was (hopefully) hidden. Far too fast for me though

Not that I was hidden from a passing Chinese peasant family that decided I would make perfect subject matter for family & friends as they excitedly took mobile phone shots of me - pics that no doubt were then winging their way to a thousand Weibo (Chinese equivalent of Twitter) accounts and making me an instant faceless 'trend' !

The heavily cropped shots are still a bit noisy but it's the best I can do for now, and focus is off in the last but I like it anyway

[dragon132312]

I had fun last weekend being able to get down and dirty (camo in the grass) with my new exotically coloured lifer, spending 90 mins laying prone in the hope he would alight on the bough(s) I had designated as ideal for both of us.

He however had other ideas and the nearest he came was twice as far away - except for one exciting foray, hover & dive, into the grass not 2 metres from where I was (hopefully) hidden. Far too fast for me though

Not that I was hidden from a passing Chinese peasant family that decided I would make perfect subject matter for family & friends as they excitedly took mobile phone shots of me - pics that no doubt were then winging their way to a thousand Weibo (Chinese equivalent of Twitter) accounts and making me an instant faceless 'trend' !

The heavily cropped shots are still a bit noisy but it's the best I can do for now, and focus is off in the last but I like it anyway

Good one Kevin , can see the title now ' BIG SNAKE IN GRASS ' nice pics by the way ,lucky you have all those MP;s to work with

[dadipentak]

Your quarry is certainly worth the effort,

[dane.dawg]

Very nice photos, Derek and Kevin..

[VisualDarkness]

I had fun last weekend being able to get down and dirty (camo in the grass) with my new exotically coloured lifer, spending 90 mins laying prone in the hope he would alight on the bough(s) I had designated as ideal for both of us.

He however had other ideas and the nearest he came was twice as far away - except for one exciting foray, hover & dive, into the grass not 2 metres from where I was (hopefully) hidden. Far too fast for me though

Not that I was hidden from a passing Chinese peasant family that decided I would make perfect subject matter for family & friends as they excitedly took mobile phone shots of me - pics that no doubt were then winging their way to a thousand Weibo (Chinese equivalent of Twitter) accounts and making me an instant faceless 'trend' !

The heavily cropped shots are still a bit noisy but it's the best I can do for now, and focus is off in the last but I like it anyway

Wonderful shots! I also really like the last one, it's a very "alive" shot if you know what I mean.

[derekkite]

Very nice. I was driving along the Slocan river today on the way to a job and noticed an osprey in a tree on the opposite side. I stopped and this happened right in front of me. The fish got away.

[steve1307]

Very nice. I was driving along the Slocan river today on the way to a job and noticed an osprey in a tree on the opposite side. I stopped and this happened right in front of me. The fish got away.

Great sequence. Maybe he was showing off.

[Greyser]

Very nice. I was driving along the Slocan river today on the way to a job and noticed an osprey in a tree on the opposite side. I stopped and this happened right in front of me. The fish got away.

Very nice sequence, Derek. I witnessed a few occasions like that, even with a fish, but far far away. The crops are enormous, so. I still have a hope to get it closer some day

[Frogfish]

Good one Kevin , can see the title now ' BIG SNAKE IN GRASS ' nice pics by the way ,lucky you have all those MP;s to work with

Ha - big turtle more like. Those MPs really help, it's like adding 200mm to the length of the glass. However I have really had to improve my long lens technique because mistakes are magnified too, motion blur is much more noticeable if you haven't got it right. Things I could easily get away with on the K5 will not be tolerated by the D800.

Your quarry is certainly worth the effort,

Thanks Dave !

Very nice photos, Derek and Kevin..

Thank you Travis !

Wonderful shots! I also really like the last one, it's a very "alive" shot if you know what I mean.

Thank you, pleased you liked them. TBH I was just excited to add this bird to my life-list, a lovely creature and a very typical flycatcher so fun to watch too. The last shot is far from perfect but as you say it feels 'alive'.

Very nice.

Thanks !

Lovely sequence Derek. I love Ospreys but rarely see them here (one last year and one this year - about 400 yds away) !

[dragon132312]

Very nice. I was driving along the Slocan river today on the way to a job and noticed an osprey in a tree on the opposite side. I stopped and this happened right in front of me. The fish got away.

Great set Derek ,way to go what do they say 10% skill 90 % luck to be in the right place at the right time