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05-11-2017, 04:32 AM   #25591
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QuoteOriginally posted by stihlmania Quote
This is my first real attempt to get hummingbirds flying, I have hundreds of them sitting. Using my 1st D with a smc A* 400 f2.8 edif , shooting with and without a AF-360FGZ flash since my feeder is in the shade. So far so good, the flash helps with some, as my feeders are in the shade. I also have 1 shot with my 1st DL, just noticed that, sorry.
Nice shooting

I plan to try shooting hummingbirds this summer. Can you place items near the feeder? I am thinking of using flash with a remote trigger to get the flash closer to the birds - setting exposure to underexpose the background and use flash to fill in the bird? I have no experience with hummingbirds and wonder how positioning a flash near to the feeding station will work - will they still show up?

05-11-2017, 07:31 AM   #25592
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QuoteOriginally posted by RockvilleBob Quote
All very nice but I really like the first shot of the shoes and the fish
My sentiments exactly

---------- Post added 2017-05-11 at 08:34 ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by RockvilleBob Quote
Nice shooting

I plan to try shooting hummingbirds this summer. Can you place items near the feeder? I am thinking of using flash with a remote trigger to get the flash closer to the birds - setting exposure to underexpose the background and use flash to fill in the bird? I have no experience with hummingbirds and wonder how positioning a flash near to the feeding station will work - will they still show up?
I had an SF-1 on tripod with on camera flash about 2 m/6 ft from the feeder when I was testing Snap In Focus (the first name from Pentax for what we now call Catch In Focus) and it didn't bother them at all. People bother them, briefly, while they are staring, but any sort of inanimate object doesn't seem to bother our rufous friends here.
05-11-2017, 07:36 AM - 15 Likes   #25593
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QuoteOriginally posted by RockvilleBob Quote
I plan to try shooting hummingbirds this summer. Can you place items near the feeder?
I've done this a few times, I ended up using three or four flashes, you set the flashes quite close, mine where all within probably two and a half feet of the feeder, you set the flashes at a very low power 1/16 or 1/8 because you need a very short duration flash to freeze the wing motion. Once they had homed in on the feeder they came to the feeder regardless of the flash being close.
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05-11-2017, 08:35 AM - 5 Likes   #25594
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QuoteOriginally posted by RockvilleBob Quote
Can you place items near the feeder?
Hummingbirds get used to things near the feeders. You can even get them accustomed to your presence and have them feeding from your hand if you wish, it only takes patience and time.

Last year when the hummingbird activity was at its peak I set up a feeder off of an upstairs porch, placed my camera on a tripod, and several studio lights to illuminate the scene.

I was at the minimum focus distance of the Sigma 300 f2.8 APO EX DG for this shot, just over 8 feet.



Some of them even flew right up to me and stared in my face.

Especially when the feeder was empty.

05-11-2017, 08:40 AM   #25595
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QuoteOriginally posted by Canada_Rockies Quote
My sentiments exactly

---------- Post added 2017-05-11 at 08:34 ----------


I had an SF-1 on tripod with on camera flash about 2 m/6 ft from the feeder when I was testing Snap In Focus (the first name from Pentax for what we now call Catch In Focus) and it didn't bother them at all. People bother them, briefly, while they are staring, but any sort of inanimate object doesn't seem to bother our rufous friends here.
Thanks for the reply

---------- Post added 05-11-17 at 11:41 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by rkappleby Quote
I've done this a few times, I ended up using three or four flashes, you set the flashes quite close, mine where all within probably two and a half feet of the feeder, you set the flashes at a very low power 1/16 or 1/8 because you need a very short duration flash to freeze the wing motion. Once they had homed in on the feeder they came to the feeder regardless of the flash being close.
Thanks - I was going to try multiple flashes - start with two and add one or two more depending on the results - I appreciate the tip and the need to use low power

---------- Post added 05-11-17 at 11:42 AM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by Racer X 69 Quote
Hummingbirds get used to things near the feeders. You can even get them accustomed to your presence and have them feeding from your hand if you wish, it only takes patience and time.

Last year when the hummingbird activity was at its peak I set up a feeder off of an upstairs porch, placed my camera on a tripod, and several studio lights to illuminate the scene.

I was at the minimum focus distance of the Sigma 300 f2.8 APO EX DG for this shot, just over 8 feet.



Some of them even flew right up to me and stared in my face.

Especially when the feeder was empty.
Good to know - I hope to take all these good tips and have some results to show later this summer.
05-11-2017, 08:51 AM - 4 Likes   #25596
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QuoteOriginally posted by Racer X 69 Quote
Some of them even flew right up to me and stared in my face.

Especially when the feeder was empty.
Our feeder is near the front porch. If we are out there weeding the flowers near the feeder, it is not uncommon to have the male do a very close fly by to get us to leave. They don't have much fear of anything.

And when the feeder is empty they stare through the living room window. Same stare your dog gives you when you have cheese in your hand ...

Last edited by Canada_Rockies; 05-11-2017 at 08:52 AM. Reason: ^&*#$%^ spell checker auto correction
05-11-2017, 08:54 AM   #25597
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QuoteOriginally posted by Canada_Rockies Quote
Our feeder is near the front porch. If we are out there weeding the flowers near the feeder, it is not uncommon to have the male do a very close fly by to get us to leave. They don't have much fear of anything.

And when the feeder is empty they stare through the living room window. Same stare your dog gives you when you have cheese in your hand ...
Mrs. Racer and I have the same experience. Those little guys will even bounce off of a window to let us know it is time to fill the feeders again.

05-11-2017, 10:19 AM - 1 Like   #25598
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QuoteOriginally posted by Canada_Rockies Quote
Same stare your dog gives you when you have cheese in your hand ...
I like that analogy


Here is a link to an article that tells you just about everything you will ever need to know about this type of photography
http://www.rpphoto.com/howto/hummer/humguide1.asp

Last edited by rkappleby; 05-11-2017 at 10:27 AM.
05-11-2017, 11:24 AM - 7 Likes   #25599
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Mother Screech owl with fledgling. One of three seen so far.

Couldn't find the mother owl in her usual place in the tree so I started looking around for her. I finally spotted her higher in the tree. I had a hard time making out any details so I took a photo and blew it up. I was surprised to find another fledgling was with her. Here is the picture.



Steve
05-11-2017, 04:25 PM - 10 Likes   #25600
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Our local bird shooters said for Black Backed Kingfisher, must at least have a shot of the back view to show the vibrant colors (especially Black back) of this cutie.

Shot with K3 + Sigma 500 F4.5
05-11-2017, 05:00 PM   #25601
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QuoteOriginally posted by kengoh Quote
Our local bird shooters said for Black Backed Kingfisher, must at least have a shot of the back view to show the vibrant colors (especially Black back) of this cutie.
I guess they identified the bird just after sunset ....
05-11-2017, 08:27 PM - 11 Likes   #25602
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A few images from the last few days.

The tree swallows, hundreds of them were flying low over water catching bugs. I could only get those taking a rest on barbed wires. From yesterday.




This pair of osprey built a nest on top of a hydro pole, from today.




Northern flicker on a pole.
05-11-2017, 08:39 PM   #25603
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That first osprey seems to be having a bad hair day! Great shots all of them
05-12-2017, 12:07 AM   #25604
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The osprey shots are super. So is the flicker. I thought it is some kind of woodpecker, at first.
Which lens is this from? Thanks
05-12-2017, 06:53 AM   #25605
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QuoteOriginally posted by Artesian Quote
I check in here every once in a while to see some great wildlife and such. I decided I would throw some of my shots into the mix. I shot the owl for the last 4 days as I discovered a female sitting in my giant Oak tree right above my head by accident. Something fell on my head as I was sitting on my newly built deck under the tree. I thought it might be a red wasp again as one landed on my head the day before. I knocked it off and ground it into the deck with my boot. Man, those things can really hurt. I was lucky not to get stung. Anyway I looked up hoping a bird was not crapping on my head and saw what looked like a fuzzy knot on the tree about 40 ft up. After looking closer it looked like it had feathers. I had my FA* 300 mm 4.5 with me and scoped it out and to my surprise I saw it was an Owl. The next day I was sitting out on the deck sipping my coffee and I looked in the hollow where a limb had been cut off about 10 years ago at about 30 feet and saw a juvenile in the hole. Later that day I saw that there were at least 2 juveniles in it. I have been shooting them ever since. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Underside of an Owl. How many time have you seen this? I figure that this is the Mother as the female does not hunt. Only the male.



Another shot of the female form the other side of the tree.



A couple of the Juveniles located in the hollowed out limb that had been cut off 7 or 8 years ago.





I will shoot as many shots as I can before they are gone. For me it is a once in a lifetime chance to shoot owls.

Steve
Nice owl shots. Owls often use the same nest site for several years so they might not be a once in a lifetime chance. (but keep shooting anyway.)
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