[Des]

Nice work Des.

Thanks very much.

Here's the male Brewers blackbird. K-70 with 55-300 PLM.

Another good one. One of the things I like about the PLM is that, while the aperture is a little slower than the screwdriven 55-300 models, it is good wide open. With the DA-L 55-300 I tried to stop down wherever possible; don't feel the same imperative with the PLM.

[Riggomatic]

A tufted titmouse resting in the bush outside the kitchen window.

SMC-K 300mm f4 at f8

[dadipentak]

This blond sparrow has been hanging around the neighborhood all winter.

[Basie]

A pale winged starling having a bath on a hot day. Taken with Panasonic Lumix, just before I got my K20

[Mossyhorn]

A very recent photo taken with a K-3, and a 55-300 mm lens.

[Riggomatic]

Rainy day bluebird

SMC-K 300mm

[jabobby]

Field; Fox; Song; and Tree. I was surprised to see the Song sparrow here so early.
Best Regards, Bob

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[Des]

Some more recent parrots.

Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos. K-3 + FA*300 f4.5




The fun squad. Rainbow Lorikeets. KP + 55-300 PLM








A wild Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (in someone else's yard). KP + 55-300 PLM.

[Riggomatic]

Some more recent parrots.

Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos. K-3 + FA*300 f4.5




The fun squad. Rainbow Lorikeets. KP + 55-300 PLM








Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (in someone else's backyard). KP + 55-300 PLM.

Such vibrant colors! I had to do a double take on the single one at the bird bath... great timing.

[Riggomatic]

A couple from this morning.

Red-winged blackbird, serenading us from just outside the kitchen window
SMC-K 300mm


And a Cardinal in the same bush
Switched to SMC-K 85mm

[Des]

Such vibrant colors! I had to do a double take on the single one at the bird bath... great timing

Many thanks David. Yes the Rainbow Lorikeet is aptly named. They are very entertaining too.

Their range has expanded southward in recent years and their numbers have increased - to the point where they appear to be out-competing many honeyeaters for nectar and berries and other parrots for nest hollows. We've seen very few of our common honeyeaters (New Holland, Crescent, Yellow-faced) over this spring and summer - I suspect partly because it's been so dry and partly because of the RLs.

I like your RWB and cardinal. Looks like spring.

[normhead]

A host of things were going on today, looking at the DA 55-300 PLM and DA*60-250 but ended up going to the Tamron 300 300 2.8 and F 1.7x.

First off, I used the 1.4 TC on both lenses, deciding it would be a better comparison if magnified.

The results, the DA 55-300 PLM produced a larger subject, even though I had to enlarge the 60-250 to match the extra reach, IMHO the 60-250 image was still better.

PLM+ 1.4 TC for 420mm


DA* 60-250 + 1.4 TC for 350mm


Answers the question 60-250 or DA 55-300 PLM for straight up image quality. Mind you for squirrel shots , do you really care? Also with a 9.5 minimum aperture there were some birds with finer feathers (like the White Breasted Nuthatch) the PLM simply would not lock focus on. Yet no problem for the 60-250. What a difference 1.5 stops makes.

I did however finally manage a PLM image at 420mm image of this bird.


A downy wood pecker visited fo a bit. Absolutely no problem for the PLM.


With the DA*60-250 and 1.4 = 350mm


After this I gave up on the testing thing, and got serious about our current migration guests, a flock of Redpolls. That meant hauling out the TAmron 300 2.8 with the 1.7 AF adapter.








A "snow squall" snow falling from neighbouring trees...the snow seriously affect the sharpness of the focus and contrast, but still I like the image.


---------- Post added 04-01-19 at 02:58 PM ----------

Some more recent parrots.

Yellow-tailed Black-cockatoos. K-3 + FA*300 f4.5




The fun squad. Rainbow Lorikeets. KP + 55-300 PLM








A wild Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (in someone else's yard). KP + 55-300 PLM.

At Bird Kingdom in Niagara falls, us Canadians can have a go at photographing similar birds, for a price....





Click on the image below for info. I'm not the only forum member who has been. It can be a great photographic day out, if you don't go with your kids (or an impatient wife) and have some 2.8 glass.

[Des]

At Bird Kingdom in Niagara falls, us Canadians can have a go at photographing similar birds, for a price....

I'm sure the price is a lot less than an airfare to Oz. :-)

The rosella (red parrot in your first shot) is an interesting one. It's a lot like our most common one, the Crimson Rosella - adults have mainly red plumage, with blue on the wings, back and tail. (Juveniles have green feathers, like the green on the wings of this one.) But the Crimsons have a blue cheek patch, not white. The Eastern, Pale-headed and Northern Rosella each has a white cheek patch, but their plumage is mainly yellow. I think this one is a hybrid of a Crimson and an Eastern Rosella. Hybridisation of these species in the wild in Australia is rare, but we had an Eastern-Crimson Rosella hybrid here last year (see post #1264). It looked like a Crimson in the head and an Eastern in the body. This one looks mainly like a Crimson, but with a white cheek patch and yellow plumage from the Eastern. Hybridisation of these two species has been noted in New Zealand (around Wellington and Dunedin) where the two species were introduced. My guess is that this one is either a wild-caught one from NZ or (more likely) is a hybrid bred in captivity.

[jabobby]

The cardinals will stay all summer but the evening grosbeaks are typically gone by now. Have a flock of about 30 of them still cleaning out the feeders. Juncos will hang around for a time. Was happy to see the rufus-sided towhee yesterday.
Best Regards, Bob

[normhead]

Tamron 300 2.8 and HD DA 1.4 TC.

This years migration interlopers, Redpolls








The Grackles have returned, and chased off the Evening Grosbeaks, bullies.


A few of the regulars....