Birds Show Birds

[BillN]

didn't see an eek owl but I saw a Juv Dusty Flycatcher and a Malachite Kingfisher in the garden, plus a few Pin-tailed Whydah's

All the travel and hardship I go through to entertain you lot ……… is it worth it, I ask

 

[grebeman]

I thought your ******* heron was in France, now I assume it was in South Africa, just as well they occur there as well. It would help to know the full facts!

 

[BillN]

Barrie - you never spotted the word "Dusty" should be Dusky ………. bloody predictive text

I have left it so that I could relate a funny story, (slightly modified)

As you know I am trying to get near these little birds, so am considering Camouflage clothing and a portable hide.

so I'm talking about clothing and used the word 'camo" clothing - the bloody machine as usual typed CAMP clothing - now you can take that two ways

How do I turn this predictive text thing off

Just had a month in S Africa …. marvellous …. just about to re book for next Jan/Feb

Purple and Grey Herons were seen in the Western Cape, in Wilderness on the Touw River - both Herons should be there and Greys are all over the place - both residents all of the year

Had a few firsts

Martial Eagle
Dusky Flycatcher
Malachite Kingfisher
Double Collard Kingfisher
Bokmakierie
Southern Chanting Goshawk
spent about 45 mins with a Jackal Buzzard - close up - he would just not move - marvellous - only left because of heavy rain
Black Headed Oriole
Three Banded Plover
Cape Shoveler
African Spoonbill
Purple Heron
Common Greenshank
Levaillant's Cisticola

good images of all except the Eagle and the Bokmakierie - but the Eagle was the most spectacular on his "bird scaring" passes - cleared the marshes every time

maybe others - all above reasonably common

good trip, (it was a "family" holiday). I want to go to Ecuador next, (expensive and my daughter is getting married next year), or maybe Ethiopia, (cheaper) …… sans wife as she is now refusing to look at another bird!!!

 

[grebeman]

the bloody machine as usual typed CAMP clothing - now you can take that two ways

Don't worry ducky, no one on here will out you

Barrie

 

[BillN]

My favourite image from my recent "holiday"

Fiscal Flycatcher (Sigelus silens)
(The F Flycatcher seems to be more common than the Common Fiscal, (Lanius collars) which is a Shrike? - one get's its name because it resembles the other but I cannot find out were the "Fiscal" comes from as this (latin - maybe that's the clue?), word relates to Treasury or money

a Juvenile, (Barrie can you confirm)

maybe the "eye area" need a little PP as it's under exposed?

but I am finding "screen calibration" quite sensitive and difficult - i.e. looks slightly different on different computers

 

[grebeman]

a Juvenile, (Barrie can you confirm)

Sorry Bill, I can't. As I've stated before on this thread, there are some 9,500 species of bird in the world. I might hazard a guess on about 500 of those species, so flattered as I am at your ideas on the extent of my knowledge, it has its limitations, and you've just exposed one of those with a species I'd never even heard of.

Barrie

 

[grebeman]

Bill, by way of a more positive and considered comment, if this species follows the moult and plumage characteristics of northern hemisphere "Pied" type flycatchers then the female would have a brown, black and white plumage and a 1st winter bird would share something similar, by inference this would then be an adult male.

I'm sure some research would clarify this for you.

Barrie

 

[BillN]

Thanks Barrie

Fiscal Flyctachers

I took this to be a Female - 1st year

I took this to be an Adult Male

I'm not sure - but I would say Female Adult

and I took the one in the earlier thread to be a Juv Male - because of the feathers, tail and colouring - but it should have slightly more brown in it resembling the female a little - I know that I have said this before and you have corrected me, but it also looks young

"Juvenile is dark grey-brown above, feathers tipped pale rufous-brown, white wingpanels smaller than adult’s, tail short, tipped buff, basal white panels much reduced, underparts mottled grey-brown and off-white, undertail-coverts off-white; immature like adult female, retains some juvenile spotting on upperwing-coverts"

But I'm no expert and am still learning, (as you know)

 

[grebeman]

Bill, the important point is that the 1st winter of either sex will be very similar to the adult female, so you can't sex them in the field, their spring moult will reveal the sex. So of the above three images number 2 is going to be an adult male, the other two somewhat more open to question but I would suggest that neither one nor three can be sexed given that they've presumably recently breed in South Africa and won't moult until say August.

Barrie

 

[BillN]

Head Shot

DSLR of course

 

[winginkris]

Sony A7r 1.8 55mm.
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[davect01]

Sony A7r 1.8 55mm.
<iframe src="DSC00787 - Version 2" width="1024" height="683" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>

Awesome

 

[BillN]

Sony A7r 1.8 55mm.
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As I now am (usually) bombarded with suggestions on another bird forum, I put my "critique" hat on
IMHO, of course - (and these are mistakes that I have been making - according to the experts!!)

1). You have focused on the eye, which is good, but the wing is completely out of focus, really spoils the image - what f value did you use - use f7.1 or f8 - the background will still be OOF ….. or if it is because it was moving - use a higher shutter speed and sacrifice low ISO
2). You need a little more space around the bird - don't crop it so tightly
3). The bird needs moving slightly to the left to give more space to the right, (for it to move into).
4). I'm not really a fan of the background, too much going on - but there is not much to be done about that.
5). That plastic perch is not pleasant …… a natural one would be better
6). Concentrate on the composition as much as the bird

We all tend to over sharpen and over saturate - don't fall into that trap.

What is it?

A nice image spoilt by the "in your face" wing being OOF

you must have been close to get that with a 55mm lens

Trying to be helpful, hope you find my comments helpful and discussion points

 

[BBW]

If I'm not mistaken these beautiful little flying jewels often don't have their wings still. To me the colors look beautiful!

 

[BillN]

If I'm not mistaken these beautiful little flying jewels often don't have their wings still. To me the colors look beautiful!

That's true - as I indicated my posting was not intended to be critical, (I know it seems like that), but more to start a discussion on the image and how it can be improved.
It is a good image, the colours are beautiful but maybe it needs to be taken at the maximum shutter speed that the camera has, (up to 1/8000th of a sec), to get the wings to look more pleasing……. the sensor can cope with a higher ISO without quality loss
It was taken at f4 and 1/1000sec …….. I'm suggesting that to get better control of the wing speed maybe those settings should be changed…. I think wing speed are 12 to 80 beats a second on humming birds, if that is what it is…. the bigger the bird the slower the wing beat. Also maybe it would be nice to try to get a shot with the wings in a different position away from the body.
Composition - centre of the frame - it is something that I am guilty of - the more acceptable composition is to give space for the bird to fly into - easily changed by a reposition within the crop. Same goes for the fact that more space around the bird would help to give a more pleasing composition - again, tight crops are something that I am guilty of and a bit more space would help.

As you may realise I am very interested in bird photography and maybe some days it takes time for the "pills" to kick in to damped my enthusiasm…… I can now go on forever, (ask my wife!), an "anorak" is being used to describe me, even by the post, (mail), woman

It looks like a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) - a very small bird so it's wing speed is up there with the best - but their wings do stop beating when they are perched

You know me, it is not intended to offend, but to be helpful!

 

[BBW]

Bill, I do know you'd never mean to offend! I hope Kris will come back and let us know his thoughts about your suggestions. Bird photography is certainly a specialized art - and one that demands attention to technical specifics... I have never attempted it because I don't have the tools, but I surely do appreciate everyone else's pictures.

I am chuckling about your "dampening" pills - I wish I could hear what your wife has to say! Had to do a search to figure out exactly what you meant by "anorak" because I was sure you didn't mean the hooded garment.

This article is about the British slang. For the article of clothing, see Parka.
In British slang an anorak /ˈænəræk/ is a person who has a very strong interest, perhaps obsessive, in niche subjects. This interest may be unacknowledged or not understood by the general public. The term is sometimes used synonymously with geek or nerd, the Japanese term otaku, albeit referring to different niches.

 

[BillN]

If I have upset Kris I sincerely apologise - that was never my intension.

Here are two from today

Euro Goldfinch - "you better watch it buddy!!" - "don't mess with me"

Great Crested Grebe - two of "em" about to cause "trouble"
purple fringing - bugger, (a word for BB to look up!!)

you can only take the above with a DSLR

 

[BBW]

Where did you see these birds? These are fantastic, Bill - and those grebes - they're such fashionistas! (A word for you, Bill - though you probably know it. Now as for "bugger" there are several meanings...)

 

[pniev]

These are fantastic

+1

 

[BillN]

Where did you see these birds? These are fantastic, Bill - and those grebes - they're such fashionistas! (A word for you, Bill - though you probably know it. Now as for "bugger" there are several meanings...)

Thanks

They are both quite common in the UK, (and continental Europe), lots to be seen this time of the year as the breeding season starts…….. and generally easy to find ….. most of the time GC Grebe's will ignore you but the images was taken from a distance anyway, (there is a little purple fringing in the image which I may have introduced through PP) ……… the Goldfinch is nice but it is a pity about the beak shadow, (I quite like it but maybe it is because it is there, but I never saw it when I took the shot).

I saw them yesterday about 15 miles from Winchester UK, the Goldie in a local wood and the GC Grebe on a local lake……… a public "nature reserve" owned by the water company ……… I spent about 3 hours there…….. the light changed so much, overcast cloud to full sun and also full sun and rain at the same time, (seems not possible). My favourite shot from the visit, which is nothing special as it lacks dynamic range is the following, they are common, and gulls and easy to identify by their appearance……. in a funny way they reminded me of Penguins

There were also some nice Redpolls and Siskins but the shots I got, because the were some distance away, are not the great…….. but my favourite shot from the

The "b" word - I mean the nice version, (of course!), we cannot mention the other as it's a "family show"