some fairly dud bird shots

[avkomp]

bell miner

think this is an eastern yellow robin

sacred kingfisher

had a shocker of a day today.

had camera shake something chronic. most of my shots are binned.
perhaps due to the world arsehole, yodelling and loud noise making championships being held where I was today.

all shots are cropped from around 1/4 frame.
dud angles, dud light, sticks behind etc etc but everything seemed on edge due to all the people running every where.
but I havent managed any better of these species. YET.

steve

[Finch]

Steve,

Regardless of the problems you had today, its great to get pics of three different birds in one shoot.

My pick is the Sacred Kingfisher - it is a nice shot but as you say lighting a bit harsh and too many sticks in the background.

You have done the best from the surroundings offered to you (i.e. harsh light, sticks and leaves, idiots running around etc, etc).

Cheers

Michael

[avkomp]

thanks Michael.

I saw plenty of variety today including these pictured. finches, wood ducks
kookas, king parrots, bower birds, honey eaters, just that they were in the canopy instead of down lower.
got a full frame of a brown cuckoo dove, another new one for me but couldnt believe I duffed it. although @ iso 400 I could only manage around 100 sec under the canopy and I was handheld.

normally out there, I can set myself up where I believe they will water etc and then wait. All the people though made that impossible. you would get set up and then a bunch of kids would come running down the creek having a screaming contest.


Steve

[Willy wombat]

The kingfisher shot is quite good, even with the sticks in the BG. Are they common where you go? They are on my hit list (kingfishers)

Shame about your asshole problems - but what can you do...

[avkomp]

willy, I havent seen kingfishers in the wild for ages, but a lot of that may be just because up until a year or so ago, I wasnt looking.

This is the first time I saw them and had a camera.
I believe this area may have been their territory and I should be able to see them again when it is quieter.

I saw them swooping aggressively on a large lace monitor
this guy here:
http://www.dslrusers.net/viewtopic.php?t=14301
chasing him away 2 times. both times I could see the action but was thru grass, brush etc and no shots possible.
I saw (probably) this guy fishing earlier also. there was a branch hanging the creek and he was sitting there and plunging into the creek fishing. would have needed way more than 400mm to get that though. But if it is quiet I could set up there and perhaps capture some action.

More kookas out there than anywhere else I have ever been also.
except yesterday I only saw 2 and didnt bother photographing them.

Steve

[Big V]

I like the Robin pic...less distractions..

[avkomp]

the only problem with the robin, apart from the crop is the steep angle.

you generally get the best bird (or animal shots for that matter) at eye level or close to it.

If I had shots of a robin previously, I probably would have passed up the shot.

I was down in a creek bed after some birds that I had seen bathing and this guy was in a tree on the bank. had some much nicer exposed shots of this robin but were binned due to camera shake.
Sometimes I can shoot @ 1/100 or lower @ 400mm handheld
....often I cant this was one time I couldn't
Steve

[Oneputt]

Steve you are obviously not a fisherman, I see lots of different kingfishers