Jump to content

Bird & Wildlife Photographs


mick
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi Tony. The 5D is a full frame Canon Digital SLR, (Canon EOS 5D) the latest version of which I believe is still the MKIV. I have the earlier MKII from a few years ago as well as the MKIV.

The largest native bird in the UK is apparently the Sea Eagle (had to Google that one) although we don't get any round these parts. The largest bird we get to see is probably the Heron as it takes an interest in my Koi. I photographed the one below near Long Preston, just outside Settle in the Yorkshire Dales. They have a wingspan of between 1.5 and 2 metres.

DSCN0233.thumb.jpg.f8867ac661d6dec4e0d62e940d1ceafa.jpg

DSCN0239.thumb.jpg.e55a341d499a17e53cdb5976601cb26b.jpg

It's amazing to see just how steady their head remains while they search the streams for food. I have some video, taken on a blustery day, which shows the birds neck swaying about in the breeze but the head absolutely still while they focus on their prey.

I've had them stalking my pond on a number of occasions but its covered with a netted frame to keep them out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 04/11/2018 at 14:38, roddy said:

Don't forget Buzzards, Kites, and Ospreys. 

I've not managed to photograph any of those yet Roddy and we see loads of Red Kites but it's always whilst were driving.

I thought I'd add a few photos of young Blue Tits this time. I've taken quite a lot though very few are worthy of displaying and just about all of them were taken around the bird feeder which does nothing for the natural setting.

005A7913.thumb.jpg.0a33d56ca1aa319df88fb88041b5b32e.jpg

005A7924.thumb.jpg.189e638209735dba6ce807cd9274a37e.jpg

The ones below weren't quite ready to feed themselves

005A8220.thumb.jpg.021050a775ab42d07126794c558ff8de.jpg

005A8221.thumb.jpg.e4007b592227486a5c1960e5906e5f03.jpg

005A7704.thumb.jpg.7a620187f7822c356de659eab6a591bc.jpg

Youngster and parent. Strange how the young ones have all the markings but not the adults colours.

005A7899.thumb.jpg.20e03f790ad415780173354bb25598f7.jpg

The one below was a quick snap of a youngster that settled on a neighbours fence.

DSCN0580.thumb.jpg.e47b619501e92b9a673445724082adce.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

If you recall, back in October 2018 I managed to capture a few photographs of a female Sparrowhawk that had begun visiting the bird feeder in my garden. It had no intention of feasting on the goodies I was offering but rather hoping to land itself a meal of one of my smaller feathered visitors. Luckily for them they always managed to evade capture but their good fortune was bound to end at some point.

sparrowhawk.thumb.jpg.769ccdeaea88b68a283fb5d569404eb9.jpg

As on previous occasions, I had to dash to grab a camera as soon as I saw the Sparrowhawk arrive but by the time I returned to take a photo it had already grabbed this little sparrow. Within a few seconds it was away carrying its prey with it. This time I'm told it was a male Sparrowhawk.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Mick great shot , we have small hawks like that one, called a different name though, see the birds scatter when the hawk flies in for a drink in the bird bath.

I have being waiting to get a pic of the rosella that flies in with his mate, have to wait till next week sadly still in hospital in for the weekend, hopefully home after Monday. They are a beautiful bird a few different species changes to other areas of Australia, the one that come in is yellow and blue .

Tony from down under.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum Squidlette!

I know it's not recommended that we become too acquainted with our local wildlife but when they're content in our company what's the harm. And had you not taken her in she probably wouldn't have survived in the wild anyway.

How does she react when you place her outdoors? Does she stay close by? Have you any plans to release her back into the wild?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I built a large cage for her to adapt to being outside. She still goes crazy when she sees me in the kitchen window. I am afraid she's too humanized by now. I was hoping to release her, but I don't think she's wild enough. SO I will do a mixed semi wild approach.

And she really likes her chin rubs. She's quite tame. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Griff, you don't have to have a permit over here we have to have one, closest to your squirrel  we have over here is the possum , we do have a flying squirrel, looks like you are stuck with your pet, I wouldn't let her go now, have you given her a name.

Tony from down under

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HI Mick, I finely got a good pic using the iPad's zoom to get a pretty god pic of that bird I have being waiting for called the pale-headed-rosella.

 

I will have to remember to bring out my good camera tomorrow now I know he is coming bard for a drink in the birth bath, there are other colours of that bird, he has a mate that comes in as well and if we are luck they bring in their babies too.

Glad to be home from Hospital, slowly getting back into the layout only in the early morning, too hot during the day, some relief in site  rain coming in next Tuesday in time for when the kids go back to school piece and quiet in the shopping centers.

Tony from down under.

 

IMG_0133  a.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

We're lucky to live close to the Yorkshire Wildlife Park and the cost of a season ticket access is cheaper than it costs for an annual car parking ticket at a local reservoir! It's a great place to take a picnic along when the weather's fine and spend a few hours. It's also a great place to take photos and admire the animals. 

Mind you, it's not just the captive animals that are of interest as there's a varied selection of local wildlife attracted to the Park such as this Kestrel that had taken an interest in the Lion enclosure. Had to zoom in a fair way without a tripod to get the photo and the light wasn't good but it's a lovely bird.

DSCN2107.thumb.jpg.79579497cbb51233b7a01eb552f41c82.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

HI Mick, happy new yew 2019, that is what I have to buy before our next holiday to Caloundra is a tripod, can't hold my cameras still when taking pics at full zoom even at home, nice pic of that bird is it still a hawk, we don't get many come in now because of the heavy development that is going on around where we live. 

Hire is a a pic I took today full zoom from where I was standing in under the pergola, they are a grass finch, am worried the way they are going these little birds will be wiped out as well, where we live used to farm land and we used to feed theses little birds  till a big rat was in the feeder, how he got in I don't know, got out pretty quick when I hosed him. That pic was the best out of five, lucky to get a family of them will keep that pic.

It is cool enough to finely get stuck into working on Camdale tomorrow,in the low 30's two days of hot summer left.

Tony from nice down under

 

DSCF2049  a.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can't quite see the Grass Finch clearly from your photo Tony but I 'googled' it for a closer image and I immediately thought of a Java Sparrow. They look very similar. Finches are lovely little birds

The Kestrel pictured above belongs to the Falcon family, unlike the Sparrowhawk (pictured earlier) which belongs to the Hawk family. They are of similar size.

I don't know a lot about birds and still have difficulty identifying and distinguishing between some of the more common garden birds we see here in the UK, but taking an interest certainly helps you learn a bit more, especially when you are forced to 'google' for the answer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Another selection of photos here, all taken close to the bird feeder.

This first one was taken back in August 2018 and we'd always hoped that the peanut feeder would attract a Woodpecker. We'd never previously seen one in the vicinity so were amazed to look out one day and see this Great Spotted Woodpecker.

005A8963.thumb.jpg.0b799d58894190e8a1591560c85d1cec.jpg

Very shy and always keeping to the rear of the feeder, it visited again for a few days afterwards but hasn't been seen since. I'm told that the red crown signifies a juvenile.

The next photo's were taken very recently and with my limited knowledge I initially thought it was a Greenfinch.

005A9960.thumb.jpg.c6d225c5923e3d3ce728ca08d0022b42.jpg

Only when I noticed another similar marked bird on the seed feeder at the same time did I look up and discover them to be a male and female Siskin. Here's the female.

005A9704.thumb.jpg.85b813cca965b2be65fc5d898f5d668c.jpg

I try not to photograph them on the feeders unless they're new to me but I only managed the following photo of the male before it landed on the feeder.

005A9548.thumb.jpg.d1d4c148f9de628372ab18b2acb415b8.jpg

I thought of Blue Tit's as being a rare sight but I've now got hundreds of photos of them although its still pleasing to capture photo's that portray their joyous, playful character. It's a pity about the foreground foliage intruding in on the image here but the little bird appears to be having fun.

005A9520.thumb.jpg.17940801aea993cdce083ef59a239509.jpg

This last one is just a pleasing photo but also the first one I've photographed that has been ringed. Sadly I cannot make out any numbers.

005A9993.thumb.jpg.36094a5168c184a60fc32eaccc5dc2d9.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Up to recently I'd not had much luck in getting a decent photo of a Goldfinch. I'm not sure if it's something to do with their colouring or what but they just never look right and I seem to have a right old job getting them in focus but here are two that show an improvement on my earlier attempts. There's not a lot you can do about intrusive vegetation and the little twiglet in the first photo is trying desperately to ruin the shot but I just about get away with it as the birds intricate feathers are clearly defined.

005A0030.thumb.jpg.cd58947c51582c236e76f0becca17cb2.jpg

No such distractions in this next image though the feathers along the back are less defined than in the photo above. I'm not sure how you sex a Goldfinch so I'm not sure whether these are males or females but they always seem to arrive in pairs and we've had a maximum of six at any one time.

005A0048.thumb.jpg.e5ae5b2dff1a4e188f45a4836f64dc90.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We were finally visited by a Greenfinch today and after taking it's fill of seed from the feeder it obligingly landed on an adjacent branch for a photograph.

005A0255.thumb.jpg.84478cf75b2f254128f4bae0da61aa83.jpg

The Siskin has now become a frequent visitor - in fact there appears to be two pairs - and I rather like this photo of a male sat on top of the feed dish.

005A0317.thumb.jpg.b903c9997b47313bf29c3d778d1256d0.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...