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BetterLekNextTime posted:These are cool. Thanks! Is the Dickcissel you posted actually jumping, or just coming in for a landing? I have a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds near where I live. I love how distinctive they are. Here's another look at their mating call:  And here's a video. Make sure your sound is on to hear its mating call. https://photos.smugmug.com/Nature-and-Wildlife/Kachina-Wetlands-May-13-2018/i-hNrt8wf/0/dbbecc25/640/DSC_3308-640.mp4
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Jun 10, 2018 22:57
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That bird looks like it has some serious behavioral problems.
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Jun 10, 2018 23:03
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They are utterly fearless (to dumb to be scared?) and will attack anything that gets near their nests. Even pesky photographers that just stumbled on one of them by accident. Their little claws hurt.
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Jun 10, 2018 23:54
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My husband and I haven't really had any time to bird watch since we had a baby (two years ago), but last week I stumbled upon several owl burrows by the side of the rode. Even our toddler enjoyed some drive-by bird watching.   
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Jun 11, 2018 01:51
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Sauer posted:They are utterly fearless (to dumb to be scared?) and will attack anything that gets near their nests. Even pesky photographers that just stumbled on one of them by accident. Their little claws hurt.  I've never had any problem with them. The ones I saw were trying to breed and didn't have any chicks yet, but they'd typically just fly away if I got too close. Sometimes I would see a male and a female in the same area, with the male trying to charm the female with its bright red epaulets, and I would feel bad if the female flew off when I approached. Sorry, little bird.Staryberry posted:My husband and I haven't really had any time to bird watch since we had a baby (two years ago), but last week I stumbled upon several owl burrows by the side of the rode. Even our toddler enjoyed some drive-by bird watching. Congrats on the kid! And those owls are adorable. I love how some owls look both cute and serious/angry.
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Jun 11, 2018 02:38
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DorianGravy posted:Thanks! Is the Dickcissel you posted actually jumping, or just coming in for a landing? To be honest I'm not entirely sure. I shot so many photos of those birds on the trip that I don't remember going for that specific shot. My guess is that he was already on the fence and I caught him repositioning or making a short flight down the fence. quote:I have a lot of Red-winged Blackbirds near where I live. I love how distinctive they are. Here's another look at their mating call: Nice! I had all those red-wing photos from earlier in the spring but I had a hard time getting a nice shot mid-song. Staryberry- those owls are fun! For what it's worth my parents took me around in a backpack hiking/birding- never to early to get kids out there.
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Jun 11, 2018 02:53
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Sauer posted:They are utterly fearless (to dumb to be scared?) and will attack anything that gets near their nests. Even pesky photographers that just stumbled on one of them by accident. Their little claws hurt. I had one dive-bomb me while running. I assume I got too close to its nest. I could feel its claws on my scalp.
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Jun 11, 2018 03:03
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EPICAC posted:I had one dive-bomb me while running. I assume I got too close to its nest. I could feel its claws on my scalp. I work in a hospital and have seen someone in ER after an Eagle of some description lacerated her scalp. Birds are awesome.
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Jun 11, 2018 04:29
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DorianGravy posted:Thanks! Is the Dickcissel you posted actually jumping, or just coming in for a landing? I love red winged blackbirds. It's like they are wearing jaunty epaulets! BetterLekNextTime posted:Staryberry- those owls are fun! For what it's worth my parents took me around in a backpack hiking/birding- never to early to get kids out there. Yeah, there is even a group that does family bird watches twice a month. Mostly I've lost the urge to get up earlier than necessary!
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Jun 12, 2018 05:55
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Jun 12, 2018 06:29
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Hi everyone! I just recently got into birding, and I was gifted a Nikon D3400 as a graduation present. I took some photos with the basic gear out of the kit (which, much to the chagrin of the OP is just a 70-300mm zoom lens). I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I’m excited to learn! Here’s the best of what I got today along the Santa Ana River in Anaheim, CA.         Now that I know the range limitations of the 70-300mm lens, any advice on what my next lens purchase should be? This one manages to get some good shots even despite the range, but I’d like to be able to get a little more detail if they’re farther out.
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Jun 13, 2018 03:36
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Nice start, Zuul, and welcome to birding! I especially like your shot of the three birds sitting on the rebar. There are a lot of things to learn with birding, so I would encourage you to use the 70-300mm lens for a while. It's fun to figure out what sort of birds are in your area, where they like to congregate, figure out how to best observe them, and experiment with different camera settings. You can also check in with your local Audubon society to see if there are any bird walks where you can meet people. A lot of the fun of birding is learning about the birds and chatting with new people. As for the photography side of things, I would first recommend you find a program where you can crop your photos. The photos you posted are a great start, but I imagine that most birders crop and reframe their photos a bit, which will help you too. I use Lightroom (which also lets me adjust levels a little), but you can probably find a free program that does some of the same stuff. Cropping photos will allow you create a closer image of a bird and will also let you adjust the composition. Because birds can move quickly, it's nice to be able to adjust the composition after the fact. I crop most of my photos, and I imagine most people here do too. If you feel like you're too far away from the birds, try to create a scene showing both the bird and it's surrounding. That way you won't need as powerful of a lens, and you can work on composition at the same time. I've used a 55-200mm lens for most of my birding so far. Many people here take better photos than me, but here's basically what I mean about framing and cropping. Both of photos below were taken at 200mm and cropped afterwards. Here, I couldn't get very close to this Snowy Egret, so I cropped the photo to show it in its surroundings:  Here, I managed to get a bit closer, so I decided to crop the photo to focus more on the bird.  I'd recommend trying things like this before getting a new lens, mostly because long lenses are expensive. For something that reaches to 500 or 600mm, you'll probably have to pay $1000-1400. Also, long lens are large and heavy, so carrying one will decrease your mobility. Of course, if you can borrow a lens from a friend or cheaply rent one, that might be a good way to give it a try. Still, spending a lot of time with your current lens will help ensure you know what you're getting into (and prevent possible buyer's remorse). And make sure to show us your results! DorianGravy fucked around with this message at 06:06 on Jun 13, 2018 |
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Jun 13, 2018 05:59
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Zuul the Cat posted:Hi everyone! I just recently got into birding, and I was gifted a Nikon D3400 as a graduation present. My wife and I both shoot Nikon w/ that 70-300 lens. (2 bodies, 2 lenses) We've used it for around a decade now and it's incredibly versatile. If you want more reach you better be ready to get out your wallet. (or teleconverters at the cost of a stop.) My suggestion? Shoot for at least a year on your current telephoto. Rent something bigger if and when you have a specific limitation you are hitting. It's fairly rare we have wanted something bigger for more than a few shots. I haven't read the OP but if it poo poo's that lens it is wrong.
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Jun 13, 2018 06:04
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I, too, recommend spending some time with the 70-300 that you already have. Also, learning how to crop and adjust images in post is a big part of wildlife photography; if you don't want to spend the money on Lightroom right away I'd suggest RawTherapee or Darktable as free alternatives. They're not as good as Lightroom, but either one will work well enough to give you some experience with retouching photos. As for the next lens, I'd suggest either the Tamron or Sigma 150-600. I just bought the older version of the Tamron six weeks ago for ~$650 used, and so far I really like it. I also used the Sigma Contemporary version last year in Canada and I liked that lens, too.
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Jun 13, 2018 07:22
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I really dig my Sigma C too. Very glad I purchased it. I've also found the Audubon Society's bird spotting app to be really useful when it comes to field identification. You can also track your spottings and even upload your own pics with each instance. It's really cool.
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Jun 13, 2018 14:10
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I really like my Sigma 150-600 C too. It's pretty fantastic for the price.
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Jun 13, 2018 15:00
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Thank you for the advice! I'll keep trying out the lenses that I have to get better at tracking and editing photos before I move onto anything new.
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Jun 13, 2018 15:28
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Zuul the Cat posted:Thank you for the advice! I'll keep trying out the lenses that I have to get better at tracking and editing photos before I move onto anything new. With the pixel density on a modern DSLR you can crop an awful lot and still get decent results, making your 300 a bit "longer" if you will. Obviously a longer focal length will help out (and the serious birders are spending big $$$ on long lenses for a reason) but being limited to 300 shouldn't mean you can't get a lot of good shots. WIth the 1.5x crop on Nikon it acts like a 450mm would on a full frame, and I am currently shooting at 560mm on full frame most of the time which is sufficient to get a lot of nice shots. When you do decide to upgrade though, the 200-500/5.6 is the one I'd look at.
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Jun 13, 2018 19:35
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Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch. Complaining by B. B., on Flickr
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Jun 14, 2018 02:52
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torgeaux posted:Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch. I really like this. It seems super vibrant.
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Jun 14, 2018 03:00
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 DSC_6092.jpg by Steven Sarginson, on Flickr DSC_6034.jpg by Steven Sarginson, on Flickr DSC_6139.jpg by Steven Sarginson, on Flickr DSC_5883.jpg by Steven Sarginson, on Flickr
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Jun 17, 2018 05:51
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That duck knows just how good a shower can feel at the end of a long, busy, sweaty day. 
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Jun 17, 2018 06:17
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 DSC_6368.jpg by Steven Sarginson, on FlickrThis magpie was just sitting there like this for several minutes. It must have been hurt or dazed (it's foot appears to be broken). I threw it some food and it took it and flew off, so hopefully it's okay
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Jun 20, 2018 22:26
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A problem has been detected, and Magpie has been shut down to prevent damage. Please restart your Magpie.
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Jun 20, 2018 22:34
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I hate it when I feel like I have to sneeze and then it won't happen Turkey fam cc-9704 on Flickr Turkey fam cc-9696 on Flickr Turkey fam cc-9628 on Flickr
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Jun 21, 2018 00:31
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 Bluebird and Fledgling cc-9598 on Flickr Wildcat Grasshopper Sparrow bumblebee cc-9570 on Flickr Raven Stomp cc-9373 on Flickr Wildcat Canyon Raven cc-9360 on Flickr Wildcat B&W Raven downcast cc-9380 on Flickr
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Jun 21, 2018 18:56
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Pet thread? Nah. Wildlife? Nah. Birds? Sure, why the hell not. Here's a video of Quail (name not breed) cleaning the grass and bugs from my legs, post-golf.  20180620_162041 by B. B., on Flickr
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Jun 21, 2018 19:47
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*checks Audubon app* Sorry, OP, but I don’t know what in the hell that thing is.
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Jun 21, 2018 19:50
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BetterLekNextTime posted:
Absolutely love these raven(s).
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Jun 21, 2018 20:12
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Does anyone have experience with the Tamron 18-400mm? I'm thinking about picking it up for a general purpose/travel/birding lens. Reviews suggest that it's pretty good through most of its range, but worse on the longer end. The compact size and all-in-one nature really appeal to me (I like to travel with just one lens, sometimes on my bike), and it would offer twice the reach of my Nikon 55-200mm, but if it has problems on the long end, perhaps it wouldn't be good for birding. The results here do look nice: https://daveblinder.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/yucatan-wildlife-photography-with-the-tamron-18-400mm/. I rented the Nikon 200-500mm a couple months ago, and while I really like the photos I got, I think the lens itself is too large and heavy for me to actually use that often. Also, here are some birds (from the Nikon 200-500mm):  Great Blue Heron.  Yellow-headed Blackbird.  Red-winged Blackbird.  (I still need to look this one up.) DorianGravy fucked around with this message at 07:52 on Jun 24, 2018 |
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Jun 24, 2018 05:21
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Maybe some kind of swallow or bluebird?
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Jun 25, 2018 01:35
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DorianGravy posted:Does anyone have experience with the Tamron 18-400mm? I'm thinking about picking it up for a general purpose/travel/birding lens. Reviews suggest that it's pretty good through most of its range, but worse on the longer end. The compact size and all-in-one nature really appeal to me (I like to travel with just one lens, sometimes on my bike), and it would offer twice the reach of my Nikon 55-200mm, but if it has problems on the long end, perhaps it wouldn't be good for birding. The results here do look nice: https://daveblinder.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/yucatan-wildlife-photography-with-the-tamron-18-400mm/. I rented the Nikon 200-500mm a couple months ago, and while I really like the photos I got, I think the lens itself is too large and heavy for me to actually use that often. I'd agree- female bluebird probably. I'd guess Western Bluebird but I don't know where you were. Regarding the lens, I guess if weight and cost rank way higher than other needs, it's probably an ok option. Those types of zooms don't have a good rep from "serious" photographers and are never going to be as sharp, bright, or fast AF as something that's only a longer tele zoom. Note that pretty much all the shots on that blog are at f9 or f10, and the photos are not that big. If you're only going to look on your phone or at small size, then yeah, you aren't gaining much by getting a better lens. Some other options to consider might be one of the newer large-sensor bridge cameras, or maybe a 70-200 + TC. VelociBacon-thanks!
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Jun 25, 2018 02:02
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Got to chill with some wild turkey kids today at a local reservoir. I'd just gotten some mostly crappy shots of some ugly yearling turkeys and then these guys ran out of the woods and bee-lined for the pet drinking station, then leisurely foraged across the lawn.  Lafayette Res Turkey Family-6705 on FlickrTime to move out  Lafayette Res Turkey Family-6736 on FlickrAlways some dork who's too busy doing whatever then doesn't realize everyone left without him. Wait for me!!!  Wait for me-6749 on Flickr Lafayette Turkey Fam-6860 on FlickrListen here, children...  Lafayette Turkey Fam leaning left-6882 on Flickr
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Jun 29, 2018 04:53
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 A different raven.
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Jun 29, 2018 05:20
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Shooting with a full frame, huh? The image quality is really nice. Same with this one--a really lovely photo.
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Jun 29, 2018 13:39
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President Beep posted:
Agreed- the colors are great and I love that the background texture pulls out some of the detail in the raven. President Beep, thanks! That was honestly a mistake– I intended to mount the 400 on my 7dii. My wife and I have been battling something all week and I think my head was still a little thick. Anyway it worked out for the best because I definitely did not have to worry about distance with these guys.
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Jun 29, 2018 15:33
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Jun 30, 2018 01:14
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 Pt Reyes Osprey with Fish-9889 on Flickr Pt Reyes Harrier-0026 on Flickr Inverness Park Barn Swallow-6982 on Flickr
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Jun 30, 2018 23:49
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*sniff sniff* Yep, this is going in the wash.
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Jul 1, 2018 01:39
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Went back out to John Heinz Wildlife Refuge this morning. Didn't end up with many keepers, but did get a few shots I liked. This buddy is just adorable:  Birds fighting over a blackberry:  Super sad that I didn't get a better photo of this guy flying away with his dinner:  And this dude's glare just kills me even if the shot is otherwise kinda boring: 
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Jul 1, 2018 21:35
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