# How about some birds ........



## Robmks

So nice that they opened up all the parks again and have been getting more walking in. And to make things more interenting take my DSLR with me. I'm loving the egrets as they take off and come in for a landing. So here are some shots from recent walks. Hope you like them.

Bob


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## BRN




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## StufflerMike




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## Snaggletooth




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## MHe225

Didn't have to go far - in my backyard









And a completely different type of bird - also taken in / from my backyard


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## BRN




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## Wolfsatz

Robins by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

Spring by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

Spring by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

Spring by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Snaggletooth




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## Snaggletooth




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## Snaggletooth

Fulmars on this morning's dog walk.


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## Snaggletooth

Female Eiders and chicks this morning.


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## Robmks

A surprising find on todays walk, called a Black Skimmer.

Bob


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## SolarPower




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## Sherpat

My first attempt at hummingbirds, last week:









































































Not that I'm overbearingly proud of them or anything


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## BRN

Robmks said:


> A surprising find on todays walk, called a Black Skimmer.
> 
> Bob
> 
> View attachment 15206181


You saw that in Jersey??? I didn't know that they made it up this far north.


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## BRN

Sherpat said:


> My first attempt at hummingbirds, last week:
> 
> View attachment 15207641
> 
> 
> Not that I'm overbearingly proud of them or anything


Meh, they could be better.... I kid, those are spectacular shots!

There's a lot of very talented photographers here.


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## Snaggletooth




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## Wolfsatz

Snaggletooth said:


> Fulmars on this morning's dog walk.
> View attachment 15204427


Sweet Shots!!!


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## Robmks

BRN said:


> You saw that in Jersey??? I didn't know that they made it up this far north.


Yep, my book says they live along the Gulf Coast and the North East Coast up to Long Island.

Bob


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## LB Carl

Robmks said:


> Yep, my book says they live along the Gulf Coast and the North East Coast up to Long Island. Bob


We have the Black Skimmers in my town on Long Island which is along the beach. Watching them fish in the ocean is pretty cool to see.

This is an Oystercatcher. Every year we get a couple of nesting pairs of these birds. They nest right in the sand out in the open.


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## BRN

Robmks said:


> Yep, my book says they live along the Gulf Coast and the North East Coast up to Long Island.
> Bob





LB Carl said:


> We have the Black Skimmers in my town on Long Island which is along the beach. Watching them fish in the ocean is pretty cool to see.
> View attachment 15214315


I live on the Connecticut coast overlooking Long Island sound and have never run into one. According to the CT Audubon Society they can be found here as well. I guess I just haven't looked closely.


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## LB Carl

BRN said:


> I live on the Connecticut coast overlooking Long Island sound and have never run into one. According to the CT Audubon Society they can be found here as well. I guess I just haven't looked closely.


I've lived on the beach for the past 13 years and didn't see any of these birds for the first 7 years. Had no idea they were there. It was only after i got into photography and started walking on the beach early in the morning that I saw them. What was funny though especially with the Skimmers is that I'd heard them from my home for years without thinking twice about them. They make quite a racket when they fly in flocks.


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## Snaggletooth

View attachment E8740227-10FB-4D5B-81CF-06A6AA3DA5CC.jpg


View attachment 1EA4F64B-86FC-44AA-91AD-880F2D49867D.jpeg


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## Sherpat

Snaggletooth said:


> View attachment 15214777
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For some reason my wife really liked these.


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## Snaggletooth

Hooded Crow missing all of its tail feathers. Not sure how this could've happened, but he seemed to be flying OK.


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## SolarPower




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## drmdwebb

Cedar Waxwing, Southern Idaho


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## Wolfsatz

Dont have to go far.. taken from my dining room. Birds by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Snaggletooth




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## Wolfsatz

Doves are often overlooked as they are so common. Yet, they have this delicate elegance and also love that most of the time; they come as a couple!

Breakfast by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

Breakfast by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Snaggletooth

View attachment 59A37C78-87B9-44D5-A516-FA93AC19CDD5.jpg


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## PHStern

A Royal Tern colony offshore from Mobile









Western Grebe in SD









Avocet


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## Snaggletooth




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## Bradtothebones

Murrells Inlet, SC


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## Wolfsatz

How about the little guys

The Cardinal is not that little.. but often hangs with the little guys

Yeah.. I'm Cute!
Little Guys by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

Little Guys by Wolfsatz, on Flickr

Femaile Downy Woodpecker 
Little Guys by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Snaggletooth




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## LB Carl

Osprey are all over the place around here, but you'd only know it if you look up at the utility polls where they seem to nest.


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## Bradtothebones

Murrells Inlet, SC


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## Snaggletooth




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## Wolfsatz

Breaky!

BreakFast by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Bradtothebones

Murrells Inlet, SC


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## PolishX

GreaT Gray Owl, 
Nikon D610 
Sigma 150-600


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## Snaggletooth




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## Snaggletooth




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## iwasajetplane

This is a great thread! I've got one of these strange creatures as a pet, ha...


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## PolishX

Tree Swallow


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## Parkgate

1 Great Crested Grebe chick
2 Great Crested Grebe
3 Mallard ducklings
4 Mute Swans and cygnets


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## LB Carl

Piping Plover


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## Snaggletooth




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## Robmks

Blue crab for lunch.

Bob


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## BRN

Robmks said:


> Blue crab for lunch.
> 
> Bob
> View attachment 15324901


Damn gull had a better lunch than I did today.


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## Snaggletooth

Skua (Bonxie) & Great Black Backed Gull.


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## Snaggletooth

Bonxie.

Notoriously aggressive mufuggas at breeding time. I've been forced to hit the dirt multiple times when jogging IVO their nest sites. Local advice is to put a long walking pole poking up out of your rucksack at they will focus on the tallest point rather than your head.


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## JD10

Robmks said:


> So nice that they opened up all the parks again and have been getting more walking in. And to make things more interenting take my DSLR with me. I'm loving the egrets as they take off and come in for a landing. So here are some shots from recent walks. Hope you like them.
> 
> Bob
> 
> View attachment 15202027
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> View attachment 15202031
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> View attachment 15202033
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> View attachment 15202035
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> View attachment 15202039


Rob,
What's the location of the pics? Thanks

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## StufflerMike




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## StufflerMike




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## Robmks

JD10 said:


> Rob,
> What's the location of the pics? Thanks
> 
> At the Meadowlands Environmental Center in NJ. That's Manhattan in the background.
> 
> Bob


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## BRN

My nephew's pet


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## Snaggletooth

Red-throated Divers.


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## roadcykler

A Pied-billed Grebe and it's chick.


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## Dmitri76

Bay Area, CA 
Thought i'd share a couple of shots


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## BRN

Old photo from Lake Zürich


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## PolishX

White Crowned Sparrow


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## PolishX




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## hrant

The bald eagle was photographed in the Bay Area? Where?


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## Dmitri76

hrant said:


> The bald eagle was photographed in the Bay Area? Where?


Theres a pair that has been living near an elementary school in Milpitas, CA for 4 years.They had two eaglets this year


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## Snaggletooth

Soon to leave these shores until breeding time next year, spending the entire time out on the ocean.


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## roadcykler

PolishX said:


> View attachment 15358466


Those are some chartreuse looking caterpillars or grubs. Nice shot.


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## BF_Hammer

A cardinal family with junior learning to fly.


















And some eagles just a few weeks before buying a new camera body.


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## citjet




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## PolishX

roadcykler said:


> Those are some chartreuse looking caterpillars or grubs. Nice shot.


Thank you , made standing in the swamp worth it the minute I got home and brought it up on the screen


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## roadcykler




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## Snaggletooth




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## bogibbes

Yellow-billed hornbill while in Kruger National Park last April.


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## jbholsters




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## jbholsters




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## Orhorolgy

Yea, they also make for good "poppers" on the grill too (that is when Dove hunting season come's around).



Wolfsatz said:


> Doves are often overlooked as they are so common. Yet, they have this delicate elegance and also love that most of the time; they come as a couple!
> 
> Breakfast by Wolfsatz, on Flickr
> 
> Breakfast by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## Wolfsatz

Orhorolgy said:


> Yea, they also make for good "poppers" on the grill too (that is when Dove hunting season come's around).


Wow.. what a Troll! 1st one on my ignore list!


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## Snaggletooth

Razorbills in winter plumage


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## Orhorolgy

Wolfsatz said:


> Wow.. what a Troll! 1st one on my ignore list!


......yeah sure....whatever!


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## Robmks

I've become more of a birder of late. So much to see at the park.

Least Sandpipers ....










Great Yellowleg Sandpipers ....



















Osprey's have been fun to watch ...... With a small fish .......










This one had better luck .....










Been seeing a couple Cormorant's ......










And how about an Osprey with a small fish and a Cormorant trying to steal it. 










Bob


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## pnwyankee

I am more of a Landscape Photographer, but will gladly spend a day chasing birds whenever the opportunity presents itself
What bird is cooler than an Owl?


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## pnwyankee

Here's a closeup of another Owl.....


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## pnwyankee

Very large bird - Laysan Albatross


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## pnwyankee

Very small Hummingbird


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## pnwyankee

Another Hummingbird.....


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## pnwyankee

Sticking with the Hummingbird theme...........


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## pnwyankee

Thanks to SunnyOrange and BRN for the "likes"
Here's another hummer......


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## pnwyankee

Thanks for the "likes" guys, here's another Hummingbird pic - a real rarity - two of them in one image, I sense a sneak attack about to begin


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## fazmoto

pnwyankee said:


> Another Hummingbird.....
> 
> View attachment 15513175


Simply stunning.


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## pnwyankee

Thanks......


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## rixcafe




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## rixcafe




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## pnwyankee

Thanks for the "likes"
Here are a few more of the little guys....


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## pnwyankee




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## pnwyankee




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## pnwyankee




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## pnwyankee

How about some bigger birds - - Sandhill Cranes, New Mexico


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## pnwyankee

Sandhill Cranes in flight

View attachment 15542562


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## pnwyankee

Sandhill Ballet

View attachment 15542563


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## pnwyankee

Duck on the Pond, Albuquerque City Park

View attachment 15542570


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## pnwyankee

Bomber with Fighter Escort


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## pnwyankee

Fantastic Flight


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## pnwyankee

Sexy Sandhill


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## pnwyankee

Master of His Domain


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## Nikrnic

He's from Taiwan.









Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## aritra




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## pnwyankee

fazmoto said:


> Simply stunning.


Thanks


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## pnwyankee

Thanks for all the "likes"
Here's one that I posted and screwed up a few days ago
From a City Park in Albuquerque, NM


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## pnwyankee

Three Bosque Birdies


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## watchesinnature

Asian Glossy Starling (Aplonis panayensis).


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## watchesinnature

A pair of Eurasian Tree Sparrows (Passer montanus) .


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## watchesinnature

Striated Heron (Butorides striata).


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## Bluebirdwatch1

Nikrnic said:


> He's from Taiwan.
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> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


That is an awesome looking bird

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## aritra




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## buddahlou




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## Live2Fish88

Stuck with tapatalk butchering my photos... the 3 hummingbird photos are screen shots from another cache so if the resolution looks terrible i apologize. I'm cell phone based currently.


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## Xerxes300




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## bruck177

Wolfsatz said:


> Robins by Wolfsatz, on Flickr
> 
> Spring by Wolfsatz, on Flickr
> 
> Spring by Wolfsatz, on Flickr
> 
> Spring by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


Great shots!


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## b2s

Here are some garden type of birds I took so far this year.

EM130025_DxO (1) by Narin, on Flickr
EM130548_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130067_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM520347_DxOjpeg by Narin, on Flickr
EM130876_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130607_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130630_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
I will post more taken more in the wild later.

Cheers


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## b2s

Here some taken from Loess Bluff Wildlife Refuge.

EM130814_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM131551_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130039_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130192_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130285_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130386_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130682_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM131201_DxO by Narin, on Flickr

I will post some more later.

Cheers


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## Wolfsatz

Here's one taken from Wolf's Bird Sanctuary .. LOL

Blue Jay Breakfast by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## bogibbes

Here's a macro shot of a Stellar's Jay.


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## gto05z

Australian Lorikeets


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## SeikoBaritone

Birding Center in Port Aransas, TX.


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## SeikoBaritone

bogibbes said:


> Here's a macro shot of a Stellar's Jay.
> 
> View attachment 15660443


Lovely capture.


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## SeikoBaritone

gto05z said:


> View attachment 15661739


Awwww!!


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## PolishX

Common Redpoll, new addition to my feeders. Shocked at how well they blend into brush and dead leaves


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## SolarPower




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## supersilent

< Not a wildlife photographer 

I pushed my "megazoom" compact camera way beyond its reasonable limits on these shots!


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## Sailed




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## Sailed

Pied Shags at Orere Point New Zealand


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## PolishX

New to my neighborhood and feeders, Pine Grosbeak (Female) kits if then show up for black sunflower seeds


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## b2s

Some feathers friends captured in April.
EM130066_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130319_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130435_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM131797_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM131056_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM131061_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM132471_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM132724_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130148_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130514_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130523_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM130638_DxO by Narin, on Flickr
EM132638_DxO by Narin, on Flickr


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## roadcykler

A couple from the local wildlife refuge. Gadwall and Song Sparrow.


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## Live2Fish88

Here's a shot I got today by chance while doing some product photography outside.


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## gto05z

Rainbow Lorikeet in full flight mode


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## PolishX




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## Mjbull23

Amazing shots guys!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Brey17

New avatar! Shamelessly stolen from the internet.


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## PolishX

Found this guy on the side of the road on a work trip. Northern Hawk Owl , near Glennallen Alaska. He was sitting across from the hardware store just watching the highway


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## aehaas




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## cking10304

White crowned Sparrow









Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk


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## bombaywalla

PolishX said:


> Found this guy on the side of the road on a work trip. Northern Hawk Owl , near Glennallen Alaska. He was sitting across from the hardware store just watching the highway
> View attachment 16191670


Hoo Hoo dat taking a photo of me??


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## roadcykler

It's been a while. Caspian Tern looking for a snack.


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## Wolfsatz

DSCN1209 by Wolfsatz, on Flickr


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## PolishX

Great Gray that I came across


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## usgajim_2935

Saw this flock today?🤣


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## supersilent

I got myself my first tele lens a few weeks ago (70-350mm, APS-C), so I’ve been going out a lot to learn how to use it and give a shot at wildlife/bird photography… well, it’s only when you start trying to capture semi-decent shots of birds that you realise how skittish they ALL are!… well at least here in Europe.

It’s gonna be a long journey, and my respect for those who manage all those awesome shots is only increased 👏

Edit: “best” I’ve managed so far…


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## cking10304

Red Shouldered Hawk in harsh light, processed in high key black and white









Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk


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## u8myufo

Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo)


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## creepy ross

Red Tail Hawk crash landed at work









Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## PolishX

supersilent said:


> I got myself my first tele lens a few weeks ago (70-350mm, APS-C), so I’ve been going out a lot to learn how to use it and give a shot at wildlife/bird photography… well, it’s only when you start trying to capture semi-decent shots of birds that you realise how skittish they ALL are!… well at least here in Europe.
> 
> It’s gonna be a long journey, and my respect for those who manage all those awesome shots is only increased 👏
> 
> Edit: “best” I’ve managed so far…


This is my 3rd summer and its still tough for me. 1/2 the fun is figuring out what it is I just saw and cataloging where it was and if it was male/female. I am fortunate for songbirds to be able to put up feeders and practice that way and have several parks and preserves nearby. If I can ever be of any help hit me up via PM. Nice image


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## PolishX

Learning waterfowl are much harder to get to than songbirds and my lens game is lacking. It's a different skill set for water fowl and technically very different with glare from the water etc. This is an American Wigeon that I followed for a while, its no where as clear as I had hoped


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## u8myufo

PolishX said:


> Learning waterfowl are much harder to get to than songbirds and my lens game is lacking. It's a different skill set for water fowl and technically very different with glare from the water etc. This is an American Wigeon that I followed for a while, its no where as clear as I had hoped


I have seen a lot worse from those with all the gear and no idea, but because you cannot predict any animal when it is moving it`s not as easy as some might think.


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## u8myufo

A great crested Grebe tackling a decent sized Roach the other morning.


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## supersilent

The European Bee Eaters are back around here for the summer, so I’ve been trying my luck around a nearby colony.
Still not going to win any prize with these, but at least it’s practice and some nice time outdoors, right?



















And although this last one is technically crap, graphically it might be my fave. I wish the eye was visible


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## supersilent

I went back to play with the bee-eaters. Got_ really_ frustrated with the AF-C on my Sony which hardly managed to lock on the bird 1 time out of 10, even when the bird was relatively close to me and with the clear sky as background. Might be user error, though: I’m still learning this thing.… 
Anyways,,, here are some more lil birds in flight! Still way too far (& too cropped), but slightly better than my first attempt.




























Cool birds!


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## u8myufo

supersilent said:


> I went back to play with the bee-eaters. Got_ really_ frustrated with the AF-C on my Sony which hardly managed to lock on the bird 1 time out of 10, even when the bird was relatively close to me and with the clear sky as background. Might be user error, though: I’m still learning this thing.…
> Anyways,,, here are some more lil birds in flight! Still way too far (& too cropped), but slightly better than my first attempt.
> 
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> Cool birds!


A tidy set, I am not familiar with Sony so it`s not easy to comment, with the D500 there is what they call AF-C blocked shot response which can be set by the user at different levels of respnse speeds, also being in the UK the Bee-eater is not a species I have witnessed in flight, however I would guess that it`s no slouch when in flight. I guess it all depends as to how much time you have to take the shots from when it first appears in your vision. If it has suddenly appeared from behind trees etc and you only notice it when it is in front of you or just to the side of the way you are facing then there is less reaction time to start with. If you have a good few seconds of it coming your way from either the left or right then you have a bit more leeway to calmly and smoothly get the focus point/points on your subject and pan in a fluent motion, and would also add that it will also give the AF-C a fraction of a second to settle down. I always find it better to have the focus points slightly in front of the subject as you would shooting a 12 guage at a clay pigeon as there will always be that slight delay between the frame of each shot and the small amount of distance that the bird has travelled within that fraction of a second.


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## supersilent

Thank you for your input! 

I’m shooting these in the middle of vineyards on steep slopes, looking towards the valley. There are a few sandy cliffs in the slopes where the bee-eaters nest, and I found an access to a ledge just over one of these. This means that my view is usually well clear, without much to get in the way. 
The flight of the birds can be unpredictable, of course, as they are hunting flying insects. But usually they alternate gliding stages (easy to shoot) with crazy acrobatics.
I fully understand that my A6500 will struggle with a small flying bird on a backgound of vegetation or houses, but get frustrated when I get a “close” gliding pass (say 10m, they never get closer) with good light and a background of either sky or river, aim my camera, get the bird right in the middle of the AF zone, hit the focus button… and there’s no lock. Or worse, the camera goes through the bird so much so that it disappears in my viewer even though I’m still on it. Then I have to pre-focus on something else at a reasonably similar distance, watch the bird fly away and wait for the next pass. Rinse and repeat and get cranky.

Yesterday I had a group of 3 gulls slowly pass less than 10m above me, gliding against the wind. The camera did not lock on them either. I seem to have noticed that it seems to lock more easily on distant birds, for some reason. But then it’s too far for a shot and if I follow them these distant birds rarely end up flying past me. In any case, it is a game of patience.

Maybe I’m handling it wrong wrt focus area, timing or whatever, but at this point I have no idea why it sometimes work, and other times it does not. I need to spend more time experimenting to get a grip of it. So I need more birds.

Or maybe I should just buy some new, more expensive equipment


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## u8myufo

supersilent said:


> Thank you for your input!
> 
> I’m shooting these in the middle of vineyards on steep slopes, looking towards the valley. There are a few sandy cliffs in the slopes where the bee-eaters nest, and I found an access to a ledge just over one of these. This means that my view is usually well clear, without much to get in the way.
> The flight of the birds can be unpredictable, of course, as they are hunting flying insects. But usually they alternate gliding stages (easy to shoot) with crazy acrobatics.
> I fully understand that my A6500 will struggle with a small flying bird on a backgound of vegetation or houses, but get frustrated when I get a “close” gliding pass (say 10m, they never get closer) with good light and a background of either sky or river, aim my camera, get the bird right in the middle of the AF zone, hit the focus button… and there’s no lock. Or worse, the camera goes through the bird so much so that it disappears in my viewer even though I’m still on it. Then I have to pre-focus on something else at a reasonably similar distance, watch the bird fly away and wait for the next pass. Rinse and repeat and get cranky.
> 
> Yesterday I had a group of 3 gulls slowly pass less than 10m above me, gliding against the wind. The camera did not lock on them either. I seem to have noticed that it seems to lock more easily on distant birds, for some reason. But then it’s too far for a shot and if I follow them these distant birds rarely end up flying past me. In any case, it is a game of patience.
> 
> Maybe I’m handling it wrong wrt focus area, timing or whatever, but at this point I have no idea why it sometimes work, and other times it does not. I need to spend more time experimenting to get a grip of it. So I need more birds.
> 
> Or maybe I should just buy some new, more expensive equipment


 It can be difficult to pin down as there are a few variables as well as technique or a combination of both. I`m gonna state the obvious as you will be surprised as to how many people do not, but do you have the latest firmware updates installed? I am only going by what options are available to me and that would include any updates for the lens as well. A subject at 10 mtrs should not prove too much of a problem, with regards to my D500 I can honestly say it is seldom effected by any background scenery such as tree`s or bushes etc. I have seen a fair few comments regarding the Canon R5 as well as Nikon`s latest Z9 with regards to grabbing focus on a subject against a cluttered bg, but then again I have seen some good shots from people in the same type of environment. But in saying that I have no proof of how many shots they may have taken just to get the one or two sharp captures.You mention your AF-Zone, I guess you have various options to choose from, which zone did you take these with?

You may want to just run a few test shots with say a motorbike travelling at speed down the road and see what it throws up, perhaps try some more bird in flight shots using different settings and stopping down the aperture a bit whilst making a written note of what was used for each number of shots, it`s then easierto look athe images on screen and then cross-reference them against your notes.


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## supersilent

I spent some time yesterday watching YT tutorials and experimenting on various moving subjects. And I went back to play with the bee-eaters this morning.

Soooo, the verdict:

1. I was definitely doing something wrong (and no, I am not saying what 😳 Let’s just say that I used to wonder why sometimes it worked and sometimes did not. Now I wonder how it even worked at all sometimes). After changing my ways I ended up getting a hit rate of close to 100% for AF-C locking and tracking on various moving subjects (gliding kites and gulls, planes, hanging fruits swinging in the wind, whatever I could find…).

2. with the bee-eaters my success rate was still very low this morning. So I guess they’re not as easy to photograph as my beginner’s luck on day 1 suggested. They’re small, they’re fast and their trajectories are erratic, I’m just asking too much from my mid-tier camera, or maybe any camera. It’s kind of like trying to photograph swallows in flight, only they’re a little bigger. My AF-C needs significant time with the subject reasonably stable in the frame to lock on it, and usually it does not get that time. And once the AF goes through the subject, all hope is gone: hit cancel focus, pre-focus elsewhere, and try again. Distant bee-eaters are easier to track only because they are more stable in the frame. The closer the bird, the faster it moves in the frame, and the more difficult it is for the camera to lock on it. Which is a shame because you end up nailing the crappy opportunities and missing the good ones!

I still manage to get the occasional passable shot, but it is a matter of luck and patience. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Spray and pray.

I will keep trying and experimenting, hopefully also I’ll find more suitable places to shoot them… and more static, perched birds 💡 Wind conditions also probably play a role on their flight, so I need to be out there regularly in various conditions.

As a beginner, I probably also need to go back to the fundamentals, and do more static herons, swans and ostriches before I graduate to flying bee-eaters. But bee-eaters are just more fun 

Thanks again for your help!


----------



## u8myufo

supersilent said:


> I spent some time yesterday watching YT tutorials and experimenting on various moving subjects. And I went back to play with the bee-eaters this morning.
> 
> Soooo, the verdict:
> 
> 1. I was definitely doing something wrong (and no, I am not saying what 😳 Let’s just say that I used to wonder why sometimes it worked and sometimes did not. Now I wonder how it even worked at all sometimes). After changing my ways I ended up getting a hit rate of close to 100% for AF-C locking and tracking on various moving subjects (gliding kites and gulls, planes, hanging fruits swinging in the wind, whatever I could find…).
> 
> 2. with the bee-eaters my success rate was still very low this morning. So I guess they’re not as easy to photograph as my beginner’s luck on day 1 suggested. They’re small, they’re fast and their trajectories are erratic, I’m just asking too much from my mid-tier camera, or maybe any camera. It’s kind of like trying to photograph swallows in flight, only they’re a little bigger. My AF-C needs significant time with the subject reasonably stable in the frame to lock on it, and usually it does not get that time. And once the AF goes through the subject, all hope is gone: hit cancel focus, pre-focus elsewhere, and try again. Distant bee-eaters are easier to track only because they are more stable in the frame. The closer the bird, the faster it moves in the frame, and the more difficult it is for the camera to lock on it. Which is a shame because you end up nailing the crappy opportunities and missing the good ones!
> 
> I still manage to get the occasional passable shot, but it is a matter of luck and patience. Shoot, shoot, shoot. Spray and pray.
> 
> I will keep trying and experimenting, hopefully also I’ll find more suitable places to shoot them… and more static, perched birds 💡 Wind conditions also probably play a role on their flight, so I need to be out there regularly in various conditions.
> 
> As a beginner, I probably also need to go back to the fundamentals, and do more static herons, swans and ostriches before I graduate to flying bee-eaters. But bee-eaters are just more fun
> 
> Thanks again for your help!


Yep we all overlook things sometimes and despite the advances in technology nothing is ever guaranteed to get perfect sharp shots every time. In fact I am a firm believer that the more technology that is introduced it just adds a few more variables to go figure out. Not sure if I mentioned this previously but to keep it short, you just have to take a modern car engine nowadays, back in the days where you had points etc settings could be out slightly, but it would still run even if it was like a brick, it just takes the smallest thing to not be set up correctly in a modern engine and it grinds to a halt.


----------



## PolishX

Forgot to post this almost stepped on this little guy.. Least Sandpiper (_Calidris minutilla_ ) meaning he genus name is from Ancient Greek _kalidris_ or _skalidris_, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-colored waterside birds. The specific _minutilla_ is Medieval Latin for "very small".


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## BreguetBrat




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## BreguetBrat




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## daswatch

I clicked on this thread expecting bird-song minute repeaters. I am....charmed?


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## u8myufo

A couple of Ducks.

Gadwall.









Pochard


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## cking10304

White tailed kite. Lousy photo but only see these once in a while









Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk


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## BreguetBrat

Owl in SriLanka Recently..


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## supersilent

Are you guys tired of European bee-eaters yet?










I shot this one from inside the car, which allowed me to get much closer than normal. Crappy light (against the sun), but it’s like these guys never do as per my carefully developed strategy! I’m not done with them yet.


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## BreguetBrat




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## de37

Hummingbird, female ruby throated. 1/2000 sec with flash. Unattended photo, I made a sensor with a laser module and an Arduino.


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## supersilent

Great shot! 👏👏
If you don’t mind me asking, what lens did you use, and how did you manage such a sharp focus? Small aperture + some pre-focusing on a nearby target (e.g. feeder) at the same distance? 
I am still chasing good sharpness in my photography…


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## de37

supersilent said:


> Great shot! 👏👏
> If you don’t mind me asking, what lens did you use, and how did you manage such a sharp focus? Small aperture + some pre-focusing on a nearby target (e.g. feeder) at the same distance?
> I am still chasing good sharpness in my photography…


The trick is good focus and the fast shutter speed, the lens is not important. Hummingbirds fill their beaks with nectar or sugar water, then they back off and hover while they swallow the beakfull of nectar. This was done with a feeder, all but oneof the feeding holes was covered with tape. With only one feeding hole open, the hover position is predictable. The camera is set to manual focus and focused. The aperture and shutter speed is set so there is no delay with the camera autofocusing or shutter settings. The bird flaps its wings about 60 times per second. A high shutter speed is necessary to freeze those wings. At 1/2000 second, the sky is black. I put a blue poster board in the background and lit that with a slaved flash. The Arduino was programmed to turn off the laser, trip the shutter, and wait a bit before restoring the laser for the next shot. If the bird goes for another drink, the system takes another picture. A hummingbird returns to the feeder about every 15 minutes and I get 8-10 pictures per visit. It works out to about 800 pictures per day. Most of the pictures are useable. It only takes about $15 in electronics to do this, not including photo gear and some PVC pipe as a frame. I don’t have the patience to sit all day waiting for a hummingbird and taking pictures. This way I sit on the couch reading and I know the system is taking pictures whenI see the flash units firing.


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## supersilent

Very cool and well thought out strategy, thanks for sharing!


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## de37

Here’s one handheld, here the lens does matter. It’s a Canon 100-400 IS II USM at 400mm, 1/350 sec, f 6.7. view larger for detail.


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## de37

supersilent said:


> Very cool and well thought out strategy, thanks for sharing!


Supersilent,
Here’s a link to a Youtube video of the system actually photographing a hummingbird. It’s only 46 seconds. 



And a link to a 47 second video containing some of the images. The ones with the sharply frozen wings were the automatic 1/2000 second shots. 




In general, hummingbirds are one of the easiest birds to photograph in flight, purely because they are so predictable in hover position just after taking food from a feeder. They don‘t really mind people and they rapidly get used to the flash. The one in the video was a newer one so was a little skittish with each flash, still he came back repeatedly to feed. The bowls on the deck are ant barriers. Hummingbirds don’t mind sharing food with bees but they don’t like ants. I’ve no idea why.

Good luck with your focused photos.


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## supersilent

Very cool, thanks for the vids! I’m in Europe though, so won’t be trying my luck with hummingbirds anytime soon.
I’m also a beginner, and still at the stage where I go out and just try and capture photographs as opposed to _making _them: the best way to learn is to keep shooting and making mistakes, right? And being outside, chasing the birds is still more than half the fun for me.

A couple of pics from this week:

A short-toed snake eagle (_Circaetus gallicus_)









… and what might be my next challenge, because the bee-eaters were just not fast enough: the Peregrine Falcon (_Falco peregrinus_)



















I still need to explore and confirm, but I think I found a spot in my local mountain


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## Rodentman

Well, I won't win the Pullet Surprise for photography, but I didn't expect to see this in my driveway...


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## de37

supersilent said:


> Very cool, thanks for the vids! I’m in Europe though, so won’t be trying my luck with hummingbirds anytime soon.
> I’m also a beginner, and still at the stage where I go out and just try and capture photographs as opposed to _making _them: the best way to learn is to keep shooting and making mistakes, right? And being outside, chasing the birds is still more than half the fun for me.
> 
> A couple of pics from this week:
> 
> A short-toed snake eagle (_Circaetus gallicus_)
> 
> … and what might be my next challenge, because the bee-eaters were just not fast enough: the Peregrine Falcon (_Falco peregrinus_)
> 
> 
> I still need to explore and confirm, but I think I found a spot in my local mountain


You are doing very well. You can often find other opportunities for photographing birds, you don’t always need to photograph them in flight from below. Here’s a nest in a tree just outside our house, I had a good angle from a window in a closet. This is a very common bird here, an American Robin. As a mom, that bird was amazing, returning with a worm every couple of minutes. 




















The eagle posted earlier was taken in Alaska on a cruise. While my family was busy I made a side trip walking to a “raptor hospital”. That eagle was anchored to a perch so was an easy target. Zoos can be a treasure trove for someone wanting quality bird pictures. Once you have a good picture, it’s up to you whether you share where you took it. The assumption will be that you took it in the wild, but you should use every opportunity you have. That’s what makes people better.

It’s an amazing time to be a beginner in photography. I’m jealous.

Best,
David


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## Beardedmark84

Wow!!!


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## MTT60

This Great Spotted Woodpecker (_Dendrocopos major_) came to have lunch.


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## de37

MTT60 said:


> This Great Spotted Woodpecker (_Dendrocopos major_) came to have lunch.


Good picture. What’s in the bucket? You know that’s poison ivy in the picture to the right of the woodpecker, right?


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## MTT60

de37 said:


> Good picture. What’s in the bucket? You know that’s poison ivy in the picture to the right of the woodpecker, right?
> 
> View attachment 16789831


My wife feeds birds with sunflower seeds. We don't have any idea if that plant actually is poison ivy since it is not normally found in Finland.


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## de37

You are absolutely right, of course, poison ivy doesn’t occur in Europe or Finland. 

I recognize it here in the U.S. by the “thumbs”, the two leaves on the sides have thumbs and the center leaf appears like 2 hands on top of one another with both thumbs showing. 

So I’m wrong, I like being wrong because I learn something, and today you’ve taught me that poison ivy isn’t found everywhere. There’s embarrassment from being so very wrong, of course, but that fades away and I’m left knowing more than I did before. I learn absolutely nothing when I’m right. Thank you.

I’ve also learned that I have a bias, I assume people live in the same country as I do, an assumption about which I’ll have to be more careful. When I posted, it didn’t even occur to me you were in Finland. 

Are you far enough north that you often see the Northern Lights?

Best,
David


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## MTT60

de37 said:


> You are absolutely right, of course, poison ivy doesn’t occur in Europe or Finland.
> 
> I recognize it here in the U.S. by the “thumbs”, the two leaves on the sides have thumbs and the center leaf appears like 2 hands on top of one another with both thumbs showing.
> 
> So I’m wrong, I like being wrong because I learn something, and today you’ve taught me that poison ivy isn’t found everywhere. There’s embarrassment from being so very wrong, of course, but that fades away and I’m left knowing more than I did before. I learn absolutely nothing when I’m right. Thank you.
> 
> I’ve also learned that I have a bias, I assume people live in the same country as I do, an assumption about which I’ll have to be more careful. When I posted, it didn’t even occur to me you were in Finland.
> 
> Are you far enough north that you often see the Northern Lights?
> 
> Best,
> David


Hi David,

Don't worry about assumptions 😉 we all do them time to time. I live in the southern part of Finland very close to Helsinki and we see Northern Lights occasionally, but not as often as in the north.

Cheers,
Mikko


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## supersilent

They say that there are no vultures in my area… well, maybe they should tell the vultures!

Griffon Vulture (_Gyps fulvus_) in exploratory flight in my Peregrine spot. The falcons hardly showed up


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## supersilent

The humble kestrel (_Falco tunniculus_) in flight. One sequence of shots from yesterday:


























































… and diving! (this one is from a different day)










Same spot again, still no luck capturing the Peregrines…


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## de37

Wow, nice sequence of pictures!


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## supersilent

Thanks! 👍
It’s cool to have a resident kestrel when the peregrines refuse to fly close enough for a shot.

I’ve tried to stack the pics into a single image, but I haven’t used Photoshop in 30 years and I’m struggling to extract the bird from some shots. Giving it up for now.


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## archaeobeat




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## supersilent

Two more shots from yesterday. Not as cool as the kestrel’s but the birds were kind enough to show up, so…

European honey buzzard (_Pernis apivorus_) carrying a wasps’ nest.









Common Buzzard (_Buteo buteo_) checking me out in stationary flight right above my head.









Peregrines or no peregrines, it is a cool spot. I think I’ve seen at least 10 species of raptors over the same patch of high altitude meadow in the 3 days I’ve spent there. Plus the occasional “WTF is that?” raptor behaving weirdly in the distance.


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## supersilent

DISCLAIMER: Off Topic



de37 said:


> Hummingbird, female ruby throated. 1/2000 sec with flash. Unattended photo, I made a sensor with a laser module and an Arduino.





supersilent said:


> I’m in Europe […] so won’t be trying my luck with hummingbirds anytime soon.


Well, challenge accepted anyway!

We may not have hummingbirds in Europe, but it’s OK becau_se _we have _Macroglossum stellatarum_, AKA the moro-sphinx, AKA the hummingbird hawk-moth. They are moths with a feeding behaviour that is very similar to hummingbird: they hover as they drink from the flowers from their long proboscis, never landing on the flower. They can also fly backwards, remain stationary, etc. They have a 40-45mm wingspan, to give you an idea of their size.

My favourite at this moment:









A few more, just for fun:




























These were shot with my handheld Sony A6500 and a 90mm macro lens in natural light. I maxed out at 1/4000 sec and still get some motion blur on the wings. I have to say I am pretty pleased with this very first attempt at macro photo of insects in flight, so it’s probably one more thing I’ll try to have fun with. Thanks for the inspiration, @de37 !


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## de37

supersilent said:


> DISCLAIMER: Off Topic
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Well, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!
> 
> We may not have hummingbirds in Europe, but it’s OK because we have _Macroglossum stellatarum_, AKA the moro-sphinx, AKA the hummingbird hawk-moth. They are butterflies with a feeding behaviour that is very similar to hummingbird: they hover as they drink from the flowers from their long proboscis, never landing on the flower. They can also fly backwards, remain stationary, etc. They have a 40-45mm wingspan, to give you an idea of their size.
> 
> My favourite at this moment:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A few more, just for fun:
> 
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> 
> These were shot with my handheld Sony A6500 and a 90mm macro lens in natural light. I maxed out at 1/4000 sec and still get some motion blur on the wings. I have to say I am pretty pleased with this very first attempt at macro photo of insects in flight, so it’s probably one more thing I’ll try to have fun with. Thanks for the inspiration, @de37 !


Wow! My favorite is the head on shot with the wings pointed at 11 and 5 o’clock. The watch reference is my weak attempt to bring it into the watch fold. I’m impressed with the focus inluding that of the flower.

The blurring might not be motion blur, it might be the shallow plane of focus from shooting with the lens at maximum aperture, necessary if you are shooting at 1/4000 second. That was my initial thought but then I see parts of the body that seem very sharply focused beyond the wings. It seems 1/4000 second should freeze the wings of anything that flies.

You might try a flash. There are flash units that sync at full camera speed, for my Canon, but I‘m unsure about your Sony. As you know a shutter is only fully open at the flash sync speed of the camera, mine I think is 1/250 second. Faster and the first curtain opens and the second curtain follows before the first finishes opening so one gets a picture with the narrow slit properly exposed but the rest of the frame dark. The fast sync flash units actually put out a series of flashes for the entire duration of the curtain movement so exposing the whole frame. Any portion of the picture is exposed at the 1/4000 second, so motion is frozen. If such an option is available for the Sony, you might check for non-Sony Chinese flash units. Use of the flash allows a smaller aperture so increased depth of focus.

With mine, at my settings, the daytime sky is black so I have a blue poster board lit by a 3rd flash. I use two for the bird. I set everything up beforehand with the camera fully on manual. Since it’s bright daylight, one cannot sync the flash with the usual infrared triggers because the infrared output cannot compete with the Sun. There are radio frequency triggers that will fire a flash. Anyway flash units can allow proper exposure with a stopped down aperture. You might be able to do it hand held with a camera bracket that will hold the flash units. 

Here’s a daytime photo with flash units illuminating the bird but without the blue background. The lack of the blue background makes it look like a night shot, but hummingbirds aren’t active at night, so the picture is, in my mind, just wrong.










Those flash units aren’t cheap even at Chinese manufactured prices, especially when buying more than one. The next problem is that the camera will want to focus but there isn’t time. The manual camera settings are the way to go. But the flash to subject distance is critical, too close and it’s overexposed, too far and it’s too dim. You have to know exactly where the subject will be. So if your moth feeds and hovers, and you know exactly where it will hover, you can set things up ahead of time. Or you could take many exposures hoping a few of them will be perfect. I suspect that will be necessary for you if you moth doesn’t always feed from the same source.

Your moth seems enormous. Hummingbirds flap wings at about 60 Hz. I get motion freezing at 1/2000 second. I just don’t see how you are seeing motion blur at 1/4000 second.

Sometimes motion blur isn’t bad. Here is a hand held shot I like. It was near a feeder and the bees were also feeding. 











I think your pictures are excellent and I seriously doubt I could do better. Perhaps these suggestions are not helpful and if so, please forgive me for being presumptive and offering them. In my mind an “attaboy, keep up the good work” is, at best minimally encouraging, but absolutely useless for actually improving one’s photos, I personally appreciate real suggestions. For me it’s all about getting the best pictures. 

So if suggestions aren’t quite what you want, please skip the foregoing and accept an “attaboy”.


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## supersilent

Thanks! No, this is all good and cool! I’ve only been into bird photography for a few months, and before that into underwater photography for a few years (while on vacation), so all ideas and suggestions are welcome for inspiration!

These pics were from two relatively short sessions this morning, so I will try again and playing with shutter speed and motion blur was part of the plan. I’m deliberately shooting full Manual as part of my learning process, and also wanted to experiment further with DOF. But so far I’ve seen no improvement on focus, only less blurry backgrounds. For reference, the internet tells me that the wing frequency of the moth can reach 85Hz, which is actually what I would expect if it is half the size of a hummingbird or less (Featured Creature: Hummingbird Hawk-Moth | Blog | Nature | PBS ).

Here is a video is at full speed then half speed (hummingbird speed?)






What you mention about flash and dark background seems similar to what happens in underwater photo… although maybe, maybe not, I would need to experiment. In UW photo you essentially set your shutter speed so that you get the background brightness that you want using ambient light (fast for black background, varying speeds for dark blue or light blue water, etc), while your flashes/strobes light up the subject in the foreground and freeze its motion. Not sure I want to use my UW kit in the dry though: it’s bulky and very heavy out of the water!

Your shots are absolutely lovely, and I personally do not mind the dark background. On my front facing shots, there just happened to be a dark background in the shade behind the moth (and a lucky ray of sun on it). On the other shots it’s the sunlit brighter tiling just outside my house that creates an almost uniform sand-coloured background.

No feeder or predictable trajectories here, I just try to follow the moths from flower to flower, then spray and pray.

Thanks again for your comments and ideas. They _are_ useful 👍

_P.S. I just googled it: 8-11 cm wingspan for the ruby-throated hummingbird v 4-4.5 cm for the moro-sphinx. So yeah, about half the size and twice the flapping rate compared to the hummingbird._


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## supersilent

A final one as this is possibly the sharpest of the bunch (other than motion blur in the fastest parts of the wings). It looks like some sort of weird chimera, doesn’t it?









_(f10 for this one. f8, f9, f10 and f10 again respectively for the shots in my first post)_


OK, back to actual birds now. Your turn, guys 😬


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## MTT60

Wood pigeon (_Columba palumbus_) visits our backyard daily.


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## archaeobeat

Sun birds Cairns Australia.


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## de37

Mirrors don’t occur in nature. He thinks he’s found a rival. Good picture.


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## MTT60




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## supersilent

I took some crappy shots of the European Roller (_Coracias garrulus_) yesterday. Together with the bee eater, the golden oriole and the Eurasian Hoopoe it is one of the colourful birds of summer that we get here. Except that once again, officially the rollers are not here, only 150km south of here. And yet, it’s my third summer here, and the third summer I see them. I’m expecting that they are vagrant juveniles, exploring the region after having left the nest.

VERY shy birds. Even in the car I’ve never been able to get closer than around 100m. I’d love to get the opportunity for closer shots in their breeding area. I understand that breeding season is the only time one might manage to get closer. 
Anyways… here are my crappy shots. Just because they’re so beautiful.




























They’re much less striking when perched. Especially the juveniles.


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## supersilent

Heat distortion is real, friends. And friends should not let friends photograph a distant bird just above a sun-scorched meadow right in the middle of the afternoon. But my father asked me to show him the rollers, so…










Edit: worst shot of the day, Van Gogh style


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## supersilent

Today’s lucky shots… the European Honey Buzzard (_Pernis apivorus_)



















Those eyes…


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## Beatlloydy

Perhaps my favourite of the visiting birds to my backyard. Taken from my kitchen window a pair of King parrots


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## Beatlloydy

supersilent said:


> I took some crappy shots of the European Roller (_Coracias garrulus_) yesterday. Together with the bee eater, the golden oriole and the Eurasian Hoopoe it is one of the colourful birds of summer that we get here. Except that once again, officially the rollers are not here, only 150km south of here. And yet, it’s my third summer here, and the third summer I see them. I’m expecting that they are vagrant juveniles, exploring the region after having left the nest.
> 
> VERY shy birds. Even in the car I’ve never been able to get closer than around 100m. I’d love to get the opportunity for closer shots in their breeding area. I understand that breeding season is the only time one might manage to get closer.
> Anyways… here are my crappy shots. Just because they’re so beautiful.
> 
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> They’re much less striking when perched. Especially the juveniles.


Nice birds. We get a vagrant species here in Australia (nthn NSW) called the Rainbow Bee eater. Its similar but different colours. It disappears in autumn but returns in spring. Ironically I heard 2 today for the first time this season. I have yet to get a decent pic but i will eventually.


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## Roningrad

Sharing across a pic of my buddy Jacko. He’s alright with being taken pictures of every now and then. I thought why not take a wrist shot with him?























Until I got into his nerves...


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## supersilent

Beatlloydy said:


> Nice birds. We get a vagrant species here in Australia (nthn NSW) called the Rainbow Bee eater. Its similar but different colours. It disappears in autumn but returns in spring. Ironically I heard 2 today for the first time this season. I have yet to get a decent pic but i will eventually.


Please post your snaps whenever you manage to get some! Bee eaters are all gorgeous, and yes, they are related to the Rollers.

I've posted a few pics of the European bee eater in the previous pages (they nest here in the early summer) as well as of the blue cheeked bee eaters that I used to see during their migration when I was living in the Middle East. Some other members also posted very cool pics of other bee eater and roller species. 

I have much better photos of my rollers now, but since I plan to keep chasing them until either they or I leave the country I will wait before posting. I already feel like I'm flooding this thread and posting more about birds than about watches  

I'm really glad I got myself this tele lens back in May: it's already been a fun and satisfying journey!


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## MTT60

Eurasian blue tit


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## Beatlloydy

supersilent said:


> I'm really glad I got myself this tele lens back in May: it's already been a fun and satisfying journey!


I got a Sigma 600mm in May as well. However, its coming out of winter and not a lot of variety at the moment. They are heavy to lug. luckily my backyard is limitless and presents a lot of opportunity for the patient.


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## supersilent

Now that’s a backyard! 😲

My lens is a 70-350mm APS-C, so it remains comparably light and convenient for a magnification similar to a 525mm Full Frame (or so they say). It’s nowhere near as fast and good as a top of the line 600mm, though. Maybe I will consider one if some day I feel limited by my 70-350mm, but I am not there yet. 600mm full frame lens on an APS-C must be quite something!

I have made progress with my shots of the European rollers, but I’m still hoping for better shots of them in flight, showing off their glorious colours. If they’re still around I will try again later this week. In the meantime, here is a humble and unassuming female Western Yellow Wagtail (_Motacilla flava_). Well, at least I think it is one.


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## supersilent

I think this is it, my juvenile European Rollers seem to have left on their migration to Southern Africa 

I managed 4-5 photo sessions around the pastures where 5 of them spent their days hunting. I did not manage all the shots I was hoping for, but as you’ll see I got much better captures than my initial attempts posted here.

The rollers are at their most striking with their wings deployed, especially their backs… and these are the shots I did not manage to capture. “Best” I have:



















The underside of the birds is also pretty cool though, and I managed a few decent shots:


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## supersilent

Some action and feeding shots


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## supersilent

And finally… on a lucky day one juvenile was perched right on the side of the road as I was leaving, so I took some driver seat pictures. I never thought I’d ever manage such shots without a proper hide and predictable perches for the birds!




























Now I wish I got the same kind of shots with deployed wings! Another year, maybe


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## cking10304

supersilent said:


> And finally… on a lucky day one juvenile was perched right on the side of the road as I was leaving, so I took some driver seat pictures. I never thought I’d ever manage such shots without a proper hide and predictable perches for the birds!
> 
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> Now I wish I got the same kind of shots with deployed wings! Another year, maybe


Love the portrait shots

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk


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## cking10304

Snowy Egret. Can't remember if I shared this one or not. Awesome shots on here guys!









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## supersilent

Very dynamic shot, love it! 👏👏

I confess that I’m also pretty happy with my portrait shots of the Roller, thanks 😅
I already knew that one of the main keys to good photography is to get close, then get even closer… but the lesson is even better learned when you get to experience it on a lucky day!

I have now left my home country for wetter pastures so it might be a while before I have new bird photos to share. But for sure I’ll keep enjoying the pics you guys share. Keep them coming!


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## MTT60




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## Nokie

This guy seems to like hanging out on my back deck. He is here at least three times a week. 

Drives all the other birds at my birdbath crazy.......


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## joseph80




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## Braeroy63




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## cking10304




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## Leptodiktis




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## Braeroy63




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## Braeroy63




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## TimeCapsoul

Shot on Sony G-Master 70-200


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## SkooterTrash




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## Nokie

^^^^^
Beautiful pictures.


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## dlmypr

SkooterTrash said:


> View attachment 16967742


 Hah someone is enjoyin lunch, look at his colors. Great photo!


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## SkooterTrash

dlmypr said:


> Hah someone is enjoyin lunch, look at his colors. Great photo!


Thanks. I was just getting back into photography after many years of being away from it.

That is a yellow headed blackbird. He was showing off for his girlfriend...


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## supersilent




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## supersilent

This is absolutely amazing:









Ornithographies - Xavi Bou


IMAGES / ABOUT




xavibou.com


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## supersilent

You guys don’t like birds anymore?


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## tommy_boy

Got my ducks in a row (sorry, lol)


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## sooster

Uhhhhh does this count...?










Deep fried on the rotisserie right behind it!


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## citjet




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## chuffnessment

Aahh yeee, a bird watching thread. Here's a humming bird that I managed to snap before it zoomed away:


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## dohc97

I'm in


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## Wolfsatz




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## Jerry_




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## Wolfsatz

Sometime today! 
VA Cardinal
Blue Jay 
Red Bellied Woodpecker


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