Post your best bird shots!

So, toward the end of the Apopka Wildlife Drive, Mike (Busted Knuckles) noticed two GBHs acting a bit odd on either side of the road:

Attachment 2799

Attachment 2800

We weren't sure if this was a territorial dispute or some sort of mating ritual (I am not enough of a birder to know male/female GBHs).

Sure enough, a little patience and the fight broke out:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...96021727_b.jpg6S0A0962 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...bedf47e4_b.jpg6S0A0979 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1f7f576d_b.jpg6S0A0995 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...02dc6008_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c93f79cc_b.jpg6S0A1000 by kayaker72, on Flickr

The fight ended on one side of the road with what I think was the adult GBH fleeing. The immature GBH gave chase, but this quickly ended with them both getting dunked and the immature GBH taking off:

Attachment 2801

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...75ac4aba_b.jpg6S0A1041 by kayaker72, on Flickr

A lot of fun to watch, but as far as I am concerned, just more evidence---Birds are mean.

:)

Thanks for viewing--Brant

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

A lot of fun to watch, but as far as I am concerned, just more evidence---Birds are mean.

:)

Thanks for viewing--Brant

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Nice series and I agree ..... I've also witnessed many instances of "mean" behavior. I see birds chase each other away from my feeders rather frequently. Blue Jays are particularly aggressive and even Hummingbirds will guard a feeder and chase off others who attempt to feed.

Another from Apopka Wildlife Drive....

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...47103d7b_b.jpg6S0A0335 by kayaker72, on Flickr

These are a couple more of my bald eagle photos from my trip to Rock Island, IL at the end of February.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...14c6d006_b.jpg2020_02_29_3644_LR_upd_14x11 by dthrog00, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b8e60d98_b.jpg2020_02_29_3413_LR_upd_14x11 by dthrog00, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing.
Dave

House Sparrow with Black Sunflower Seed, taken on New Years Day

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5738f916_b.jpg2020_01_01_3038_LR_14x11 by dthrog00, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing.
Dave

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...0d44738e_b.jpgIMG_1238 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Joel's comment about hummingbirds and "mean" behavior stimulated me to recall I had a shot of just that, taken a few years ago. These were in Sedona, AZ.


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...e56c8fc7_b.jpg
Humming bird rumble by dfwatsoneuro, on Flickr

Love the fantastic bird pictures from so many of the forum members!

Really like this one of the Cardinal Brant.... color is spot on and the details are great. (I might try to remove the oof stick going vertical behind the bird:rolleyes:)

The first three tell a great story

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

Really like this one of the Cardinal Brant.... color is spot on and the details are great. (I might try to remove the oof stick going vertical being the bird:rolleyes:)

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Thanks Joel. The things you do not notice, but then become apparent. I didn't really do a "patrol" of the edges, but you are right. I just tried to remove in LR, and did not really like the results. I may have to try photoshop, but, honestly, I barely know photoshop.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Busted Knuckles

The first three tell a great story

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I was just looking, and it looks like the links to flickr were broken for a number of my middle images. odd, but fixed.

That was pretty darn cool, watching those two fight.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

Thanks Joel. The things you do not notice, but then become apparent. I didn't really do a "patrol" of the edges, but you are right. I just tried to remove in LR, and did not really like the results. I may have to try photoshop, but, honestly, I barely know photoshop. ..

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I would start with the patch tool to remove large sections of the stick and then close to the edges of the bird I would zoom way in and use a very small clone stamp.
Make sure with the patch tool it is set at the top to "content aware fill".

This is my attempt at removing the vertical stick (and touching up the background) from Brant's excellent Northern Cardinal image using photoshop .....


Attachment 2815

Found a very cooperative raven today. I love these birds --- they're so handsome and intelligent. Plus they have an incredibly wide range of vocalizations.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Nature/Bi...DIV7338-XL.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

This is my attempt at removing the vertical stick (and touching up the background) from Brant's excellent Northern Cardinal image using photoshop .....


Attachment 2815

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Beautifully done. I will have to give it a try.

So, I am getting better with removing larger sticks...but none of my attempts are ready for display...

From yesterday. I am no birder, but I am pretty sure this is a pine warbler:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...00ec277b_b.jpg6S0A2789 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

So, I am getting better with removing larger sticks...but none of my attempts are ready for display...

From yesterday. I am no birder, but I am pretty sure this is a pine warbler:

6S0A2789 by kayaker72, on Flickr

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Beautiful image. The Warblers are a challenge to ID and I see very few in my area. This certainly could be a Pine Warbler although it's head seems more yellow compared to the image in my Peterson's Field Guide. It would be nice to see a full side view:)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

Beautiful image. The Warblers are a challenge to ID and I see very few in my area. This certainly could be a Pine Warbler although it's head seems more yellow compared to the image in my Peterson's Field Guide. It would be nice to see a full side view:)

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So, the yellow may be my fault. I was noticing green tints before I tried to ID the bird and adjusted the tint slider. It is still a very yellow bird, but apparently "Olive" is part of their coloring too.

A processed photo:
Attachment 2818

Two pictures that are unprocessed other than cropping:

Attachment 2819

Attachment 2820

5DIV images are actually very nice right out of camera. Still very yellow, but I am still thinking Pine Warbler. The last image shows some "Olive" near the wings.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

So, the yellow may be my fault. I was noticing green tints before I tried to ID the bird and adjusted the tint slider. It is still a very yellow bird, but apparently "Olive" is part of their coloring too. 5DIV images are actually very nice right out of camera. Still very yellow, but I am still thinking Pine Warbler.

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I agree.

Backyard Robin

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...71ef6099_b.jpg2020_05_02_3886_LR_upd_14x11 by dthrog00, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing.
Dave

White-crowned sparrows are not in northern Illinois for long.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...51bc407d_b.jpg2020_05_03_3930_LR_upd_14x11 by dthrog00, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing.
Dave

Red Bellied Woodpecker

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...90893869-4.jpg

5DS R
Canon 600mm f4L
AV mode with Pattern Metering
1/800
f/4.0
iso 800
EC +2/3
No flash

Cardinal love:rolleyes:

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...90895925-4.jpg

5DS R
Canon 600mm f4L
AV mode + Pattern Metering
1/800
f/4.0
iso 800
EC +2/3
No flash

Red Headed Woodpecker

Same EXIF data as the the previous 2 images but it's a bit of a screw up ..... should have dialed down the EC to zero .... there is a small area of the upper white breast that is overexposed and the details are blown out.

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...90898156-4.jpg

Yellow Rumped Warbler

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...90971145-4.jpg

Canon 5DS R
600mm
f/4.0
iso 1000
1/640

Hairy Woodpecker (F)

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...90975404-5.jpg

Canon 5DS R
600mm
f/4.0
iso 1000
1/800

Rose Breasted Grosbeak (M)

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...90978860-5.jpg

Canon 5DS R
600mm
f/4.0
1/320
iso 800

Carolina Wren with a tasty little spider snack!

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...90982926-5.jpg

Canon 5DS R
600mm
f/4.0
1/640
iso 1000

Amazing shots Joel! Keep them coming. :)

Downy Woodpecker...all wet.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...60ef35b6_b.jpg6S0A2503 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Portrait of a Titmouse

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...7bc43563_b.jpg6S0A3068 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Chickadee

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d7d8d016_b.jpg6S0A3458 by kayaker72, on Flickr

On the Titmouse image you have very nice details and I like the sort of radiant pattern in the background.

Female Northern Cardinal

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...92794758-5.jpg
Canon 5DS R
600mm
iso 1000
1/200
f/4.0

hahaha i get on here to post a couple of my first bird shots ever and see that joel beat me to it!

both are shot with my new 55-250MM lens

Female Cardinal
https://i.imgur.com/ytjESRC.jpg

Spotted Sandpiper
https://i.imgur.com/Z0jXHz3.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zach

hahaha i get on here to post a couple of my first bird shots ever and see that joel beat me to it!

both are shot with my new 55-250MM lens

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Both of these are really nice .... details are good and color is spot on. I love the background on the Sandpipier image.

Male Northern Cardinal

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...91893743-5.jpg

thanks for the kind words Joel, someday i'd like to make a good setup for bird shots, but we have to many feral cat around to do that at the moment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zach

thanks for the kind words Joel, someday i'd like to make a good setup for bird shots, but we have to many feral cat around to do that at the moment.

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Understand that problem .... I have one currently that likes to sneak around but it belongs to one of my neighbors. I keep my feeder and perches in an open space so that there is no place close for predators to hide.

Cardinal close up ... the details in the feathers demonstrate the advantage of 50 mega pixels

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...93498811-5.jpg
Canon 5DS R
600mm
iso 1000
1/250
f/4.0

Rose Breasted Grosbeak (F)

https://joeleadephotography.zenfolio...93501349-5.jpg
5DS R
600mm
iso 1000
1/320
f/4.0