Post your best bird shots!

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Originally Posted by M_Six

This was the scene out by my bird feeder just a few minutes ago. I boosted reds and blues and dropped the other colors to make the birds stand out. I think I have half the cardinal population of IL right here in my yard.

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Amazing....maybe they should make the Northern Cardinal the State Bird in Illinois rather than Kentucky....I have never seen so many all together.

I notice you have the rodent invaders like we do too!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by M_Six

This was the scene out by my bird feeder just a few minutes ago. I boosted reds and blues and dropped the other colors to make the birds stand out. I think I have half the cardinal population of IL right here in my yard.

http://bimmermail.com/critters/birds06-sm.jpg

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WOW!!! I never even see this many at one time in any of the nature preserves!! What the heck do you feed them to attract so many cardinals and blue jays too??? I have tried everything and have never been able to attract a woodpecker or blue jay! I only get one female and one male cardinal, a few chickadees, finches etc. ...oh, and of course the rodents with the furry tails!

My one very lonely cardinal ...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6...68396a0b_z.jpg
IMG_9946 by Denise Trocio, on Flickr

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

Yep....a female Downy...you're right. Very sharp image. The whites might be a little hot (over-exposed) but otherwise it is really well done. I don't think I have ever seen any bird images with the 135mm f/2 lens.

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Joel,

I've been trying to learn post processing and made the updates below in PSE 10 to improve the highlight details. What do you think?

Dave

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7039/6...99cdcf2b5d.jpg
2012_02_05_2664 by dthrog00, on Flickr

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Originally Posted by ddt0725

WOW!!! I never even see this many at one time in any of the nature preserves!! What the heck do you feed them to attract so many cardinals and blue jays too??? I have tried everything and have never been able to attract a woodpecker or blue jay! I only get one female and one male cardinal, a few chickadees, finches etc. ...oh, and of course the rodents with the furry tails!

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I buy these 50lb bags of peanut pickouts (I assume peanuts that failed some sort of inspection for human consumption) from a local Prairieland Feeds store. I also buy 40lb bags of black oil sunflower. I feed them daily unless we're away.

Here's a closer shot showing the peanut pickouts.

http://www.bimmermail.com/feeder/feeder-10-sm.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

I notice you have the rodent invaders like we do too!

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Yes, and some of them get quite large.

http://bimmermail.com/critters/raccoon06-sm.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Throgmartin

Joel,

I've been trying to learn post processing and made the updates below in PSE 10 to improve the highlight details. What do you think?

Dave

2012_02_05_2664 by dthrog00, on Flickr

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Dave, the Female Downy looks wonderful on my MacBook Pro.....good detail in the whites and great sharpness. Very nicely done.

Now get out there and put up a natural looking perch:)

I was in Louisville yesterday helping a friend with a photo shoot at the Kentucky Special Olympics State Basketball Tournament. I had some time in the late afternoon to stop at a city park that usually has some nice ducks.

ID MKIV
500mm hand held
ISO 800
f/7.1
1/800


http://joeleadephotography.zenfolio....64130746-5.jpg

Boat Tailed Grackle

1D MKIV
500mm
ISO 800
f/6.3
1/800

http://joeleadephotography.zenfolio....09234176-5.jpg

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Originally Posted by Joel Eade

Now get out there and put up a natural looking perch:)

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I'm not claiming this is that great of a picture, but it does have a natural looking perch! I put it up last weekend... wire tied a branch near my deck. I should come up something better later, but this is a start. We didn't have any sun the whole weekend hence the bad lighting.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6...07a3d206_z.jpg
2012_03_03_3221_upd by dthrog00, on Flickr