Post your best bird shots!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsiegel5151

I was about 99% sure right when I saw the picture. But then when I read "never seen it before" I started to have second thoughts, b/c I know you have posted Indigo Buntings in the past. I was thinking you were talking about species and not sex of the species. I see the females all the time at Creve Couer park up by St. Louis. The slightly odd thing about the one you posted is that her median covert (or is that greater) is whitish. They are typically pretty monotone besides the blue and some faint breast markings.

---

Yep, I have several images of the all blue male but the females I have not seen at my feeders for some reason. Same thing with the Summer Tanager. Until this year I had not seen the female. Kinda strange.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ddt0725

Thanks! Just a basic Baltimore Oriole, I believe.

---

Looks more yellow (like the Audubon's) than orange to me but I have never seen one at my house.

Bryan announced the interview with Brutus Ostling and his take on the new 1D X for birding. I found it to be interesting.

The link is here;
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/...he_eos_1d_x.do

One thing you can draw from this interview, is what you can learn from his pictures. The second picture of an eagle on the page was taken with the 1D X and a 300mm F/2.8L II. No matter what gear you have, there is no substitute for getting incredibly close, which he had to do for this shot.

At present I agree with his take on the 2x extenders and the AF of the 1D X not focusing at F8 that it does not matter. However, when the II versions of the 500mm and 600mm come out my thinking may change.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HDNitehawk

Bryan announced the interview with Brutus Ostling and his take on the new 1D X for birding. I found it to be interesting.

The link is here;
http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/...he_eos_1d_x.do

One thing you can draw from this interview, is what you can learn from his pictures. The second picture of an eagle on the page was taken with the 1D X and a 300mm F/2.8L II. No matter what gear you have, there is no substitute for getting incredibly close, which he had to do for this shot.

At present I agree with his take on the 2x extenders and the AF of the 1D X not focusing at F8 that it does not matter. However, when the II versions of the 500mm and 600mm come out my thinking may change.

---

I read the article too. It is very superficial and I wasn't all that impressed with images they showed. I was also surprised that there was no mention of the difference between full frame and 1.3 crop factor. Also no mention of the lack of AF at f/8. They show one image with the 800mm and of course you can't autofocus using even the 1.4TC on that lens. Of course if you can travel the world to the primo spots where it's easy to get close to birds then full frame is no issue.

Joel; They did mention AF and F/8 on the second page and he played it down for them, and yes it was superficial because it is a sales pitch. Personally I never shoot with the 2X on my 500mm because I don't like the IQ it produces. But when the new versions come out I am hoping that changes and F/8 may be missed.

But, at 300mm on a FF camera I am not sure where in the world you are going to travel to get that close to a Bald Eagle, unless it is the Zoo. Of course he shot several weeks to get the shots that he has, most of us couldn't invest the time necessary.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HDNitehawk

Joel; They did mention AF and F/8 on the second page and he played it down for them, and yes it was superficial because it is a sales pitch. Personally I never shoot with the 2X on my 500mm because I don't like the IQ it produces. But when the new versions come out I am hoping that changes and F/8 may be missed.

But, at 300mm on a FF camera I am not sure where in the world you are going to travel to get that close to a Bald Eagle, unless it is the Zoo. Of course he shot several weeks to get the shots that he has, most of us couldn't invest the time necessary.

---

In Homer, Alaska they routinely feed the eagles and you can get very close....it's just not easy (or cheap) to go to Homer for a week or two:(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Joel Eade

In Homer, Alaska they routinely feed the eagles and you can get very close....it's just not easy (or cheap) to go to Homer for a week or two:(

---

What, Doesn't everyone go to Homer for the weekend:confused:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bob williams

What, Doesn't everyone go to Homer for the weekend:confused:

---

Can I bum a ride with you? :D

I have not been able to get any Eagles in to my set up yet but the songbirds are cooperating....

Attachment 1021Attachment 1022Attachment 1023Attachment 1024Attachment 1025

In regard to Homer, it appears that bird photography is just like all sports. The Pro's get the best facilities to work with. In this case it is a world class bird feeder for eagles in Homer.

The article I think was Canon's way of letting us know that wildlife photographers need to embrace the 1D X, as they are not going to give us anything else. Canon gives us these choices, for the crop factor 1.3 vs FF difference just move in closer. For the missing f8 AF again get closer so you don't need it, or use MF.