Post your best bird shots!

Thanks Brant ..... those are really good Downy pics.

There are 3 main ways to differentiate the Downy vs Hairy WP

1. Size: Downy is about the size of a sparrow (maybe 4-6 inches tall). Hairy is the size of a Robin (8-10 inches tall)

2. Bill: Downy has a short bill about 1/3 to 1/2 the head size. Hairy has a much larger bill more than 1/2 head size

3. Tail feathers: Downy has white outer tail feathers with spots of black and/or gray. Hairy has all white outer tail feathers with no spots

Looking forward to your images of the Hairy WP. They are frequent visitors to my set up but they are usually very nervous and easily spooked so it isn't often that I can image them in a good pose. One thing that helps is they will often stay out in the woods a bit and call several times before they come in so I can pre-focus on the perch that I expect them to use. That way very little camera movement is needed to get a few frames before they jump to the feeder or bolt away.

Thanks Joel. I haven't seen what I think is a Hairy in awhile. It looked a lot like a Downy, but was much larger, I'd ballpark it around 8-9 inches. Also, as it flew off, the wound was distinctively different from the downys.

Some recent shots of birds in my backyard:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...87290b93_b.jpg6S0A7173 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...33f19bfa_b.jpg6S0A7079 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b4edf19b_b.jpg6S0A7057 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...598f4676_b.jpg6S0A7045 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing! Brant

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

Thanks Joel. I haven't seen what I think is a Hairy in awhile. It looked a lot like a Downy, but was much larger, I'd ballpark it around 8-9 inches. Also, as it flew off, the wound was distinctively different from the downys.

Some recent shots of birds in my backyard:

6S0A7173 by kayaker72, on Flickr

6S0A7079 by kayaker72, on Flickr

6S0A7057 by kayaker72, on Flickr

6S0A7045 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing! Brant

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By your description that probably was a Hairy WP .... they are fairly elusive around here and tend to make infrequent and very brief visits to the suet feeder. Nice set of pics by the way.... love that Ruby Throated HB:cool:. What body and lens did you use on that one?

Nice set Brant. Joel is finally getting some competition again. ;)

Joel, for the Hummingbird, he used a 5D4, 500mm F4L IS II + 1.4x Extender III (Flickr shows it below the image, along with exposure settings).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DavidEccleston

Nice set Brant. Joel is finally getting some competition again. ;)

Joel, for the Hummingbird, he used a 5D4, 500mm F4L IS II + 1.4x Extender III (Flickr shows it below the image, along with exposure settings).

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Whoa, whoa, whoa....let's not get crazy here. I am still learning.

But, thanks :D

And yes, I am pretty exclusively using the 5DIV with the 500 f/4 II with 1.4x extender. Overall, a very nice set up. I've tried the 2x extender a bit, and it is actually a bit too much reach for my feeder, and the AF speed takes a bit too much of a hit for birds in trees behind my feeder. It has worked well in the past. Last year I got a few good HB pics when the HB was predictably working over a Butterfly bush in my yard.

I have thought about a higher frame rate camera, but, honestly, I am already sorting through enough images. If this was critical for me, sure, but 7 fps (which I've timed and is closer to 6 fps) isn't awful for taking 10-15 minutes a day and watching the birds in my backyard.

While we are at it....from May...just processing now:

Indigo bunting

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...9fbc3ecc_b.jpg6S0A5632 by kayaker72, on Flickr


Goldfinch (landed on top of my feeder, but the best shot I have, it hasn't been back that I have seen since this visit)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...b6740d14_b.jpg6S0A6339 by kayaker72, on Flickr

A couple RTHBs

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d370012b_h.jpg6S0A8082 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...57896f9c_h.jpgSmall-7392 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...Brant

I believe this is a juvenile Hairy Woodpecker.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1b946112_h.jpg6S0A9048 by kayaker72, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d22ef5eb_b.jpg6S0A9033 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...
Brant

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

I believe this is a juvenile Hairy Woodpecker.

6S0A9048 by kayaker72, on Flickr

6S0A9033 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing...
Brant

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I think you're correct ..... cute little guy, great images too!!!

hmmm....old camera still seems to work :cool:

Juvenile Red Bellied Woodpecker

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4ef3ba98_b.jpg6S0A8957 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Blue Jay

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...14a450a8_b.jpg6S0A8829 by kayaker72, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing! Brant

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kayaker72

hmmm....old camera still seems to work :cool:

Thanks for viewing! Brant

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Ha ha yes it sure does --- and the operator might even know a thing or two about how to use it properly too :rolleyes:. Goes to prove in the midst of all this excitement about new cameras, that the "old" stuff out there is also still really good.