Post your best bird shots!

[Joel Eade]

Spring is approaching here....the very best time of the year for my backyard is the last week in April and first 2 weeks of May. I have the most activity of local birds because of breeding season and migrants that are moving north as well. If anyone is traveling down I-65 or I-75 and have a few hours to spare let me know and I would be pleased to share some time in the backyard. The best times are from 0800 to 1100.

Took this early today....these are plentiful of course but it's tricky to get one perched above ground. He sat very still and allowed a slow shutter speed which was nice because it is gloomy this morning



1DX
700mm
ISO 3200
f/10
1/80
No flash

[sedwards]

nice !send some of those robins north , maybe they will bring some warmer weather with them lol

[Joel Eade]

nice !send some of those robins north , maybe they will bring some warmer weather with them lol

They should arrive any day now....there are flocks of them here already.

[Joel Eade]

Tufted Titmouse

1DX
700mm
ISO 2500
f/10
1/1250

[sedwards]

got another nice one today. now i need to start trying to name them.

IMG_5302 by sedwards679, on Flickr

[Joel Eade]

That is nice.....might be some type of Grosbeak.

[M_Six]

Today I went out to a local "marsh" to check out the migrating birds. This used to be a water treatment plant many years ago and when they shut it down they turned the ponds into a wetland area. There are three ponds. One is fairly large and is ringed by hundreds of feet of reeds. The other two are much smaller and more accessible, but the birds know this and tend to stay at the large pond. I was stunned by the hundreds of birds there today. This is a narrow FOV as I only had my 400 and 1.4x TC mounted today.



As I approached the small ponds the birds there all took off. There's just no way to approach unheard with all the dry leaves and grass around the pond. But I settled in under a tree and stayed quiet and eventually they came back. Still, distance was my enemy again today.

A ring necked duck takes flight.





Some northern shovelers.







And a red winged blackbird who performed a song and dance routine for me.



After the marsh I went down to Lake Charleston and immediately witnessed an eagle flyover. I also saw some great blue herons and a horned grebe.

[Joel Eade]

Wow Mark! That is a nice spot.....you should consider a small, inexpensive "pop-up" blind. If you can get both the sun and wind at your back the birds will land and take off towards you and the light will be good too.

[M_Six]

Thanks, Joel. I may need to get a lens coat for the 400, at least. It seems every time I moved the camera, the birds would spook. Other folks I know have gotten decently close by low crawling military style up the levee that surrounds these ponds. Maybe I should get a Ghillie blanket.

[Joel Eade]

Check these out........

http://www.outdoorphotogear.com/stor...phy-blind.html

http://ameristep.com/store/index.php...-category.html