Post your best bird shots!

[Andy Stringer]

On my recent trip to Chile, I spent half a day at a breeding site for Magellanic penguins. There are 60,000 pairs on Magdalena Island in the Magellan Strait. Here are just a few of them...


Magellanic Penguins by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr


Magellanic Penguin by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr


Magellanic Penguins by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr


Magellanic Penguins by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr


Magellanic Penguins by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr


Magellanic Penguin and Chick by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr

One of the chicks left its burrow before it was big enough and promptly became dinner for one of the scavenging kelp gulls, or possibly the skua - I didn't see how this chase ended.

Brown Skua Chasing a Kelp Gull by Andrew Stringer, on Flickr

[DavidEccleston]

Nothing exotic I'm afraid, but I've never see a Chickadee look up before.


Things are looking up by namethatnobodyelsetook, on Flickr

[Dave Throgmartin]

I like the pose too. We often have chickadees visit, but I don't recall them making that pose either.

Dave

[Dave Throgmartin]

I've been interested in a high quality telephoto zoom lens for a while and when I saw the 70-200 f/4 L USM for $559 I decided to act.

Here are some of my favorites from today.

#1 Sparrow in good light, bare lens 200mm @ f/4


2013_01_05_2356_upd by dthrog00, on Flickr

#2 We're watching you too, with 1.4x II @ f/5.6


2013_01_05_2383_upd by dthrog00, on Flickr

#3 A pair of sparrows in the falling snow with 1.4x II @ f/5.6


2013_01_05_2396_upd by dthrog00, on Flickr

I wouldn't read too much into the extender shots. Conditions were far from optimal with the snow falling and resulting light quality. It caused me to use ISO 1250 and the technical quality to be less than what's possible, but still like them. So far I really like the setup. I think the 135L is a great lens and I plan to keep it, but being able to team it with a zoom as good as the 70-200 is great!

Thanks for viewing.

Dave

[ahab1372]

Congrats on the new lens Dave! Great results in tough conditions.
Andy, the Skua chasing the gull is spectacular.
I too like the chickadee in the snow.

[Dave Throgmartin]

Thanks Arnt.

Here's a couple of 70-200 f/4 + 1.4x II TC shots in proper conditions. I really like chickadees, they're about my favorite backyard bird. They seem so happy and cheerful.


2013_01_06_2431_upd by dthrog00, on Flickr


2013_01_06_2430_upd8x10 by dthrog00, on Flickr

Thanks for viewing.

Dave

[canonclix]

Not sure what type of duck this is, after fighting with some Mallards over a styrofoam cup - it successfully caught this fish. It was a nice distraction while waiting for the eagles to get close enough for a decent shot - which didn't happen! There are plenty of eagles, they were just camera shy today.



Heavily cropped 5D3, 70-200vii+2xiii (400mm) ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/500 (I was missing the 1.6x crop today!)

[Busted Knuckles]

Not sure what type of duck this is, after fighting with some Mallards over a styrofoam cup - it successfully caught this fish. It was a nice distraction while waiting for the eagles to get close enough for a decent shot - which didn't happen! There are plenty of eagles, they were just camera shy today.


Heavily cropped 5D3, 70-200vii+2xiii (400mm) ISO 200, f/7.1, 1/500 (I was missing the 1.6x crop today!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_Merganser

[Joel Eade]

Looks like the new lens is very sharp.....did you do an AF micro adjustment?

[Jonathan Huyer]

On a whim I decided to catch a flight to Vancouver, and see the Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay. They are still there in significant numbers, after last year's irruption. This is proving to be one of the smartest things I've ever done. The shooting here is utterly fantastic. Got several BIF's, plus there are a lot of short-eared owls that are quite active. Loving the 1DX with the 500 f/4 and 1.4 TC. Two more days and then I head home... I'll send a link to an album when I'm done!