Post your best bird shots!

[jamsus]

We call this one "Garzetta"


Garzetta, Parco della Piana by Andrea Magnelli, su Flickr

[Dave Throgmartin]

Very nice, I could imagine that one doing very well in a photo contest.

Dave

[Joel Eade]

Mourning Dove (from my set up)

7D MKII
500mm
ISO 1000
f/4.0
1/320

[M_Six]

Love the dove, Joel. Super sharp.

I was out shooting with the Grand Prairie Butterfly Club yesterday and ran across this Greater Yellow Legs skipping through the marsh.


Grand Prairie Butterfly Club by Mark Johnson, on Flickr

[NFLD Stephen]

A bit of a backstory to this Puffin shot I took earlier this summer: Puffins are the Provincial Bird for Newfoundland and I've always wanted to get a nice shot of one. Unfortunately they do not live near me, so earlier this summer when I got my 100-400 I made a specific trip (7 hour drive each way) to see if I could find some. I heard they are common in Elliston so that's where we headed. Apparently there is a colony on a small island just a few meters off a peninsula, but there is no way to get on the island itself, so people typically wait on the peninsula to see if they will come ashore. When we got there the place was fairly crowded with tourists and a number of "serious" photographers (ie multiple cameras and 500-600mm primes). Unfortunately my 2 1/2 year old son was more interested in running around the cliffs than waiting for the puffins so we couldn't stick around long enough to get any reasonable shots. I knew that returning with my family would only lead to more frustration so I decided to get up before dawn the next morning for another chance before the kids woke up. Bit of a longshot as I didn't want to leave them too long, but I went for it anyway. When I first got there the place was deserted, including the puffins. I was disappointed, but decided to shoot a few early morning landscapes since I was there. While shooting some long exposures of the sea, to my surprise a puffin landed on the cliffs not far from where I was sitting. So I switched over my lens frantically and tried to get close enough for a few shots. Then more showed up. And more. Soon there were a couple dozen puffins wandering around the cliff edges near me! And with me being the only person there they seemed not to mind my presence. Definitely worth the missed sleep. When the puffins had left again and I was leaving I saw some of the other photographers from the day before just arriving. I still wonder if the puffins returned and they got their shots as well. In any case I'm glad I made the extra effort: I'm pleased with my takehome shots, but even more-so I enjoyed the peacefulness of being alone early in the morning surrounded by these funny-looking birds. Just reminds me that sometimes it's not about the shot, but the experience in being there.


by Stephen, on Flickr

Thanks for looking.
Stephen

[Bill W]

Stephen, nice pic, good effort on your part to get the pic and thanks for sharing the story behind your capture.
I'm still looking for my first decent shot of one of these guys.
Bill

[Kayaker72]

The early rise definitely paid off. Nice set Stephen!

[Bill W]

male hatch year ruby throated HB at honeysuckle flower.....settings; f7.1, shutter 1/125th, ISO 1250

[conropl]

Very cool shot Bill. Nice action.

[Karsaa]

Fasaani by Kari, on Flickr