End Of Year (photo heavy)

[SCraig]

Sunny and cloudy, cold and warm. We had a mix of everything for the last week of 2013 and the first few days of 2014. I took off a couple of extra days after Christmas and managed to get up early and walk around chasing after birds each day. Had a lot of fun but a mix of decent and lousy conditions. Here is a double-handful of shots from the past 10 days.


#1 - Actually this was earlier than last week but I haven't posted anything from this trip. Sandhill Crane at Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge - December 16, 2013

#2 and #3 - Buffleheads - Male top, Female below

#4 - Great Blue Heron Liftoff

#5 - Horned Grebe Mirror Image (long shot, heavy crop)

#6 - Ring-Billed Gull enjoying the morning sun

#7 - Pastel Flamingo

#8 - Shades of Gray - Mockingbird at Dawn

#9 - Sing For Your Breakfast

#10 - Do NOT Trip That Shutter!

#11 - You did it, didn't you?

#12 - Peck, peck, peck

#13 - Do NOT Trip That Shutter!

#14 - Peck, peck, peck. (Same bird, different day; there are a pair of them)

 

[manaheim]

Too many to comment on individually, but some beautiful ones.

I now want me a bufflehead.

 

[SCraig]

Too many to comment on individually, but some beautiful ones.

I now want me a bufflehead.

Thanks, I wasn't expecting individual comments. I just post them for the fun of it. If someone wants to comment on them it's appreciated and if they don't I hope they get a smile out of them.

Those were my first shots of Buffleheads. They were waaaaay out in the lake but meandering their way closer and closer so I hung around a little while. Those are pretty heavy crops but about as close as they were willing to get

 

[HL45]

I like the wren and the bluebird!

 

[Amyranth]

I love #5! also really like #9 - gorgeous shots

 

[MSnowy]

Nice set.

 

[hopdaddy]

Nice work .Scott . Enjoyable to look at !

 

[fishing4sanity]

I like them all, you've inspired me to get out and try some of my own. If you don't mind sharing, what lens did you use?

 

[SCraig]

I like the wren and the bluebird!

I love #5! also really like #9 - gorgeous shots

Nice set.

Nice work .Scott . Enjoyable to look at !

I like them all, you've inspired me to get out and try some of my own. If you don't mind sharing, what lens did you use?

Thanks everyone. I'm glad you like them and appreciate the comments.

Fishing4sanity, I used my Sigma 150-500 on a Nikon D7100 for all of these except the Flamingo. That was shot at the Nashville Zoo with my Nikkor 70-300 on a D7000. The Sigma 150-500 is my walkaround "Bird" lens. It's a lot to carry around but does a pretty good job. I also carry a Manfrotto 190CXPRO3 carbon fiber tripod a lot of the time even though I don't always use it.

Bird shooting is frustrating and rewarding at the same time. It's frustrating because the subjects absolutely will not cooperate in the slightest but it's rewarding when I get a decent shot. Give it a try, but be warned that it can be addicting

 

[JacaRanda]

#9 is great. I really wish I could get a close and clear shot of a woodpecker like that. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DarkShadow]

Really nice shots and fun commentary. Great job!

 

[D-B-J]

Some beautiful images there. Nicely shot.

Jake


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SCraig]

#9 is great. I really wish I could get a close and clear shot of a woodpecker like that. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks! As you can plainly see they were in heavily wooded areas, hence the branches constantly in the way. I saw that pair of Pileated Woodpeckers last Sunday and again this morning in the same area. They weren't that far off but well up in brushy trees. I took a bunch of shots but most of them had more branches than birds

The Wren in #9, on the other hand, sat on that limb about 25' away from me just singing his little heart out. The same pattern of chirps each time, and it was normally answered by another Wren on the other side of the lake.

 

[SCraig]

Really nice shots and fun commentary. Great job!

Some beautiful images there. Nicely shot.

Jake

Thanks guys. I'm glad you like them and appreciate the comments. I love to get out and walk around the lakes here and getting shots of the birds just makes it better.

 

[bc_steve]

#9 is awesome!! well done