Wild Bird Bonanza!

Rafterman · Mar 8, 2013

Lots of colors and species for your critique and viewing pleasure.

1) Hooded Mergansers. Shot from pretty far away because these birds spook VERY easily! That's a thin sheet of ice behind them, because our pond had partially frozen over. Yes, the shot is a bit dark, but I underexposed in an effort to keep the white on their heads from blowing out.

200mm, 1/1000, f/5.6, ISO 200

2) Carolina Wren

300mm, 1/400, f/5.6, ISO 200

3) Tufted Titmouse

240mm, 1/800, f/6.3, ISO 200

4) American Goldfinch

300mm, 1/400, f/6.3, ISO 200

5) Northern Mockingbird (just about to leave for work and caught him right outside the window, warming up in the morning sun)

200mm, 1/40, f/8, ISO 200

6) American Robin (taking a break from digging in the dirt so we could have a staring contest!)

300mm, 1/40, f/8, ISO 100

7) Ruddy Turnstone (breeding plumage) at the NC coast.

200mm, 1/800, f/5.6, ISO 100

8) Brown-headed Cowbird

200mm, f/5.6, ISO probably 800

Designer · Mar 8, 2013

I enjoyed this very much! Thank you!

shelby16 · Mar 8, 2013

All are amazing shots! Great job. My personal favorite is #7.

PropilotBW · Mar 8, 2013

Great bird shots! I like taking pics of these little guys too. It's about all the wildlife I get here in Atlanta :lol:

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What lens did you use for those? 55-300?

Rafterman · Mar 8, 2013

Thanks for the kind words thus far! I love compliments, but I always benefit from constructive criticism as well. Keep the feedback coming!

PropilotBW said:
What lens did you use for those? 55-300?

Numbers 1, 7 and 8 were taken with my old Nikon 55-200mm VR. All the rest were taken with my newer Tamron 70-300mm VC.

coastalconn · Mar 8, 2013

Great Series!

Aloicious · Mar 8, 2013

nice! I like the look on #6, hes looking at you like your the bird paparazzi or something.....

Rafterman · Mar 9, 2013

Aloicious said:
nice! I like the look on #6, hes looking at you like your the bird paparazzi or something.....

He was more curious than anything. Here's a profile shot I got before our little staredown.

jbkm1994 · Mar 9, 2013

These are all great!

Rafterman · Mar 13, 2013

Male House Finch. There just happened to be a cloud behind him in the distance, which gave him a bit of an aura-like glow. I positioned myself on the other side of the feeder (sun at my back) this time to avoid another back-lit photo.

300mm, 1/320th, f/8, ISO 100, cropped for composition with vignette added in Lightroom