Yesterday's Birds

[Infinite_Day]

Northern Flicker Colaptes auratus
1.)
DSC_4106 by Infinite Day, on Flickr
2.)
DSC_4074 by Infinite Day, on Flickr
(I have better from the series but this shows off the plumage the best)

Red-bellied Woodpecker Melanaerpes carolinus
3.)
DSC_4134 by Infinite Day, on Flickr
(Little fart wouldn't move and I couldn't get a clear line of sight)

White-breasted Nuthatch Sitta carolinensis
4.)
DSC_4115 by Infinite Day, on Flickr
(If any better bird people can verify this ID I would appreciate it.)

Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis
5.)
DSC_3992 by Infinite Day, on Flickr
(Female. I'm still hunting the male. There was one with her but he flew off before I could get the camera up.)

Thanks for having a look. All comments/criticisms are welcome.

 

[FSJeffo]

Nice capture on #2, pretty nice bokeh too. What lense were you using?

JM

 

[cgipson1]

Nice capture on #2, pretty nice bokeh too. What lense were you using?

JM

EXIF data on Flickr shows a 420mm focal length! So he was using his 300mm with the 1.4 teleconverter!

 

[cgipson1]

Love #1 and #2.. lovely shots! #4 and #5 are nice too.. sharp and good color. I would crop them tighter, if you haven't already cropped!

 

[Infinite_Day]

Thanks for the comments, guys. It was the 300 f/4 + TC combo. It's my go-to lens this time of year and preforms incredibly when you get the shot right. It requires pretty high shutter speeds when hand holding even if you're braced against something to get a tack sharp image but it does create some lovely bokeh. Even 420mm on a crop sensor is not enough reach for small birds, alas, so they are all already cropped and I don't know how much tighter I could go without too much noise.

 

[PixelRabbit]

Nice shots Infinite, I would echo Charlie's thoughts on the cropping. Despite that you captured nice moments!
You also helped me ID a new ( to me) bird I got some shots of the other day, the Northern Flicker

 

[1000_Islander]

These are beautiful captures.

thanks for sharing

 

[sm4him]

Really nice; love #5, as well as 1 and 2. I'm still working on getting bird photos good enough to even bother posting again--haven't had much time lately. Thinking a teleconverter might have to be in my immediate shopping future.

And yes, I believe your ID of #4 is correct.

I have red-bellied woodpeckers, a red-headed woodpecker and downy woodpeckers--and they ALL mock me. They wait for me to spot them and lift the camera, and then, in a flash, they dart to the other side of the limb or trunk and start climbing away from me. But if I go out without the camera, they just sit and watch me, and I know they're laughing at me.

 

[Infinite_Day]

Woodpeckers and raptors are the hardest birds to shoot. I'm still working on the rest of the woodpeckers we have in this area. Thanks for the comments, all!

 

[Dagwood56]

Nice shots, really great captures of the Flicker, :thumbup: and your ID is correct on the white breasted nuthatch.