OT: any birders / bird watchers on this forum?

[echappist]

Surely I can't be the only one. If you've got a good photo you've taken, it'd be great if you could share.

Also would like help with identification of a hawk. Can't tell the various common hawks apart...

[mtechnica]

I take a decent amount of bird pictures since I’m often out with a camera and they make my girlfriend happy. I’ll try to remember to post some later. She uploads some of them to e-birding or whatever that site is called. I still don’t really know anything about birds myself except that they’re difficult to photograph. Post your hawk? I’ll find out what it is.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by mtechnica

I take a decent amount of bird pictures since I’m often out with a camera and they make my girlfriend happy. I’ll try to remember to post some later. She uploads some of them to e-birding or whatever that site is called. I still don’t really know anything about birds myself except that they’re difficult to photograph.

especially so, when one is limited to a measly bridge camera with a measly 1/2.3 sensor

wild life photography may be the one hobby whose expenditure can seriously compete with cycling

Post your hawk? I’ll find out what it is.

here's one; the other shot with a bit more detail somehow can't be uploaded

i'm thinking immature red tailed hawk? not really sure. the telltale brown-red tail feathers aren't there, but it doesn't look like a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned either

[nighthawk]

Amateur birder here. I take pictures of them, enjoy ID’ng them and learning new ones. Have worked with birds off and on throughout my career. But I’m not on the level of keeping lists like some of my friends and colleagues. Can definitely help with ID’ng your hawk... and can suggest some books and apps that I have found helpful for identification.

[nighthawk]

I think red-tailed also.

[cash05458]

ummmm....believe that's a Cooper's hawk...but don't quote me on that...looks like an immature one maybe...

[echappist]

Originally Posted by cash05458

ummmm....believe that's a Cooper's hawk...but don't quote me on that...looks like an immature one maybe...

yeah, the plumage is really confusing

I swear i'm a lot more confused after reading a birder guide than I did before...

Originally Posted by nighthawk

Amateur birder here. I take pictures of them, enjoy ID’ng them and learning new ones. Have worked with birds off and on throughout my career. But I’m not on the level of keeping lists like some of my friends and colleagues. Can definitely help with ID’ng your hawk... and can suggest some books and apps that I have found helpful for identification.

very nice. have you birded both in Guam and the contiguous 48? Any particular photos you really like?

Most of the time the birds I see are quite "mundane", though I always love it when a cardinal comes around (especially when it's snowing).

[redir]

Birds have always been my favorite animals. I don't take pics of them really. I keep a little feeder right outside my office window where I work.

This little guy visits often.

[benb]

I am less active these days with birding & photography but I really do love birds.

This is probably the picture of mine I'm most proud of in terms of birds. Wild Barred Owl... IIRC this was my old Canon 5D + 300mm f/4 lens + 1.4x Tele Converter. I am way more proud of actually spotting the damn thing. My wife and I were snowshoeing and we spotted this owl. In our area you hear them constantly but they are incredibly hard to spot. We have a pretty large print of this (12"x18" matted & framed) in our living room and it gets a lot of compliments.



This one is not technically great.. exposure could be better, but I've always been psyched about this one because it's so rare to spot Swans in the air and I got the shot at all.. this thing came flying by me very fast and it was a huge surprise so I was psyched I even got it in the frame & in focus. This one was with just the 300mm lens I think and it was with my current 5D Mark III. This Swan came by me really close... it was like getting buzzed by a small airplane.



I do have a few more I'm really proud of.

Where I work I constantly spot Great Blue Herons and Red Tailed Hawks from my windows.

[benb]

I don't know what the deal is but I can't see the photos of the hawk above.

[45K10]

I like keying out birds but I am a crap photographer. Here is probably my best bird pic. It is a Kia from a trip to New Zealand a few years back.

[572cv]

Originally Posted by echappist

yeah, the plumage is really confusing

I swear i'm a lot more confused after reading a birder guide than I did before...

Birding can be fascinating, especially during migration. There are variations between mature birds of either gender and juveniles in plumage, and in time of migration. Doubly confusing. But, hey, that makes it more interesting.

[572cv]

Originally Posted by redir

Birds have always been my favorite animals. I don't take pics of them really. I keep a little feeder right outside my office window where I work.

This little guy visits often.

When its below freezing, having a little suet feeder is great for those guys. I think it is a red bellied woodpecker, which doesn't have a red belly, curiously.

[benb]

Originally Posted by 572cv

When its below freezing, having a little suet feeder is great for those guys. I think it is a red bellied woodpecker, which doesn't have a red belly, curiously.

These guys are really confusing.. we have a bunch of birds called "Flickers" which look like this and they are all quite hard to ID unless you have a good guide with you. (Which I almost never do)

Years ago my parents had a major issue with one of these during mating season deciding to "drill" their siding on their house. It was pretty crazy.. sounded like someone was hammering inside the house.

[buddybikes]

We are lucky to live on estuary, so this is my backyard. 5 egrets chomping fish down before migrating last month


Outside copy 2.jpg