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

[RFC]

Originally Posted by echappist

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

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

Around here, Redtails and Coopers are the predominate hawks around me. I feed the Quail and doves, and the hawks also come by to get their share. What a sight to see a hawk dive through the canopy of trees that surround my backyard and smack a dove in mid air. The strike is clearly audible.

IMHO, that's a Redtail. Coopers are darker and their legs are bare with no feathers.

[echappist]

Originally Posted by jamesdak

I've got a lot of bird pics from over the years. Love shooting them.

wow, amazing shots. all those feather details, too. What equipment did you use?

Also, is that a kestrel? One wonders how long you had to wait to get that shot. What hawk species is the second one?

Originally Posted by rustychisel

Here's one from southern Australia, a Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrocephalus), photographed in my backyard (with kill). She was distinctly unhappy at my intrusion, even when I was 30 metres away.

is that bird native to Oz? reminds me of the sparrowhawks that are so common in England

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by echappist

wow, amazing shots. all those feather details, too. What equipment did you use?

Also, is that a kestrel? One wonders how long you had to wait to get that shot. What hawk species is the second one?

The Kestrel was shot using my old manual focus Nikon 800/5.6 adapted on a Canon 5D. To be honest I was leaving a morning of bird shooting at a refuge and saw this guy on the way out. Got off about 5 frames before he took off.

The other is a Swainson Hawk if I remember correctly. Shot before Minolta stopped making camera's with a Maxxum 7 and Minolta 300/4 APO.

[gasman]

My wife and I have enjoyed birding for many years yet we have avoided photography as it adds another layer of gear. Binocs, guides and spotting scope is plenty to carry around.

Great photos James !!

I also agree that the first hawk is an immature red tail. They have tremendous variability in their markings.
Too big to be a Coopers I think also.

[rustychisel]

Originally Posted by echappist

wow, amazing shots. all those feather details, too. What equipment did you use?

Yes, amazing photos, jamesdak.

Originally Posted by echappist

is that bird native to Oz? reminds me of the sparrowhawks that are so common in England

Native to Australia and New Guinea, but named for species known in Europe or UK, as so many are. Thus we have our own magpie, plover, crow or raven etc, none of which are related to their northern hemisphere namesakes.

[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...

[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.