Zim Girl's (very tiny) Big Year 2018

[lmSA84]

@Zim Girl - yeah! Great to have you onboard. Brilliant start. I don’t know a bunch of the birds too but everyone always helps out on the identification 

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

But it does mean that every single photo does require some time spent in post-processing.

@Zim Girl

Not only the time commitment but space on your memory card too. RAW will use up a card much faster than Jpeg so you either need bigger cards or more of the ones you carry.

Also shooting in RAW will take longer to process each frame in the camera due to the file storing more information.

To be honest whilst there is some loss of quality with Jpeg it is barely discernible for most of us. If what you have turned out so far is acceptable for your purposes then stick with it. Jpeg comes off the card ready to view. RAW does not. As @Peter Connan says you will need to post process each and every frame.

 

[Geoff]

@Zim Girl  Good effort, bird photography is not easy. Keep 'em coming.

[Zim Girl]

@Geoff, @lmSA84 - Thank you very much, waiting for this current very cold snap to blow over before I venture out again though.

 

Thanks for all your comments re processing.  My camera is a Panasonic FZ330 bridge.  I am generally happy with the pictures I get from it (provided I can get close enough to the subject) but I will switch to the jpeg+raw option for a while so I can use the jpeg if ok and try to improve using the raw on pics I am not so happy with.  At least that will not tie me down to having to process everything.

 

Thanks for all your support. 

[PeterHG]

Good to see you join in, Angie and, as others have stated, some lovely pictures there. I look forward to further contributions from you and hope you will thoroughly enjoy going out, taking photos and showing them in this beautiful thread!

[Zim Girl]

@PeterHG

Peter, thank you very much for your lovely comments.

[Kitsafari]

Taking courage from you @Zim Girl before I take the plunge. your photos are always great - far better than mine and just reading all those awesome BY threads is quite intimidating for a person who doesn't know anything about birds (except that they look really pretty), and about cameras (except to point and shoot). I'll just have to build a bit more on the homefront (and ID-ing all those LBJs and TBBs) before I start. 

[Galana]

8 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

for a person who doesn't know anything about birds

None of us did!

8 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

about cameras (except to point and shoot).

Point and shoot is common to all cameras. Just some people like to complicate things.

8 hours ago, Kitsafari said:

(and ID-ing all those LBJs and TBBs) before I start. 

Start today, don't delay!  Make EBC!

 

Come on in! Confuscious said the longest journey just starts with a single step!

 

Better give Zimlady her thread back.

[Zim Girl]

@Kitsafari

 

Absolutely you must join in. Looking forward to seeing the birds that hang out in your part of the world.

My progress is going to be pretty slow.  I am banking plenty of EBC's at the moment in the hope of getting better pictures later on. I saw 2 more Dippers at the weekend but nowhere near quick enough to take a photo!

[Zim Girl]

So we were walking along the River Brock on the outskirts of the Forest of Bowland at the weekend.  This is a good place for Dippers and we did indeed see 2 of them but I wasn't quick enough to get a picture  We also saw a few grey wagtails, I took some pictures but they are not that great so hanging on for better ones.

We also saw a Fieldfare and seeing as the BY is having a bit of a moment with these I will post this one even though it is definitely an EBC. Had to chase this one across the field to get close enough.

 

9.  Fieldfare

Next to the River Brock, Forest of Bowland AONB  -  03/03/18

Edited March 9, 2018 by Zim Girl

[Zim Girl]

We trip over pheasants in our area with so many shoots around and this male was very happy scratching about looking for food.

 

10.  Pheasant (M)

 

 

 

Pheasant (F)

Local wood near home  -  06/03/18

[Zim Girl]

11.  Blackbird (M)

Garden at home  -  08/03/18

 

Blackbird (F)

Garden at home  -  08/03/18

Blackbird (F)

Marton Mere, Blackpool  -  04/03/18

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

@Zim Girl

Very nice additions.

I am afraid that your Fieldfare does not qualify as an EBC - it is clearly identifiable, in focus, no camera movement etc.

[Zim Girl]

12.  Robin

 

 

 

Marton Mere, Blackpool  -  06/03/18

[Zim Girl]

These are all taken through the window at home, you wouldn't believe how long I spent trying to get them!!

 

13.  House Sparrow (M)

 

 

Included this one because it shows colouring on head and back quite nicely (shame he wasn't facing me as well)

 

House Sparrow (F)

 

Garden at home  -  08/03/18

 

Edited March 9, 2018 by Zim Girl

[Zim Girl]

12 minutes ago, TonyQ said:

@Zim Girl

Very nice additions.

I am afraid that your Fieldfare does not qualify as an EBC - it is clearly identifiable, in focus, no camera movement etc.

 

Thank you very much @TonyQ, that gives me hope 

[Galana]

Coming along nicely. Your Forest of Bowland stuck a chord. I love that place!

Also waiting to see what else you got at Marton Mere. No Geese?

[xelas]

Fieldfare definitively no etc! maybe you should try with the crop of the Chaffinch on the 3rd Pheasant photo . Lovely photos, all of them. Robins are very shy birds, I ams till failing to get a decent photo of one.

[Zim Girl]

On 09/03/2018 at 3:47 PM, Galana said:

Coming along nicely. Your Forest of Bowland stuck a chord. I love that place!

Also waiting to see what else you got at Marton Mere. No Geese?

 

@Galana

The Forest of Bowland is wonderful, we do most of our winter walking in the Trough/Bleasdale/Beacon Fell areas.

 

Please correct me if I am wrong but I have a feeling you are thinking of Martin Mere (diff spelling) WWT.

Marton Mere is a small nature reserve on the outskirts of Blackpool. We live in the countryside in the 'Fylde' area of West Lancs but it only takes 15 mins to drive there.  They have a big lake and a few hides there with reed beds, scrub, woodland and grassland habitats.  It is quite impressive for a small site. They get pink-footed geese there, apparently 70 were seen yesterday. (I am following the Fylde Bird club daily sightings).

[Zim Girl]

On 09/03/2018 at 3:55 PM, xelas said:

Fieldfare definitively no etc! maybe you should try with the crop of the Chaffinch on the 3rd Pheasant photo . Lovely photos, all of them. Robins are very shy birds, I ams till failing to get a decent photo of one.

 

Thank you Alex.  Actually I didn't even notice the Chaffinch. We get plenty of them in the garden over summer so should be able to get a much better picture.

[Galana]

3 hours ago, Zim Girl said:

I have a feeling you are thinking of Martin Mere (diff spelling) WWT.

Gottit! I always get those two the wrong way around!  It's an age thing!!

 

[Zim Girl]

14.  Blue Tit

 

Stanley Park  -  11/03/18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 13, 2018 by Zim Girl

[Zim Girl]

15.  Moorhen

Stanley Park  -  11/03/18

 

[Zim Girl]

16.  Woodpigeon

 

Stanley Park  -  11/03/18

[Zim Girl]

Surprised to find out that these birds have the much nicer name of Rock Dove.

 

17.  Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon)

 

Stanley Park  -  11/03/18