TonyQ's Year (A beginner's tale)

[TonyQ]

102. (K2). Von Der Decken’s Hornbill Tockus deckeni

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 13.01.2016

 

[TonyQ]

103. (K3). Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 12.01.2016

[TonyQ]

104. (K4). Northern White-Crowned Shrike Eurocephalus rueppelli

 

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

[TonyQ]

105. (K5). Martial Eagle Polymaetus bellicosus

 

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Flying off with Monitor Lizard in claws

[michael-ibk]

 

 

I have been trying 1/640 as a walk about speed (also experimented with 1/500 and 1/800 but not decided yet). Using Av priority still comes more naturally and I think I prefer it, but trying different settings has led to fewer failures due to too slow a shutter speed (though there are still lots of other reasons for the failures ) What settings are you using?

 

I always use faster shutter speeds, but I´m not a particularly steady holder since I´ve been having some problems with tenosynivitis for quite some time now. So I have to compensate for that. I use mostly AV with Auto ISO. With the Canon 7d I can set if the shutter speed the camera chooses should be normal, slow, slower, fast or faster (with a bit more parameters), and I always use faster or fast (depending on the weather and light.) In order not to get too much noise I cap the Auto ISO at 1600 or 3200, sometimes more (depending on the weather, the setting and the time of day.) On the lower end, I cap at ISO 200. This was a recommendation in the book on the 7d, arguing there is no visible quality difference and it does get you more speed. If a bird is very accommodating and stays around I set ISO manually.

 

For birds in flight I switch to TV, and go to 1600 or 2000 or even faster with birds like Swallows. I always overexpose those which helps a lot. With these shots I deactivate the Image Stabilisator. I have been told that this makes the AF a bit faster. (I have also heard by some that IS is degrading quality with high shutter speeds, but I haven´t noticed that, and there does not seem to be a clear consenus. Maybe it also depends on the camera.)

 

I always use single point focus, only for birds ins flight against a clear sky I choose the zone focus.

[TonyQ]

106. (K6) Lilac Breasted Roller Coracias caudate

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Ol Pejeta 16.01.2016

[TonyQ]

107. (K7) Red-billed Hornbill Tockus erythrorhynynchus

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 13.01.2016

Edited June 12, 2016 by TonyQ

[TonyQ]

108. (K8). African Grey Hornbill Tockus nasutus

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

[TonyQ]

109. (K9). Crested Francolin Francolinus sephaena

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

[TonyQ]

110. (K10). Common Drongo Dicrurus adsmilid

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

ebc - but the only Drongo I have a picture of! (notice the nice sharp branch )

 

[michael-ibk]

Don´t we all hate those sharp branches!

 

Love the Black-Faced Sandgrouse and the Martial Eagle.

[TonyQ]

111. (K11). Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

 

[TonyQ]

112. (K12). Yellow-necked Spurfowl Francolinus leucoscepus

Meru National Park 10.01.2016

[TonyQ]

@@michael-ibk

Thank you for those details - very useful. I have already changed the lower ISO from 100 to 200!

 

- (K13). Grey Heron Ardea cinerea

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

Olare Motorogi Conservancy 20.01.2016

Also seen in UK so not counted as a sighting – it is a real pleasure to see the same species in both countries.

[TonyQ]

113. (K14). Black-Headed Heron Ardea melanocephala

 

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

Ol Pejeta 15.01.2016

[TonyQ]

114. (K15). Long-Crested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

[TonyQ]

115. (K16). White Stork Ciconia ciconia

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

Ol Pejeta 15.01.2016

Ol Pejeta 15.01.2016

[TonyQ]

116. (K17). Wattled Starling Creatophora cinerea

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

[TonyQ]

117. (K18). Cut-throat Finch Amadina fasciata alexanderi

(f) Meru National Park 11.01.2016

(m) Meru National Park 11.01.2016

 

[TonyQ]

118. (K19). Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis

Meru National Park 12.01.2016

[TonyQ]

119. (K20). Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

[TonyQ]

120. (K21). Somali Ostrich Struthio molybdophanes

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

Meru National Park 12.01.2016

Meru National Park 12.01.2016

Now regarded as a distinct species, the blue legs and neck of the male are very striking.

[TonyQ]

121. (K22). White-Browed Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser mahali melanorhynchus

Meru National Park 11.01.2016

Also with a little Meru orange dust!

 

 

[michael-ibk]

I enjoyed seeing all these birds in your report, and it´s great to see them again here. Especially like the Cut-Throat-Finch and the Long-Crested Eagle.

[TonyQ]

@@michael-ibk

Thank you - there are a few that didn't make the report as the photos are not very good - and in this thread "Every Bird Counts"

There are also a small number I didn't put in as I thought I was putting in too many birds! How times change......