PC's fifth attempt

[xelas]

Loving the Bumbleebird in flight!! Great capture, Peter.

[Dave Williams]

8 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Then all you need to do is keep those four points on the bird...

 

Simple then!

 

I don't think so, magnificent efforts though,these are extra special shots of the Yellow-crowned Bishop, one of the most amazing sights I have seen in the avian world! When I saw my one and only I tried unsuccessfully to get something half decent and that was just sitting still! Flight photography was nigh on impossible from the car in Etosha but getting the exposure right on the yellow vs black was also a big problem for me too.

 

Interesting your thoughts on back focus and birds in flight. I wouldn't think you would have many situations where you would want to stop focusing. My recent trip to Goa found me deciding to abandon back focus in favour of the shutter button for swallows as I wasn't getting too far with the back button with a cluttered background and lack of contrast. It seemed to work better for me, maybe as I just had to use one button instead of two to focus and fire.

[Peter Connan]

@Galana, au contraire, I have an excellent forgettery.

 

Thank you very much @xelas

 

Thank you very much @Dave Williams. I did have one great advantage in both these sightings: the ability to get out of the car. Trying to get in-flight shots from behind a steering wheel is much tougher.

 

One of my favorite bird photographers, Ernest Porter (http://www.andrewaveley.co.za/ernest-porter/) shoots most of his small birds without focusing.

The ability to stop focusing (or to not focus when the shutter is pressed) is used in two situations:

1) Some birds (like bee-eaters) are known to return to the same perch. In this situation, you focus on the perch, and shoot a burst when you see him return, and hope for the best.

2) If you find a bird perched and there is a chance he might fly toward you (wind behind you), you focus on the bird, then "tweak" the focus a little bit closer, and wait for it to take off.

 

In both these situations, the AF system is almost guaranteed to be too slow to do it any other way.

[Peter Connan]

72) Cape White-eye

 

Kaapse Glasogie

Zosterops pallidus

 

 

 

27 January, my garden

[Peter Connan]

73) Common Moorhen

 

Grootwaterhoender

Gallinula chloropus

 

 

28 January, Marievale

[Peter Connan]

74) Squacco Heron

 

Ralreier

Ardeola ralloides

 

 

 

28 January, Marievale

[Peter Connan]

75) Lesser Swamp-warbler

 

Kaapse Rietsanger

Acrocephalus gracilirostris

 

 

 

28 January, Marievale

 

And with that, I am now on track at one bird per day of the year. Let's see how long I can keep that up for...

Edited March 16, 2018 by Peter Connan

[Dave Williams]

Love the Squacco in breeding plumage, what a difference they look.

[xelas]

Your collection of birds are increasing steadily, and with excellent photos, @Peter Connan! Are you already excited about what Botswana will offer us ?!

[Peter Connan]

Thank you @Dave Williams and @xelas

 

Alex, it is my only hope of getting a respectable score!  

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Peter Connan said:

it is my only hope of getting a respectable score!

Lots of waterbirds for sure.

Just don't get stuck.

[PeterHG]

The quality of your images seems to be higher with each post. I'm really enjoying your thread!

[Peter Connan]

@Galana, we are definitely hoping to get almost stuck. Well, when I say we, I am not sure I am including @xelas.

 

But the party consists of 10 serious 4x4's and one Toyota, all loaded to the gunwales with recovery equipment. I'm pretty sure we will be able to get un-stuck again! Of course, each of us is hoping to be the one guy who doesn't get stuck. The one doing the towing, rather than the getting towed. What can I say, we are boys...

 

Thank you very much for the kind comment @PeterHG

[Galana]

1 hour ago, Peter Connan said:

But the party consists of 10 serious 4x4's and one Toyota, all loaded to the gunwales with recovery equipment.

Splendid but which one has the camera for the BY2018?.

[xelas]

12 hours ago, Galana said:

Splendid but which one has the camera for the BY2018?.

 

I have, I have ... and I can always use also Peter's artillery 

[Peter Connan]

This one @Galana:

 

[Peter Connan]

76) Black Crake

 

Swartriethaan

Amaurornis flavirostris

 

 

28 January, Marievale

[Dave Williams]

The Black Crake is excellent. Tried but failed to get one in The Gambia. Shy little critters!

[Peter Connan]

Thanks @Dave Williams

 

Indeed, we only saw this one for about 20 seconds!

[Peter Connan]

77) African Stonechat

 

Gewone Bontrokkie

Saxicola torquata

 

 

28 January, Marievale

[xelas]

Saxicola torquatus ... only to show you I am following your thread with determination that your excellent photos are requiring, Peter .

[Galana]

2 hours ago, xelas said:

Saxicola torquatus .

All depends on which book you read. torquata comes out on most of mine save Sinclair.

Literally torquatus is masc, torquata is feminine.

As the male has the collar perhaps the world should agree on torquatus if not torquatum?

[Peter Connan]

Thank you @xelas and @Galana

 

I never had a classical education. So I cheat and just copy and paste from the SA Birdlife official list of Afrikaans bird names.

 

But, that was a male...

[Peter Connan]

Heading into quicksand now, identification-wise...

 

78) Ruff

 

Kemphaan

Philomachus pugnax

 

 

This is one bird which never breeds here, so we never have the opportunity to see the magnificent breeding plumage or the famous breeding behaviour of these birds.

 

28 January, Marievale

Edited March 19, 2018 by Peter Connan

[xelas]

He, he, he, no such education also on my side; Sasol book was my "whisperer" ... luckily we have @Galana to educate us