Galana's fourth effort. "Never mind the quality feel the width".

[TonyQ]

Well done on reaching 300. A very enjoyable set of photos from Uganda, and an excellent choice for the milestone.

[Galana]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

And there are more, as I remember !

Just a few!

 

Thanks everyone.

@Dave Williams when you say Finfoot was somewhere it should not have been, do you mean the Country or just location such as on a Restaurant Menu?

[Dave Williams]

On the menu..... where I saw it......draw your own conclusions ......yum, yum!

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations. Great sighting! 

[xelas]

3 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Congratulations. Great sighting! 

 

It was as good as the sighting of the Shoebill if not better!

[Soukous]

Congrats on reaching #300 - and a very accommodating Finfoot.

[Soukous]

If you get bored with EBCs and want a challenge Fred 

 

Follow This Guideline to Get Tack Sharp Focus While Hand Holding your Camera

 

https://www.lightstalking.com/follow-this-guideline-to-get-tack-sharp-focus-while-hand-holding-your-camera/

[xelas]

38 minutes ago, Soukous said:

If you get bored with EBCs and want a challenge Fred 

 

Follow This Guideline to Get Tack Sharp Focus While Hand Holding your Camera

 

https://www.lightstalking.com/follow-this-guideline-to-get-tack-sharp-focus-while-hand-holding-your-camera/

 

Basically, a good article. But 2014 is like Ice Age in terms of digital cameras development. The various systems of image stabilisation has changed the game completely.

 

What I think is the biggest obstacles with bridge cameras to get a sharp photo are:

1. the (small) size of the sensor

2. the (slow) speed of acquiring the focus

3. the (too long) reach of the lens

 

 

[Galana]

Thanks @Soukous. a good read. but with my 1800mm zoom, that dictates a similar shutter speed if reciprocity is used. I don't think I can crank up enough ISO to handle that when stuck in a swamp or forest while Alex is counting his Bulbuls just in front.

Speaking of whom, I think his 2 & 3 hit the spot. Focus time is reasonable on the P900 it is the 30 minutes notice needed to get the zoom to extend that hurts.

And worst of all is the miniscule size of the viewfinder so by the time I find the bird in the bush, locate in viewfinder, extend the zoom whilst holding breath, focus, the bloody thing hops ten centimetres along the branch and is out of sight. I need a lie down just thinking about it!

The irony is it does have some good points and can sometimes produce decent enough results for @Dave Williams to accuse me of pinching somebody else's pictures.

[Galana]

Thanks everyone. I do try. My wife says I am very trying.

 

Here is today's further sample from Lake Mburo National Park.

 

301.  White-winged Tit.

 

302. Crested Barbet.

 

303. Greater Blue-eared Glossy Starling. Some would claim this as an EBC but it does not come close to my usual standard.

 

Lake Mburu permits Night drives so with Emmy behind the wheel and my good friend Moses on the spotlight we set out.

304. Verreaux's Eagle Owl. We never found one in daylight so this will have to do.

 

305. African Scops Owl.

 

Then what could have so easily been an epic EBC til it moved.

 

306. Black-shouldered Nightjar.

 

307.  Rufous-chested Swallow.

 

308. European Bee-eater. This took some hunting down but I got it.

 

309. Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird.

 

310. Three-banded Plover. A bit fuzzy as it was raining.

 

 

[michael-ibk]

The first Verreaux´s is very artsy, ample proof of your unrivaled mastery. Really like the Tit, and always good to see "our" Bee-Eaters. The Scops Owls seems to have lost its "ears".

[Galana]

1 hour ago, michael-ibk said:

The Scops Owls seems to have lost its "ears".

It was obviously very relaxed and respectful!

[Soukous]

5 hours ago, xelas said:

Basically, a good article. But 2014 is like Ice Age in terms of digital cameras development. The various systems of image stabilisation has changed the game completely.

 

Agreed Alex, it was meant as a joke. 

 

I spend a lot of time trying to persuade people not to be seduced by bridge cameras with super zooms. 

They are a nightmare for moving subjects, especially little ones like birds. Quite apart from the difficulty of acquiring the subject most people have no chance at all of holding the camera steady at a zoom range of 1400 (Nikon B700)  - 2000 (Nikon P1000)

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Soukous said:

most people have no chance at all of holding the camera steady at a zoom range of 1400 (Nikon B700)  - 2000 (Nikon P1000)

No need to rub it in!

It has/had two advantages for me.

I don't get a bad back lugging it around.

It was 'free' with amazon vouchers.

Free is one four letter word I am allowed to use by dear wife.

[Soukous]

13 hours ago, Galana said:

No need to rub it in!

 

I'll stop digging 

[Galana]

So to today's ration.

 

 311. Chinspot Batis in the fog.

 

312. Long-tailed (Tabora) Cisticola. Another one that 'the book' says is not here but it certainly is.

 

313. Bearded Woodpecker.

 

314. Meyers Parrot. Whilst we did see other more restless versions this was the only time we had them perch.

I have no idea what photos the others got but at around half a mile I rest my case for my P900.

 

More cooperative was this songster.

315. Brown-backed Scrub-Robin.

We are now out of the Mburo NP and heading reluctantly for Entebbe but we ain't done yet!

 

316. Purple-banded Sunbird.

 

Down a side track we paid a visit to Kaku Swamp. Yes! ANOTHER swamp.

High water levels had changed habitats so we dipped on Swamphen and one or two others. We also took lunch and got into some sort of row with some locals so left.

But not before.......

 

317. Jackson's Golden-backed Weaver.

 

318. Carruther's Cisticola.

 

319. Hottentot Teal.

 

And back on the main road we caused our own hold up when I spotted our one and only...

320. Speckled Pigeon.

 

As we are now heading for home you may be forgiven for thinking it's all over much like a certain Soccer match crowd many year's ago.

That is not the crowd's roar that you can hear but the sound of a barrel being scraped.

 

Can one really spend three weeks in Africa and NOT see a Marabou Stork, Jacana or Egyptian Goose?

 

Watch the next episode and be prepared for a few EBCs.

Edited April 18, 2020 by Galana

[pedro maia]

Belated congrats on the triple ton!!

[pedro maia]

23 hours ago, Soukous said:

 

Agreed Alex, it was meant as a joke. 

 

I spend a lot of time trying to persuade people not to be seduced by bridge cameras with super zooms. 

They are a nightmare for moving subjects, especially little ones like birds. Quite apart from the difficulty of acquiring the subject most people have no chance at all of holding the camera steady at a zoom range of 1400 (Nikon B700)  - 2000 (Nikon P1000)

 

A bridge camerea is ok to complement a DSLR and in occasions one can get a nice photo.

 

The problem is that when you´re on foot, 2 cameras plus the binoculars aren´t very practical so a choice has to be done and believe me, the choice is never the right one but that´s something we only find out when the harm is done.

[Peter Connan]

I know I'm going to get flack for this, but a good camera and lens makes binoculars effectively superfluous.

 

I personally cannot identify birds I don't know with binoculars. My memory is too short. Much more effective to take the picture before the bird escapes.

 

I have an excellent pair of binos which I hardly ever use nowadays.

[Galana]

No flack from me @Peter Connan it is a matter of degree and balance. I like to grab a picture (any picture as you have seen ) and then watch a while and if the birdy sticks around go in for another snap.

I have companions at both end of the spectrum. One loves to examine the bird at length only for us to find when it is time to move on he says "Hang on I need a photo!" Another fires off a full magazine broadcast and then when he gets home wonders what the heck it was he saw.

I would rather be without my camera than my binoculars (some of you on here may prefer it if I was!) but by and large I like to have both. Bins on a nice X belt and camera in hand.

[xelas]

11 hours ago, Galana said:

Another fires off a full magazine broadcast and then when he gets home wonders what the heck it was he saw.

Whoa, such people exists ?

 

Anyway, what Peter said is true also for us. Zvezda never use binoculars as she had a long lens in her hand. I do use binoculars but sadly, to repeat Peter's words "I personally cannot identify birds I don't know with binoculars. My memory is too short." The list of birds I do know is even shorter .

Edited April 6, 2020 by xelas

[Galana]

2 hours ago, xelas said:

The list of birds I do know is even shorter .

Yes! but with practice it is getting better. You know at least four more than you did when we started!

[Soukous]

17 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

 

I have an excellent pair of binos which I hardly ever use nowadays.

 

How true. I've got 2 pairs on binoculars and a spotting scope. The binoculars come out occasionally, the spotting scope almost never, because I need a tripod to use it.

I agree with the 'get a picture as quickly as you can' philosophy. Even if you are not participating in BY, even if I did not know the bird when I took the picture, I can usually work out what it is from the photo. - Or failing that I can ask Fred 

On the occasions I use binoculars it is when I am just watching birds - usually because I don't think I can get a worthwhile photo -  and I try as hard as I can to memorise key features so that I can then look in the book.

[Dave Williams]

Once again it's a question of weight what I carry around. I hate having a pair of 'bins hanging from my neck too and I try not to take a rucksack/camera bag anymore either so , yes, camera and lens first, 'bins second.I do however like to have the latter with me when I'm sat in a hide. Much easier to spot things than the limited field of view and scanning ability you get looking through a prime lens of equal magnification.

[Galana]

On 4/5/2020 at 12:50 PM, Galana said:

That is not the crowd's roar that you can hear but the sound of a barrel being scraped.

 

Can one really spend three weeks in Africa and NOT see a Marabou Stork, Jacana or Egyptian Goose?

 

Watch the next episode and be prepared for a few EBCs.

Well if that has not put you off altogether I will continue.

Earplugs for the scraping barrel

and "No but it twas a close run thing as Wellington once said" to the question,

Here are the next ten.  I will restrict to one of each to spare any blushes.

 

321. Egyptian Goose. How could I overlook them??

 

322. Olive Thrush.

 

323. Bue-headed Sunbird.

 

324. Yellow-bellied (Swee) Waxbill.

 

325. Caspian Plover.  With a little help from my friends.

 

326. Ruff.  Very!!

 

327. Marabou Stork. So ugly they deserve two.

 

328. Chubb's Cisticola. Specifically photoed for this very thread outside my tent in Broadbill and I STILL forget them.

 

329. Grey-headed Sparrow. The blighters were everywhere and the one got just HAD to hide his head in shame.

 

330. African Jacana. I had to go right back to Mabamba swamp to find one but as it is looking unlikely that I will get back to Africa in time to get a better one this will have to do.