2021......a Tortoise in lockdown hibernation?

[michael-ibk]

I always love your Badger photos Dave. And the Snow Bunting – very high on my list!

[Kitsafari]

wow cute snow buntings! and starlings are really pretty birds, even if they are supposedly common birds. 

 

 

[Dave Williams]

I began last year with two want to photograph  UK birds at the top of my list. Green Woodpecker and Merlin.

I failed on both, lockdown finished my opportunity of Merlin and lack of effort the Green Woodpecker.

Yesterday I gave its another go!

The GW is very loud and vocal at this time of year and in the last couple of years they seem to have taken to some local woodland. They are pretty rare in North Wales unlike Southern England where they can be seen feeding in parks and commons.

No, the local bird is a different challenge altogether. I have seen it flying around when I have been out for a walk, and when out doing likewise with Claire two days ago there would have been distant photo opportunities if I'd had a camera.

Yesterday I went back alone because I knew it would take time and patience to get anything at all.

I chuckled to myself when I saw this shot. Yes, an outright winner of the EBC of the year award if I could get it accepted..but that wasn't holding up too much hope either!

 

It's plain to see if you look. a GW in flight!! My new kit just couldn't deal with it.

The bird was flying around fro tree to tree, most of the time pretty distant but if I went in to the woods I might be a lot closer but although you could hear it close by I couldn't see it. Too well camouflaged, too many trees and branches. The only time I got a clear view was when I went up on to open ground higher up the hill and got a clear view of the tree tops. 

That's when I saw it and it was there for a long enough stop to get a few shots in too. At at least 50m distance they were never going to be outstanding but I got what I was after!

49)Green Woodpecker

Green Woodpecker by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Why it was so high up the list is probably because it's a challenge.

Edited March 19, 2021 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

I was so pleased with the Green Woodpecker I completely forgot the 50) Great Spotted one I shot out of the bathroom window the day before!

[Galana]

Well done for persistence.

I honestly thought you were going to build up to a Merlin as well.

After all that EBC would qualify for either or any.

[Dave Williams]

@Galana There's enough colour detail here for a confirmation ID!

[Zim Girl]

Well done on finding the Green woodpecker @Dave Williams, it is also my number one bird to find this year. I know a spot but I have only ever heard them and never seen one.

[Kalaharikind]

Epic EBC!

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations on the 50!

 

A lovely pair of birds to get there with.

[Tdgraves]

Well done on the 50. I hear green woodpeckers every day around the garden, but I can’t remember the last time I actually saw one in it - I have much better luck on my local walks!

[Galana]

7 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

@Galana There's enough colour detail here for a confirmation ID!

If you say so. I thought that was a Bracket Fungus.

[TonyQ]

Well done on reaching 50!

[Kitsafari]

Congrats on hitting 50 from your lovely walks.  

[xelas]

Well done, Dave, to reach #50 so early in the year and so close to the home!

[Dave Williams]

On 3/18/2021 at 3:34 PM, xelas said:

@Dave Williams, is it possible for us to have a side-by-side photo of your previous camera gear and your new one? Too see the size difference.

Especially for you Alex!

The one on the left is the R5 plus RF1.4TC plus the RF 100-500 which weighs 2.725kgs 

The one on the right is the 5D4 with the 500mm f4 Mk2 and an EF 1.4TC which weighs 4.835 kgs

It would have weighed quite a lot more with my now departed 1DX2 instead of the 5D4.

The extra 2kgs saving does make a difference but having gone for a reasonably longish wander for the Green Woodpecker the smaller outfit still left me with a sore back yesterday which could have been a result of carrying it.

 

 

In terms of performance though, the 100-500 has a minimum aperture of f10 at 700mm whereas the 500mm is at f5.6.

It's a big difference on a dull miserable day for ISO and shutter speed, and it also makes a big difference when it comes to background separation and bokeh.

 

I have just tried a few mess about shots out of my bathroom hide !

This is the R5 ISO 1600 for all three shots

The 100-500 plus 1.4TC

The R5 plus 500mm plus 1.4TC ( plus the EF -rEOS adapter to let you use older non mirrorless lenses)

F10 and it shows that the 100-500 doesn't magnify to the full 700mm too!

But open up the aperture to f5.6 on the 500mm combination and you can increase the shutter speed to 1/320 and get a much more pleasing background too

 

That weight gain comes at a price which I'm not altogether happy with.

food for thought @shazdwn!

The rumoured roadmap for future Canon lenses doesn't look too encouraging in terms of getting the lightweight lens I really want!!

[Galana]

I never believed many stories of Lockdown induced madness but now having seen evidence of an adult Welshman  taking multiple photos of a twig from his bathroom window I think there may be some substance to them.

[Dave Williams]

2 minutes ago, Galana said:

I never believed many stories of Lockdown induced madness but now having seen evidence of an adult Welshman  taking multiple photos of a twig from his bathroom window I think there may be some substance to them.

 

You take lots of shots of twigs Fred....more than you do of recognisable birds too!!

 

[michael-ibk]

Well done on getting your target and to 50,Dave! 

[xelas]

 

1 hour ago, Dave Williams said:

Especially for you Alex!

 

Thank you, Dave, even more then I have asked from you. Size and weight difference is obvious. IQ difference less obvious to my untrained eye. However, f/10 vs f/5.6 is a huge difference, even with modern sensors and software.

[Dave Williams]

14 minutes ago, xelas said:

 

 

Thank you, Dave, even more then I have asked from you. Size and weight difference is obvious. IQ difference less obvious to my untrained eye. However, f/10 vs f/5.6 is a huge difference, even with modern sensors and software.

 

I don't think there is much difference in IQ to be honest Alex . What I really dislike about the 100-500 lens is that if you attach a 1.4TC to it you have to first extend the lens to 300mm for it to physically fit and then it stays as it is in the photo, permanently extended and now a 420mm-700mm zoom . If you stick a 1.4TC on my EF 100-400 lens there are no such problems you can wind it back in albeit it is now a 140-560mm lens. Reach is very important when it comes to wildlife but it's not everything, not quite anyway! 

[Dave Williams]

With a set of wheels the round trip to the end of the Great Orme isn't too daunting if you just want to pop out for a few shots of the new arrivals. The Snow Bunting seem to have now departed and been replace by a pair of 51)Lapland Bunting

Another chance to play with the new kit!

Lapland Bunting by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Soukous]

14 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

The Snow Bunting seem to have now departed and been replace by a pair of 51)Lapland Bunting

 

Nice. I've yet to see one

[PeterHG]

Wonderful species and photo! Would have been a lifer for me.

[Dave Williams]

One out of the bathroom window this morning in poor light!

52)Eurasian Magpie

[Dave Williams]

Back to The Great Orme headland later this afternoon and my first 53) Northern Wheatear  of the year.

Northern Wheatear by Dave Williams, on Flickr