...shows promise but needs to try harder

[xelas]

1 minute ago, JimS said:

 

Don't forget to add a 2x optical teleconverter as well, then you're at 3200mm FF equivalent!

 

Warning: To be used only if you have rock-solid hands .

[Soukous]

10 hours ago, xelas said:

 

Warning: To be used only if you have rock-solid hands .

 

and there is no wind 

[Soukous]

For the past week or so there have been reports of Whooper Swans within easy reach.

As usual they have located themselves in the middle of a field, visible quite easily from the road, but difficult to get close to.

We don't get big numbers of Whoopers here, and there are just 2 of them on this occasion, but they have been co-habiting with a pair of Mute Swans and have been staying close together for the past week.

(btw, the slight under-exposure is deliberate as I like to see detail on the feathers)

 

# 8 - Whooper Swan - Cygnus cygnus

Blaxhall, Suffolk. Jan 2024

 

 

 

and, because they are there as well, I might as well include a Mute Swan

 

# 9 - Mute Swan - Cygnus olor

Blaxhall, Suffolk. Jan 2024

 

 

 

Edited January 16 by Soukous

[Peter Connan]

Thanks

For the first time I have noticed the difference.

In my defense, I have never seen a live Swan of any description.

[xelas]

4 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

In my defense, I have never seen a live Swan of any description.

Shoooo, you should go and watch the Swan Lake !

[PeterHG]

Excellent shots of the Whooper swans and the exposure is spot on!

[michael-ibk]

Great start Martin, love the Cetti and the Snow Buntings, great job. 

[Soukous]

The bright sunlight streaming through the windows was seriously misleading. Outside it was bitterly cold. We don't often get -3° in Suffolk.

 

I set out in search of Smew, but wasn't clever enough to check the tide times and arrived at low tide.

 

I did find a couple of Golden Plovers, but they would not come close or even turn my way.

 

#10 - Golden  Grey Plover - Pluvialis apricaria squatarola

Hazlewood Marshes, Suffolk. Jan 2024

 

Edited January 24 by Soukous

[PeterHG]

The bill makes me think more of a Grey Plover than a Golden Plover, somehow, although it seems a little browner than I would expect in that case.

[Soukous]

48 minutes ago, PeterHG said:

The bill makes me think more of a Grey Plover than a Golden Plover, somehow, although it seems a little browner than I would expect in that case.

 

Yes, it could be either and I often struggle to tell which is which with certain plumage. Harsh light doesn't make it easier. 

[michael-ibk]

FWIW, agree with Peter here. But always tricky of course.

[Galana]

3 hours ago, michael-ibk said:

FWIW, agree with Peter here.

Make that three of us. Imm Grey do have a slight yellowish tinge on the rump.

[Soukous]

On 1/22/2024 at 9:11 AM, PeterHG said:

The bill makes me think more of a Grey Plover than a Golden Plover, somehow, although it seems a little browner than I would expect in that case.

 

On 1/22/2024 at 7:23 PM, michael-ibk said:

FWIW, agree with Peter here. But always tricky of course.

 

On 1/22/2024 at 10:24 PM, Galana said:

Make that three of us. Imm Grey do have a slight yellowish tinge on the rump.

 

OK, I've changed it. Thanks for the help.

[Soukous]

Stong gusty winds and choppy waters meant that our work day on Havergate Island was called off.  Even though the sun was shining and everything looked beautiful, the wind kept most birds hunkered down so even though the walk was enjoyable, it produced very little.

 

#11 Common Redshank - Tringa totanus

River Deben, Woodbridge. Suffolk. Jan 2024

 

 

[BRACQUENE]

What a coincidence Martin : I was just looking at my 2023 BY and this was  I saw on Boxing Day in Nieuwpoort Ysermonde : beautiful picture by the way 

[Soukous]

Most of the birds I see in the garden are seen through the kitchen window. Unfortunately if I open it the birds fly off. so I try to keep the glass clean. Even so, I find that mirrorless cameras are less able to focus through glass than my good old DSLR.

 

# 12 Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major

Ufford, Suffolk. Jan 2024

 

 

 

# 13 - Jay - Garrulus glandarius

Ufford, Suffolk. Jan 2024

 

[xelas]

5 hours ago, Soukous said:

I find that mirrorless cameras are less able to focus through glass than my good old DSLR.

Interesting observation. I will test it, just for fun. As for the glass in between, it has impacted quite seriously the IQ of your photos.

[TonyQ]

I haven’t noticed a difference when shooting through our double glazed window. If I shoot as close to 90 degrees as possibly the photos usually come out fine. No noticeable difference between Canon R7 and 7dii.

[Soukous]

15 hours ago, TonyQ said:

I haven’t noticed a difference when shooting through our double glazed window.

 

I may just have to accept that I am not as good at cleaning windows as Alex 

[Soukous]

18 hours ago, xelas said:

As for the glass in between, it has impacted quite seriously the IQ of your photos

 

Yes. they are awful, I was not going to post them but figured it's BY so anything goes.

[wilddog]

..and it does @Soukousperfectly well.

As you say it isthe SIGHTING that matters. The photo graph is just the evidence, although I recognise that skilled phoptographers, like yourself, want to provide optimum images.

 

The risk is that, if we crique quality here, less able photographers will not join in.

 

This also applies in trip reports IMO

[xelas]

2 hours ago, wilddog said:

if we crique quality here, less able photographers will not join in.

 Just to clarify, my comment is not a critique of the photo itself, just an observation of how that particular window/glass has had an impact on the image quality. As for the Big Year participation, its motto is Every Bird Count!

[Galana]

13 hours ago, Soukous said:

Yes. they are awful,

If you think THEY are bad, don't bother with through a windscreen, even a clean one.

[Soukous]

# 14 - Dunnock - Prunella modularis

RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk. Feb 2024

 

 

 

# 15 - Skylark - Alauda arvensis

Dunwich, Suffolk. Feb 2024

 

 

 

Most of my birding friends seem to have great good fortune when they visit Minsmere but my luck is woeful.

It was a beautiful morning and there were Whooper Swans to see, but many of the paths are flooded at the moment so some areas were inaccessible. 

 

I've already got these in my list but they do look much more graceful on the water.

 

 

 

They will probably be flying back to colder places very soon as the cygnets are now full sized

 

Edited February 13 by Soukous

[xelas]

@Soukous lovely Swans. Are they already done with fw 2.0?