Jim's 1st (full) year

[xelas]

11 hours ago, JimS said:

Did you have obviously poor results that made you suspect (other than the noise) something was not right with your lens?

I have compared results side-by-side with Nikon, and for months I have the feeling that Olympus is behind in micro details and contrast. After receiving the lens from repair I do not "see" those limitations anymore. But it could all be only me.

The AI like Bird ID does help but it also does not. How to use the camera depends on the operator.

[Soukous]

1 hour ago, xelas said:

I have compared results side-by-side with Nikon, and for months I have the feeling that Olympus is behind in micro details and contrast.

 

stop pixel peeping, therein lies the road to madness. 

[JimS]

 

A couple of requests for help now.

 

First one is a white bird of the dove family, which I see from time to time on mine or my neighbours roof. I'm guessing it's a feral pigeon, but not certain as we generally don't get many in the area.

 

 

The second, a grey bird also of the dove family, which I saw making a racket in some trees while on a walk, and expected it would be a woodpigeon as they were around in numbers, then thought it looked more like a collared dove (with the collar out of sight behind its head). But now I realise a collared dove should have a dark grey beak and a dark red eye. Is this also a colour-variant of a feral pigeon?

 

[TonyQ]

Hi @JimSthe first (white) one is a domestic pigeon as you rightly suspected.

I am not sure about the second one.

[Galana]

The second one is  a Juv Woodpigeon. You can tell this from the other 'suspect, Stock Dove, by the white wing bar just visible on the left wing in the bush.

[JimS]

12 hours ago, Galana said:

The second one is  a Juv Woodpigeon. You can tell this from the other 'suspect, Stock Dove, by the white wing bar just visible on the left wing in the bush.

Thanks @Galanaand @TonyQ

[JimS]

 

 

BY12: Stonechat (Saxicola rubicola) - Jan 28 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

Work has been a bit intense the past 2 weeks, without much opportunity for walking about with or without camera. I made up for it with a trip out to RSPB Otmoor today. Many people make a special trip to Otmoor for the starling murmurations, but today the lapwings were out in numbers giving a stunning display to put the starlings to shame. I've a lot of files to look through and edit, but for now here's a stonechat who wanted to pose in the golden light of the afternoon.

 

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 342mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 400

 

Edited January 29 by JimS

[JimS]

I have some catching up to do. I don't mean catching up to others (@BRACQUENEis at 51 already! ) as I don't think I'll be challenging the overall numbers, but catching up sorting through the photos (and videos) I've taken in the last couple of weeks. Procapture and 120 fps are fantastic features, but I must learn to use them sparingly

 

Back to Otmoor then...

 

BY13: Eurasian wigeon (Mareca penelope) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

Judging by the sounds, there were plenty of these around, but few came very close.

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 200 (cropped ~4x in post-processing)

 

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f7.1, 1/500s, ISO 320 (cropped ~4x in post-processing)

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f7.1, 1/500s, ISO 200 (cropped ~4x in post-processing)

 

 

BY14: Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

The fancier-looking male was present, but scarpered before I could get a shot off. The female, despite her comparative drabness was happy to pose.

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 1000

 

Edited February 4 by JimS

[JimS]

BY15: Tufted duck(Aythya fuligula) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/640s, ISO 400

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 100mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 200

 

 

 

[JimS]

BY16: Grey heron(Ardea cinerea) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 320

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 640

[JimS]

BY17: Eurasian blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 1000

 

[michael-ibk]

Interesting Pheasant photo, seems to think she's a Wader!

[JimS]

 

Still going through photos from Otmoor now 2 weekends ago...

 

BY18: Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

First of two birds of prey photographed that day...

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm (heavily cropped), f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 250

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm (heavily cropped), f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 250

 

BY19: Common buzzard(Buteo buteo) - 28 Jan 2024 (and 3 Feb)

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK (and Thame, Oxfordshire)

 

There were a couple of marsh harriers and a hen harrier reported around Otmoor that day, but I didn't see, let alone photograph, either. I did get a couple of buzzard shots (OK, I know the second pic is a common buzzard, and I'm pretty certain the first is but perhaps someone can confirm).

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/500s, ISO 500

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/125s, ISO 640

 

... and leaping forward in time a little, walking the dog nearer home a week later, I spied a large dark shape through a thick hedgerow which I thought at first was a kite but a closer look revealed yet another buzzard. Auto-focus was not working at all, so I resorted to manual and was pleased to get the result below.

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/1000s, ISO 3200

[JimS]

BY20: Red-crested pochard (Netta rufina) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

Now established as a regular breeder here in the UK I understand, either from a growing feral escapee population or increasing visitors from more southerly parts of Europe.

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm (cropped ~2x), f6.3, 1/800s, ISO 640

 

[JimS]

BY21: Northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm (cropped ~2x), f6.3, 1/600s, ISO 250

 

[JimS]

BY22: European golden plover (Pluvialis apricaria) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

Golden plovers were competing with the lapwings in their aerial displays. I think the lapwings won on numbers alone, but the goldies put up a brilliant show.

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 100mm, f8, 1/250s, ISO 200

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm (~2x cropped), f8, 1/250s, ISO 320

[JimS]

BY23: Northern lapwing (Vanellus vanellus) - 28 Jan 2024

RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire, UK

 

Estimates posted on the Otmoor blog numbered the lapwing at around 3,000 and I could well believe it.

 

 

 

 

[TonyQ]

Otmoor looks like an interesting place to visit. we will have to try it sometime.

[BRACQUENE]

For me too Otmoor looks like an amazing place to do some birding @JimSbut I will have stick with Belgium for the moment !

[JimS]

I think I still have a few more to add from Otmoor, but most are EBCs which might stay in the drawer in the hope of better pics.

 

Work is still very busy, so not much new to report except a lifer (many/most birds are lifers for me , but I really don't recall seeing a blackcap before). Taken through hazy double-glazing I'm afraid so this is the best I could get.

 

BY24: Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) - 20 Feb 2024

 

OM-1, Olympus 100-400 @ 400mm, f6.3, 1/800s, ISO 8000

 

Edited February 20 by JimS

[Soukous]

16 hours ago, JimS said:

Taken through hazy double-glazing I'm afraid so this is the best I could get.

 

you need @xelasto come and clean your windows

[xelas]

21 hours ago, Soukous said:

you need @xelasto come and clean your windows

Not available for next 14 days! In the meantime you could clean the photo using Topaz or similar software, and increasing the contrast will remove some of the double-glazed window effect.

[JimS]

 

I've some catching up to do... starting with an easy one from the garden and then a few from a walk around Port Meadow in Oxford.

 

BY25: Feral pigeon (Columba livia domestica) - 12 Mar 2024

Oxfordshire, UK

 

 

BY26: Pied wagtail  (Motacilla alba) - 30 Mar 2024

Port Meadow, Oxford, UK

 

 

BY27: Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) - 30 Mar 2024

Port Meadow, Oxford, UK

 

 

 

BY28: Common chiff-chaff (Phylloscopus collybita) - 30 Mar 2024

Port Meadow, Oxford, UK

 

 

BY29: Eurasian Magpie (Pica pica) - 30 Mar 2024

Port Meadow, Oxford, UK

 

 

 

BY30: Common treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) - 30 Mar 2024

Port Meadow, Oxford, UK

 

An early reach into the EBC drawer, as I'm not sure I'll spot another of these this year. I was keeping still waiting for some greenfinches to reappear from hiding (they didn't) when I spotted this treecreeper. Autofocus was struggling, the best I could manage was this quick attempt at manual focus before it disappeared.

 

[JimS]

Then, more recently, a walk in Epping Forest last weekend gave opportunity to shoot (photographically) some more water-fowl.

 

BY31: Common pochard (Aythya ferina) - 1 Apr 2024

Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex, UK

 

Male:

 

Female:

 

BY32: Common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) - 1 Apr 2024

Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex, UK

 

Wikipedia says these are also known as "Swamp Chickens". I can't say I've ever heard this, but maybe somewhere this is how they're known.

 

 

 

BY33: Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) - 1 Apr 2024

Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex, UK

 

 

 

 

BY34: Great-crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus) - 1 Apr 2024

Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex, UK

 

 

BY35: Greylag goose (Anser anser) - 1 Apr 2024

Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex, UK

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JimS]

And a 2-for-the-price-of-1 shot:

 

BY36: Canada goose (Branta canadensis) and

BY37: Mute swan (Cygnus olor) - 1 Apr 2024

Connaught Water, Epping Forest, Essex, UK