Zvezda & Alex are still in the game - BY #9

[xelas]

Why not? It is a fun game, it forces me to learn more and more about birds, and to go out in the local nature more often (although I have neglected various local birding sites last year) and we are also aiming at new travel locations each year.

There will be many of the familiar birds from the same locations within Slovenia and probably Austria, yet there will be also new birding countries (hopefully more than one).

 

I would love to add more interesting bird-related info to our posts but those would all be just copy/paste from the internet; what I could do is to add the technical data for those inclined to read such stuff.

 

So let start the 9th Big Year in a row, and see where it brings us!

[xelas]

Early starters got the birds ... or something in that line. Although I am not an early riser (out of the bed), I do like to start the year with its first day, weather permitting. This New Year day was both sunny and warm for the time of the year, which allowed me to spend some time on the balcony, and to get a few of the regular winter garden guests.

 

The gear used was Nikon D500 with Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6 zoom lens. After last repair the lens max reach is 480 mm. Camera is used in M mode only. The crop sensor acts like a 1.5 converter = the Equivalent Focal Length or 35 mm focal length of 480 mm = 720 mm.

 

Why not OM-1? Because the lens started to produce some strange noises during our South Africa trip, and was sent to Portugal for inspection and repair.

 

Post-processing software used: NX Studio and Topaz Photo AI. Most if not all of our photos are (lightly) processed by camera native software and Topaz Photo AI. By "lightly I mean cropping, shadow&highlight correction, and brightness.

I will add a few more notes about Olympus in next post.

 

 

Ljubljansko Barje    1-jan-2024
 

BY 001  /  SI 001    

Eurasian Collared-Dove  -  Streptopelia decaocto

Lens (mm): 360
ISO: 800

Aperture: 8

Shutter: 1/500

 

BY 002  /  SI 002    

Eurasian Nuthatch  -  Sitta europaea

Lens (mm): 480
ISO: 2200
Aperture: 8
Shutter: 1/500
 

 

BY 003  /  SI 003    

Great Spotted Woodpecker  -  Dendrocopos major

Lens (mm): 480
ISO: 3200
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/500
 

 

BY 004  /  SI 004    

Short-toed Treecreeper  -  Certhia brachydactyla

Lens (mm): 480
ISO: 1600
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/500

 

 

BY 005  /  SI 005    

Common Chaffinch  -  Fringilla coelebs

Lens (mm): 480
ISO: 900
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/500

 

 

Lens (mm): 450
ISO: 900
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/500

 

 

BY 006  /  SI 006    

European Goldfinch  -  Carduelis carduelis

Lens (mm): 480
ISO: 1600
Aperture: 5.6
Shutter: 1/500

 

[Soukous]

15 minutes ago, xelas said:

Why not OM-1? Because the lens started to produce some strange noises during our South Africa trip, and was sent to Portugal for inspection and repair.

 

Oh dear, that's not good news. To Portugal for repair? Do you use @Game Wardenor @pedro maia?

[xelas]

3 minutes ago, Soukous said:

Oh dear, that's not good news. To Portugal for repair? Do you use @Game Wardenor @pedro maia?

Nope, it was sent directly through local OM representative in Ljubljana. The repair/return time was quick and I will share more informations (for those interested) here:

 

[TonyQ]

A great start @xelasand good to see you are taking part again

[PeterHG]

A great start from the balcony, Alex! I’m glad you got the 100-409 back and I’ m looking forward to your findings now that it has been repaired.

[BRACQUENE]

A great early start Alex with beautiful pictures!

[Kitsafari]

what a great balcony you have for birding! Looking forward to your 2024 BY, especially with new locations and thus new birds planned?

[xelas]

The balcony is indeed a great place for birding! After receiving the Olympus lens from repair, I put it through the paces. These are the (satisfactory) results.

 

 

Ljubljansko Barje    10-jan-2024
 

OM Systems OM-1 with Zuiko 100-400 lens; the 35mm equivalent focal lengths are added in the brackets). Only in this post as there were no extra cropping applied. All handheld.

For those interested I will add a few remarks in the above mentioned post in Photography talk.

 

 

BY 007  /  SI 007    

Common Blackbird  -  Turdus merula

Lens (mm): 400 (800)
ISO: 400
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500
 

 

BY 008  /  SI 008    

European Robin  -  Erithacus rubecula

Lens (mm): 300 (1200 with digital teleconverter 2x)
ISO: 1000
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500

 

 

BY 009  /  SI 009    

Eurasian Blue Tit  -  Cyanistes caeruleus

Lens (mm): 400 (800)
ISO: 2000
Aperture: 9
Shutter: 1/500

 

 

BY 010  /  SI 010    

Great Tit  -  Parus major
Lens (mm): 400
Lens (mm): 400 (1600 with digital teleconverter 2x)
ISO: 2500
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500

Edited January 14 by xelas

[xelas]

Back on the balcony the next day. Sunny but cold. Same camera and lens. All photos so far taken handheld.

 

 

Ljubljansko Barje    11-jan-2024
 

 

BY 011  /  SI 011    

Coal Tit  -  Periparus ater

Lens (mm): 400 (1600 with Digital teleconverter 2x)
ISO: 1250
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500

 

 

BY 012  /  SI 012    

Dunnock  -  Prunella modularis

Lens (mm): 400 (1600 with Digital teleconverter 2x)
ISO: 500
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500

 

 

BY 013  /  SI 013    

Eurasian Wren  -  Troglodytes troglodytes

Lens (mm): 400 (800) + crop
ISO: 1250
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500
 

[Soukous]

seems to be working well

[xelas]

1 hour ago, Soukous said:

seems to be working well

If not even better!

[Peter Connan]

A great start to the year Alex!

[JimS]

Good to see the lens has come back fully fixed, great results. I've not yet tried the digital 2x converter, but this is tempting me to give it a try.

[PeterHG]

A very nice set again, Alex and interesting to see your results with the digital teleconverter!

[xelas]

Thanks, @Peter Connan!

@JimS and @PeterHG I was also surprised by the outcome. Remember, the equivalent FOV was 1600 mm and the shutter speed only 1/500, handheld! Digital teleconverter is just an upscaling process but it works really good. Try it out (but remember it works only in-camera so either shoot JPEG or RAW+JPEG).

Edited January 14 by xelas

[Soukous]

16 hours ago, JimS said:

I've not yet tried the digital 2x converter, but this is tempting me to give it a try.

 

14 hours ago, PeterHG said:

interesting to see your results with the digital teleconverter!

 

Yes, surprisingly effective

[Zim Girl]

Great start with some very lovely garden birds, Alex.

[xelas]

Thanks @Zim Girl. These are all regulars at our garden, apart of the little Wren.

[xelas]

Only one sunny day was forecasted for this week, and I used it to visit the coastal birding location. It is always easy to came back with several new additions to Big Year at the beginning of the year. Most of these birds are common (and not only by their names). OM-1 with Olympus 100-400.

 

 

Škocjanski zatok    16-jan-2024
 

 

BY 014  /  SI 014    

Common Magpie  -  Pica pica

ISO: 320
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: -0.3
 

ISO: 320
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/2000
Exp. Comp.: -0.3
 

BY 015  /  SI 015    

Common Buzzard  -  Buteo buteo

ISO: 200
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/1000
Exp. Comp.: -0.3
 

 

BY 016  /  SI 016    

Common Moorhen  -  Gallinula chloropus

SO: 200
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/800
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
 

 

BY 017  /  SI 017    

Common Sandpiper  -  Actitis hypoleucos

ISO: 200
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/640
Exp. Comp.: 0.0
 

 

BY 018  /  SI 018    

Common Reed Bunting  -  Emberiza schoeniclus

ISO: 200
Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/800
Exp. Comp.: -0.3
 

[xelas]

However there were two birds that are either uncommon or at least not that common.

 

 

The tiny one was last seen (by us) back in 2019:

 

BY 019  /  SI 019    

Goldcrest  -  Regulus regulus

 

 

The large one has been first time observed in Škocjanski Zatok in 2021. Some ornithologists says it is an invasive species and it should be controlled in its expansion, mainly because its opportunistic feeding habits that includes predation in breeding colonies of other bird species.

 

BY 020  /  SI 020    

African Sacred Ibis  -  Threskiornis aethiopicus

ISO: 400

Aperture: 6.3
Shutter: 1/500
Exp. Comp.: -0.7
 

 

 

[PeterHG]

Beautiful set from your coastal trip, Alex! 

[xelas]

Thanks, @PeterHG! Definitively much happier with the lens now. 

[michael-ibk]

A nice collection of garden birds Alex. No more Hawfinch? Surprised to see a Sandpiper, do they regularly winter in Slovenia? 

[xelas]

46 minutes ago, michael-ibk said:

Surprised to see a Sandpiper, do they regularly winter in Slovenia? 

 

I think so. It was only 1 bird. In a company of a Curlew but the later has kept himself at a distance, and light was harsh, so he ended in the End-of the-Year folder .