Show your Bird Portraits

[Noreaster]

Not as beautiful and technically perfect as yours, but a first timer for me:
I know that water rails (rallus aquaticus) live with us. I hear their calls, which sometimes sound like a pig being stabbed.
But they are also masters of hiding in the reeds. I had never seen them until two days ago.
Now they were in a pitch-dark bush, even backlit (I know, that contradicts "pitch-dark" ).
The photos are correspondingly mediocre. But I even saw their chicks, even if I couldn't photograph them.
That's why I retreated again after a few photos.
I love the one with the light shining through the nostrils
R6m2, @500mm, f/7.1, 1/20-1/80, ISO6400 + min. 1 ev pushing, I didn't have the time to adapt max. ISO

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I know others may focus on the "pitch dark/back lit contradiction" but I am really wondering how you know what a pig getting stabbed sounds like. LOL
We have Virginia Rails over here and they sound the same. They are one of those birds everyone hears, and no one sees.

 

[Canon Rumors]

I keep being impressed by the 200-800! Would you say between 200 and 400 it's image quality is similar to the ef 100-400ii?
Great photos as always from you and the others posters this week!

I think it's a pair of Poopoe.
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I think I want a 200-800 now that I have seen real shooters out and about with one. A great lens for BIF. It'd be nice to carry that around when hiking or whatever instead a big white. The big white is great when you have a goal and you know opportunities will be there.

Places like this... opportunity is almost overwhelming.

Hippo and friends // Lake Nakuru, Kenya // EOS 5D Mark II // EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM​

 

[Click]

Another excellent shot. Well done, CR Guy.

 

[Click]

Solitary Sandpiper


Canon 1dx II 500mm f4L

 

[AlanF]

I think I want a 200-800 now that I have seen real shooters out and about with one. A great lens for BIF. It'd be nice to carry that around when hiking or whatever instead a big white. The big white is great when you have a goal and you know opportunities will be there.

Places like this... opportunity is almost overwhelming.

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Hippo and friends // Lake Nakuru, Kenya // EOS 5D Mark II // EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM​

Craig, for BIF the 200-800 is ok at 800mm for big slow birds and for fast little ones far away - the AF is a bit slow and erratic at the long end. For small fast ones it’s very good when zoomed out to 400-500mm, where the AF picks up speed and the lens is very sharp. I have been very pleasantly surprised at how good it is. The 100-500 is so good I’ve been happy the 200-800 is good enough, and it was more than good enough for those Puffins.

 

[AlanF]

I got this Sand Martin last week with the RF 100-500mm on the R5, close up. You need unbelievably fast and accurate AF to get these in flight. A day or two later the 200-800mm got the Oyster Catcher and the Curlew, which were a 125m away where I needed the 800mm length.

 

[AlanF]

My wife captured with the R7/RF 100-400 this Puffin taking off. It beats me people complaining about the camera and the lens - they are the best lightweight combination out there IMHO.

 

[Click]

I really like this shot. Kudos to your wife.

 

[AlanF]

And she got her first BIF! (Zoomed out to 300mm, about the same fov I was using on FF).

 

[Maximilian]

... but I am really wondering how you know what a pig getting stabbed sounds like. LOL ...

Maybe I've been watching too many animal welfare videos, including about bad slaughterhouses...

 

[Canon Rumors]

Grey Crowned Crane // Amboseli, Kenya // EOS-1D Mark IV // EF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM

I'm usually into raptors, but I love these birds.​

 

[MSH411]

Redtail about 30 minutes ago in my back yard.

R6 mkII 100-500mm Cropped.



And when it went for dinner unfortunately it flew away from me.

 

[EricN]

And she got her first BIF! (Zoomed out to 300mm, about the same fov I was using on FF).

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Congratulations to her!

 

[Nemorino]

Solitary Sandpiper

Lovely reflection!

Is this a immature Black redstart?
R5 + RF 100-500L + 1.4 TC
@ 14000s, f/10, iso 10 000

 

[Maximilian]

Yet another "monkey" heron high up in a tree
Both R6m2, @500mm + cropping
Second one with higher crop factor

 

[Canon Rumors]

Great Horned Owl // Ontario, Canada // EOS-1D Mark IV // EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM II​

 

[MSH411]

This Redtail must have found a good perch to find a meal. It was back this morning.

 

[Click]

Great Horned Owl // Ontario, Canada // EOS-1D Mark IV // EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM I​

Great shot! Beautiful background for the subject. I really like the pose. Well done, CR Guy.

 

[ISv]

Well, the Red-Crested cardinal doesn't display the royalty of the Great Horned Owl but in some postures it may look kind of intimidating (seed eater, totally harmless - except when it starts singing in the very early morning: at that moment I really want to take something heavy and .... Whatever - at that time there are plenty of birds singing but only this one is annoying - a lot!
Old photos - may be my best of that species.

 

[AlanF]

Well, the Red-Crested cardinal doesn't display the royalty of the Great Horned Owl but in some postures it may look kind of intimidating (seed eater, totally harmless - except when it starts singing in the very early morning: at that moment I really want to take something heavy and .... Whatever - at that time there are plenty of birds singing but only this one is annoying - a lot!
Old photos - may be my best of that species.

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Magnificent!