Some of my latest bird pics

[Maestro]

From the endangered whooping crane to the very common goldfinch.

[Raven]

1. Wow! Just beautiful! How do you get such amazing close-ups?

[Maestro]

9. Thanks Raven

Ninja stalking skills and a big lens help in getting close. :)

[Schema Thing]

48. remind me....

which big lens you use?


btw, I think this one is especially beautiful:

[Maestro]

51. Thank you.

Actually for this shot, I was crouched in some marsh grasses relatively close to these guys. I used a Canon F4L 300mm prime plus 1.4x TC here.

[lildreamer316]

2. Thank you so much for sharing!

Love the birds of prey..they are always my faves.

[Maestro]

12. They are some of my favorites too

Thanks for looking.

[TZ]

3. Wonderful!

How neat to be able to photograph the Whooping Crane. I'm assuming their numbers have grown a bit...I learned about them as a child when there was only a handful left.....

[Maestro]

16. World wide there are about 500.

In this flock, which is the only wild one left, there are 268.

[SallyMander]

4. Stellar as always Maestro!

I love your pic threads! :)

[Maestro]

20. Thanks SallyMander

These outings are turning out to be therapy for me. It keeps me sane.

[WinkyDink]

5. I love all your photos! Thank you!

[Maestro]

21. Thanks WinkyDink

I am glad you enjoy them.

[mogster]

6. Amazing

Thanks for sharing :-)

[Maestro]

22. Any time

Mogster. :hi:

[schmuls]

7. Beautiful photos...nice way to start my workweek! Thanks!

[Maestro]

23. Hope your Monday was better than mine.

Ugh, what a day and I have meetings tonight. I won't be home until late.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

8. Thank you Maestro. Do you ever

wish you were a bird?

[Maestro]

24. Thanks and

no I do not wish I were a bird. I'd love to fly. Don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't want to be a bird. In observing them, I have come to understand just how difficult it is to survive in the wild.

I will just sit back and enjoy their beauty. :)

[lost-in-nj]

10. once again they are beautiful

the one of the face (hawk?) up close

is stunning


thanks again

lost

[Maestro]

53. Thanks lost-in-nj

He was perched on a low hanging utility line. I really don't like to take pics of birds perched on man made objects but in this case I knew I was just going to try for the portrait leaving the utility out of the frame.

[Inchworm]

11. Loverly!

You captured them wonderfully

:applause:

[Maestro]

52. Thanks Inchworm

I'm looking forward to spring migration now.

[tigereye]

13. are the shorebirds some sort of Godwit?

lovely as usual!

[Maestro]

26. They are called American Avocets. They are very handsome birds.

More info can be found here.

[tigereye]

28. thanks! Lovely bird. I love shorebirds.

[Shell Beau]

14. Beautiful as always.

:thumbsup:

[Maestro]

29. Thanks so much

:hi:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. What are the cool little guys with the upturned beaks?

Do you have any idea what function that beak serves?

These are wonderful phots...Thanks so much for sharing them! :yourock:

[Maestro]

30. I am not sure what function it serves, but

the love to sweep it back and forth in the water. The do not use it to spear or grab at fish. It is almost like they are filtering the water for prey. I did see that a couple times they pulled up some very small crustacean like animals.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. My dear Maestro!

I've missed your bird threads, so I'm especially happy to see this one!

And these are wonderful pics...

You've honed your ninja skills superbly!

And the long lens doesn't hurt, either!

Thank you for these...

I'm especially taken with the raptors!

:hi:

[Maestro]

35. I have plenty more bird threads I could create

January was a very prolific month. I was quite fortunate with a number of birds last month. Thanks as always.

[sarge43]

18. As always, stunning.

What kind of raptor?

[Maestro]

36. Thanks sarge43

The raptors here are red-shouldered hawks.

[sarge43]

58. Well, it is a beautiful portrait. No wonder he agreed to pose several times. n/t

[Call Me Wesley]

19. Gorgeous photographs as always!

Thanks for sharing! :hi:

[Maestro]

37. Thanks Call Me Wesley

I have plenty more to share. :)

[XemaSab]

25. Beautiful!

I love the close-up of the hawk!

[Maestro]

38. Thanks XemaSab

It let me get about 12 feet from it before it had enough.

[graywarrior]

27. Holy crap, they got better as I scrolled down the page

Unbelievable! Really great photos!

[Maestro]

39. Thanks so much graywarrior. Here is one more for you.

This is the smaller red-shouldered hawk from the pic with the pair. He turned around for a few frames. The female had already flown away.

[Mugu]

31. Quite splendid, as always.

Would you mind disclosing the equipment used?

[Maestro]

40. Hey Mugu

Currently I am using a Canon 40D. All of these shots were taken with a Canon F4L 300mm prime + 1.4xTC attached with the exception the two whooping cranes. They were shot with a Sigma 500mm F4.5 APO. I had the 1.4x TC attached for the first image of the juvenile. I also used my Manfrotto tripod with Wimberley Head II to stabilize the big lens.

[mwdem]

32. Great photos Maestro! Where were the photos of the cranes taken?

I love your bird shots. My husband's boss travels to N.M. a couple of times a year to the wetlands to photograph the migrating birds. It's become quite a hobby, and he, like you, is quite a fantastic photographer.:hi:

[Maestro]

41. Oh he must travel to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico then.

I really need to get out there too. I photographed the Whooping Cranes at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Rockport, Texas. It is the only home of the last remaining wild flock of whooping cranes. They migrate there every winter from their breeding grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park in Saskatchewan, Canada. The one Sandhill Crane I posted is also from the Rockport, Texas area but not in the same place as the whooping cranes.

Thank you for the kind comments.

[mwdem]

42. Yes, he goes to Bosque. I still haven't made it out to Rockport.

He's actually going to Alb. next weekend to accept an award for his photography. It's a hobby that's turned into a passion for him. He's from the Arlington area. If you belong to any photography groups in the area, you may know him.

[Maestro]

50. Texas?

Then we definitely need to meet. Give him my congratulations!

[Fire Walk With Me]

33. Wow, just wow.

[bluesbassman]

34. Awesome shots Maestro!

:applause:Thanks for sharing them.

[Skittles]

43. OMG

AWESOME :thumbsup:

[Maestro]

54. Thanks Skittles

I have many more of our Texas feathered friends. :hi:

[Skittles]

62. today I was mesmerized by the ariel ballet of three turkey vultures

pretty awesome to watch :hi:

[Vattel]

44. Incredibly beautiful!

I've got some incredible barred owls that live by my house. I wish I could get a good photo of one of them.

[Maestro]

55. And I would love to photograph them!

I have exactly 0 photos of owls. :( They are on my "must find" list!

[Gormy Cuss]

45. Avocets! My favorite shorebird.

If you're ever in the SF Bay area, go to highway 37. Always plenty of shorebirds in that marshy stretch and almost always plenty of avocets and coots.

[Maestro]

56. California is on my list of states that I need to visit

for photography! Thanks for looking.

[Kat45]

46. Again, beautiful pictures of beautiful birds.

Is that a hookbill I see there? What kind of bird is that?

[Maestro]

57. If you are referring to the hawk, it is a red-shouldered hawk.

I would love to find a hook-billed kite some day too. :hi:

[emilyg]

47. Thank you for sharing.

[Maestro]

60. No problem

Thanks for looking.

[marzipanni]

49. It's wonderful to see the birds you've seen, and the way you see them

Who is the one with the big yellow/red bill and eyes, and big feet with black toenails?
I especially like him and the landing pelican.

[Maestro]

61. That would be an American Oystercatcher.

Thanks for looking and commenting.

[raccoon]

59. Those are great, Maestro. Thanks for sharing.

If you don't mind, what kind of camera did you take the pictures with?

Also, did it cost megabucks? I like to take pictures of wildlife, flowers, etc. and wish I had a better camera to zoom in, such as you did on the hawk.

[Maestro]

63. Thanks for looking raccoon.

The camera is a Canon 40D. It will set you back around $1,000 to $1,200. It is not a point and shoot camera so there is no zoom per se. What allows me to get close is the lens that you attach. For most of the pictures you see above I used a lens and teleconverter combo that will cost another $1,400.00 so it is not an inexpensive hobby, but one I enjoy. I consider it all an investment.

[raccoon]

66. Thanks for that info! nt

[BarenakedLady]

64. Beautiful pictures.

Thank you.

:D

[Maestro]

65. Thanks BarenakedLady

:hi: