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Backyard Birds

post #1 of 9
9/13/05 at 10:58am
Thread Starter 
Here’s a picture of a Great Blue Heron that I took from our backyard balcony. The picture is not cropped but is resized to fit the screen:

Great Blue Heron

Canon 10D, 600mm f/4.0 @ f 4.0, ISO 400, 1/125

Do you have any bird photos to share?
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post #2 of 9
9/13/05 at 12:02pm
nice picture Jay!

Jeff
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post #3 of 9
10/3/05 at 3:36pm
Not my back yard... but they are birds.

I was kayaking in Acadia National Park with my Canon 10D and a 300mm f4 L. i came across a mother loon, teaching two (!) younglings to fish (two surviving chicks is very unusual, as far as I know).

All three loons would dive, with great amounts of splash. All three would surface, mom would have a fish and feed it to one of the young ones. These guys were a bit far away for my 300mm lens, but here is a 100% crop of my best shot



As I tried a closer approach, mom became wary. After this display, I sat back and watched from a distance...

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post #4 of 9
10/4/05 at 10:14am
Thread Starter 
Great shots Scott! I especially like the first one. That picture tells a timeless story.

How do you like your 300mm f/4 and do you have any tricks for carrying it on a kayak?
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post #5 of 9
10/4/05 at 11:59am
I love the 300mm f4 L, and have the Canon 1.4x extender to go with it - they are well matched.

My camera and lenses go into a dry bag on dry land. They are put into or strapped onto the kayak in the bag. Once I'm on open water, and plan to take photographs, what I need comes out of the dry bag, while everything I don't need stays in. I change lenses and attachments over the cockpit, so if I drop something, it falls only six inches to my lap.

When I'm primarily in "paddle" mode, with no intention of snapping pictures untl I get to a destination, stuff stays in the bag. Whenever I get in or out of the kayak (best time for a mis-hap), everything is in the dry bag.

I should also note that I use one of the wider and more stable "touring" kayaks, so there is dry storage on board for longer adventures... though I like to have the camera within reach at all times. Critters like loons, ospreys, eagles and herons won't stick around and pose all day.

-Scott
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post #6 of 9
10/4/05 at 4:30pm
Thread Starter 
I should also note that I use one of the wider and more stable "touring" kayaks, so there is dry storage on board for longer adventures...

That explains your ability to carry a camera on a kayak. My neighbor makes kayaks & tests them out on our small lake. His kayaks don't leave space for anything unless he has some hidden compartments.

Anyway, it looks like a great way to experience and photograph nature.
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post #7 of 9
10/5/05 at 7:28am
Jay and Scott,

Great shots both of you. Jay thats some back yard you have there

Ed
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post #8 of 9
10/6/05 at 9:31am
Thread Starter 
Thanks Ed. When we moved from the country to the city we were sad to leave all of the wildlife. We were very happy to discover that even though we are inside the Oklahoma City limits we are now seeing more wildlife than in the country because we live on a string of small connected lakes.

We’re regularly visited by mink, muskrats, beaver, red fox, numerous varieties of cranes, herons, ducks & geese, squirrels and unfortunately raccoons & skunks, all visible from our back yard.

The bird in that photo made me late for work. Normally every morning Blue Herons & Egrets land next to a dock or a paddle boat. When I saw the Blue Heron next to blooming Crepe Myrtle’s I had to get the shot.
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post #9 of 9
11/1/05 at 10:03pm
Nice Birds Guys!
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