I got out the big guns today! My monster Gitzo tripod with a Silk ball head and added a 1.4x converter to my 400mm lens. So the lens became an 560mm lens with the digital camera multiplying it became a 800mm lens.
Tried several places to shoot but the water falling from the trees placed me under the porch again. The light was better today than yesterday, I did get sun and clouds, it was much brighter.
Northern Cardinal male
The female Northern Cardinal
One of my favorites the Song Sparrow, these are full time residents here unlike the other 'winter' sparrows.
Carolina Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco. Chickadees are very fast and hard to get the lens on them in time.
Tufted Titmouse
Red-bellied Woodpecker. These guys steal the show here! Our property is in the woods so we seldom get Blue Jays or Northern Mockingbirds.
Guess these pansies made it OK in the snow. Yesterday these were under the snow!
I myself can't see any dirt on that window. All these are beautiful. Deserving of framing. Helen
ReplyDeleteHelen,
ReplyDeleteGuess I got lucky as there was no noticeable dirt on the images. Spider poop is just small specks on the glass anyway. The squirrel photos were full frame and I'm pretty happy with them,
Great, great job on the photos! They're breathtaking!
ReplyDeleteThese are stupendous! Much better than my cardinal pics from last week, but they were in mid flight, too. So how I can I affordably make my 300mm slr lense stronger?
ReplyDeleteWow. Big guns is right. These are stupendous photos. I love it when you can hear them before you see them and just know they are there. Nothing like those cardinals to cheer any dreary day!
ReplyDeleteMeems
Kim and Victoria.
ReplyDeleteThanks I work hard on my photos! Always enjoy your blog, glad your going to give Kiva this year!
Benjamin,
I have the 1.4x teleconverter that fits the Canon L lens well worth the money to get one if you want great photos. On my 400mm f5.6 lens it makes it an 560mm f8, but as you can see pretty darn crisp.
Meems,
I learned most of our local bird calls maybe 10 years ago, some I have lost in my head. My bird watching is not what it used to be, these days I bird listen and explore nature without looking up all the time.
Wow, Randy, I love all the details in these photos! They are awesome, and I saw no spider poop on them. I did have to clean a couple things off of my screen to make sure it wasn't from your camera lens. :o)
ReplyDeleteRandy, these photos are stunning! I love birds -- ecspecially the old Audobon photos. The woodpecker photo was great -- living in Arkansas, we can't help but wonder if they will ever find the "Great God Bird", the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker a boater "saw" several years ago on the Cache River. I'm jealous of your snow...enjoy for me!
ReplyDeleteSue,
ReplyDeleteI know about that dust on the screen! I don't have spider poop on the screen but we find in on our outside door knobs all summer.
Girl and Her garden,
Thanks for stopping in and I'm glad your back blogging again. I have a friend who has seen the Ivorybill Woodpecker in FL a couple of years ago. He is an expert birder and I'm sure if he says he saw one he did.
Nice pictures! The birds definitely posed for you!
ReplyDeleteI wish I had your talent and your camera. Beautiful pictures, all of them!!
ReplyDeleteI can't afford an L lens--or any lenses, alas. I don't know how people do it, but I'd like to. I got my slr as a gift, and it came with an EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 lens, which I like for my non professional pursuits just fine--but it won't support a teleconverter.... :( Maybe I can save up for a macro lens at least.
ReplyDeleteRandy, as always, your photos are simply exquisite! Thank you for all you shared during the year.
ReplyDeleteMy husband Pete and I wish you and Meg a blessed Christmas and a New Year of good health and joy.
Fantastic photographs and that cardinal is stunning. Not many species in the UK that could rival those colours!
ReplyDeleteI especially love the shots of the Cardinal and Red-Bellied Woodpecker. Really stellar.
ReplyDeleteRandy, you have posted some truly beautiful bird images in these last couple of posts. Thanks for showing them.
ReplyDeletewonderful bird photos Randy....and yes, good squirrel photos as well...those rotten critters. :-)
ReplyDeleteWonderful sharp pictures of the birds!
ReplyDeleteI'm still working on it...of course my vision stinks.
Happy Holidays.
My gosh, these pictures are amazing!! Especially love the squirrels.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
I love that first squirrel photo. He is giving you a look like, "What me? I didn't eat the food from the bird feeder."
ReplyDeleteThese are great catches! I have a 300mm that I need to get a converter. Really cool stuff!
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos, Randy. Thank you so much for the treat. You captured the true Cardinal Red!!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours!
Wow! stunning bird and squirrel shots. I need to get out there with my dad's SLR and zoom lens and try to capture our birds. they do move fast. We also have a chickadee and a dark eyed junco but not quite like yours. That northern cardinal is something else.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness...I so wish we had cardinals around here. Those are such great shots of the wildlife, nature is a wonder with her variety, even in winter! Kim
ReplyDelete