We came from: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/883486/
I was away for a few days in Traverse City, Michigan visiting family. I didn't see any different birds, but Grand Traverse Bay has many resident swans. When I was a kid they would come up to our screened door in the a.m. looking for breakfast. They are awfully beautiful sailing along.
Swan again. The bay was a little choppy, but you can see its wavy reflection.
The cormorant is just beginning to make its home in Grand Traverse Bay. We see flocks of them now along Lake Ontario near Hamilton, and a few in Lake Erie.
I guess fishermen don't like them because they eat bait fish. I find them interesting to watch.
Canada Goose. He/she looks much happier than when he/she's golfing!
What beautiful birds your white swans are. By sheer chance, I was out shooting black swans today - figuratively speaking.
Oh my! What a beauty, Margaret!
Thanks OP. Here's a closer shot.
Wonderful black swan Margaret. I love swans. I went to see some today.
This one is enjoying bathing.
There were several cormorants taking a break too.
And gulls enjoying a mid day snooze..
Love this pretty duck!
Fantastic. The planets must be aligned.
Yes Margaret we're definitely on the same wavelength right now :)
I love how the swans always take a drink before they go into the water.
Mountain Shelduck
And gulls enjoying a mid day snooze
Love this pretty duck!
Also spotted these near a farm - very noisy! :)
Lovely start to the thread, all black and whites, lol. Love the ducks too, they always look so sweet.
No swans but I did get some black and whites, mom Pied Wagtail with her baby nearly all grown up. Baby stood while mom ran around for insects, baby at front.
Baby.
Mom watching or listening for insects.
Mom on the run for insects!
You watching me??
Love the wagtails Wallaby!
I saw three beautiful blackbird youngsters in the garden today.
Do you think that is a cousin to mine knip, lol, they are cute.
This was the last I saw of 'my' last lot of Blackbird youngsters 6 days ago, they must be on their 4th lot by now, I will know when they start asking for cat food again, lol.
Just noitced that bird is stood on one leg! Don't know if they can tuck them out of sight but it looks to be one-legged.
First time I have seen a Coal Tit since they were checking the Blue Tit nest box in spring. I looked under the conker tree because a family of Long-tailed Tits had flown there but I saw this instead!
Just noitced that bird is stood on one leg! Don't know if they can tuck them out of sight but it looks to be one-legged.
Great pics everyone!
Great pics everyone!
Thanks for starting the new thread OP!
Technically a bad shot I guess..but I like it! Female Cardinal
Hairy Woodpecker
Chipping Sparrows
My DH makes fun of me because when I am photographing I wear a baseball cap... A Charlotte Lowes Speedway cap I got when we went there a couple years ago. I had to explain that;
1. one it keeps the sun out of my eyes and helps and helps shade the viewfinder so I can see better.
2. For some reason I take a lot of shots from this angle...so it offers some protection from droppings! LOL
Downy Woodpecker
This message was edited Aug 3, 2008 3:18 PM
Good idea with the baseball cap, nanny. I'm going to try it next time I'm shooting into the sun.
Lovely birds, everyone.
wallaby, do you remember the Willie Wagtails?
Does anyone have a clever trick for photographing black birds with black eyes?
MargaretK..............You might try putting white eye liner on them. :)
I did. See?
I mean all the way around the eyes.
I don't know what's happening. It's gone from three or four Mourning Dove coming in to eat in the morning and evening, to eighteen plus coming in. Couldn't get them all in the pic. (Once again lousy lighting due to smoke and had to shoot through a window.
Wonderful pics on the new thread and OP thanks for starting it!
It is great to see all the Swans...something I haven't seen since I was a kid and saw them at the local parks in Los Angeles, Cal.
Nanny...I always wear a hat when taking pics...mostly for the shade but also because I read to not let the birds see your eyes so I hide behind the bill!! Unfortunately...the bill doesn't cover the rest of me and off they fly! LOL!
Good grief Adel...that's is a lot of Doves! Sorry about the smoke...I hope it is getting better!
My trick...aim carefully and hope for the best!!
This is an old pic...American Crow
This message was edited Aug 3, 2008 8:13 PM
Regarding shooting the black birds, the only luck I have is making sure the sun is in their eyes. With the grosbeaks, I had the best luck only when they looked up!!!
Ha., maybe you can attach a flashlight to you your camera!
Margaret, yes I do remember the Willie Wagtails! We had them on the farm, I could whistle their call until I tried just now, lol, it came out sounding like the Woody Woodpecker signature tune!
Before resin pipes in, lol, the WWagtail and Pied Wagtail are from different Families.
I have started to use Flash Compensation in low light with Shutter priority, it reduces the speed from 1/500 to 1/200 but it highlights any dark areas even in reasonable light. My camera has the range of +1.0 to -3.0 in stops of 0.3, I generally use +0.7EV with -0.7 FC but have to alter it for some things. I know someone will probalby laugh and say why don't I do this or that, lol, but it works and that's what matters!
nanny, what didn't you put in the dish for that crow, lol. It looks dissatisfied!
