Here's your chance to share that "almost" shot, the one you keep looking at hoping that it will magically come into focus or grow a head! I started to post this on the hummingbird forum b/c there have to be tons of disappointing shots there but then I remembered my most disappointing shot from yesterday, an oriole I think, so I'll share that too!
Here's my best blur of the day...
And as promised that 'darn-it' shot from yesterday...
Great idea for a thread Elphaba! This is probably my most disappointing recent shot...I didn't realize this Indigo had turned it's head until I saw it on the computer! Grrrrrr....!!
He still looks beautiful! It's amazing what turns up when you see it full size! Somehow, my pictures always look better in miniature!
My most recent disappointment was this picture of the Origma or Rock Warbler Origma solitaria. The Origma has a very limited distribution in rocky gullies in New South Wales. I was lucky enough to see one for the first time in March while visiting the Blue Mountains. It was very active and the light was poor . I managed to get three pictures, but 2 were so out of focus that I discarded them and the only sharp picture I got was this one that shows the back of the bird and shows no feature that would confirm what it is.
I know that back-of-the-bird syndrome so well! Congrats on the spotting one! That's a great almost shot!
Here's mine. I saw this hawk as I was on my way to shoot a wedding reception last Saturday, so I only had a 28-70mm zoom and an 85mm with me. (I normally carry my 300mm f/2.8 everywhere I go). Anyway, I ran to the car and grabbed the first camera I saw and shot about 500 shots of this guy in the next 15 minutes. I was hoping he would fly before I had to leave, but he never did. This one was shot with the 40D and a 28-70mm zoom at 65mm. I can only imagine the shots I could have gotten with one of the big lenses.
Dave
Actually, this is the shot I would love to have shot with the big lens. There's something about birds' tongues.
They are pretty good shots nevertheless. Your shot that shows the birds tongue brings back memories for me. In your photo, you can just see that a hawk's tongue is like an arrowhead, it has two backward pointing lobes (barbs) like an arrowhead.
I used to hold a bird-banding licence and some 30 years back, I was mist-netting birds near my home which was then in Tasmania. I went to check the nets and found a Brown Falcon - Falco berigora at the base of one of the nets. Raptors are not often caught by mist nets, although they well sometimes attack small birds that are caught in the net. This bird was not in the net, but caught by its tongue. The tongue had gone through one mesh of the net and the barbs prevented it from withdrawing. The bird had twisted round many, perhaps twenty times, in its attempts to free itself. It was not an easy task to untangle the bird, having to hold the bird, avoiding talons and beak, and twist it round and round before it was possible to ease the net off its tongue. As far as I could tell its tongue was not badly damaged and the bird flew away strongly when it was finally released. Here is the bird just before it was released:
Great story, kennedyh. That picture is 30 years old? Wow!!
Great thread!
Well, I could fill the thread! LOL...but recently of course my Barred Owl...If I just would have taken the pic instead of standing there with my mouth hangin' open.
This Baltimore Oriole just popped in out of the blue...camera was not set ..but I shot it anyway. I was just soo surprised to see it. Must have been migrating from up north.
Your Barred Owl shot is indeed almost perfect! A+ for the attempt! I just wish I could see a Barred Owl! I saw a screech owl the other morning just as a bit of sun was edging up the horizon. He flew away when he saw me looking at him.
Love the hawk shots and stories. I don't think that I've ever seen a hawk tongue before!
The tongue shot reminded me of this one. It's a month or so old. This night heron caught a crawfish right beside me and then ran into the road in front of me where he proceeded to crush it with his beak before swallowing. I took several photos, some with flash, some without, some using a lot of zoom and some less and a video. None of them turned out.
nanny_56,
I envy you seeing the Barred Owl. I wanted a better look at your picture, so I tried a bit of enhancement. Here is your picture again, lightened up so that you can see the owl somewhat clearer
Kennedy
One was hooting away in the woods right across from the house last night. Kept waiting to see if it would come out where I could see it! Never did! We have lots of them around here!
I didn't post this one yesterday because I was waiting for Resin to ID the yellow bird. So here is my not quite in focus picture of a Prairie Warbler and a Downy woodpecker. Downy's face is covered by a stick so that adds to the disappointment! Oh well, it was fun to see.
I already know this is my disappointment for today! I was out with the tree butchers from the power company when I heard this hawk. It was perched at the top of my neighbor's Loblolly pine. I have some perch shots but the sun was coming up behind him (silhouette effect), so I'm still playing with them. Here's the shot when he was flying away. I don't really have the expertise or the equipment to get this shot but boy I wish I did! Check out those feet!
That is a neat "could have been great" shot!!
Thanks nanny. You know what it needs -- that software they have on the CSI shows where they take a totally fuzzy picture and miraculously develop it into an identifiable face! When is that going to start coming with our digital cameras?
I would love to have some of that CSI software!!
Oh yes, I need that bad!!! Here is mine for today...a hummer shot.
Nanny, a male! Wow that is so almost gorgeous!
LOL!
I almost hate to post, as most of your "dissapointing" pictures are ones I would think were great! LOL
I guess here is mine for the day, yesterday. This is the best of the several picture attempts through the spotting scope.
This couple sits in the tree across the lake for hours looking at the ducks and other snacks in the marsh. We see them almost every day. They do not always sit this close together though. This is only the second time I have seen them both so close together. Distance about 1/2 mile.
Ah, the pictures I could take if I had a good camera and some know-how. Ha.
OMG! I would just freak out if I saw two bald eagles sitting together like that! I'm so glad that I started this thread just so you would share that one!
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ME TOO!!!!!! I would keep it anyways...just for proof!
Thanks, I am glad you can enjoy the bad picture. it is a shame. I live in this great area for bird watching and can't take a decent picture.
I take many memory pictures though.
These two sat in that tree from 12 pm till sunset. Every once in a while the larger eagle would make a pass over the water, get everybody riled up and then land back into the tree. Because it was Sunday, we were able to sit on the deck all afternoon and watch the show out front. (didn't get anything done, oh well!)
Cparts...I would love to just SEE that let alone get a shot like this! For sure...this is a keeper!!
Thanks again, but wouldn't it have been a GREAT picture?? Sigh...
gotta enjoy the birds now. Sept 1st is the start of (you know what) and the eagles, herons, egrets and other favorites will take off to safer areas. Its nearly the end of bird watching season for us.
I got this one saturdayand condisering the distance and the subject(humminbird) it reall is pretty good! lol
what a fun thread. I too could fill it.
So, this was my disappointing photo from Sunday. Just not enough lens power.
Nanny, your hummer looks like Pinocchio! I totally get how hard it is to get a picture of them when they are far away. For one thing, my camera doesn't want to focus on them because they're too small. That's so annoying. So, good shot!
Mrs. Ed, that is almost great. The colors are just beautiful. Can you see his face if you lighten the exposure? Of course, that will bleach out the colors. Darn! Still very pretty!
Mrs-Ed know the feeling. how I wish I could at least see one.
Nanny most of the shot of the hummingbirds I got yesterday ended up like yours, ended up deleting them.
Oh Cpart, don't you just hate it when that happens, Very rare to see 2 sitting side by side.
this is my fowled up pic of the American Kestrel, I was to much in a hurry to get the pic, and didn't wait for the camera to focus.
That little girl had that tongue going!!
Such a almost nice Indigo Bunting pic Mrs. Ed!
No, you can't see his face. I have this one where his head is turned too! Ha!
Marna...they are still pretty pictures!
Burn..I had a Kestrel land right outside my window last winter and I was able to sneak up on it and take several pictures from about 10 feet away. It was so overcast and I was so clueless that they all turned out very bad!
I think the head would have been in focus in this one...grrrr!
lol Great thread!
Dave, That tongue shot belongs on the captions thread!
We were sitting at the wildlife sanctuary relaxing in our chairs like we owned the place and a Chickadee landed on BF's foot looking for the seed that we usually bring but didn't this time. Of course BF wasn't quick enough and Dee realized we didn't have food.
He'll kill me if he knows I put this on here.
LOL!!!
Oh how funny Shan!
oops, i posted the wrong one the second time.
I will say that I at least like how the green and blue play.
