"Porco Preto", the Iberian Black Pig. I have eaten this tonight (casseroled with sage, port, brandy and fresh orange juice -- quite delicious, with broccoli and sauteed potatoes).
You kids have no idea how lucky you are to have all those diverse birds in your area. I just came back from a putative nature conservation area west of Toronto. Had the 400 f/5.6 on me. The best I could get was this ignoble tree-shark. Heck, I can get those even in my backyard. However, whatever it is, might as well try to photograph it nice.
(Yes, Colin, it's JPG as usual. )
PetKal wrote:
You kids have no idea how lucky you are to have all those diverse birds in your area. I just came back from a putative nature conservation area west of Toronto. Had the 400 f/5.6 on me. The best I could get was this ignoble tree-shark. Heck, I can get those even in my backyard. However, whatever it is, might as well try to photograph it nice.
(Yes, Colin, it's JPG as usual. )
Diverse birds but you have to go to the right places at the right time. I was pretty much skunked today. Thought I'd try this new place known to have an egret rookery in a place called the Audubon Canyon Ranch in Bolinas, CA. This was as close as I can get with the 400 from the parking lot (slightly cropped) (the 1.4x didn't help much either). The guide told us we'd get a better view if we hiked about 400 vertical feet to this lookout, she didn't tell us the view would be about a country mile away! So didn't get anything better there. http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3552/3433563120_933cecfb56_o.jpg
I could have stayed in the parking lot and got this all day: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3432752061_586d272023_o.jpg
If you looked hard enough, one may be able to spot interesting birds like this Downy Woodpecker but they are in dark trees so not so easy to capture: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3337/3432751989_0d35c3df3e_o.jpg
Red Winged Black Birds were much easier to spot: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3542/3432751825_c953724c8d_o.jpg
I'm personally now trying to shoot more variety and not necessarily BIF, kinda makes it more interesting.
Good shooting, Wing, especially the egret in flight. That's the hardest part for me....having to aim the lens straight up into the skies......even IS doesn't help me to hold steady.
Nice captures Wing. I too have nothing for being out all afternoon. Its like all the birds (flying or otherwise) were nowhere to be found! Hopefully tomorrow is better.
I like the egret backround on him looks a little noisy but it's a great shot!
bummer you felt skunked.....those egrets were so close but yet so far
I saw a few of those peckers at the park ut they were so HARD to get an image of
Thanks Noelle. I saw the bg noise after processing but didn't want to reprocess since I wasn't terribly excited about the shots especially the rookery shot which was what I was after and which was why I felt skunked. I could've gone back to the reliable wildlife refuges I've gone to in the past but wanted to get some diversity.
