A couple of days ago whilst out with the macro lens I noticed a small skein of what I hoped were Pink-footed geese, they were flying near the surface of the loch and I noticed they were smaller than Grey Lags and didn’t have an orange beak. I broke into a fast canter and tried to persuade the dogs to catch up as I went to get the long lens. I was only quarter of a mile from the van and could have made it back in time as they kept doing flypasts. No such luck, the dogs had found a dead Brown Trout so I had to go back and tell the wee buggers to leave it. By the time I got sorted they had gone but one remained.
Last night as the sun was setting I got a clear shot of another bird I’ve been after for ages. I know that they are common and you birders will have hundreds of sharp images of them but this is the first one I’ve managed to capture twig free and sharp.
Tomorrow is eclipse day here and the forecast isn’t looking very promising.
If I don’t post tomorrow then have a good weekend.
The little Greenfinch has so many shades of green! Indeed a beautiful picture. I can understand why it made your day. I will keep the fingers crossed for the eclipse. Even here the forecast isn't promising. Let's hope we get a chance. Have a good weekend too Adrian.
ReplyDeleteRaffaela, it is just luck really. They have to be in good light, close and not hiding in bushes.
Deletegood morning! Beautiful birds and we are all in waiting for the eclipse!
ReplyDeleteLaura, it will be obvious but I doubt it will be visible from here as the forecast is for thick cloud.
DeleteAdrian, i too have just got my first good photos of a Greenfinch, but not as good as yours, have a good weekend too.
ReplyDeletepeter
Peter, they are rare here in winter but I've been after this one for three months on and off.....................Now for the Wren.
DeleteHI Adrian It is a lovely shot of the Greenfinch and they are not as common as you might think as last year a lot were killed by a disease they got. I have not had one in my garden for months.
ReplyDeleteMargaret, I have a half dozen more. Like buses, they all come at once.
DeleteThe disease is trichomonosis or something like that. I'll have to disinfect my feeders.
Don't know why but I love that word "skein".
ReplyDeleteThanks for the eclipse information. If blinded don't be too surprised if I sue you!
YP, get yourself down to Machinery Mart at Heeley. They sell welding glass so you can bot take photographs and look at the sun.
DeleteI would never laugh at your photography. I couldn't. It is so much better than mine. Good luck with the sky watching.
ReplyDeleteR. Mac, you are very kind. Kinder by far than some birders that I know in the UK.
DeleteI read somewhere that with digital cameras unless you have a particular lens filter you can damage the camera's sensor, what do you reckon, fact or fiction? As a birder I won't even chuckle at the Greenfinch it's looks great in bright light and in some areas vanishing. Lovely bird.
ReplyDeleteDouglas, it's fact. The solution is to get a sheet of Baader Astro Solar Film. Welding mask glass is worth a look You may need two bits but although I wouldn't recommend it a quick look should be okay with twelve stops of filter on. Remember that you haven't been lucky recently. Solar Film is about £20.00p a sheet. It colour casts something rotten but Photoshop can usually pull the colour back to almost acceptable.
DeleteI was thrilled with the Greenfinch. It has been tormenting me for weeks. Now for the Wren and the Goldeneye.
Great goose, fabulous finch. Don't zap your eyeballs.........
ReplyDeleteBill, I had years using a sextant and got caught a few times. I'm more concerned about frying a camera sensor. I have some serious filters for medium format so if the sun is visible I'll blow a couple of rolls of film.
DeleteGreat shot of the Greenfinch Adrian, I've not seen many hereabouts so far this year, let alone photograph one!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the eclipse..stay safe. Looks like I'll have to be making do with an old dependable filter down here...it's called cloud!...[;o)
Trevor, it does look bonny in the last of the sun.
DeleteIt's looking like rain here as well but I'll get everything set up on the off chance.
We miss out on the eclipse this time so I'm depending on your photos to see the eclipse this time.
ReplyDeleteRed, it will go dark but it looks as if it will be too cloudy to see it properly if at all.
DeleteTop shot of the Greenfinch Adrian.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the eclipse. I doubt it will be good enough here for pictures, so I'll make do with some under-exposed pictures and pretend.
Cheers Keith, it is often around but usually hides in the middle of a bush. It will go dark so the birds will stop singing. We will get what we get.
DeleteWhen you said they have to be in good light, close and not hiding in bushes, for a minute I thought you were talking about the eclipse. Made my day. It is a very pretty bird though.
ReplyDeletePauline it's the bird hiding in bushes. The sun hides behind the moon.
DeleteI was there, to see the solar eclipse. But, I didn't have any glasses, bah humbug. I love your Greenfinch and the Greylag Goose, fantastic.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that Bob. The goose has gone now.
DeleteEstupendas imágenes... Un abrazo desde Murcia...
ReplyDeleteGracias Alp.
DeleteThat greenfinch is just beautiful!
ReplyDeleteFrances, it is a little gem.
DeleteLots of greenfinches here in Eagleton Adrian. This afternoon I shall be setting up my new branches for the birds so that I can photograph them waiting for their turn on the bird table.
ReplyDeleteGraham, a good branch makes a world of difference. Watch what you have in the background or it may make things a bit cluttered.
DeleteI've recently cut up some trees that were damaged in the hurricane but I'm not happy with them. I shall hunt in the Lews Castle grounds one day. I spent some time today altering the position so that the sea and the hills across the bay will be the background so it should either be out of focus or too far away to be a nuisance.
DeleteI forgot to say that I do not like the geese. They have started to colonise Lewis in huge numbers and where there is still sheep pasture they pollute it; where there is hay pasture they damage and pollute it and they have now started to come into gardens where they play havoc and their copious and large dropping stink to high heaven.
I look forward to seeing the new perches.
DeleteIt sounds as if the geese need a good cull. If you have any nesting then you can prick their eggs. Don't take them away or they will lay some more.