A few garden birds

Ollie · #1 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 08:36 PM

Hi all

I'm unable to get out and about being off work with back problems again.

Anyway after sitting in front of the television all morning bored to death I thought I would see if I could manage a few photos out the bedroom window out of sheer boredom really as I'm usually an active sort of person and sitting doing nothing doesn't go down well with me.

After sorting through them I thought these four were worth sharing. Hope you enjoy them as It sure helped my day along taking them.

Roger

First a Goldfinch, if you click the photo to enlarge it you will just be able to make out a few water droplets on the bird as we had just had a shower.

Another Goldfinch, I just liked the expression on the face of this one.

A female Greenfinch stretching her neck to look at the feeders

And finally a Starling

nutmeg · #2 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 08:41 PM

What a great selection! Love them all - but if pressed to name a favourite, I'd say the starling. Such a gorgeous sheen.

naturelover · #3 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 09:10 PM

Beautiful,do you know untill i joined wab i didnt realise how beautiful our birds were,only ever seeing them far away,i think the goldfinch is a fabulas bird,and now i get them on my bird feeding station.

tich007mt · #4 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 09:28 PM

I'm dead jealous of those beautiful Goldfinch pics. I've been trying to attract some to my garden with a niger feeder and sunflower hearts for the last month now but no sign yet. Has attracted some Siskins however who seem to love the sunflower hearts.

Tich

Ollie · #5 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 09:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tich007mt

I'm dead jealous of those beautiful Goldfinch pics. I've been trying to attract some to my garden with a niger feeder and sunflower hearts for the last month now but no sign yet. Has attracted some Siskins however who seem to love the sunflower hearts.

Tich

Don't despair Tich. It took the Goldfinches around a couple of months to come to mine. I get up to fifteen at a time now. Tell you what Tich I will swap some of my goldies for your Siskins. I have only had two Siskins visit all winter and they have moved off now.

Niger and sunflower hearts are the way to go for the goldfinches, sometimes they eat the niger and sometimes the sunflower hearts
Roger

lucy78green · #6 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 10:30 PM

I had three goldfinches on Sunday, first I'd ever noticed. Of course they haven't come back since

Tobyh · #7 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 10:35 PM

Lovely shots there Ollie, beautifully sharp and incredible detail. Do you have any threads where you share your technique? I'm always eager to learn

TobyH

Ollie · #8 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tobyh

Lovely shots there Ollie, beautifully sharp and incredible detail. Do you have any threads where you share your technique? I'm always eager to learn

TobyH

Hi Toby,
The detail and sharpness are more down to the Canon 400mm F5.6L USM prime lens I use rather than my technique. I'm also pretty close to the birds when photographing out the bedroom window so don't have to crop the images very much which helps as well.
Roger

GME · #9 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 11:12 PM

Beautiful shots as ever Roger!

What sort of shutter speeds were you managing? Did you use any noise reduction, post processing, etc? Curious to help learn and improve for myself!
Whatever you've done they're cracking pics. Well done

Gareth

p.s. sorry about the back

Ollie · #10 (**permalink**) 19-03-2008, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GME

Beautiful shots as ever Roger!

What sort of shutter speeds were you managing? Did you use any noise reduction, post processing, etc? Curious to help learn and improve for myself!
Whatever you've done they're cracking pics. Well done

Gareth

p.s. sorry about the back

Hi Gareth
First Goldfinch, F7.1, 1/125 sec, ISO 400
Second Goldfinch, F7.1, 1/250 sec, ISO 400
Greenfinch, F7.1, 1/160 sec, ISO 400
Starling F8.0, 1/125 sec, ISO 400

I have the camera mounted on a hide clamp on the bedroom windowsill
I used flash on al these as the garden was in shade. A canon 580EX 11 Speedlite flash mounted on a Stroboframe off camera flash bracket with a Better Beamer flash extender. Picture below

I use PS Elements for editing, just adjusted shadows and highlights a touch and sharpened a touch. Then Neat Image used on the background only not the bird to get rid of any noise, but to be honest there isn't much noise at ISO 400 with the 400D.

Hope this helps
Roger