Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2021/03/11
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Great images Doug, the new gear is working well for you. I know what your saying about the new A1, I?m tempted at Nikon?s announcement of the Z9. Gene Sent from my iPad > On Mar 11, 2021, at 12:12 AM, Daniel Ridings via LUG <lug at > leica-users.org> wrote: > > ?Thanks Doug. I enjoyed your walk and am happy you used digital so that you > knew what you had in focus before you came home. > > I really enjoy your background information on birds as well. I have a very > bird friendly yard and I work on it to make it even more so. I enjoy the > creatures and enjoy knowing more about them. > > Daniel > > >> On Wed, 10 Mar 2021, 19:20 Douglas Herr via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> >> wrote: >> >> I spent yesterday morning at a river floodplain re-purposed as a nature >> study area with plentiful walking trails and wildlife. One of the first >> birds I found was a cooperative pair of California Towhees, munching on >> filaree seeds. By waiting quietly I was able to test the minimum focus >> distance of the 600mm lens: >> >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/passerellidae/melozone/crissalis/melcri19.html >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/passerellidae/melozone/crissalis/melcri16.html >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/passerellidae/melozone/crissalis/melcri20.html >> >> a side benefit of all this quiet waiting was a Hermit Thrush in a nearby >> bush who un-skulked long enough for a few quick exposures: >> >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/turdidae/catharus/guttatus/catgut02.html >> >> I then walked through the floodplain to an area with dense brush, perfect >> habitat for a Spotted Towhee: >> >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/passerellidae/pipilo/maculatus/pipmac21.html >> >> Towhees are basically a large sparrow and both the California Towhee and >> Spotted Towhee are often found in suburban yards; this two-for (on a >> Tuesday) in wilder habitat was a first for me. >> >> Having adequately and delightfully spent the morning with these birds in >> glorious overcast light I felt that I had used the day well, and with an >> eye on the thickening cloud cover I packed the camera and started to head >> home, but wait! What was that in those distant trees? It looks like a >> woodpecker, near the area where last year both Acorn Woodpeckers and >> Nuttall's Woodpeckers had nest cavities. I unpacked the camera and walked >> over to investigate the activity. >> >> Turns out the woodpecker was neither Acorn nor Nuttall's: it was a >> Red-breasted Sapsucker visiting the lowlands for the winter. The >> sapsucker >> drills little sap wells in the bark of trees, returning periodically to >> check for sweet sap and any insects that may have been attracted to it. >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/ruber/sphrub09.html >> >> This bird spent most of its time in one tree and was quite cooperative >> allowing this onlooker to expose a few billion pixels. The bird's M.O. >> was >> to start on the lower trunk, working its way up to the higher limbs, >> drilling new sap wells as it saw fit, and checking on the older sap wells >> >> going up the trunk: >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/ruber/sphrub11.html >> >> checking sap wells on the other side >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/ruber/sphrub08.html >> >> new sap wells on a higher limb >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/ruber/sphrub12.html >> >> oooh! nice sticky sap >> >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/picidae/sphyrapicus/ruber/sphrub10.html >> >> equipment: "Leica" alpha 7rIII, "Leica" 600mm f/4 GM, big tripod. >> >> With all of these birds, the camera's autofocus system struggled to lock >> onto the bird so I often used center point focus (not my fav) and ended up >> deleting a lot of images. Demonstrations of the new alpha 1's Bird Eye AF >> look promising. My wallet is quaking in fear. >> >> As usual, all comments are welcome. >> >> Doug Herr >> Birdman of Sacramento >> http://www.wildlightphoto.com >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information