Thread: Show Birds

well that certainly lloks like a kestrel to me (but the other one is a buzzard for sure)

The bird that Bill raised a query about was the bird in flight, that is a Buzzard. The bird perched on the wire is a Kestrel, that was never in doubt.

Barrie

Morning Barrie & Paul - hope that all is well with both of you

Buzzard and Kes - Agreed - I was just waking the thread up

Both images were taken with my (new to me) Nikon 70 200mm f2.8 VR with the Nikon TC 1.4 ........ the farest away from an SC that you can get.
I thought that the lens would be good for walking around as it has a VR function, (versus my 300mm f4), but I'm not sure ....... I find the 300mm f4 hard to beat even though it is non VR ........ adding the TC x1.4 just makes both combos a little too long when "hand held"

I'll keep trying and see what is around today ........ but it's Sunday and the hunters are out shooting at everything that moves!!!

One from this morning
IMHO the 300mm f4 is better, than the 70 200mm f2.8VR which is more expensive ........ OK I know that it is not as versatile ....... so "just for bird shots" is my proviso

The Great Tits always oblige when I need a subject .... 300mm f4 with TCx1.4



not much around this morning, the usual Great Tits, Nuthatch, a Robin, (never saw one in the summer, only really see them in winter and Spring), a few Blackcaps, (the brown cap variety), a Heron and some Lapwings, (I hope the "chasseurs" weren't shooting them as apparently the French kill 500,000 every year), Starlings, a few Jays and Blackbirds, plus a Serin, (which should not be here now as according to Collins they leave the area we live in in winter)

A few from this morning ...... taken through the Living Room window so they are a little "off" - must get my wife to clean the window.

Frosty morning and the little fellas need all the help that they can get now that we are into winter. The Great Tits are annoying as they have a preference for sun flower seeds, (hearts), and scatter the rest to get at them, the Blue tits are not quite as bad but the Nuthatch can be very choosy and is usually very greedy........ the Jay will sort them all out given the chance

Barrie/Paul

need an ID please ........ taken from a distance ....... part of a flock ........ quite biggish birds .... I thought that they were Starlings at first ...... it was a dark day and they were just dark shapes......moved from tree to tree, quite tall trees ....... could not really get near them, (i.e. they flew off if I approached there position, even from afar ....... taken a couple of days ago SW France ......... all seemed to be the same species

Thrush family? but it the head "right" for the Thrush family?

Redwing ........ I so no red? ......... hidden by the tree branch ....... but the bird is too big for a redwing?

Is it a Fieldfare, although the head colours are not like the images that I can find on the web

Redwing, Bill

Redwing, Bill

The red patch is beneath each wing on the flanks, most visible when in flight - your main pic hides it nicely!
Fieldfare a bit bigger more upright, much less prominent eye-stripe.

(Now Barrie can come along and tidy up all my mistakes in description and terminology)

Thanks Paul, there appeared to be lots of them, 50 plus ....... unless it was a mixed flock
will now do a little more research to get to know them

They sweep south from N Europe in the autumn/winter, in search of food.
They can appear in pretty large flocks - I was out walking the other day and disturbed a roost from a stand of oaks, and there must have been 400.
As you've noticed, a bit nervy