Birds of Prey....Your Pictures Wanted!

Sparrowhawk on garage roof from our home near center of York. Rather light colouring, perhaps this years juvenile or effect of low winter sun on the chest feathers. 

Paul

Lovely picture! Last time I saw a Sparrowhawk in my garden (month or so ago), it had just caught a pigeon!! I walked in on it happening, so waited a few minutes, and the Sparrowhawk came back to continue plucking the poor pigeon. But was so exciting to be so close to the bird!!

Nice photo Paul. You may want to to change your used name from your email address as this is an open site and you may end up with unwanted, spam, junk and other rubbish mail. To do this go to the top right, click on the circle with your picture or the auto option of a bird, click profile, down the right hand side you will see edit profile, click that and you can change the name in the box top left, click save profile. If you want you can pick a photo from your device and edit the picture as well. Click change on the picture, pick your photo and save.

Catlady
Thank you for the concern but I am a very experienced user of the internet (with a photo site for 20 years) and my email and name are on my Zenfolio site and in signatures used on several sites, both open and closed.

Paul

Look very, very closely at the feet of this Red Kite. It's tail looks a little wrong, a little distorted, almost as if it has a nasty disease. Do not worry, after closer scrutiny, I decided it was carrying a baguette. A digger or bulldozer driver, working on the restoration of Cemex's ex-quarry, had discarded it.  The Red Kite landed right in front of me, some 50m from the Blackwater footpath and about 300m east of the local sewage works. Frantic turning on of camera, bringing it to eye, turning of focus ring and desperately trying to get the bird in focus against a cluttered background ensued as it took off.

Lovely additions everyone...,Keep them coming ;-)

Paul, only trying to help, as we have advised and helped others who have used their own email address, not realising it, and also being new to the site, may not have  known how to change it.

After following Lind257's excellent advice, I've created a YouTube account (actually, I already have a gmail account, so it was easy), and uploaded a video. A right palaver, but I understand why RSPB went this route.

I only got these videos due to the Kestrel being used to people. Just west of Speke Hall (which itself is just west of John Lennon Liverpool airport), is a long stretch of land bordering the Mersey. A very popular piece of land, heavily used by walkers. Hence the relative tameness of the Kestrel, which allowed me within 50m of it.

The day itself was overcast, with high cloud, though a weather system was working its way east from the Irish sea. I barely got back to our hotel, an hour after these videos, before the heavens opened up.

I only took my Lumix FZ72 bridge camera on our trip. I didn't expect to be able to go for a walk along the Mersey, let alone see any decent wildlife. My usual gear is a secondhand Canon 80D with Sigma 150-600mm contemporary. My backup, when I don't want to lug my big lens around is a Canon 800D with Sigma 18-30mm lens.

Like Bob S, I too am considering a mirrorless. I need a Canon mirrorless (too much invested in lenses) where I can take photos and videos via a view finder. Can't stand using the back of camera LCD. Plus, holding 2Kg of long lens and camera at arm's length doesn't work.

You will need to upload to YouTube 1st Angus then attach the link ;-)

Unknown said:

I too am considering a mirrorless. I need a Canon mirrorless

Not sure if you've seen the switching to mirrorless thread, where Mike has been putting his through its paces Angus? Link Here

Also Whistling Joe has links in the footer of his posts regarding different camera options, and he has replied to the thread too. Hope it's helpful :o)