After yet another successful year on the Odds & Sods thread, initially started I think by Hazy, it might be wise to kickstart the 2023 thread off.
Thank you to those who have contributed to last years thread, and there has been very interesting odds and sods in "Odds & Sods 2022" that aren't enough to place into a dedicated thread, which you can look back on the following link:
https://community.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/f/all-creatures/278729/odds-sods-2022/1417300?pifragment-4285=76#pifragment-4285=1
What better for me, and as yet, I've not ventured far, ewe know what I mean, with this lassie on Baddesley Clinton estate yesterday....
Mike
Flickr: Peak Rambler
Glad you all liked the Greylag Geese. Now for something slightly different. I actually tried using video on my Canon 80D. Sorry about slightly wobbly video. First time I've ever tried it. Had to locate birds. Holding camera steady was a nightmare. Although resting on some viewing screens and jammed up against an upright, I had to use the LCD screen, which meant I could not jam my face against camera to provide real stability. Oh, I also had to figure out how to turn video recording on.
Two Great Crested Grebes getting more serious about courtship, this morning. It wont be long before they do their standing dance.
90% luck, 5% field craft, 5% camera skills.
Well done Angus. I've never tried video. A mate of mine is into steam trains, and when he was learning videoing them, all his clips ended up the same ... with a view of his boots, while he looked at the back of the camera for how to stop the recording ....
I always forget about video on DSLRs. One reason, I guess, is growing up over several decades where cameras only shot photos. It got ingrained. And then there is the awful LCD. It kind of works if camera and lens were on a tripod or, as with me, supported by a wooden viewing screen. It definitely doesn't work hand held. You've got 6lb of camera and lens, more or less held at arm's length, so you can peer into LCD.
My daughter, however, prefers LCD over view finder. She grew up using a smart phone.
Anyway, getting back on piste. This robin landed on a stake right in front of Colebrook hide. It was on the border of the minimum focus range of my lens. Therefore, without any cropping, detailing is superb.
On my Wednesday stomp, I was lucky to have sunshine from the off and ... on my return leg to car park, realised that the Great White Egret I photographed last week in the mist was voer 100m closer - stood on Plover island. Even better, there was a Little White Egret near it. I never realised how large Great White Egrets are.
Cropping out...
And now, for those who like some positional context. BUT NOTE - 1st photo of Great White Egret were the ones I took last week, in the mist, photos of which were posted earlier in this forum.
2nd photo of Great White Egret are the four above, from this week.
Dunnock this morning. I think one of the least posted small birds but liven up the countryside hedgerows with their voices no end. I seem to remember they are erroneously referred to as hedge sparrows... I may be wrong.
May I draw your attention HERE Bob :o)
Super shot Bob. Nice sharp image with great eye detail. Clean background sets it off well ...
We have four 'flocks' of Long-tailed tits who visit my bird feeder every day.
One is a proper flock of ten birds. The second consists of four birds. The smallest has two birds in it, and goes round with other members of the tit family.
It took about six years for the Long-tailed tits to realise that my bird feeder had good eating on it. I'd often see them in the trees at back of garden, but they just used them to pass through. I think suet balls and home made seed cakes it what persuaded them to try out my feeder.
Here is a photo of the big flock with all ten birds on it.
Lot to learn