Birds in Motion

Osprey have returned in full force .... they were everywhere on Friday. Here is a photo of a Construction Engineer in the bird world.

A Bald Eagle taking flight from the top of a dead tree. Photo was taken at 700mm.

Great Blue Heron gliding low over the water ....

This was probably my favorite shot of the day as a Great Egret glides peacefully through the heavens above.

Photo #5 is of a Greater Yellowlegs throwing off droplets of water as he lifts off from the nearby shore.

WOW! GREAT captures Linth!! Thanks for sharing them with us!

Here is a side view of the Greater Yellowlegs ...

Sorry for posting before you were done Linth. The pics are incredible!!

A really great series of in flight shots.
The geese are returning to Anchorage, a sure sign of spring.

Thanks, pelletory and Grasmussen ....

The Canada and Snow Geese usually depart the Mid-Atlantic region by mid-March. I only saw a few resident Canada Geese this past Friday.

Linth, absolutely awesome photos - you never cease to amaze me! I've been way behind on DG so am enjoying catching up on the bird forum.

Wonderful photos. Thank you so much.

700mm!! I do believe I have lens envy!

Beautiful pictures, as usual Ü

Wonderful, thanks!

All wonderful shots...I especially like the Bald Eagle take-off!

my son says he would like to see a picture of your 700 mm lens
: ^ )
'it's like the hubble telescope or something"
thanks for sharing incredible photos!

I'd like to see that too, probably looks like the lenses the sports photographers use.

Thanks all for your comments ....

My carry around digital camera is a Nikon D70 with a 50-500mm Sigma lens. My other combination is a Nikon D200 with a Nikkor 500mm f/4D IF-ED AF-S II Lens. I currently have a Nikon 1.4x teleconverter on it to stretch it out to 700mm. I also have a 1.7x teleconverter which pushes it out to 850mm.

I made the investment in the Nikkor 500mm lens primarily for improved photo clarity/sharpness. However, once you start adding teleconverters you are beginning to sacrifice on quality. And, a good tripod becomes essential. I still use the Nikon D70 and Sigma 50-500mm combination 80% of the time because it's easier to handle in a spontaneous situation. I am still learning and trying to get more comfortable with the larger lens.

Here is a photo of the Nikkor 500mm lens with the 1.4x teleconverter.

Wow! Is it really heavy when you move it around on the tripod? Very nice!

Linth, what kind of tripod did you get? I've been trying to figure out (on the Internet) what I should get. The one I have is a $20 item, old and flimsy. I am also interested in a teleconverter for my Sony, but haven't done any research yet. More than that, of course, I want a 500mm lens! Which is out of my budget at the moment.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you ...

Murmur, I bought a Gitzo 1325 carbon tripod and a Wimberley head. Following my research, that seemed to be the most popular combination for lenses in the 400mm-500mm range. As with everything, there are trade-offs. I chose the carbon tripod because it is lighter in weight and stronger, but..... it is more expensive.

pelletory, except in my backyard, I haven't moved the tripod with the camera/lens attached. It is more awkward than it is heavy because the camera and lens weigh more than the tripod, so it is top heavy. The Wimberley head has a quick release so I can quickly detach the camera/lens from the tripod. One has to actually see a Wimberley head in action to fully appreciate its versatility. It is the best, hands down.

One should put a great deal of thought into how they will use a long lens before purchasing a 500mm or 600mm prime lens. Otherwise, the idiom, "A fool and his money are soon parted" can become a reality. There are less expensive alternatives out there to achieve one's objective.

LOL, Stop it Linth; your confusing me even more.

Still waiting to see some full reports on that Olympus 18x.

Canada Geese landing.

Should we start a thread for Bird photography tips, questions, and equipment?

Thats a great idea! Nice pic!!!

I don't think a new forum is necessary. We already have a forum entitled "Cameras and Photography" which should cover the subject matter on a broader scope. All threads get off the original subject on occasion.

Here's a mixture of waterfowl preparing for their trip up north. Note the single Snow Goose at the bottom of the photo.

This message was edited Apr 16, 2007 7:41 AM

Beautiful pic Linth!

I think Gary just means a single thread within this forum.

Some photos , the greatest I have seen in a long time, thank you linth, for sharing, also want to say you have some camera!

I have been seeing quite a few Caspian Terns recently.

Beautiful!!