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Post by spinno on Oct 23, 2024 10:38:32 GMT
No offence but she's the one with Viking heritage, so it's her turn. Perhaps she'll become a Valkyrie If she turns into one of the choosers of the slain then Martin could be right about a trip in the offing. At least he won't be lonely... |
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Post by peterob on Oct 25, 2024 14:54:41 GMT
Nothing much moving today. You have to hand it to technology. Handheld 1/55 s, 600 mm lens on APS-C and a large crop to the result. Plus the wind was blowing.  XH2S0028.jpg by Pete, on Flickr |
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Post by MJB on Oct 26, 2024 21:24:21 GMT
Sometimes I don't take photos and just enjoy what I'm seeing. Today was one of those days. Nice weather so we took a trip to Arne. A good selection of wading birds (Curlew, Redshank, Greenshank, Sanderling, Black-Tailed Godwit, Oystercatcher, Avocet), ducks (Teal, Mallard, Wigeon, Gadwall, Shelduck), an Osprey, White-Tailed Eagle, and the best sighting of the day - Dartford Warblers. Stopped on the way home to recce the Short-Eared Owls. None seen, but they are here, and was treated to two Kestrels hunting side-by-side lit by a fantastic setting sun instead.
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Post by MJB on Oct 27, 2024 15:02:35 GMT
Just had a male Hen Harrier swoop across the road in front of me. I'm now stopped by the side of the road, spotting scope and camera at the ready. Same area as the Short-eared owls, Barn owls, and Kestrels hunt.
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Post by MJB on Oct 27, 2024 20:13:30 GMT
Story of the day really. The Hen Harrier did return, but never came within sensible camera range. A bit like the Bearded Tits we saw down at Weymouth today. I did capture the Radipole Lake fishing club having a meeting though...  fishing club by Martin Bone, on Flickr The Hen Harrier didn't oblige, but these two Kestrels were hunting in the last of the evening light...  kestrel3 by Martin Bone, on Flickr  kestrel2 by Martin Bone, on Flickr  kestrel1 by Martin Bone, on Flickr Just as the sun was slipping beyond the horizon...  kestrel1s by Martin Bone, on Flickr  kestrel2s by Martin Bone, on Flickr  kestrel4s by Martin Bone, on Flickr  kestrel3s by Martin Bone, on Flickr And a Red Kite didn't want to miss out...  redkite by Martin Bone, on Flickr |
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Post by don on Nov 12, 2024 19:17:09 GMT
I’m in awe I don’t get out now but if I was well enough I’d love to take some pictures of raptors.
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Post by MJB on Nov 12, 2024 19:18:19 GMT
Returned to the Short-Eared Owl hotspot this afternoon/evening. No sign of the Shorties yet, but good views of a female Hen Harrier through the scope and two buzzards protecting a kill. At 600 yards, it was way out of range of the camera, so I had a go at digiscoping using my phone and adapter. Here's a short video of the action.
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Post by zou on Nov 12, 2024 19:23:12 GMT
Returned to the Short-Eared Owl hotspot this afternoon/evening. No sign of the Shorties yet, but good views of a female Hen Harrier through the scope and two buzzards protecting a kill. At 600 yards, it was way out of range of the camera, so I had a go at digiscoping using my phone and adapter. Here's a short video of the action. What magnification is your eyepiece? |
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Post by MJB on Nov 12, 2024 19:27:20 GMT
Returned to the Short-Eared Owl hotspot this afternoon/evening. No sign of the Shorties yet, but good views of a female Hen Harrier through the scope and two buzzards protecting a kill. At 600 yards, it was way out of range of the camera, so I had a go at digiscoping using my phone and adapter. Here's a short video of the action. What magnification is your eyepiece? 15-45x. Video was shot at 45x. |
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Post by zou on Nov 12, 2024 19:35:23 GMT
What magnification is your eyepiece? 15-45x. Video was shot at 45x. Oh yeah, well beyond the lens. My scope has a fixed 25x if I recall correctly. Less flexible in the field but simple and consistently bright. We looked at a zoom eyepiece but it was so dark at the long end we decided the fixed was better. Bear in mind this was at the cheap as chips end of the market. |
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Post by gray1720 on Nov 12, 2024 19:38:14 GMT
Nearly had a Buzzard on my bonce once! If you ever feel the need to investigate why there is a dead wabbit under a tree.... DON'T!
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Post by spinno on Nov 12, 2024 20:00:56 GMT
Nearly had a Buzzard on my bonce once! If you ever feel the need to investigate why there is a dead wabbit under a tree.... DON'T! At a display the fly guy said no danger of the birds flying low...so how come a kite tried to scalp me... |
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Post by MJB on Nov 12, 2024 20:23:24 GMT
Nearly had a Buzzard on my bonce once! If you ever feel the need to investigate why there is a dead wabbit under a tree.... DON'T! At a display the fly guy said no danger of the birds flying low...so how come a kite tried to scalp me... The Hawk Conservancy Trust's safety briefing before displays is along the lines of "if one of our birds looks like it's going to hit you, it's going to hit you". By a bizarre twist we visited there this morning for the first time in a couple of years. I lasted one display before I left. Captive birds seriously don't do it for me anymore. I quite like the challenge of trying to make the birds look like they're they're not captive, but the vision of people, dressed head to toe in Real tree© Camo gear, firing off hundreds of shots at birds flying a set routine just puts my blood pressure up. I got more enjoyment watching a Hen Harrier and a couple of squabbling Buzzards. |
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Post by peterob on Nov 12, 2024 21:16:20 GMT
At a display the fly guy said no danger of the birds flying low...so how come a kite tried to scalp me... The Hawk Conservancy Trust's safety briefing before displays is along the lines of "if one of our birds looks like it's going to hit you, it's going to hit you". By a bizarre twist we visited there this morning for the first time in a couple of years. I lasted one display before I left. Captive birds seriously don't do it for me anymore. I quite like the challenge of trying to make the birds look like they're they're not captive, but the vision of people, dressed head to toe in Real tree© Camo gear, firing off hundreds of shots at birds flying a set routine just puts my blood pressure up. I got more enjoyment watching a Hen Harrier and a couple of squabbling Buzzards. I haven't been to one for years. Unless the birds are perched it is hard to hide the traces/radio transmitters but you do get closer than you would normally. Big vultures are impressive. Kestrel with all the captivity trimmings.  BV9R0149.jpg by Pete, on Flickr |
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Post by MJB on Nov 12, 2024 21:34:05 GMT
The Hawk Conservancy Trust's safety briefing before displays is along the lines of "if one of our birds looks like it's going to hit you, it's going to hit you". By a bizarre twist we visited there this morning for the first time in a couple of years. I lasted one display before I left. Captive birds seriously don't do it for me anymore. I quite like the challenge of trying to make the birds look like they're they're not captive, but the vision of people, dressed head to toe in Real tree© Camo gear, firing off hundreds of shots at birds flying a set routine just puts my blood pressure up. I got more enjoyment watching a Hen Harrier and a couple of squabbling Buzzards. I haven't been to one for years. Unless the birds are perched it is hard to hide the traces/radio transmitters but you do get closer than you would normally. Big vultures are impressive. Kestrel with all the captivity trimmings. BV9R0149.jpg by Pete, on Flickr As a rule the HCT fly their birds without jesses attached, unless it's novice bird such as the Little Owls that they are just starting to show. The hardest part is the backgrounds in the flying arenas. I sat away from the photography 'experts' today. One asked me why I was sat there. I pointed to the totally natural backdrop compared to the the straight lines and manmade structures that made up the background to the angle he was facing.  tawny owl by Martin Bone, on Flickr  great grey ghost by Martin Bone, on Flickr |
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