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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Swift ID Whitburn Co.Durham (2 Viewers)

FXM said:
Filey swift: Massive amount of subjectivity involved. I saw the photographed Filey swift very well (or at least I think it was the same bird - there were several around) and even though the views were just about as good as you could possibly expect I could never really see (obvious) scaling on the body (underparts) even though you knew pretty much the photos would show some - it's always there to a greater or lesser degree. This made me think it probably wasn't a Pallid. Whether I'm right or not I'm still not sure.
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I've been thinking that may be digital photography has a propensity for exaggerating the contrast (and making birds look scaly)
 
halftwo said:
Yes, and I wrote something similar regarding the seeming blue/brown colour shift on Hobby wings in (I think) last year's Hobby thread - illustrated with some excellent photos. I'll see if I can dig it out.

Some great points/analyses made here - but will it get us any nearer to a definitive id?! As has been said a lot depends on light and attitude (of both bird and birder!) ...
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It may take some time H2 but hopefully after more research a new and informative light will be shed upon this tricky ID situation..:cat:

I was going to say, that amongst other things, we need more photos of definite juv Apus Apus taken in late October/November...but of course we may already have access to such photos....[ie some of the recent Pallid pix]..;)

Sometimes the more you dig...the messier it seems to get....[just look at certain seabird ID situations]....:smoke:

At the moment we just have to accept the uncomfortable position we are in....[personally i quite like that position as we tend to get too blase' at times and need a kick up the backside]...

ps...Jane's point about digital pix rings true with me....

pps...am still trying to get access to museum to examine skins and failing...but i will continue to flog the seemingly dead horse until it springs back to life..!


http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 
username said:
At the moment we just have to accept the uncomfortable position we are in....[personally i quite like that position as we tend to get too blase' at times and need a kick up the backside]...

ps...Jane's point about digital pix rings true with me....

pps...am still trying to get access to museum to examine skins and failing...but i will continue to flog the seemingly dead horse until it springs back to life..!


http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
Click to expand...

I'll let you know how I get on - been up to my eyes in proper work this week.
 
It will be early Dec-the vertebrate/avian guys are up to their necks with a major new exhibit until then - however I've also got Desert Wheatears upper tail coverts and some Eastern Acros/Hippos lined up too.

The want the grouse for the skeleton - not the skin (or lovely breast meat) so it might yet turn up a little flat-chested.
 
Took a while to relocate this thread....but thought i'd add to it with some photos taken today down my local museum...[yes...i finally got in]...B :)

Bit of a blitz on pix...basically to highlight 'lighting' effects on underparts...

I hope that these may be of some use at some point...

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 

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phil baber said:
Nice job User!
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It was certainly a quick job Phil....! I was only in the museum for an hour...and all the time i had the curator hovering over me...[maybe he thought i was gonna stick a swift up my sleeve]...B :)

I would have preferred to have taken my time...but hey...we do what we can do...

Perhaps these pix might contain some info regarding apparent 'appearance'...:cat:

ps...i nearly got sidetracked by dinosaurs...:eek!:....[David Attenborough was in here the other week...i bet he got more time looking at specimens]...;)

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 
Pariah said:
Not a hint of pale bases though, regardless of light angle.

Owen
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I agree Owen...tho in the little time i had available to play with the specimens i was somewhat surprised..[perhaps i shoudn't have been];)...at the amount of iridescence shown on the individual barbs which seem to diffuse the dark bases of belly feathers...

Obviously one cannot really compare sunlight with artificial light..distance etc...but maybe this diffusion may cause some photographic illusions...i don't know for sure...:smoke:

Possible....?

http://username-beast.blogspot.com/
 
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