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

Odd male HY Costa's (1 Viewer)

zoutedrop

zoutedrop
I got my first Costa's in my yard in eight years of trying.
This gets me 6 species with 3 more possible but highly
unlikely.

My patio camera set up allows for a lot closer inspection
and the resulting tail shots are really puzzling. I was very
lucky to get both sides of the tail. Note the shape of the
rectrices. Per my observation, they seem shaped like an
adult male yet still have the white tips. Per the Williamson
book there should be a thin line black going through the
white.

Am I looking at this wrong?
 

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After doing more review, feedback from other forums, and noting that everything in the bird world is variable......

1) the bird is an immature Costa's
2) the rectrices are the shape of a mature male
3) <50% of AHYMs have just a hint of white on the tips (google images)
4) a fully mature tail prior to wing molt is unusual
5) the amount of white on these rectrices maybe due to premature replacement

More photos attached
 

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Congratulations on the ID..!! I can see a lot of work went into it.

If you would, could you tell me how you're able to capture such well define stop-action photos? Are they still grabs from 4K?

They're amazing shots, I'd really like to know what your setup consist of?
 
"Are they still grabs from 4K?" Don't know what that means.

30' shutter cable. If you need the camera settings just save the picture and look at the properties.

Let me know specifically what you are looking for.
 
I'm new to photography, my first camera is less than a year old. I'm not a photographer I just take pictures.

When I said 4k I meant 4K video. My Pani has that capability but my computer is not up to the challenge. I was wondering if taking still grabs from the video was your method but the 30' shutter cable explains it.

I also had visions of a hummingbird shoot I witnessed about 20 years ago. I used to camp in a Class A off of Proctor Road in Madera Canyon. Did it seasonal for a few years in the spring to bird and hike the Santa Rita's.

Anyway, I was hiking up the creek and I stopped to view the feeders outside Santa Rita Lodge. It just so happen there was an organized group of photographers shooting hummingbirds. They each had little tables set up with a glass or vase with a fake flower in it. The flower had something like an eyedropper tube filled with sugar water in the center, barely noticeable.

The photographers were either shooting by hand with elbows on the table or with a little tripod stand. As you may well know, the hummingbirds at that lodge don't mind spectators, they're rather accommodating; their lens at times were inches from the bird.

I talked with a few of the photographers, all were professional of some scale with the hopes of selling photos to magazines or whoever.

So.....for awhile there, I had visions of you going to that extreme.

I like your work.
 
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Thank you very much, very nice of you to say.

Bottom line, I am an over enthusiastic birder gifted with time.
I am also happy to live in a good birding state.
As golfers think about a hole-in-one, I hope for a lucky encounter.
This might explain the craziness.....

[url]http://petapixel.com/2015/11/25/this-shot-of-a-diving-kingfisher-was-6-years-and-720k-photos-in-the-making/[/URL]

We make our own luck. If you want another quick read, I did this a couple of years ago.

[url]http://www.azfo.org/gallery/2013/html07/ALHU_backyard_VanWallene_11_August_2013.html[/URL]

So what is next, I have no idea. I shot again a couple of days ago and am fairly sure that I
got a HYM Allen's. It will hopefully be confirmed as the second in our county.
 
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I've ran across that Diving Kingfisher article a few times, an amazing capture...!!

I know exactly what you mean with the hole-in-one analogy. Besides birds, you can't expect to see anything exciting on the trail unless you put in time and miles....you do make your own luck.

Nice find on the Allen. I don't know the other names but Kelly Bryant is kinda local for me, he's 250 miles west in the Davis Mountains. Here's his hummer webcam.

Last winter he, along with others, confirmed a Hammond's Flycatcher for me that wintered over in Tom Green County. First photo documented recording for a winter over as well as a first visit for the county. In 1989 they found a bird one county over but none here. Other than that, they have to go back to the 19th century just for migrant recordings to the Concho Valley.

About your feather question....have you thought about emailing Kelly Bryant for clarification? I suspect you have your own source but I can give you an email addee to another local ringer who does mostly hummers, if you like.

Good luck on the 2nd Allen..!!
 
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