Astroscope + DSLR = Gallery! (2 Viewers)

[JGobeil]

We went back again today to see if we could see him again. Nothing for two hours then his Mrs. showed up.oo
View attachment 470382 View attachment 470383 View attachment 470384

I rechecked the distance and the male was more like 100 meters away. She was only about 70 meters. I used the TN on him but I was worried about the light so I left it off for her.

Congrads on your catch. It is always very satisfying to photograph a new species.

 

[DanC.Licks]

Thanks Jules,
Yes, it is. It was like that when I finally got our Bittern to sit still, except that these were totally unexpected!
I was up in a tree picking apples yesterday, and a Goldcrest landed on a branch right in front of me. Never seen one before. Didn't even know what it was. Needless to say, I didn't have my camera with me.

 

[Tord]

Coot race

Coots are capable of performing a spectacular show when hundreds of them jointly decide to take off in a race.

TS102 700mm
[email protected] 700

 

[FineArt]

1200 dob cropped.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3693/10585102886_31a417451c_o.jpg

 

[DanC.Licks]

The secret of Coot racing....their tires!

My son took this at a zoo in Dublin this summer. Seems they have feet well suited for running across the water. Crazy birds!

 

[JGobeil]

Coots are capable of performing a spectacular show when hundreds of them jointly decide to take off in a race.

TS102 700mm
[email protected] 700

Interesting ! We have them here in Quebec, but not in large groups. Only single birds or families.

 

[JGobeil]

The secret of Coot racing....their tires!
View attachment 470718
My son took this at a zoo in Dublin this summer. Seems they have feet well suited for running across the water. Crazy birds!

Hi Dan,

First time I see this. Quite special isn't ? Coots are not the only ones running on water - many of the diving ducks do it quite well. See this GoldenEye and the group of Common Mergansers . Shame on me, shot with a regular DSLR !

 

[Tord]

True, Coot are not the only ones to do this. Coot are a photogenic motif since they tend to pack in hundreds (during non-breeding season), staying together and acting as one. The pictures I shared are taken when a Sea Eagle made an entrace and came within sight, 200-300 meters distance.

 

[DanC.Licks]

I hate it when we go off daylight savings time. Taken this afternoon at just before 4 PM.



10 minutes later the sun was gone.
(I am sure Tord sympathizes with me!)

 

[Tord]

Beautiful!

 

[JGobeil]

Beautiful!

+1 :t:

 

[DanC.Licks]

Thanks, guys.... but this picture can't even come close to the beauty of the scene that took place maybe two minutes earlier. I was sitting quietly, keeping a lookout for Kingfishers, (no luck) when I heard a sort of "oink" in the air behind me. I spun around just in time to see seven swans, four adults and three juveniles, all gliding in to land on the other side of the pond, about 100 meters away. The whoosh of their wings and then the rushing of the water as they touched down was haunting. Absolutely breath taking! Last thing in the world I could have done would have been to try and get a picture, (wasn't time anyway) but then, I am not a "real", "damn the torpedoes" photographer!
There are times like that that I just want to soak up and enjoy, like the time we looked up and saw a swarm of about 150 Bee-eaters high overhead, all chirping away and darting in and out, or the time we had a total solar eclipse. What can we do as photographers that could be anything more than a hint, something to perhaps trigger the memory of such moments.

 

[Tord]

Thanks, Tord. 'Twas a thrill, to say the least! Gave Elaine an extra kick because we just bought her a spotting scope a couple of weeks back, and without it, she would have seen practically nothing.

What scope model did you pick?

 

[DanC.Licks]

We got a Meopta Meostar 1 75ED, straight view, brand new with 20x60 eyepiece and both cases for €700.

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop...eostar-S1-75-APO-Spektiv--Winkeleinblick.html

It is very good, light and compact. Meopta is Europe's biggest optics manufacturer and they make the lenses and prisms for Swarovsky. Excellent sharpness right to the edges and minimal CA only near the edges. I think your Nik is perhaps a bit better optically, but it is much bigger and heavier, and Elaine didn't like the focusing dial on the scopes we looked at. She much preferred the barrel focus like Meopta, Swaro etc.
Just need to find her a good, light (affordable) tripod. The Velbon we have borrowed from our daughter is a piece of crap!....but it IS light.

 

[Tord]

Nice, lightweight and a godd price. Is nitrogen filled, to prevent moisture/water condensating inside? PS the NIkon does have a barrel focusing, design similar to the one on the Meopta. It comes in handy wintertime when wearing gloves.

 

[DanC.Licks]

Yes, nitrogen filled. Nikon ED82A has barrel focusing, I forgot. Much better and much less susceptible to getting out of adjustment.

 

[DanC.Licks]

Something a little different:


What can you do if a swan parks himself right next to where you are set up and your shortest lens is 600mm?

 

[Paul Corfield]

Make a focal reducer.

Paul.

 

[DanC.Licks]

Thought of that... I think I would have needed at least three...o

Had to struggle a bit for this one...


The background was/is a problem....

 

[Tord]

Gadwall

Gadwalls taking off.