Astroscope + DSLR = Gallery! (1 Viewer)

[DanC.Licks]

Very good, Tord!
Been gone for a few days. More later.

Big bird, little bird.
Distance, about 300 meters...

 

[cango]

By reversing the gimbalhead (upside down) a nice perspective can be achieved.
Tord

great low angle shots - so desireble, but hard to get in the field (unless having a special spot)

 

[Paul Corfield]

Hadn't seen any of our Dunnock chicks for a few days and was fearing the worst. One of them turned up today and posed nicely on this rock for me.

Paul.

Edit - I should have looked more closely but this is a juvenile Blackbird. I think it has left the nest a few days early for whatever reason and it's still quite small, about the size of the Dunnocks we had a few days ago. It's been in the garden all afternoon and hasn't been fed. I may move it to the undergrowth tonight but I don't hold out much hope for it. I've seen a female quite a lot this week making trips with mouthfuls of worms but I haven't seen her this afternoon. There's a male around but I haven't seen it take part in feeding at all, I think the female has been doing all the work.

2nd edit - The juvenile has now died.

Paul.

 

[Tord]

great low angle shots - so desireble, but hard to get in the field (unless having a special spot)

Thanks,
It occured to me I could/should have used this technique at so many occasions before. Crouching/sitting and not pointing that big thing at them, maybe the birds will be more tolerant. Can't wait for the next occasion!

 

[JGobeil]

By reversing the gimbalhead (upside down) a nice perspective can be achieved. Thanks to the tiltable LCD focusing is feasible, however operating the dual knob on the right side is tricky. But it can be done. Had the shore had a different topology I could had shot from even lower perspective, but as it was the camera body is almost resting on ground.

These are with the TS102 scope (700mm / F6.8)
The Mergansers are almost impossible to come close, added the EC14. Some air distortion has impacted the IQ, but still deserves to be shared.

The Coot and the greedy Red-necked Grebe are full frames.

Thanks for looking
Tord

Wow ! Amazing photos.

 

[Tord]

Great Spotted Woodpecker

One of several woodies encountered during the weekend. This one came out OK, I managed to deploy the setup and get things sorted in time.

TLAPO804 + EM5
(It's nice to have a short scope when venturing into the woods, at least from portability point of view)

 

[JGobeil]

At last !

After 11 years of bird photography. I still didn't have a really nice photo of a Northern Cardinal. Problem solved, I guess !

 

[DanC.Licks]

Yup!
How did you get him to hold still while you spray painted him?

 

[Richardmg9]

I decided my t2 adapter was too constricting/low build quality and got myself the ultrawide prime adapter from cncsupply. Thanks a lot to Tord and Paul for the thorough answers to my infinity focus question. I also bought a few of the dirt cheap china/ebay 3 piece macro tubes (7mm 14mm 28mm) instead of a new 2" extension tube just because they are so much cheaper and I figure I can use them for mounting TN's as well.

 

[Tord]

Proud handyman

Occasionally seen in my area so this guy made my day. It was really windy conditions and rather difficult to frame the swinging nest through the maze of twigs (not to say impossible to fine tune focus). After waiting for a while he showed up with some building material that took him a minute to weave after which he vanished not to be seen again before evening light had faded.

Check out this almost finished nest - a true piece of handcraft.

 

[rferrieri]

Wakodahatchee Wetlands

Jules

I was at this preserve last Spring. What a great place for photos. Did you happen to see the gators patrolling the waters beneath the heron nests. Last year a chick fell out--it never hit the water but ended up in a gator's waiting mouth. Rich

 

[JGobeil]

Occasionally seen in my area so this guy made my day. It was really windy conditions and rather difficult to frame the swinging nest through the maze of twigs (not to say impossible to fine tune focus). After waiting for a while he showed up with some building material that took him a minute to weave after which he vanished not to be seen again before evening light had faded.

Check out this almost finished nest - a true piece of handcraft.

Nice ! In Canada, we have the Baltimore Oriole that builds a nest that looks a bit like this one.

 

[JGobeil]

Jules

I was at this preserve last Spring. What a great place for photos. Did you happen to see the gators patrolling the waters beneath the heron nests. Last year a chick fell out--it never hit the water but ended up in a gator's waiting mouth. Rich

Yes, there was a 12 footer in particular that was alway there. Impressive !

 

[JGobeil]

Yup!
How did you get him to hold still while you spray painted him?

Dan,

Here is my trick. Just ask politely for pemission to take a photo... The bird will gladly oblige. If you say Thank You, you will be allowed to take another photo. Here is that second shot. :t:

Regards
Jules

 

[cango]

Occasionally seen in my area so this guy made my day. It was really windy conditions and rather difficult to frame the swinging nest through the maze of twigs (not to say impossible to fine tune focus). After waiting for a while he showed up with some building material that took him a minute to weave after which he vanished not to be seen again before evening light had faded.

Check out this almost finished nest - a true piece of handcraft.

amazing shots an what an experience! Those are pretty rare, and to see the nestbuildning is maybe once in a liftime. Grattis!

edit: In english - would that be a "scrotum tit" ? ;-)

 

[Tord]

amazing shots an what an experience! Those are pretty rare, and to see the nestbuildning is maybe once in a liftime. Grattis!

edit: In english - would that be a "scrotum tit" ? ;-)

Thanks Carlos,

The English name is Penduline Tit.

Actually this is the second time I managed to spot and photograph this rarity in nestbuilding process (previous time was pre-scope, so the IQ was not as good). I guess I have consumed my lifetime quota...

 

[DanC.Licks]

Jules,
#2 is even better.
Tord,
keep it up. Your pictures are getting better and better all the time.
:t:

 

[Tord]

Very good, Tord!
Been gone for a few days. More later.
View attachment 493024
Big bird, little bird.
Distance, about 300 meters...

Would have been a great one if it hadn't been for the distortion, but still I like the setting. I suppose it is a Great Bustard and a Yellow Wagtail?

 

[Tord]

Jules,
#2 is even better.
Tord,
keep it up. Your pictures are getting better and better all the time.
:t:

Thanks Dan,
Working on it... it is getting less of a challenge to get good results as I gain confidence in my setups and how to take advantage of them in various situations.

 

[DanC.Licks]

More likely Yellowhammer. Great Bustard is right. I was lucky to have spotted a couple of females more within "shooting distance" just as we were driving away.