Birds fae Torry (23 Viewers)

[JTweedie]

Lovely for us but probably not so lovely for them. Will any of them survive their delayed/detoured flight to warmer climes?

I'd like to think they're robust enough to be able to get back on track. This paper talks about their migration south from Gibraltar with one bird known to traverse the entire Sahara in one day, and one that was able to cover nearly 2000 km in two days.

Birds with multiple homes. The annual cycle of the pallid swift (Apus pallidus brehmorum)

We tracked pallid swifts (Apus pallidus brehmorum) from a single breeding colony in Gibraltar over two years. Our results show movement of birds between specific regions within the non-breeding geographical area at specific times of the year. The tracking of a single individual showed remarkable...

journals.plos.org

 

[Cucurrucucu]

I'd like to think they're robust enough to be able to get back on track. This paper talks about their migration south from Gibraltar with one bird known to traverse the entire Sahara in one day, and one that was able to cover nearly 2000 km in two days.

Birds with multiple homes. The annual cycle of the pallid swift (Apus pallidus brehmorum)

We tracked pallid swifts (Apus pallidus brehmorum) from a single breeding colony in Gibraltar over two years. Our results show movement of birds between specific regions within the non-breeding geographical area at specific times of the year. The tracking of a single individual showed remarkable...

journals.plos.org

Interesting stuff. The detour to Aberdeen must really stretch their resources and resourcefulness. Or maybe it is just Darwin stepping in to get rid of birds with a bad sense of direction!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

A day that began and ended nicely but had quite a bit of rain in the middle. I mostly spent my time trying my new camera set-up out, hence lots of photos. It would have been more if I'd worked out the settings properly a bit earlier. Early morning, I had a look round St Fittick's. It was fairly quiet, with not too much evidence of migrants. At least one Chiffchaff was about and there were also two Snipe, a Water Rail, two Stock Doves, a Mistle Thrush and two Goldcrests. A male Blackcap was by the bowling green on the way home.

After the rain had stopped, I headed around the headland. Another Mistle Thrush was in the allotments and the pair of Stonechats were near the Battery. Offshore, the highlight was a Woodcock flying in off the sea. Like a lot of birds I've seen coming 'in off' in the last week or two, it headed for the south harbour breakwater and Greg Ness rather than Girdle Ness. A Puffin was in among the Eiders below the foghorn. Three Wigeon and a Long-tailed Duck went north.

Anyway, here are a few relatively nice pictures from the day.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

I do know that many regular readers of this thread mainly come here for the truly awful record shots and, in case there were any concerns, I can assure you that these will be continuing and may even become more frequent. Here, for example, we have Puffin, Long-tailed Duck, Mistle Thrush and Pink-footed Goose.

 

[delia todd]

.... and not a single discarded shoe in sight LOL

Enjoy your new camera Andrew - what is it?

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

.... and not a single discarded shoe in sight LOL

Enjoy your new camera Andrew - what is it?

There were some really good discarded shoes around the other day. I should have taken a picture!

The new camera is an Olympus OM1 with 300mm lens and 1.4x converter. It seems fairly incredible, although I'm still getting the hang of it.

 

[Stonefaction]

There were some really good discarded shoes around the other day. I should have taken a picture!

The new camera is an Olympus OM1 with 300mm lens and 1.4x converter. It seems fairly incredible, although I'm still getting the hang of it.

The more photos (and comments about how good the kit itself is) I see, the more I'm tempted to get one.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The more photos (and comments about how good the kit itself is) I see, the more I'm tempted to get one.

It's certainly a step up from anything I've had before, and very portable. It's amazing how much cameras have advanced in the past decade.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Is that a herring gull bobbing for apples?!

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Is that a herring gull bobbing for apples?!

Seasonally appropriate, I guess.

 

[Stonefaction]

It's certainly a step up from anything I've had before, and very portable. It's amazing how much cameras have advanced in the past decade.

The size/weight compared to my Nikon D500 & 200-500mm lens, coupled with the results it appears to get, are the main reasons I'm considering getting one. Will probably have to trade in some of my less used kit to bring the price down a bit though.

 

[Ian Bell]

"Some" lovely photos Andrew.l did enjoy the old days,of some exciting migrants turning up and being photographed by yourself,alongside a Fridge,Tumble Dryer and even more strange items.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

The size/weight compared to my Nikon D500 & 200-500mm lens, coupled with the results it appears to get, are the main reasons I'm considering getting one. Will probably have to trade in some of my less used kit to bring the price down a bit though.

I was using a D500, usually with a 300 f4 and converter. The size and weight of that set up was similar to the Olympus but there are a lot of ways the Olympus seems better. Almost every picture I take seems to be very in focus (particularly using the bird detection), the IS is better, it has more reach (840mm equivalent with the converter) and can take a ridiculous number of shots if I want (potentially 120 frames a second!). I've not used it much yet, but the pro-capture feature is amazing for birds in flight (and helped me get the dolphin shot above). The viewfinder is also really sharp and bright, so it's easier to pick out birds at a distance with it. It seems to work well at high ISO too (all pictures above were at 1600 ISO).

 

[Stonefaction]

I was using a D500, usually with a 300 f4 and converter. The size and weight of that set up was similar to the Olympus but there are a lot of ways the Olympus seems better. Almost every picture I take seems to be very in focus (particularly using the bird detection), the IS is better, it has more reach (840mm equivalent with the converter) and can take a ridiculous number of shots if I want (potentially 120 frames a second!). I've not used it much yet, but the pro-capture feature is amazing for birds in flight (and helped me get the dolphin shot above). The viewfinder is also really sharp and bright, so it's easier to pick out birds at a distance with it. It seems to work well at high ISO too (all pictures above were at 1600 ISO).

Good to know, Andrew. I'm weighing up the lens situation before I buy. The 300 f4 is twice the price of the 100-400 but being used to a zoom (and the 100-400 being pretty decent anyway) I'm not certain I can justify the 300 + converter, given I don't particularly need the slight increase in quality the 300 gives as I only really post my pics online. I still might go for same set-up as you though...

EDIT: Bullet bitten. Went for 100-400mm & 1.4x converter plus a secondhand body.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

Looking a Christmas (for those of us who can't even carry a big camera) there is a lot of game on offer. I assume mallard and wood pigeon are fine, but what about the rest? Teal? Snipe? Woodcock? Red legged partridges? Any sustainable/moral?
Not sure about hare either.

Seasonally appropriate, I guess.

Is that allowed without its face painted or at least wearing a witches' hat?!

 

[burnie]

Quite a few photographers I know are going over to mirrorless cameras, both the body and lenses seem to be lighter than the old dslr's, I have gone over to movies rather than upgrade my dslr, however, the weight increase is colossal so not for those not used to weightlifting, my new tripod and head weigh almost a stone without the body, lenses and the rest of the gear.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Today was quite similar to yesterday, with quite a strong wind and some mucky weather at times. I headed round the headland first. I had another Woodcock coming in off the sea, this time near the main harbour breakwater. Offshore were at least three Puffins and three Common Scoters went north. We had some progress on the Purple Sandpiper Totaliser too:

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They seem to be behaving themselves at the moment - I hope it continues through the winter. Things were pretty quiet around St Fittick's with the best of it a Mistle Thrush, a Chiffchaff and nine Goldcrests.

 

[Ian Bell]

Lovely photos Andrew.I headed to St Fitticks at first light yesterday but turned back after 10 minutes,once the heavy rain came on.I would Imagine a lot of wildlife would be nervous,going by the amount of used Fireworks on the ground after the previous evening.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Quite breezy and drizzly again today. I got out around the headland in the afternoon. We had further progress on the Purple Sandpiper Totaliser:

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Nice work! A Red-throated Diver gave good views in the harbour, although it's likely it's there because it's not too well. Offshore, a juvenile Little Gull was feeding a fair distance out.

 

[Cucurrucucu]

A Red-throated Diver there because it's not too well.

Not the dreaded avian lurgy in divers as well?