Some birds I saw this morning...

[ucci]

Hokay. Behind every picture should be a story. Or so they tell me. So.......
This morning I was fiddling around in the sun room and heard this horrible screeching, which could only be a mob of cockies. The ground is pretty damp and they had swung by our place to pull up the onion grass. They really like the bulbous roots of this grass which they can easily pull up or dig out when the soil is damp and soft. So I was able to get a few shots whilst they were feeding.
Bad luck Dave, but after all, you did ask for a return to the galahs and cockies.
Thanks to all who took the time to view
Taken with my recently acquired Tamron Tele-macro (1:2) lens, 70-300mm 1:4 -5.6. Detail for those who can read the runic symbols and for those who care about these things.


Cheers
Ken

[dje]

Bad luck Dave, but after all, you did ask for a return to the galahs and cockies.

Ken I can't complain about your Cockatoo shots, I posted some recently here. Yours are superior to mine however. You've got some great shots there.

We've had a flock of them here quite a lot lately, mainly late afternoon. They've been feeding in a nearby paddock (well a city slicker's paddock anyway) and I didn't know what they were feeding on. Bulbous grass roots is the answer !!! I am indebted to you for this information.

Cheers Dave

[ucci]

[QUOTE=dje;131022]Ken I can't complain about your Cockatoo shots, I posted some recently here. Yours are superior to mine however. Y/QUOTE]

Hi Dave
Thanks for viewing and taking the time to comment. I went and looked at your cockies. You have been able to do something brilliantly which I just have not been able to manage as yet and which I am still trying to do. And that is to catch them in flight.
And as for saying mine are better than yours or yours are better than mine? Stuff and nonsense! We post for help and to share. I reckon that if ever it gets to the competitive 'mine are better than yours!' stage, then they have lost me well and truly and I am out of it; "off like a bride's nightie," as they say down in Tassie!. But then again, they can be a rather uncouth lot! Just raise the question of Kiwi apples with them and see how they react. Right over the top!
Take care and stay safe
Ken

[dje]

and I am out of it; "off like a bride's nightie," as they say down in Tassie!. But then again, they can be a rather uncouth lot!

You know Ken that's one of my favourite old pithy sayings, along with "as thick as a barmaid's makeup". Careful you'll start a civil war with our fellow aussies from Tassie ! I think there are one or two CiC members there.

Cheers Dave

[ilovelucydog]

You guys have the best birds.Fun images, Ken - they have such personality! Apparently, your sunroom is the the place to wait for good photo moments?

[ucci]

You guys have the best birds.Fun images, Ken - they have such personality! Apparently, your sunroom is the the place to wait for good photo moments?

It sure is Mary. Our sunroom is where all the action happens!

[FrankMi]

You are fortunate, Ken, to have the opportunity to be able to shoot Cockatoo's in the wild. It's good to see you taking advantage of the situation. Really nice close-ups!

[ktuli]

Ken,

What do you think of that Tamron 70-300? I have that same lens and almost never use it. Where these shots tripod mounted?

- Bill

[ilovelucydog]

It sure is Mary. Our sunroom is where all the action happens!

I'm on my way.

[Katy Noelle]

Oh, these are fun! What pleasant looking chaps - always smiling. The only one that really doesn't seem to do anything for me is #2 but I don't know what in the world I'm saying. I only think that it's because, I really can't see his face. Also, Ken, there seems to be a lot of noise. Were they moving fast and you had to "up" the ISO? Also, (and bear in mind, one cup of coffee has done absolutely nothing for me, this morning) It might be nice, if possible, to have different compositions, instead of close up crops. Would their personalities still come through if you had a few landscape shots - the bird looking into more space within the frame. Maybe, though, you were cropping out something that you didn't want to be seen. Anyhoo, space in composition - negative space being just as powerful as positive, is something that I've been thinking about for a month or two (Donald is responsible for part of that - it's all a part of his photos.) Enough!

What I'm really doing is stalling, trying to think of a word that really hasn't come to me, yet. The birds look like they have human personalities - thinking silly human thoughts - really fun and funny!

Oh, and, Mr. Ucci, Sir, congratulations on having the opportunity to satisfy some of your lens lust!

[ucci]

You are fortunate, Ken, to have the opportunity to be able to shoot Cockatoo's in the wild. It's good to see you taking advantage of the situation. Really nice close-ups!

G'Day Frank. Thanks for viewing and your encouraging comment. I guess they were taken in the wild, as you say. However I reckon I could be in a spot of bother if I referred to Glenise's back yard garden as being ' in the wild'

[ucci]

I'm on my way.

Always room for one more. And lots of windows from which to shoot.
Ken

[ucci]

Oh, these are fun! What pleasant looking chaps - always smiling. The only one that really doesn't seem to do anything for me is #2 but I don't know what in the world I'm saying. I only think that it's because, I really can't see his face. Also, Ken, there seems to be a lot of noise. Were they moving fast and you had to "up" the ISO? Also, (and bear in mind, one cup of coffee has done absolutely nothing for me, this morning) It might be nice, if possible, to have different compositions, instead of close up crops. Would their personalities still come through if you had a few landscape shots - the bird looking into more space within the frame. Maybe, though, you were cropping out something that you didn't want to be seen. Anyhoo, space in composition - negative space being just as powerful as positive, is something that I've been thinking about for a month or two (Donald is responsible for part of that - it's all a part of his photos.) Enough!

What I'm really doing is stalling, trying to think of a word that really hasn't come to me, yet. The birds look like they have human personalities - thinking silly human thoughts - really fun and funny!

Oh, and, Mr. Ucci, Sir, congratulations on having the opportunity to satisfy some of your lens lust!

Hi KatyN
Thanks for dropping by to view and for your interesting comments. They were slow moving whilst feeding and there was good morning light so there was no call to fiddle with ISO settings.

I used to like leaving in some of the background as part of the overall story. Now I crop like there is no tomorrow. But maybe I have got the message wrong. The vibes I have picked up are that if it isn't part of the primary focus of the shot, chop it out! But like you I am starting to rethink this approach. The back ground to some of these shots was quite good and I was a bit sorry to see it go. This is being underscored to me at the moment as I am currently working on Glenise's several thousand shots of the ruins she bought back from Greece and Turkey. With many of them heavy pruning of the background to hone in on some old temple column can really turn a great vista shot into a dull lifeless shot of some boring piece of old stone. But it is fun to learn and work on these things.

As for the very noisy background? Could put forward all sorts of technical justifications for this. But how about we just settle for a crappy technician being in charge of the camera?

You raise an interesting point that most people pass their lives without ever realizing. All animals have personalities if you take the time to stop and observe. Cockies do. But for really fun and amusing chaps you can't go far past their cousins the Galahs. Their antics are as funny as a circus to watch. It is for no small reason that down here they are known as the clowns of the bird world.

As for lens lust? No cure I am afeared. It is like an allergy itch. The more you scratch it, the more it itches. But I really am impressed with the Tamron lens and at the moment use it exclusively. Is it considered odd to be in love with something like your Mac PC or a camera lens? Maybe this is something which I should keep quiet about and keep as a dark secret
Cheers
old ucci

[ucci]

Ken,

What do you think of that Tamron 70-300? I have that same lens and almost never use it. Where these shots tripod mounted?

- Bill

Hi Bill
Early days as yet with this lens. But so far I rather like it. Haven't used it in its 'semi' macro phase as yet. And I didn't have time to set up a tripod. Wanted to get the shot before they fled the scene. So they were hand held using a door frame as a support to counteract my hand shake.
Cheers
Ken

[Bobobird]

My next most favourite bird (after the Moluccan that I have). Reminds me of the one that flew the coop.

Beautiful shots.

[ucci]

My next most favourite bird (after the Moluccan that I have). Reminds me of the one that flew the coop.

Beautiful shots.

Thank you Bobo