I like the colour palette in this shot!

I had a good raptor day today...

Northern Harrier:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_9033.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_9042.jpg

Peregrine Falcon:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_9240.jpg

Some kind of hawk:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_9056.jpg

American Bittern:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_9496.jpg

^
Nice! Was that all at Reifel? Last time I was there everyone was telling me to check out the Bittern and I couldn't find it. Some old couple said its just around that corner. But nope... no dice.
Sweet photos! Lens?

The problem with the American Bittern is that it's so well camouflaged that they're very difficult to see. When I got there everyone was telling me where it was, pointing at it but it took me a long time to pick it out of the reeds.

The American Bittern was at Reifel, the raptors were at Boundary Bay. Gear used was Canon 7D + 500mm f4L IS USM.

Jason, those pictures are sweet! I really miss having that kinda variety so close to home! I have to go quite a ways to see anything interesting.

Here are some pictures are from what i think is an Australian Bittern

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/...8025f086_b.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/...f6fd40fc_b.jpg

^
That's so sweet!

I made a little video of one of the woodpeckers that constantly visit my backyard.


Why is there some black border around the video? That was never there before I uploaded to youtube?

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...2011/03/b2.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...2011/03/b3.jpg

First picture of the chickadee is nice! The second photo would be better if you got down to the birds level and took the picture.

i wish i could! these guys are wary, elusive, and prefer the ground to do their stuff. one day i'll get a decent pose, he's my white whale.

Yea, those Varied Thrush are tough ones to get. There is one that visits my backyard all the time but like you said he prefers to eat the seeds that fall on the ground from the bird feeders. Here are a few from earlier in the week..

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5095/...c44f1479_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5053/...72c0930d_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5099/...272f2fd4_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5260/...137b66b7_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5018/...50d82efe_z.jpg

The Owl photo was taken January I think. Forgot I took this photo so I uploaded it.
And if any of you want a photo of a Pileated Woodpecker you need a huge lens. There are a few of them around my place but they are hard to capture. They climb up the tree so fast and peck away then fly deeper and deeper until you can't see them anymore.
It's really cool to hear them do that drumming sound. It's so loud and you think its them pecking at the tree when its really not! It's just one of their calls I guess.

Today was a great day for birding at Boundary Bay. Riefel was a bust, nothing but ducks and one hidden owl I couldn't see.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/...4590047e_z.jpg

Northern Harrier?

Speaking of Boundary Bay, there are signs that say Widlife Management something something.. I want to know if one is allowed to walk were all the logs are and stuff. Beyond the trail heading towards the water. Because if you are not I want justice to be served! There was some old guy with a mega lens walking all over that place trying to snap photos of the Owl I was after but didn't get close enough.

You can walk all the way to the water, its allowed. I have seen people kite surfing there tons of times.

If you think that is unfair, I was out trying to take pics one day and there was a guy out at the water hunting! had a full blind he was hiding behind, and a fake duck set up in the water that was flapping its wings. Watched him shoot down a couple ducks with a shot gun from his hip. That shit pissed me off, I wish I knew which vehicle was his, he would have had a long walk home.

Did he have a moustache and shoulder length salt & pepper hair? I think I know him - he bought a 800mm f5.6L from us. He should not have been chasing the owl though. It makes them spend energy flying away, and they don't get enough to eat if people keep bothering them.

Nothing wrong with that.

He just kept on walking up closer and closer then the owl would fly a little, repeat repeat repeat.
He was a short male,all white hair, half bald and late 40's I think? He had camo gear all over the lens and tripod. Had a camo jacket but bright blue jeans heh.
He kept his distance and looked fairly sneaky so I'm not sure if the owl got spooked or not but it did swoop down a bunch of times. Not sure if the owl caught anything to eat as I couldn't get close enough to see even with my crappy 300mm.

went golfing out @ Kings Links this morning.

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-.../03/eagle1.jpg


http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-.../03/eagle3.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-.../03/eagle2.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...1/03/bunch.jpg

^
Did you see the trees they cut down across from the airport near the rail road tracks and where the small construction site is? When I first saw that I was a little choked. There was a nest in there if not two!

Sweet photos! I was planning on heading down there myself this morning but I had to get some car maintenance done before I was able to go anywhere but even so birding with a 300mm is tough sometimes. :( I gotta sell my body and soul so I can afford big lenses.

EDIT: Here's my photo from Boundary Bay.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5106/...622dd522_z.jpg

mine were taken with my 70-200.

Hi Revscene, first post here :woot2:


Here is a chickadee taken with my 30D + 55-250mm


http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/...bd458a47_z.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-.../04/shot1a.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...1/04/shot3.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...1/04/shot5.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...1/04/shot6.jpg

I like that first shot of the Sandhill Crane NVM! Nicely done :)

thanks. weather was really horrible out @ Reifel today, but really wanted to test out the new zoom.


http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...1/04/shot8.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-.../04/shot11.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-.../04/shot13.jpg

I was pissed when I saw that too, as I thought it was illegal to chop down a tree with an eagle nest. I talked to someone who I think is a Canadian Wildlife Services officer who came into the store the other day and I asked him about it. He said it's legal to chop down trees with a nest if it poses a threat to Human life, and in this case, as it was so close to the flight path of planes taking off and landing from the airport, they chose to chop down the trees. The nest that was in the tree was originally a Red Tailed Hawk nest that was taken over by the Bald Eagles. The hawks moved across the street into a tree by the abandoned army base.

I took this photo in late December - there are about 25 Bald Eagles sitting in the trees. Unfortunately, they're all gone. :(
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...I/IMG_3785.jpg

From last week:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...I/EZ2C5323.jpg

I went out to test our new Canon Rebel T3i. The digital zooming feature is pretty cool, as seen in the video. Other gear used: 500mm f4L IS with 1.4x TC III, RODE Stereo VideoMic w/Dead Kitten, Cinevate Cyclops DSLR Viewfinder. The image quality and video quality of the T3i is excellent - it's just a little small, and a bit limited in its functions. I think it's a great beginner's camera or back-up body for pros. Actually, if you like to shoot wildlife videos, the digital zoom feature is awesome.

Bald Eagle sitting on her eggs.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...s/IMG_0012.jpg

The rig with 1DmkIV attached:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...p/IMG_0030.jpg

Sorry, the quality of the video isn't as crisp as it really is for some reason....
Looks like she had herself duck for lunch - she has feathers stuck to her beak along with some blood.

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...1/04/duck1.jpg

http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-...04/sparrow.jpg


http://www.epicdevelopements.com/wp-.../04/crane2.jpg

So they're using that same little island as last year?