OLYMPUS IMAGING CORP. E-3

1/60s f/5.1 at 215.0mm iso100

Lens Zuiko Digital 70-300mm, hand held.

Photo taken through my kitchen window in Kan.

Your commenst please

Yours truly

Kan Win

Great picture and sharp image for a digital zoom.

I think the bird is a Great Bittern.

nice shot..

Its a Pond Heron, here's one i took.. (heavily cropped)

Panasonic FZ18 @ 18x optical zoom - equiv 500mm focal length

Nice photo though a little out of focus. Shutter speed maybe a tad too low at 215mm?

Goshawk, which Pond Heron Actually, I cannot access your photo, only a "this photo is currently unavailable" message.

Goshawk, which Pond Heron

haha.. that is the winter paddy bird question..! tough split, but i'll say his is Chinese.. u agree?

Actually, I cannot access your photo, only a "this photo is currently unavailable" message.

oops! i forgot to enable 'viewing'. Corrected now..

fairly sure mine is Chinese, shot in Chiangmai

Nice photo Goshawk.

I agree, in Changmai chances are good it is Chinese but then I think the only way to tell them apart is in flight (maybe).

Is the bird supposed to look so greenish or is it unadjusted white balance?

Also it looks like it's slightly out of focus if not blurred by camera shake. At 215mm focal length (430mm when converted to 35mm?) you definitely need shutter speed much faster than 1/60.

How about this.

Taken last week in Mae Yom NP, Phrae.

Looks like a Wryneck, but the picture is awfully small.

Not a wryneck. Do you want me to tell you?

I know it's a crap pic. Hand held camera set to the lowest pixellation so I'm amazed it even turned out at all. Not shy though.

I can't see the bill. Judging by the leaves in the background it is a fairly large bird. Banded Bay Cuckoo?

I can't see the bill. Judging by the leaves in the background it is a fairly large bird. Banded Bay Cuckoo?

Absolutely right. The bill did not come out well on the photo at all.

Not shy though.

No kidding, I hardly ever seen one of those, and certainly never saw one posing like that.

Out in the open. 1 metre off the ground, occasionally dropping to the ground to take large insects (crickets??). Allowed me to get to within 10 metres and didn't fly away for a few minutes. Close to the campsite next to the HQ (Kaeng Seua Ten) at Mae Yom NP.

Nice pic Briggsy..

i took these around Mae Hia, Chiangmai where they can be seen most days.. Very approachable birds..

cropped, so bit grainy

Arrgghhh. Forget it in Vietnam, birds here have a very low flight threshold, in all likelihood because of all the hunting. That is why my wife and I do a lot of birding in Thailand; pretty much the same birds but much easier to see.

Nice pic KW and others.

OK what's about enable "viewing"?

I couldn't see that one either.

Nice photos, Goshawk.

Can't quite catch the eye patch of Banded Bay Cuckoo on your photo but the angle is inconclusive. I wasn't there at the time.

Where's Mae Hia anyway? I'll look it up. I'm always up for new birding spots.

first of all.. apologies to Kan Win for hiijacking his thread.. hope u don't mind. The great title of your thread could be the start of a showcase of other members bird pics..??

Can't quite catch the eye patch of Banded Bay Cuckoo on your photo but the angle is inconclusive. I wasn't there at the time.

tut tut.. no satisfying some people..

conclusive enough..?

here's another regular you might catch around Mae Hia..

sorry for the grain, they are heavily cropped

Ah yes, unmistakeable eye patch there. Is it from the same series of photos? I like this one best, certainly in terms of showing up the diagnostic markers.

The lower photo, hmm, don't think I've ever encountered this species. I'll have to cheat and get the book out. Ok I know it now. It's the bird that looks like a strawberry, a red avadavat. It has a really weird distribution. I have seen it but only once. A flock next to the stream in Khao Chamao Khao Wong NP in Rayong! Which is a long way from Mae Hia which I didn't find on the map. I'll google it now. Ah, behind Chiang Mai airport. I had it figured to be up near the Burmese border. Totally wrong.

Kan Win. I do like your photo. Pond herons are big enough, colourful enough, numerous enough and not too shy as to allow fantastic photos. I recommend you take exactly the same photo in early March when the same bird will be sporting its beautiful breeding plumage. But don't wait much longer than that because it will migrate to China to breed.

Ah yes, unmistakeable eye patch there. Is it from the same series of photos? I like this one best, certainly in terms of showing up the diagnostic markers.

same day..

ok, here's a challenge for you briggsy (or hanno or anyone).. taken a few weeks ago near the summit of Doi Pui

once again, apologies Kan Win.. we seem to taking over.. . i do like your pic too, maybe just a little out of focus though but it certainly is good.

I seem to see a crown stripe on your bird, Goshawk? I am totally rubbish at Phylloscopus but I'd guess a Blyths's Leaf Warbler?

I seem to see a crown stripe on your bird, Goshawk? I am totally rubbish at Phylloscopus but I'd guess a Blyths's Leaf Warbler?

there is indeed a crown stripe.. well spotted !

I purposefully chose this side profile in an attempt to confuse or catch you out.. .

i failed

you're spot on

you're spot on

A fluke on New Yar's Eve

Is the bird supposed to look so greenish or is it unadjusted white balance?

Also it looks like it's slightly out of focus if not blurred by camera shake. At 215mm focal length (430mm when converted to 35mm?) you definitely need shutter speed much faster than 1/60.

Hi "Nordlys'",

Yes you are correct. The Greenish was over done, my bad and the slightly out of focus was just as you mentioned, much too slow.

Thank you and will work on that camera shake.

once again, apologies Kan Win.. we seem to taking over.. i do like your pic too, maybe just a little out of focus though but it certainly is good.

Hi All,

Thank you for your comments and please keep on posting your "Bird" photos. No probs with a little "Hi-Jack-ing"

Happy New Year 2009

Yours truly,

Kan Win