For The Birds !

[Goshawk]

Excellent photos as per usual, Goshawk. You must spend a far bit of time at it. The ones I get are just lucky snapshots.

a fair bit of time yes... often with zero results. Like today, spent 4 hours atop Doi Pui with not a single good shot taken. Almost got a superb image of a Long-tailed Broadbill... alas... failed miserably.

[Goshawk]

Catch me if you can....

Red-wattled Lapwing - attempting a stealthy evasion tactic ..

[rene123]

Amazing quality of images Goshawk !!! My canon lenses won't get that quality, although perhaps I should take along a tripod more often!

But usually the birds fly away too quickly too

The best way is to find the busiest wave of bird activity in a given location then strategically & stealthily position yourself with the sun/light behind you and then........ wait.

Wait for them to come to you rather than vice versa - once i'm satisfied in my mind that the perfect stage is set, i simply await the players....

That is the same method my father taught me when we used to hunt together. It's better to learn the ways of your quarry and let the game come to you. Dad doesn't hunt any more but we still go out bird watching occasionally.

What distance are you from most of your bird shots? I like to hike in the forest surrounding Doi Sutthep and I hear a lot of birds but don't actually see many. They are usually high up in the canopy.

[Goshawk]

Amazing quality of images Goshawk !!! My canon lenses won't get that quality, although perhaps I should take along a tripod more often!

But usually the birds fly away too quickly too

The best way is to find the busiest wave of bird activity in a given location then strategically & stealthily position yourself with the sun/light behind you and then........ wait.

Wait for them to come to you rather than vice versa - once i'm satisfied in my mind that the perfect stage is set, i simply await the players....

That is the same method my father taught me when we used to hunt together. It's better to learn the ways of your quarry and let the game come to you. Dad doesn't hunt any more but we still go out bird watching occasionally.

What distance are you from most of your bird shots? I like to hike in the forest surrounding Doi Sutthep and I hear a lot of birds but don't actually see many. They are usually high up in the canopy.

distance varies depending on the bird, but it's usually a fair way.. tree tops, waters edge etc...

you'll see more if you go out very early.. 6am+ (or before) is prime time. In the middle of the day, many birds (in Thailand) are very elusive as they've usually filled their stomachs already & are evading the heat. An hour or so before dusk can be an active time too.

despite reports, Doi Suthep & Pui are both quite good places to go birdwatching. In the past i've seen Blue Pitta, Green Peafowl, Gould's Sunbird, Grey-sided Thrush & Chestnut-bellied Rock Thrush, to name just a few specials all within the NP border.

[thetefldon]

We have a fair few Asian Openbills around here, this one was in a rice paddy at the side of the road.

[rene123]

Thanks for the information on your Canon SX 50 HS, Goshawk. I was considering a long lens for my Nikon D7000, But your camera would far greater zoom for less money. 24 to 1200 is truly impressive and nothing else comes even close. It would open a whole new world for me.

[thetefldon]

Ashy Wood Swallow with a mate, certainly not a solitary bird, they always hang around in groups!

[Goshawk]

a very difficult bird to close approach without it flying off the instant it perceives you... this one was a big distance away, the image is heavily cropped.

Cinnamon Bittern

[Robby nz]

Hi Tetefldon.

Seems to be plenty of the openbills around most everywhere and some of them can look pretty scruffy.

Not so many painted storks only seen them in a couple of places.

Pair nesting at Chai Nat, possibly escaped from the bird park.

[thetefldon]

Hi Tetefldon.

Seems to be plenty of the openbills around most everywhere and some of them can look pretty scruffy.

open bill stork singburi.klongJPG.JPG

Not so many painted storks only seen them in a couple of places.

painted storks at nest Chai nat 2.JPG

Pair nesting at Chai Nat, possibly escaped from the bird park.

Yes I commented on another thread regarding the apparent increase in the Openbill population. Opinion seemed to be that it is cyclical, so we may see a decrease also I guess if that's true.

Now they are preparing the rice paddy here I have noticed quite a few birds riding the thermals- now I'm trying to get some half decent shots as I reckon they are more "attractive" for a photograph when airborne.

I have never seen a Painted Stork-thanks for the pic.

[thetefldon]

Thanks for the information on your Canon SX 50 HS, Goshawk. I was considering a long lens for my Nikon D7000, But your camera would far greater zoom for less money. 24 to 1200 is truly impressive and nothing else comes even close. It would open a whole new world for me.

I have an SX 40 HS which has a bit less reach but is still impressive for distance shots. Image quaity wise I don't think it gets near my Canon SLR + Sigma lens combo. That said it is still great camera to take out on walks and provide images for bird ID later. On a decent tripod it may well produce some "keepers" I think Goshawk mentioned this earlier(and he gets some good images with it) but lugging the tripod round sort of defeats the object of why I bought it in the first place.

[Goshawk]

Thanks for the information on your Canon SX 50 HS, Goshawk. I was considering a long lens for my Nikon D7000, But your camera would far greater zoom for less money. 24 to 1200 is truly impressive and nothing else comes even close. It would open a whole new world for me.

no problem... it's a really good birders camera. I shoot a lot of video too & when i'm fully tooled up for a stakeout, this is my usual setup....

.

Canon SX50HS, Panasonic SD90, Rode Videomic Pro (sometimes plugged into a Zoom H1 recorder), Manfrotto 700RC2 video head.

Greater Painted-snipe - Mae Hia, Chiangmai (last week)

[gerryBScot]

Thanks for the information on your Canon SX 50 HS, Goshawk. I was considering a long lens for my Nikon D7000, But your camera would far greater zoom for less money. 24 to 1200 is truly impressive and nothing else comes even close. It would open a whole new world for me.

no problem... it's a really good birders camera. I shoot a lot of video too & when i'm fully tooled up for a stakeout, this is my usual setup....

cam.jpg . cam2.jpg

Canon SX50HS, Panasonic SD90, Rode Videomic Pro (sometimes plugged into a Zoom H1 recorder), Manfrotto 700RC2 video head.

Greater Painted-snipe - Mae Hia, Chiangmai (last week)

Great shot of the male and female Painted-snipe!

[Robby nz]

Great set up Goshawk

Sure beats my Nikon with the 70-300 lens hung round my neck.

Little wonder you get some great shots of birds I never see.

[Goshawk]

Mother & Child..... (she was going frantic calling at the young 'un, as i was taking these today) ...

Plain Prinia - mama

Plain Prinia - baby

[rene123]

Thanks again for more information about the SX50. I was looking for one at a local Canadian camera store but they were out of stock and hopefully will get some in tomorrow when they are on sale for $380 (about 11,000 baht with tax). I have the money and it sure is tempting.

Why don't you use the video mode on the SX50 instead of the Panasonic video recorder? The SX50 shoots in HD which is higher than most video cameras and you have the advantage of a longer lens.

Too bad about that dead rat sitting on your camera.

[Goshawk]

Why don't you use the video mode on the SX50 instead of the Panasonic video recorder? The SX50 shoots in HD which is higher than most video cameras and you have the advantage of a longer lens.

Too bad about that dead rat sitting on your camera.

...i do use the video on the SX50. But the Panny actually shoots better footage (full HD 1080i @ 50fps as opposed to half speed 24fps on the Canon) when its faster moving subjects i'm after. It's also a good 40x optical zoom too.

and it's a dead cat, not a rat...

[rene123]

Why don't you use the video mode on the SX50 instead of the Panasonic video recorder? The SX50 shoots in HD which is higher than most video cameras and you have the advantage of a longer lens.

Too bad about that dead rat sitting on your camera.

...i do use the video on the SX50. But the Panny actually shoots better footage (full HD 1080i @ 50fps as opposed to half speed 24fps on the Canon) when its faster moving subjects i'm after. It's also a good 40x optical zoom too.

and it's a dead cat, not a rat...

Your video camera must be an updated one. I have older an model of Panasonic and my Nikon AW100 blows it away.

I went and spent $500 today and bought the SX 50. Now I have try and learn how to use it to the best advantage. I've got several good tripods in Canada and I left one in Thailand. I could never justify paying the price of a big lens and a 70 to 300 mm lens is the same price as your little SX 50.

[Goshawk]

good luck with cam rene... (edit - and stay out of Auto mode, no use to man nor beast)

Red-whiskered Bulbul - in the garden

[thetefldon]

A Black Shouldered Kite hovering near my garden. My favourite rice field raptor. We are blessed with quite a few round here.

[Robby nz]

Javan pond heron feeding in a klong near home.

[Robby nz]

Lost something again

Another go.

Javan Pond Heron feeding in a klong close to home

[thetefldon]

Lost something again

Another go.

Javan Pond Heron feeding in a klong close to home

javan pond heron klong singburi.JPG

javan pond heron klong singburi 2 JPG.JPG

javan pond heron klong singburi.3 JPG.JPG

A nice bird. He seems to have lost some of the colour from his breeding plumage(or is just getting it). Where you close?

Here's one of his Chinese cousin ;-)

[FracturedRabbit]

P5300401 by pattayadays.com, on Flickr

[rene123]

Lost something again

Another go.

Javan Pond Heron feeding in a klong close to home

javan pond heron klong singburi.JPG

javan pond heron klong singburi 2 JPG.JPG

javan pond heron klong singburi.3 JPG.JPG

In the top picture he has a real grumpy look on his (her) face as if to say "Damn! I missed that fish again"

[rene123]

P5300401 by pattayadays.com, on Flickr

I love the lighting and clarity in that picture, FR. The bird has that "pleased mother" look. What species is it?

[Robby nz]

Hi Tetefldon

Was quite close probably about 4 or 5 m. spotted it when I was going past on the bike and snuck up and poked the camera over the top of the wall.

Seems the Javan and Chinese are difficult to tell apart unless in breeding colors

Here is one of a Chinese I got in Sanklaburi, not a good pix, was going past in a boat at the time and just had to take a snap at it.

[FracturedRabbit]

P5300401 by pattayadays.com, on Flickr

I love the lighting and clarity in that picture, FR. The bird has that "pleased mother" look. What species is it?

The male and female took it in turns to sit on the egg, not sure whether this is the male or the female, or the species; I am crap at these things. The location was very dark and I had to use ISO6400, so quite pleased with way the camera has retained the colours.

[Robby nz]

It is a Black-Naped Monarch FR, got a pic of one at Hellfire pass.

But I have a puzzle today, someone who knows more about Thai birds than I might be able to help me,

Closest I have got with the following is male Citrine Wagtail in breeding colors but the white saddle and lack of white on the edge of the tail????

Appreciate any help, suggestions.

Robby

[Goshawk]

Appreciate any help, suggestions.

Common Iora... (see post #103)