Some birds of prey

We get lots of common green (or brown) shield bugs here - "stink bugs" we call them because they smell "metalic" when you squash them.  Also, absolute armies of cardinal bugs - literally hundreds of them sunning themsleves on tree trunks.  I'm told they can bite ……..:roll::roll:

Longhorn beetles in general, are not popular - some of them eat houses ………….  The capricorn beetle - this one:



 - is a real PITA.  It is only slightly less feared than termites, which are also a problem in these latitudes.

I like your companions Mike. :thumbs  Do they eat houses too ?

We once reared ababy barn (or tawny) owl that had fallen out of it's nest.  It became a family pet - although it was never captive, for the whole of the summer before returning to the wild in the autumn.  To call it in, we only had to hold arm out a call "Come on Owly" and it would swoop down from a tree and sit on your arm.  It ate from the same plate as one of our cats and, as such, it made the National newspapers - "The Owl and the Pussycat" was the obvious caption to the photographs printed.

Hi Petermac.

Our spotted longhorns don't eat house thankfully. Thanks for the video link though. They look fascinating. Our only real building eater is the death watch beetle and that isn't as big as a ladybird. I don't think cardinals bite, but have never given one a chance. Most beetles will bite if they feel threatened. We have them here as well but not in really large numbers.

They give me the shivers.

Nice landscape shots Gary. Like the sun set and the shot over the lake. Looks like there are a few photo buffs on the forum as well.

Cheers

Toto

The thread is mentioning Birds of Prey. Here's a buzzard I took this afternoon in the local cemetery.








It was circling about 75 feet above me and about 45 yards away from where I was standing. As I moved away to look at some Meadow browns there was quite a commotion up above and the buzzard was being mobbed by a bunch of seagulls. By the time I put the big lens on again it hads scarpered.

Hi Bittern,

Great shots. Birds in flight can be very difficult to get but again,you've nailed it.

What was the focal length of the lense used at that distance as you have managed to make quite a bit of ground on it, or is the image cropped.

Really nice shots

Toto

The lens was a Sigma 70/300. The background has been cropped as it was almost all sky. A dull and grey looking sky at that.


Exif details. f6-3, angle 302mm, speed 1/2500 1so 200

I think the bottom one of the two is slightly more  detailed as the light is being more favourable on it. Ideally the top image may have benefited by a hike in ISO but as you say, you just don't get the advanced warning so no time to lose.

However it is a menacing looking pose. I'd be happy with these shots.

Great stuff.

Toto

You're right Toto, but I still wouldn't like to meet one in a dark alley late at night. They have a hooked beak and claws and know how to use them.

:hmm yes,

Not the kind of thing you would introduce into the cage as a companion for billy the budgie. Billy would be din dins

Toto

A few shots from Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour



Greenshank





Jackdaw



Godwit



Avocet

A load more from Brownsea Island at

https://plus.google.com/photos/107343264059948197611/albums/5425135270656404641?banner=pwa

https://plus.google.com/photos/107343264059948197611/albums/5425136344722830577?banner=pwa

And a few from the British Wildlife centre



Badger



Otter



Polecat



Buzzard



Fox.

Excellent shots mike. Pin sharp. I like the pol at in particular. What are you shooting with ?

Toto

Those above shot with a Minolta 5D 6Mpx, lenses mostly either Sigma 600/f8 mirror or Tamron 70-300.

I do tend to gather cameras and lenses, as well as the Min 5D I have Sony A200 and A350 DSLRs, a Minolta A200 bridge, and a Panasonic TZ35 which I use for video. Also in a drawer but not been used for years 3 Zeiss folding 120 film cameras, a Super Ikonta, Nettar and an Ikonta, plus a Minolta 5000i 35mm film.

Lenses as well as the two already mentioned, Tokina 11-16 f2.8, Tamron 17-50 f2.8, Minolta 28-75 f2.8, Minolta 80-200 f2.8 Minolta 500 f8 AF mirror, Tokina 80-400, Tamron 90 f2.8 macro, plus lurking in the drawer Minolta 18-70, Tamron 28-105, Minolta 35-105, Tamron 55-200, Tamron 18-250, Minolta 50/f1.8, 1.4X and 2X teleconvertors plus some MF lenses.

Manfrotto 109 tripod and 685B monopod, joystick heads,  various flash and ring light, wireless remote.

As I'm hopefully downsizing from a 3 bed det house to a 1 or 2 bed flat, some will have to go I think the Sony A350, Minolta 18-70, Tammy 55-200 and 70-300, the MFs, Sigma 600 f8 mirror.

I don't only shoot wildlife, Swanage railway is close enough, I have a garden full of roses, and also go to some folk dance events

The birds that mobbbed me in that previous shot of mine

https://plus.google.com/photos/107343264059948197611/albums/6026389490967119281?banner=pwa

and some others

https://plus.google.com/photos/107343264059948197611/albums/6036404669773158881?banner=pwa

and some roses

https://picasaweb.google.com/107343264059948197611/Roses

I can't compete with some of the absolutely superb photos here (well done guys), but I do occasionally dabble with a little wildlife photography myself, with varying degrees of success. Many are complete failures but just occasionally I get it right.

A couple of years ago SWMBO and I visited the Yea wetlands a little to the northeast of Melbourne. I really wanted to get the male blue wrens but only this one was cooperative enough to capture.



Camera was a Nikon D3100 using a 300 mm zoom from about 15 or 20 feet away (wrens tend to be quite shy).

Hi SR Man, it looks quite a coy little fellow but well taken. Another Nikon buff I see.

Mike, I see you only dabble in photography then I would not know where to start with some of them, especially the film cameras.

It's a shame that some have to go. I would be miffed at letting any of these go.

I'll be scanning through your links later. Work beckons at the moment

Cheers

Toto

Nice shots all round lads. Better get the badger while you can, if the government has it's way there won't be any left soon.

[user=1235]60019Bittern[/user] wrote:

Nice shots all round lads. Better get the badger while you can, if the government has it's way there won't be any left soon.

I hope the tide is turning on this, with the sacking of Owen Patterson and DEFRA's announcement of funding for badger vaccination. The evidence proving the cull is a waste of time is growing all the time and there's a dedicated bunch of folks determined to halt it, me included.

Some lovely shots here, when we went digital I had to get a compact so that my wife could use it, but am hankering for a DSLR now! Or maybe a bridge camera which might be more affordable….

Kev

p.s. nice-looking pooch you have there Toto. We had to say goodbye to our old Golden Retriever a month ago (aged 15). We said we weren't going to get another one, but I really think our 2-year old Cocker needs a mate, just need to persuade the wife :-)

Well,

You are all missing yourself here, I've taken 5 mins out for a quick post. I thought I was a QS but apparently there has been a change in duties , some of us are getting paid to photograph helicopter trips.

I knew they were coming into the site today to haul defunct pylons back for scrapping and went outside when I heard it. ( right over my office / porta cabin ).Got the camera out from the boot of the car and started snapping. My project manager quickly accosted me to take some snaps for our monthly report.

I'm trying to wangle a quick tour down the route of the new power line…….wish me luck there could be some good arial shots coming soon.

Cheers

Toto

PS for those interested photo's won't be available until I get back home to the MAC at the weekend.:Happy

Lucky you. Looking forward to them.

Had a good couple of hours shooting the helicopter and I think there are some decent images. I will post a couple but have to be a bit careful as to what I post as some may be classed as sensitive. I do that at the weekend as the file sizes are 5 meg in size. I'll need to reduce them a bit for posting.

I was back out tonight having an attempt at macro photography with a 105 mm f2.8 macro lens employed. I found a nice pond location and although it was a bit breezy for my intended subject, dragon flies, I did have a degree of success.

The critter that I found was in the process of changing from whatever it was into a chrysalis by the looks of it. I may be wrong as I am no expert and although I was taught the life cycle of these bugs at school ( 30 odd years ago ) I can't say for sure what was happening.

The reason for my assumption is that about two or three feet away there was a cocoon type thingy bob hanging from a blade of grass and my subject looked like it was a bit bu@@ered. Not very scientific terms I know but I'm sure you'll get the drift.

I could only get so low but was still about 5 cm or so from it and to be honest the breeze was causing my lens to hunt excessively. Keeping in mind that it is a dedicated macro lens and the depth of field was very shallow indeed, I think I done a reasonable job for the first real attempt.

Again, I'll post some results at the weekend. Don't worry Bittern, your images win hands down. They also inspire.

Cheers for now

Toto