What have you seen
Comments
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Same here, Oneputt.
We often get great tits picking round the window frames, can't imagine what they are finding, but have never seen goldfinches doing it. And we do have Pendle's entire population of goldfinches in our garden, or so it seems.....😊
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We've had a Lesser Spotted W'pecker on the nuts this morning. We don't have them in the woods behind us, just GSW, but this one must have been foraging. Also had 2 Lapwings inspecting the seeded area but they didn't land and flew off. First time I've ever seen a Lapwing over us, although we did have 2 pairs nesting on farmland about half a mile away a few years ago.
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Topped up the feeders this morning and broke the ice on the pond. The birds have not stopped feeding all day.
All our usual visitors, but had one rarer visitor late on, a Mistle Thrush, not seen one in the garden for many years
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They are probably looking for spiders and the remains of fly's that spiders drag into small holes around the frame and in the brickwork.
Unusual to see goldfinches doing it though, although I have seen nuthatch doing it.
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A few Redwings and more Fieldfares in among the bushes along the River Tees path today, Cormorants feeding in the river and then a Snipe flew upstream, this afternoon. It must be this weather that's driving them into urban areas.
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Today Fieldfares are in the garden, Mistlethrush also.
I take no credit for this picture, pure accident.
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Mistle got the worm at Barleywood a couple of weeks ago. I see someone found a dead Dunlin on there doorstep this morning, guess the weather is taking it's toll. Strangely we haven't had many birds on the feeders in the last couple of days
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Like most, stayed home today, filled up the feeders, scapped away some snow and spread some ground feed, then relaxed to spend a peaceful day behind the double glazing with the CH pumping away.
Well that was what I expected. Instead all hell broke loose first 8 wood pigeons descended on the newly scrapped area and fought for the whole morning for the lions share.
This afternoon, the Magpie nest was the centre of warfare as a pair of crows returned from last week, I guess to take over the nest. Two hours of bickering before the magpies retreated.
Then a couple of Starling found the feeders and before long about twenty or so were squabbling over the suet sticks.
Just opened the blinds to see if it was snowing and there was a Fox huddled up against the patio step.
Love to watch our little female Blackcap flitting between the feeders, nearly got her head stuck trying to reach the sunflower seed. The other feeder has plenty so does the lower station of the feeder she is on, but for some reason she keeps trying to reach what she cannot.
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Great pics Bluemalaga.
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Just had a Kestrel eyeing up our feeders from the top of next doors trampoline, not quick enough for a photo
but hoping he might come back. This cold weather is certainly bringing some new birds into the gardens. 0 -
Song thrush stopped for a few minutes on the garden fence, haven't seen one here for quite a while. Taken through double glazing so not too sharp
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We've had a large flock of Fieldfare in the tree in next door but ones neighbours garden, they have been there almost all day, no berries left on the tree now! 😯
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More Fieldfares and Redwings today along the R.Tees path from the Barrage towards Stockton, Goldfinches and a BullFinch too.
I was surprise to see a seal in the river upstream of the barrage, but would appear to be a regular occurrence, talking to some of the locals. And at lunch time OH pointed out a large dog fox walking through the tree-lined bank behind the site.
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Hi GL
We had a good size flock of Redwing yesterday and for the first time two Fieldfare took the last few berries from our bushes.
I hope this helps and expect you are aware that for those bright background instances, sand, sky and especially snow, it helps to add 1.5 to 2 stops of over exposure. Reducing the sillouete effect and putting detail back into the bird.
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GL
Hope you don't mind, but I liked your Fieldfare pic so made a slight adjustment to the detail of the bird, beautiful markings.
I am guessing that some exposure compensation took place as the snow was so bright.
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BM
I had adjusted the exposure comp for a picture and when I came back to the camera I had a total memory blank and did not see what the camera was showing me. Hence I adjusted it the wrong way and the pictures produced are what you see. They are sharp and although I Can't do much with them, I do quite like them. Wish I was clever enough to this sort of thing deliberately.
I never sharpen or adjust colour, the photo has to come out of the camera the way it does and has to be good enough, otherwise it's binned. My wife has made some comments about the amount of time I stake out the garden birds.
I do appreciate your enhancement to the Fieldfare, what a cracking bird it is, some of the pics I have show what an attractive bird is in my garden.
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We had this discussion before, but if you spend time to get a picture, a bit of post processing is very rewarding also to rescue a pic. Or enhance it.
I believe your adjustment was actually the correct way, but perhaps a little to far. I agree with not adjusting colour, but many cameras depend on post processing to some extent, to enable the speed of exposure to be so high, particularly the shapening, unless you have programmed for quality.
With your pic, the only change was to the highlight detail.
If it helps, I use a little phrase which reminds me which way to adjust exposure in the camera.
Light up. meaning increase exposure for bright background
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BM
I will try to remember that tip, thanks.
When I look at lots of my pics I am sometimes tempted to sharpen and perhaps enhance, but so far never given in. To me personally, the challenge is to be there and get the best I can with patience and a bit of good fortune. Luck always plays a part, if the subject turns the wrong way, there will always be another day.
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Perhaps I could suggest putting some into a folder for a miserable day, so that you can have a practice.
I have an action/ shortcut set up in photoshop that applies a very small amount of unsharp mask to do what the camera does not do.
I use Canon at present which unless preset for a sharp image actually needs sharpening.
Not sure if I have asked what camera you use. I have a notion it is also Canon.
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