Birds at Chester's cafe Skelwith bridge

[singingsnapper]

The 7D has come in handy as it gives me better reach, plus 10 fps can be very useful, especially with birds that don't hang about long. Managed to get a little story together out of some of them: (all with 7D and 180 macro)

First a blackbird:

Canon 7D EF 180 f/3.5L macro at f/5.6 and 1/80 ISO 500


blackbird2 by singingsnapper, on Flickr

f/5.6 1/320 ISO 500: the blackbird's been at the chocolate cake!


blackbird's-been-at-the-chocolate-cake! by singingsnapper, on Flickr

and peeking through the bars

f/5.6 1/125 ISO 400


blackbird by singingsnapper, on Flickr

Then along came a family of tits - either blue tits or crested tits - I suspect blue:

Here's the mother:

(pity I cut the tail off, but more to help with species identification as I'm not usually a birder)

f/5.6 1/1000 ISO 500


parent-tit by singingsnapper, on Flickr

here's one of the adolescents

f/5.6 1/400 ISO 500


Juvenile-tit by singingsnapper, on Flickr

one flies away while a blue censored looks for food:

f/5.6 1/320 ISO 500


Blue-tits- by singingsnapper, on Flickr

"Can I have some cake?"

1/640


Can-I-have-some-of-that-cake-mummy- by singingsnapper, on Flickr

"Oh Go, On, please! I promise I'll be good!"


I-promise-I'll-be-good! by singingsnapper, on Flickr

(sulks)


(sulks) by singingsnapper, on Flickr

"Oh Go on then..."

1/400


Oh-Go-on-then!-Here-you-go by singingsnapper, on Flickr

"Look Mr Photographer, look what I've got!"

1/400


Ha!-Ha!-Look-Mr-photographer,-look-what-I've-got! by singingsnapper, on Flickr

"Please mummy, can I have some more?"

1/400


Oh-goody-can-I-have-some-more- by singingsnapper, on Flickr

"Yum Yum!"

1/320


Yum!-Yum! by singingsnapper, on Flickr

Edited to add - Amusing how mutilple tits are not censored whereas singular ones are!

[Troy]

I can just imagine you filling in the dialogue of these shots as you were shooting them, Paul.

It's a shame you didn't manage to get the one that was flying away, that would have been an excellent shot.

Oh and is it me, or are these images a little noisy for ISO 500? It could be the downsizing and uploading that's done it though.

[singingsnapper]

They are a little noisy partly because I've cropped in a fair way and partly down to Flickr. I haven't used any noise reduction on these either as I often find it makes them too soft. With the flying bird, I was just one focus point out! I nearly always use a single focus point and when I focused both birds were stood together. One flew and rather than miss the shot altogether I held the focus where I had it.

[Troy]

Well they aren't too noisy by any means, just thought the 7D at 500 was a bit of a surprise, but the cropping explains that.

I always use a single focus point too, but i think i'd have taken the risk and gone for the moving bird!

[singingsnapper]

Well they aren't too noisy by any means, just thought the 7D at 500 was a bit of a surprise, but the cropping explains that.

I always use a single focus point too, but i think i'd have taken the risk and gone for the moving bird!

Trouble is I'm now used to the focus system of the mk III and I wasn't fast enough. Just to complicate matters my 645D arrived this morning so have to relearn it after its been away for 3 months.

Just over half a mile away from Chester's cafe is Elterwater which is Norse for Swan Lake. To make it ppropriate, there were a pair of swans by the shore preening and cleaning.

Canon 7D EF 180L macro f/7.1 1/400 ISO 400


elterwater-swan by singingsnapper, on Flickr


elterwater-swan2 by singingsnapper, on Flickr

f/8 1/400 ISO 200


wlterwater-swan3 by singingsnapper, on Flickr

f/7.1 1/500 ISO 400


elterwater-swan4 by singingsnapper, on Flickr

f/8 1/320 ISO 200


Elterwater-swan5 by singingsnapper, on Flickr

[digitalfingers]

Nice swan shots Paul and I like the Blackbird on the rock shot too. I always switch to matrix metering and mainly aperture priority when shooting wildlife. If I'm going to be chasing flying or fast moving subjects, I'd switch to shutter priority.

[singingsnapper]

Back in the lakes and popped in to Chester's again, this time with my 645D and loaded my 400mm lens to try and catch some bird shots. Much more difficult than the canon as the fastest the 645D will shoot is about 1 fps.

Pentax 645D FA 400 f/5.6 at f/5.6 1/640 ISO 800


sparrow?-at-chesters by singingsnapper, on Flickr

[singingsnapper]

Took my 7D with me to my regular watering hole at Skelwith Bridge

This young Robin seems to be looking for some snacks and poised to swoop

Canon 7d Tamron 200 - 500 at f/6.3 and 500mm 1/800 ISO 1600


I-wonder-if-there's-anything-worth-having-at-Chester's-Cafe- by singingsnapper, on Flickr

[singingsnapper]

More swans:

Canon 7D Tamron 200 - 500 at 200mm and f/8 1/800 ISO 200


Brathay-swan by singingsnapper, on Flickr

Same lens/camera and settings


Brathay-swan2 by singingsnapper, on Flickr

[filipo]

The blackbird been at the chocolate cake is my favourite : the camera at eye level is a very nice position...
A bit pity of the noise in the tits pictures but your explanation explains it all...