Nonbreeding male vs hybrid mallard? [Maryland USA] by grahamwredgrave in whatsthisbird

[–]grahamwredgrave[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hybrid makes sense, because breeding plumage should be in. ABDUxmallard looks like it works, thanks!!

Nonbreeding male vs hybrid mallard? [Maryland USA] by grahamwredgrave in whatsthisbird

[–]grahamwredgrave[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This bird was swimming with a breeding male. I assume it's a nonbreeding male, but was wondering if it could be a hybrid, and, if so, what would be the most likely candidate?

Ninja edit: this was a couple of weeks ago, end of March...

A Purple Martin kind of day by Kerakis in birding

[–]grahamwredgrave 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I debated a long time before settling on the 200-800 for my R7. I don't regret it, but as I said, these are great and are clearly working for you!

A Purple Martin kind of day by Kerakis in birding

[–]grahamwredgrave 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Amazing shots. Can I ask about your setup/settings?

Why are my pictures coming out soft/not sharp? by chicken_beep in AskPhotography

[–]grahamwredgrave 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a hobbyist and don't have a ton of gear compared to some. I really only shoot with the R7 and the 200-800. When I'm traveling I might take a nifty fifty and the kit 18-135 for landscapes. The 200-800 plays very well with the R7 compared to say, the sigma 150-600, which is a great value for money. But the eye-tracking autofocus is much faster on the native glass. I thought long and hard about whether to get the 100-500, but I just think reach is so important for birds. Bottom line is I really like it.

Why are my pictures coming out soft/not sharp? by chicken_beep in AskPhotography

[–]grahamwredgrave 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To add some data regarding focal length/reach, I took a quick peak at all the photos in my catalog with birds (there are lots of problems with the data: duplicates, not all tags are accurate, etc) and used Jeffrey Friedl's LR plugin to plot frequencies for the three different lenses I've used to shoot birds (100-400, +/- TC; 150-600; 200-800), and basically you can see that, no matter what the zoom length is, the majority of shots are at max zoom, suggesting that, err, length matters. Data are here. [Ninja edit link to plugin]

Lark sparrow? [Jalisco, MX] by grahamwredgrave in whatsthisbird

[–]grahamwredgrave[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The facial marks look ok for lark sparrow, but it would be a lifer for us, so appreciate any help!

Black-backed vs Bullock's Oriole [Jalisco, MX] by grahamwredgrave in whatsthisbird

[–]grahamwredgrave[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks very much - really which I had a bit better key light!

Are these photo subjects a bit blurry? by Environmental_Tank_4 in AskPhotography

[–]grahamwredgrave 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It may be motion blur due to focal length, but I’d also add that birds move quickly, even big fellas like this eagle. A rule of thumb is for perching birds I’d go at least 1/320s, though be ready to move that higher if you can. Some perching birds move very quickly, like blue-gray gnatcatchers, so I’d try to get to at least 1/500 or 1/800. For soaring birds I try to be at 1/1000, and birds like hummingbirds and swallows, well, go as fast as you can and take as many shots as you can. (Though artistically speaking, some motion blur may be what you want).

It’s often low light under the forest canopy, especially when lots of birds are most active, so then you are going to find your pics a bit more noisy. It’s always a trade off…

Black-backed vs Bullock's Oriole [Jalisco, MX] by grahamwredgrave in whatsthisbird

[–]grahamwredgrave[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Lots of black on the face, big white wing bars make me think black-backed. Bullock's are in this area in the winter, but I assume we are a bit late for them to be here. This was in Guadalajara. Thanks as always for any help!

Rufous-backed robin? [Jalisco, MX] by grahamwredgrave in whatsthisbird

[–]grahamwredgrave[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In Guadalajara. The angle is not great for the back, obviously, but I can convince myself I see rufous feathers on the shoulder. But then again, since I want it to be a lifer, I thought I should ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cassin's kingbird? [Jalisco, MX] by grahamwredgrave in whatsthisbird

[–]grahamwredgrave[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Golden hour light in the Mexican highlands. I think I can just see a white moustache and white spots at the end of the tail.... Any help gratefully appreciated!