Weather was great so we headed to the zoo on Sunday. Always nice to see the animals. All these were shot with the new Sony A850 and the Sony 70-300G lens.
Archive for the ‘SAL-70300G’ Category
Trip To The Zoo
Sunday, October 18th, 2009Wait A Minute Mr. Postman
Sunday, October 4th, 2009I headed off this morning to go to Starbucks and grab a coffee in preparation for the day ahead. In the front yard there were feathers scattered across the lawn, an indication that something horrible happened to one of the many doves that frequent our yard. I assumed that a neighborhood cat had scored a tasty meal and hoped the day’s rain would wash the carnage away.
As I was returning home, having acquired the aforementioned coffee I spotted the neighborhood Cooper’s Hawk landing on the neighbor’s mailbox. I ran inside and grabbed the camera and managed a few shots before he spooked and flew away.
If you click the images below and examine the larger version you can clearly see feathers in his talons. Feathers that match the feathers that litter my front lawn. I guess this clears the neighborhood cats of suspicion in at least one bird death…
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Sunday, August 30th, 2009This weekend has been a lot of fun photographing the hummers. At one point we had as many as 4 battling for supremacy in skies over the feeders. The most interesting has been what I assume is a male Ruby Throated Hummingbird who comes in much less frequently than the others.
These birds are fiercely territorial. The hummer in my initial batch of photos has laid claim to the feeders. He will sit atop the crook that holds the feeders or in the nearby Meyer’s Lemon Tree and chases off any interlopers that venture into his domain. Sadly, the Ruby Throated gets chased off every time he shows up so we don’t see him often, and when we do see him he only stays for a few moments.
Still, I have managed to capture a few good shots as evidenced in the previous post and here are two more.
In this picture will notice how he strains his neck as he scans for the dominant hummer
And In this picture you can see he doesn’t even land on the perch, choosing instead to hover for a better chance at a quick getaway should the Bully of Hummertown return.
Be sure and click the above images to see a larger, more detailed photo.
I can’t say enough good things about the Sony SAL-70300G lens I have been using. Sharp as a tack and the IQ is phenomenal when using it to focus and track such small and fast moving targets.
Hummingbirds In Flight
Friday, August 28th, 2009It’s a greater challenge to loosen the camera on the tripod and try to track these speedy little guys and get shots of them in flight. They hover occasionally, but only briefly. They seem to be getting used to my presence, though. And that means they’re coming to the feeders more frequently and giving me more opportunities.
Adolescent Blue Jay
Friday, August 28th, 2009This guy has been coming around, landing on the fence and then hopping up and down making a frightful racket and then jumping onto the feeder. It’s pretty humorous when it happens.
Click image to see full size.
Bully Of Hummertown
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
The Hummingbird has taken up station on the crook that holds the feeder. Previously he had been flying in, feeding and flying off and would return every 10-20 minutes. Now he is camped out protecting the feeders from any other hummer that tries to get some food.
On The Wing
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
The Honeypot
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
Once the feeders have been up for awhile you get a sense of which of the perches they’ll tend to favorite. This allows me to setup the camera on a tripod, take aim and wait with the wired remote in hand.
This was shot with the flash and using the 70-300G lens
This was shot with no flash using the 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens
And this was with the 500mm Reflex and no flash.
Allen’s Hummingbird?
Monday, August 17th, 2009We’re pretty sure this is a female Allen’s Hummingbird we have visiting. She’s very curious and even hovered outside the back window and just looked at Cynthia. I didn’t have the camera ready for that but she did come back and flash us with her gold throat. Click the image to see a larger version.
Backyard Birding Report – Aug. 16th, 2009
Sunday, August 16th, 2009Put the feeders out this weekend and we have our first Hummingbird of the season.
Click the image to see a larger version.
