To catch any bird in flight at that moment, the bottom of a flight stroke is hard to do! Very hard! I am impressed. You rock Asa!!

Great flight shots Asa

Robert, that video was amazing, the trout sure was a big one, I kept thinking, "no way can it swallow that whole fish".

Some shots I got last week of some Great Blue Herons, love that they stand so still for photos....

I wish I could tell you all that I was some kind of a genius. But I get more shots that look like this (both from yesterday):


Than this:


And it's really a crapshoot as to where in the wing-beating cycle I catch them. I'd love to be skilled enough to actually plan, but for me it's more putting myself in a spot to get good shots, doing all I can, and hoping for the best.

I really, really screwed up with my full-frame camera yesterday. Had lots of excellent shots of seagulls on the wing - and a neat series of a male marsh hawk that some call a "grey ghost". But I failed to check my settings and I'd left the shutter speed at 1/8000 (one eight-thousandth of a second) which, on the foggy/cloudy day that yesterday was, bumped my ISO to 64,000 - which left the photos unusably grainy. Wonderful shots ruined - and I could have/should have prevented it.

Anyway, thank you for your kind words - regardless. It's such a thrill trying to capture these creatures - whether I fail or succeed.

And great Herons, Sherri! Ours around here seem to be Great Grey Herons instead of Blue.

All of those great heron shots are superb. I often wish photos here would include camera/lens/settings info, or at least could include the exif info for those who wish to share it.

From the heading Neat Birds Sitting on Strange Stuff, today's entry is called, "Male Kestrel on a Disk Harrow".

Beautiful!

Very beautiful!

Very Beautiful Asa!

"Cinnamon on rust" comes to mind.
I like the composition.

BigBill said:"Cinnamon on rust" comes to mind.
I like the composition.

Thanks all. The sun was coming mostly from the direction he was looking (a bit behind) and the disk must have served as a reflector up. He was really almost glowing.

Sherri, wonderful shots of the Great Blue Heron, I especially love the first one perched on the branch and the third one standing in the water!

Asa, that Kestrel photo is stunning! What a gorgeous and colorful bird!

I know there is a Grey Heron in Europe and Asia but and it looks similar to the Great Blue Heron found here in the U.S. I always wondered why the one here is called blue because it's coloration looks more gray to me. These are photos from different times the past few years.




Juveniles

The only birds I saw today in my backyard ....







I cleaned and filled the Hummingbird Feeders today and late this afternoon I spotted a little one for about a split second ... only long enough to get a blur:

Linn, Great shots of the Juvenile herons. The Blue Heron does have a mostly gray body but in certain light they do get a slate blue coloring and the base of the bill surely has a light blue coloring, guess that's why they call it blue. Some photos the bird will look very blue due to the light conditions.
I love how Cardinals tilt their heads when you are photographing them.

Asa, the Male Kestrel is an amazing looking bird, did the article say where the pic was taken? Love the coloring.

Again guys, you should see them when they are in breeding condition!!
That mauve rose color in their thighs intensifies, the black and white stripes on their necks seems more intense. But the topper is the lores. That area between the eye and the base of the bill gets to be an extremely deep, sky blue color.
Snowies Red lores, Great Egrets grass green, Great Blues sky blue.

So far today, I've only spotted a single Woodpecker.

Red-bellied, female

I shot that Kestrel in the farmland just east of the Great Salt Lake.

(edited from west to east - thanks, Dirt!)

Fabulous photos y'all! Just breathtaking. Put me to absolute shame!

flaflwrgrl said:Put me to absolute shame!

Baloney! You've taken some really nice shots!

And one of our most (ab)used phrases around here, describing lots about life, is:

It's an exhibition, not a competition!!

(with all of the tacit implications that phrase might engender)

Thank you Asa.



I do realize that & I never consider this any kind of a competition. Thank goodness! I don't care for competitions. I'm a believer in the "Let's Work Together" school of thought.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

My comment was really voicing my frustration over not yet having really nailed one of those crystal, crisp, knock your socks off shots that so many of you seem to do frequently. I look at those photos & quite frankly drool. I know, I know, time & practice & more time & more practice. I know. I just get aggravated with myself.