This all gives me a chance to re-show off an idea that actually worked. We've gone through about a metric ton of Niger in a feeder in the past couple years. After the frustration of many photo attempts, I decided to give the feeder a natural arm for them to use as another perch. Gold finches almost never fly directly to the feeder screen. They perch everywhere they can find around it 'til they feel things appear OK and they've selected the perfect feeding spot. The House finches (red sort of gray with red toned head and neck) don't perch, but fly directly to the feeder base. I'm told they don't "perch." I went to the country and cut a stalk of Wild Mustard. Took it home and taped it to the top of the feeder. This is the result. I sorta wish the head/tail overlap hadn't happened.
Forgive me for this duplication? Thanks! Jack http://photolightimages.com/aspupload/detail.asp?ID=524 --- On Thu, 8/12/10, Christian Skofteland <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Christian Skofteland <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: PESO - American Goldfinch > To: "Pentax-Discuss Mail List" <[email protected]> > Date: Thursday, August 12, 2010, 7:37 AM > Not a bad try frank. Soon > you'll be selling your soul for a 500/4 or 600/4 :-) > > Those little bastards move so fast it's like trying to > photograph electrons. > > The best advice I can give you is to watch them for a > while. Birds are creatures of habit and will return to > the same perch over and over again in the course of an hour > or so. Watch as they hop from one perch to the next in the > same order over and over again. Pick the perch with > the best background and angle and just focus on that > spot. Stare at it through the viewfinder ignoring the > little guys as they tease and mock you from other > perches. Then as soon as one hits the perch, fire off > as many frames as you can. That's how i got some of my > favorite shots like this one: > > http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bNuA-oAASYY/SXZe0S7BO8I/AAAAAAAAAB4/8FtMwrSKfss/s1600-h/black-crested_titmouse_IMG_1866.jpg > > Christian > ------------------------------------- > http://404notfound.blogspot.com > http://birdofthemoment.blogspot.com > > On Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 07:12:34AM -0400, frank theriault > wrote: > > I'm rather obsessed with these little guys, but > they're rather hard to > > get. Small, quick, they let me get ~almost~ > close enough to shoot > > with 200mm, then take off. In several months, > this is about the best > > I've gotten: > > > > http://knarfdummyblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/american-goldfinch.html > > > > I need longer glass, because this just isn't sharp > enough (heavily > > cropped). I never thought I'd hear myself say > it, but I need more > > mm's. 300, 600, whatever. First I need > more money. To get that I > > need a better job. > > > > I'm getting sucked into the vortex, the black hole. > > > > AAAAaaaarrrggghhh! > > > > Hope you enjoy. Comments welcome. > > > > cheers, > > frank > > > > -- > > "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri > Cartier-Bresson > > > > -- > > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > > [email protected] > > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link > directly above and follow the directions. > > -- > > Christian > ------------------------------------- > http://404notfound.blogspot.com > http://birdofthemoment.blogspot.com > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link > directly above and follow the directions. > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
