Learning new birds and camera at BBSP

[sierralima]

I had a great time at BBSP yesterday. Someone was kind enough to lend me their camera to try out. I can't figure out why my action shots are not as nice as the camera owner's, though!

I got a few stills, though. I'm still trying to learn the birds - please help out if you can!

I know this one: Ibis. He was so orange I was tempted to turn down the color:





This, I take it, is a Yellow-Crowned Night-Heron?





Are these 2 juvies of the same bird, just different ages?





Black-Bellied Whistling-Ducks?



A few action shots. Not sure what was going on with the (YCNH?). He had his feathers ruffled about something. He skewered the thing in the last pic, then dropped it about 5 times and picked it back up. I never could make an ID.






A good day at BBSP:



Sally

[preames]

Terrific series of shots Sally! I think that camera agrees with you. Your ID's are correct, but I think the first juvenile is a yellow crown and the second is a black crown night heron (though I could certainly be wrong). You caught some nice poses, some interesting action, and all are sharp and well exposed. Great stuff, even more so considering you were using a unfamiliar camera.

That last one seems somehow familiar...

[Shadow]

Way to put your best foot forward. Looks like you got that camera dialed in!

[GSM]

second looks to me like a BCNH juvi. The eyes are red in color. first one is definitely a juvi YCNH

[crbeveri]

Sally awesome series. I am assuming you're referring to the 1D3 as your new camera.. it's an awesome camera and I love mine.

Great shots. I do enjoy the silhouette at the end.

[Stargazer77517]

WTG Sally, Great stuff !!!!

[corralup]

Seriously who is that in the last photo? Sally, I think you did great! I've been shooting for five years now and still I get frustrated on getting my exposure right. Keep practicing and you'll get there. BBSP is a great place to learn! Maybe we can go shoot together sometime. I go there all the time. I was gonna go this weekend but decided to find some shore birds instead.
Are you going to buy this camera?

[houtex01]

Great series Sally...really like #10...can't say that I've ever seen a YCNH do his feathers like this...last one is really cool silhouette...keep those postings coming...btw welcome to the forum...

Ron

[sierralima]

Thanks for the ID info and encouragement!

That is Patrick and my hubby Scott in the silhouette. We met many of you guys at the BBSP meet a few weeks ago - and we are definitely up for meeting up to shoot!

i.e., new camera: It all started last summer hiking in Canada. We saw some gorgeous photo ops, but with our P&S the results were disappointing. So we got the 5D. However, we soon discovered sharing a camera on photo shoots was...frustrating. So we got the 1D3. But then we started shooting birds - and someone was stuck with the "slow" camera. So it looks like the new camera will be the 7D. Someone told me when we started photography I should run like the wind....

Thanks again for the welcome!

Sally