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Ever try to train a Chickadee to pose
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Jan 2, 2017 09:48:58   #
Thomas902 Loc: Washington DC
 
Breathtaking series of Chickadees... Superb timing to catch them on final approach with wings spread wide generating reverse thrust... I use to feed them until the hawks in my locale decided that Chickadees at the feeder were merely entries on a buffet line... Not a fan of raptors because of this...

Thank you for sharing gessman... I love their song... they are one of my favorites

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Jan 2, 2017 13:34:49   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Thomas902 wrote:
Breathtaking series of Chickadees... Superb timing to catch them on final approach with wings spread wide generating reverse thrust... I use to feed them until the hawks in my locale decided that Chickadees at the feeder were merely entries on a buffet line... Not a fan of raptors because of this...

Thank you for sharing gessman... I love their song... they are one of my favorites


Thank you Thomas902. I've just recently developed an interest in shooting birds and am learning a lot pretty fast about things to do and not to do. I haven't seen any raptors in my area as of yet. In fact, for some odd reason, there aren't hardly any birds of any kind where I live and that's in spite of the fact that there is a good canopy of mature trees and a lot of ponds. It should be a bird sanctuary and it's just the opposite. It could be there's raptors hanging around and I've just not seen them yet but I'm gonna find out, I guess what with putting out feeders to try and attract a better variety of birds. Chickadees and some Rose Finch is about all I'm seeing now. I'm thinking there's a migratory pattern I've yet to discover. I've been playing Chickadee calls on my phone when I'm sitting out. So far, I can't say that's been at all effective. Of course, I could be sending out warnings sounds and not know it.

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Jan 3, 2017 20:40:34   #
raymondh Loc: Walker, MI
 
Looks like a lot of patience went in to capturing these - Nice work!!

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Jan 3, 2017 22:46:39   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
raymondh wrote:
Looks like a lot of patience went in to capturing these - Nice work!!


Thank you. Sure was fun when I finally figured it out.

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Jan 8, 2017 16:41:26   #
Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada
 
Back button focus and continuous shutter speed and a high shutter speeds , are great for getting some good ones ,these
are very photo genec .and worth looking at

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Jan 8, 2017 23:03:50   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Bram boy wrote:
Back button focus and continuous shutter speed and a high shutter speeds , are great for getting some good ones ,these
are very photo genec .and worth looking at


Yes sir, what you said about back button focus and continuous high shutter speed is perfectly correct in many cases but I'm afraid I needed a little more of an edge than that at my age and state of physical abilities. I had to devise a system that gave me a little more of an advantage. As a younger man I was blessed with above average speed, quickness, and agility but frankly, I don't think I would have ever been adroit and quick enough to track a Chickadee in a viewfinder and capture in-flight images like some of these without some form of scheme that aided me. I'm not sure I've ever known anyone who could consistently shoot Chickadees in flight and do it just any old time they wanted to. Chickadees would seem to be a special challenge since they are so small and so fast.

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Jan 9, 2017 23:35:32   #
Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA
 

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Jan 11, 2017 22:07:13   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Nikonian72 wrote:


Thank you for the thumbs up!

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Jan 15, 2017 23:18:05   #
Horseart Loc: Alabama
 
gessman wrote:
These little guys are quick. By comparison, catching the Heron in my previous post was almost like taking a nap. You have to be on your toes to catch Chickadees. They're harder than hummers 'cause a hummer will hover but these guys only hesitate slightly when landing.


I have a really fast camera, but I have not yet been able to do this!!! Nice pix. I didn't read all, did you share what you did to shoot so fast?

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Jan 17, 2017 15:57:16   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Horseart wrote:
I have a really fast camera, but I have not yet been able to do this!!! Nice pix. I didn't read all, did you share what you did to shoot so fast?


No, I didn't. It's really no big deal. I just figured this being a BIF forum that everyone who's interested already knows so I wasn't going to waste everyone's time. I'll share it with you if you'd like either here or in a pm. Let me know, please, if and how you would prefer it.

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Jan 17, 2017 17:15:34   #
Horseart Loc: Alabama
 
gessman wrote:
No, I didn't. It's really no big deal. I just figured this being a BIF forum that everyone who's interested already knows so I wasn't going to waste everyone's time. I'll share it with you if you'd like either here or in a pm. Let me know, please, if and how you would prefer it.


Sorry, I meant Camera and lens you used. Should have made that clear. Here might be good because others also may wish to know.

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Jan 17, 2017 19:54:53   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
Horseart wrote:
Sorry, I meant Camera and lens you used. Should have made that clear. Here might be good because others also may wish to know.


Ok. S'cuse me. I misunderstood but, having said that, although the equipment is very important, it isn't only the equipment I used but also how I used it. I used a Sony a6000 and two different lens, both Canon, both with an inexpensive non-automatic adapter so everything was done manually. One lens was the Canon EF400mm f/5.6L, non-IS and the other lens was the Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II but the IS was off - wouldn't have worked anyway with the non-automatic adapter. I will say that I did "manage" the birds and did not rely on hand-eye coordination and a "through-a-viewfinder" view to get these shots. Had I not designed a technique for this we wouldn't be talking about these shots now because they wouldn't exist. Chickadees obviously move too fast and unpredictably to consistently be shot on demand using ordinary BIF techniques that you would use on bigger, slower flying birds like eagles, pelicans, egrets, herons, etc. In fact, your odds of consistently catching smaller birds in flight on demand are pretty low even when you can "manage" them to some degree.

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Jan 18, 2017 11:47:14   #
Horseart Loc: Alabama
 
Interesting. I have the same camera. It's truly amazing! Guess I'll have to get out and practice more. Thanks for the info.

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Feb 23, 2018 21:38:45   #
patmalone51 Loc: Washington, DC., Montgomery County, MD
 
just now catching up with this set. very very nice. small birds are a real challenge!

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May 23, 2018 12:03:30   #
gessman Loc: Colorado
 
patmalone51 wrote:
just now catching up with this set. very very nice. small birds are a real challenge!


Thanks, Pat, and you're sure right about "a real challenge." They're also very frustrating, but fun.

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