UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Now comes the embarrassing post. After success at my local lake getting birds in flight, I decided to go to a nearby Wildfowl Management Area (Farmington Bay). Local birders get many good shots there. I started as I usually do with an early arrival to get sunrise landscape shots, which I posted yesterday. I then took some sitting birds shots as the light increased.

When the light was good, I cranked up the auto-focus function that had served me so well in my previous venture, turned on the multiple shot setting and went after birds.

When I got home I realized that when you shift lenses, it helps to change other things. All my attempted BIFs were taken at ISO 100, shutter speed 1/160. I ended up with many indeterminate blobs with fuzzy wings.

You learn from you mistakes, I hope.

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Extreme PP

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NJFrank Loc: New Jersey

Some of these birds look familiar. Gulls seem to be everywhere. I have not seen the duck in your #8 shot.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Great series Mike! Even for those of us (non-bird) people

jdtonkinson Loc: Red Wing, MN

great series anyway Mike. #8 is a Shoveler, right?

Iron Sight Loc: Utah

IS Good! 😜

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Most of us do dumb things at times, Mike - my favorite repeat is not checking all the camera settings in the morning after having taken night shots the night before. But I do chimp from time to time and usually realize that something is amiss. As a non-birder, I would say that there are actually some fairly good shots here, would love to have seen these when all the settings were right , I like the partial reflections you are getting of in some of the earlier birds. Have a wonderful day - Joe

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

I have made much dumber moves, Mike. At least you got some nice bird shots.

Retired CPO Loc: Travel full time in an RV

#8 is a Northern Shoveler. You know, Mike, I've heard that learning from your mistakes is a pretty common thing. But I've never heard of it being applied to Army folks.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Next to the Great Salt Lake, Frank, gulls are everywhere. That duck took a lot of PP to get the colors to show.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks, Tony, I am afraid that this set proves that I am mostly non-bird. Happy New Year!

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks for looking. The people here call it a shoveler.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

I appreciate the visit and kind comment.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks Joe, we learn by doing (and not doing, I hope).

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks, Ken, I went out again today. I will see what happened tonight.

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Thanks for the bird ID, Chief. The rest of your message cannot be deciphered, transmission error, I guess (LOL).