Some bigger birdies

ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
edited April 10, 2006 in Wildlife
Had just about an hours free time so made a mad dash to the Fish Hatchery aka the goose capital:): Nesting pairs on all the access roads in-between the fish ponds with gangs of 5+ singles annoying the pairs, oh the racket! There were some Buffleheads and Hooded Mergansers + others on the ponds but getting close with the geese was about impossible. C&C always welcome and thanks for looking.

On the nest..I was across the pond

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Her VERY vocal mate

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A couple geese from one of the 'Gangs'. Not a great shot, BBIF but good practice.

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Oh Yea something besides geese! Lesser Scaups. Not only was I shooting across the ponds but had to shoot down over the banks, being taller than 5'4" would have been nice.

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Comments

  • gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2006
    Thusie wrote:
    being taller than 5'4" would have been nice.

    Until you have to sit in a small car...bus...or the worst of them all...the dreaded international flight.

    What sort of geese are they T (ok just saw the names..doh !!) ? They make good watch dogs.
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2006
    Humungus wrote:
    Until you have to sit in a small car...bus...or the worst of them all...the dreaded international flight.

    What sort of geese are they T (ok just saw the names..doh !!) ? They make good watch dogs.

    Ohoo don't mention dreaded international flight! Would love, been my dream,( since I was knee high to a short sheep), to visit your part of the world. Would have to be by boat:cry
    Heck even at my size planes are cramped.

    Yes I could see a Canada being a great watch dog:D
    Did you know a wing whip from one of those suckers could snap a forearm?
  • Dick on ArubaDick on Aruba Registered Users Posts: 3,484 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2006
    Nice serie, well done.

    Dick.
    "Nothing sharpens sight like envy."
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  • Ric GrupeRic Grupe Registered Users Posts: 9,522 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2006
    Hey, Thusie, I'm 6'4" and it ain't all that great. (except for parades):D

    I like the first shot with the unusual pose, and the last one are a pair I've never seen.

    Nice. thumb.gif
  • RohirrimRohirrim Registered Users Posts: 1,889 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2006
    Lovely series Thusie, love the one with the Goose on the nest. She looks very protective.

    My nit for the day is :D, if its possible to get direct sunlight on the Geese it will allow you to get more detail from the darker colors. Dark birds really seem to need direct lighting to get that detail.

    Oh, one more thing.....rolleyes1.gif. Are you certain on the ID of the Scaup. The white band at the shoulder makes me think it's a Ring-necked Duck. I'm certainly no expert at Duck ID though.
    Steve
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  • StormdancingStormdancing Registered Users Posts: 917 Major grins
    edited April 9, 2006
    Great shots.
    It takes lots of practice on those BIF. They look pretty sharp to me.
    Thusie wrote:
    Did you know a wing whip from one of those suckers could snap a forearm?
    Yep they can. When I had a wildlife license and raised Canadians - they were pretty mean when nesting. Black Swans were worse. They both have a very hard knobby bone in the "elbow" of their wing that they use for protection. Believe me you don't want to get clobbered by one. I've had broken glasses and a black eye more than once from them. :):
    Dana
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  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Stormdancing wrote:
    Great shots.
    It takes lots of practice on those BIF. They look pretty sharp to me.


    Yep they can. When I had a wildlife license and raised Canadians - they were pretty mean when nesting.

    :D Isn't it amazin' what you learn when when you work hands on? Like putting on goggles when you are dealing with GBH's?

    Thanks on th BIF about one out of 50, very, very hard.
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Thanks much Dick and Ric!
    Was keeping my distance from the mated pairs:):
  • ThusieThusie Registered Users Posts: 1,818 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Rohirrim wrote:
    Lovely series Thusie, love the one with the Goose on the nest. She looks very protective.
    Thank you very much Steve.
    My nit for the day is :D, if its possible to get direct sunlight on the Geese it will allow you to get more detail from the darker colors. Dark birds really seem to need direct lighting to get that detail.
    Will have sun this week and will try again...EXCEPT I can't shoot with sunne_nau.gif Have printed out the sunny 16 and read all I could find on EC, have been trying to apply Harry's advice on harsh light. High light clouds I'm fine, gloom I'm fine (lots of practice), beautiful sunny day and everything looks like crap. I'm hopeless:cry
    Oh, one more thing.....rolleyes1.gif. Are you certain on the ID of the Scaup. The white band at the shoulder makes me think it's a Ring-necked Duck. I'm certainly no expert at Duck ID though.
    You are absoluty correct on the Ring-neck ID, just looked them up in Sibley. Last time I take Don's word on ID and HE was using the Sibleyumph.gif
  • HarrybHarryb Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 22,708 Major grins
    edited April 10, 2006
    Good series Thusie.
    Harry
    http://behret.smugmug.com/ NANPA member
    How many photographers does it take to change a light bulb? 50. One to change the bulb, and forty-nine to say, "I could have done that better!"
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