May, 2010

Birding / Photo First — 2 Comments
11
May 10

Mandarin Duck

Noticing I do not have enough *photos* on this website which after all was meant to be, well, the story of me learning nature photography, with this post I start a new category “Photo First” which will aim to present photos made by me without the whole story… I seem to be taking too long formulating my usually longer posts, and the photos get left behind.

This Mandarin duck photo I really like is from Xmas 2007. It was then and there when the first time I finally had the feeling that things were coming together in my bird photography: I had the sun in my back, had thought of putting the tripod very low (using an angle view finder), and even managed to get at least one kind-of-sharp image from the dynamic autofocus system. I liked the water color from the reflection of the vegetation behind the little pond, because it matches the duck’s own colors.

Looking at it today, I know it lacks critical sharpness. I tried to print it large (A2), and noticed the eye is slightly soft,  as the autofocus targeted slightly behind the duck’s head. Got to try it again…

Birding — No Comments
9
May 10

Summer bird census

It seems to have just been a day before yesterday when I participated in the winter bird census, and so soon it’s time to count again…! For once I have not spent the 60 minute time in my usual Munich city park area, but in my parent-in-law’s garden in the more rural area of Moosburg an der Isar.

I am somewhat “disappointed” by the results, but of course in a small town garden you could  – without winter feeding – not expect to see an as varying bird population as in a large city park with it’s large and old tree groves. Anyway, I’m always willing to help science, and if it helps to protect the environment even better:

  1. Blackbird – two. Loud and very, very present in the garden and those around. They really love the roof ridges, what would they do without have they done before those were everywhere for them to sing from?
  2. Great tit – just one, in a quick fly-by.
  3. Blue tit – also one. Had really already given up hope for her to appear, but towards the end of the 60 minute count period she did :-)
  4. Rook – one, enjoying the blossoming apple tree vantage point.
  5. Magpie (Elster) – two.
  6. House Martin (Mehlschwalbe) – two, soaring high above.
  7. House sparrow – one. She was actually working right on the street extracting nesting material from some plant remains in the middle of the road – bravely just shortly interrupting her work for every car running over the plant, and in the end successfully retrieving the prize.

I have reported the results on the LBV website who organized the census together with the NABU, visit them to see the online updated results of the census!

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