Great Thermals

[British Red]

Some stunning thermals today - and a beautiful day it was too.

My "buteo" friends called to me to come out to play

They stacked up 5 deep in a holding pattern

Sadly I cannot soar with them - so with a wing waggle they were off to hunt

Great to see them doing so well in the Spring

Red

 

[Shewie]

Beautiful shots Red and what a sky !!

You`re a lucky man

I was expecting a link to some merino long johns but hey ho


Rich

 

[British Red]

Perhaps it could have been better named as a thread - but it is in Flora & Fauna

 

[Ben_Hillwalker]

Have you ever tried calling back to them?

Sometimes when I have tried it they came in really close to check me out.

 

[British Red]

Sure do - we have quite a chat some mornings

 

[Toddy]

Beautiful, BR, just beautiful

atb,
Mary

 

[Matt Weir]

Good stuff Red

 

[SOAR]

Great photos as usual Red.

Simon.

 

[BorderReiver]

Fantastic pictures BR.

You have picked a wonderful place to live.

 

[British Red]

Thanks guys - glad you liked 'em,

And yes Mike - we are hugely privileged to live in such a beautiful spot in a beautiful world

Red

 

[MartiniDave]

BR,

Fantastic!

May I use one of you pics as a desktop wallpaper - my own use only?

Dave

 

[British Red]

Course you can Dave - help yourself - the fee is you come round, grab a rabbitting spade and help digging post holes through this chuffing flint

Red

 

[MartiniDave]

Thanks Red.

Just checked my diary, I'll be along to help with those holes in July or August!

Dave

 

[mick miller]

How amazing is that? Are you using a specialist lens to get those shots, they seem very sharp. I was pleased and surprised to hear owls at night here (I'm just outside the M25 so hardly rural) and walking through the woods late one night last week I spooked one, couldn't tell which type sadly although it did put a beaming smile on my chops to see them around!

 

[TheGreenMan]

Awesome photos, Red.

Thanks,
Paul.

 

[JonnyP]

I was working at a beautiful location last week..

There were buzzards comming over every day and I could here them calling all around me all the time, so I especially took my camera to work to try to get a photo of one.
I mean how hard can it be to get a photo of a bird in flight, and one that doesn't really go that fast....

Hmmmm...

Ok it was a bright day and I could not see the screen too well and also my camera does not have a very good manual focus and I was struggling to lock onto the birds...
Any tips for me Red...?

 

[British Red]

Hmmm sell the top photo and forget the bottom one

TBH Jon, I really struggle with my compact to get any "on the wing" shots. The Canon SLR wil focus in a split second and the manual focus is great too. To be honest the only tip I could offer is "use an SLR". I have got a couple with a compact but the SLR makes it 50 times more likely to get a shot - its one of those "under 5% of occasions" where a really top camera makes a dfference I find

Wish there was an easier answer Jon - but I don't know it

Red

 

[JonnyP]

Hmmm sell the top photo and forget the bottom one

TBH Jon, I really struggle with my compact to get any "on the wing" shots. The Canon SLR wil focus in a split second and the manual focus is great too. To be honest the only tip I could offer is "use an SLR". I have got a couple with a compact but the SLR makes it 50 times more likely to get a shot - its one of those "under 5% of occasions" where a really top camera makes a dfference I find

Wish there was an easier answer Jon - but I don't know it

Red

Cheers mate...My camera does lock on focus pretty quick (though prolly no where near as quick as your dslr). It was the finding the bird in the view finder and locking onto it as I try to follow it, zoomed right into it with the camera, that I was having trouble with. One tiny movement from me and all I had was sky. I suppose I need to practice it more, but its difficult when I am at work..
I shall just have to go on enjoying your shots..

 

[British Red]

Aaah - the secret there is have them fly 30' above your back garden

Actually a manual (twisty ring) zoom really helps - one hand on the zoom, one on the shutter release. I set to 135mm, find the bird, zoom to 400mm and track with the left hand (you can zoom right in in a split second) then part depress the shutter release to find focus. I set the focus to continually re-focus and whack on the "motor drive" and blaze off about 50 shots whilst tracking the bird. If I lose it, quick twist out to 135 and start again.

Not sure that makes sense but you get the idea - the continual re-focus function is dead handy when they are circling

Red

 

[DoctorSpoon]

Lovely pictures ... buzzards are only occasional visitors around here and it's still a real thrill for me when I hear them calling. (I too was expecting a picture of your underwear though )