Wildlife pictures

[nic a char]

Cheers, interesting - not so much contrast available with the tit.
My old lenses are MF Nikkors = focus struggles lol. Not sure if I'll get a bird lens now I've retired, tho the 200-400 F4s are tempting, may stick to landscapes <135mm - recently picked up the intriguing Sigma 21-35mm (seen some great work with it) for £20 which I'll test against the Nikkor w/a primes - tho of course nothing will beat the 50mm F1.8 for sharpness when that length suits.

 

[Pandabean]

Yeh, if there was a bit more light it would have been good but it was a grey day and diffused light.
I'm sure the noise of the lens focusing scared a few of the birds off when they landed.

I haven't really looked into sigma lenses much other than a few lenses. Using a Samyang 14mm for ultra wide night landscapes at the moment and that is pretty good. Especially for the aurora and Milky Way.

 

[Harvestman]

Thanks. Its a Canon EF 75-300. One of the early versions (1991 according to Wiki) with no IS and very noisy and slow when focusing.

I have that lens. it is decent for the money. Come to think of it, I think I bought it on your recommendation. I haven't regretted it.

Here's my first hoverfly of the year, from earlier this week, though I saw another today.

 

[Pandabean]

Did I? Hmm, can't remember that. The one I have is the original, with no IS and no USM. I am sure the modern ones are much better and good for the money.

I have that lens. it is decent for the money. Come to think of it, I think I bought it on your recommendation. I haven't regretted it.

Here's my first hoverfly of the year, from earlier this week, though I saw another today.

 

[Harvestman]

Time for me to add a few pis to this thread.

Here's a pair of mute swans in full courtship routine

My first hoverfly of the year, a drone fly, Eristalis tenax

A couple of juvenile spiders

and finally a gorse shieldbug, first record for the county of Gwent, which I went out specially and successfully for today.

It is great to see all this life again

 

[Harvestman]

A toad in a hole

 

[Pandabean]

Managed to photograph my first bird in flight. Only had a 250mm lens but was surprised that I managed to photograph this fella.

Buzzard in Flight by andy_mcdonaldphoto, on Flickr

And a second one with the wings open:

Buzzard in Flight - Open Wings by andy_mcdonaldphoto, on Flickr

 

[brancho]

Its hardly spring here yet it was still cold this afternoon when I was out so not much about. I tried looking in places I have not been to much before. I need to work more on a diffuser for closer stuff so these were with the Sigma 105 and Raynox not tubes on the E-M1.


Found this guy under a log he was pretty big (over 2mm) but as I did not have the tubes on it quite cropped.


Collembola by alf.branch, on Flickr


Collembola-2 by alf.branch, on Flickr


This is a heavy crop but the first time I have managed to get a shot of one of these mites


Mite by alf.branch, on Flickr


This guy was really hard to keep up with and another first for me.


woodlouse by alf.branch, on Flickr


All comments and ID welcome.

 

[Harvestman]

I commented on the woodlouse on Flickr. I reckon it is the common pygmy woodlouse, Trichoniscus pusillus. An in-focus view of the tail end would help identification though.

The mite picture is gorgeous.

 

[brancho]

Thans Mike

It finally fetlt spring when I got up this afternoon (night shift) and when I looked out of the back door I saw my first jumper on the wall so got the camera while still in my dressing gown.


This is not my resident jumper but I found a new location where there were a lot of them out hunting in the sun.


Zebra-Jumper-1 by alf.branch, on Flickr


I found this guy on my bin while out in my dreesing gown though and had to remove the Raynox (three tubes used) to get it all in the shot


Springtail by alf.branch, on Flickr


Springtail-2 by alf.branch, on Flickr


This was so big that with three tubes I was focused at infinity to get it in I think it is a bristletail


Bristletail-1 by alf.branch, on Flickr

 

[Pandabean]

Took hundreds of photos on Saturday of a pair of red squirrels running around the trees and lots of small bird photos (still need to sort through them!). Was amazing to photograph and watch them.

Squirrel taking a rest by andy_mcdonaldphoto, on Flickr

Red Squirrel taking a look by andy_mcdonaldphoto, on Flickr

 

[vestlenning]

Here's a pair of mute swans in full courtship routine

Beautiful birds, very nice picture!

 

[Harvestman]

Alf that last is definitely a bristletail, possibly a species of Dilta, unless you are on a rocky shore. Excellent series of shots as usual.

 

[Harvestman]

Here are a few of mine from the other night. An impromptu nocturnal safari with just my 18-55mm kit lens and the built in flash, plus a headtorch. Most images cropped to enlarge the subject.

Male laceweb spider

Female walnut orb weaver, from below

A male solitary bee

A common banded centipede. The great thing about centipedes is that they are flat, so you don't get depth of field issues.

I need to remember to take the flash unit with me on future trips.

 

[Pandabean]

Few more from Saturday:


Red Squirrel by andy_mcdonaldphoto, on Flickr

Coal, Blue and Great Tit by andy_mcdonaldphoto, on Flickr

Jackdaw by andy_mcdonaldphoto, on Flickr

 

[Harvestman]

Excellent set Andy. That Jackdaw is particularly nice.

 

[Harvestman]

Here's a couple of toads that I met on the canal last night.

 

[Harvestman]

More crawlies and creepies...

The black-headed woodlouse, Porcellio spinicornis. Not one of the commoner species.

The green hump-backed spider, Gibbaranea gibbosa.

A common earwig with something unidentified that it had foraged.

An unusual flower beetle, Oedemera femoralis. Possibly a new county record.

And finally a rare spider, Liocranum rupicola, which does very well at my local nature reserve.

 

[brancho]

Here is one of the jumping spiders Salticus scenicus that lives on my house wall eating the springtail in question. My first shots of a Jumper eating unfortunately I did not see the hunt and capture.


Taken with a sigma 105 and 3 extension tubes (47mm) Nissin Di46 flash and homemade diffuser.


Salticus-scenicus-eating-1 by alf.branch, on Flickr


Salticus-scenicus-eating-2 by alf.branch, on Flickr


Salticus-scenicus-eating-3 by alf.branch, on Flickr


What do you think

 

[brancho]

Some great shots there Mike that earwig is really good as is the Male laceweb and the black head wood lice.