Yellow-tipped Pardalote

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Annie W
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Yellow-tipped Pardalote

Also known simply as (one of the six races of) Striated Pardalote.  This little guy is the striatus subspecies found in Tassie.  I think I incorrectly said in someone elses post a few weeks ago that they are Spring/Summer visitors to Tas, but my big mistake, not visitors at all, but they do leave Tas to spend Autumn/Winter on the mainland.  Anyway, they're back!

The first shot below I took on the 1st September last year, and that was pretty much as close as I was able to see them for that entire season, a good Where's Wally shot LOL - I'm sure they were laughing as they teased me from the treetops for six months or so laugh.

Almost a year to the day, earlier this week, I spied this little guy down quite low, happy much, you bet!  Hopefully I can get some more and better shots down the track.  I also hope that means that my Second Birding (Spring) season will be a lucky one for me, there are some others from last year that proved very elusive for me too!

Rick N
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Lovely shots Annie. Missing the little red wing patch of the one we have here.

One of my favourite little birds.

WhistlingDuck

Real little cuties....beautifully captured. Wonderful detail shows all the patterns and colours.

windshear
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Such sweet little birdies. smiley

Thanks for sharing Annie!

Reflex
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Stunning shots Annie! Just love that "AnnieJ" clarity.

Samford Valley Qld.

Devster
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Always a pleasure looking at your photos Annie. I so wish I could take photos that sharp. How far away was this little guy? Do you crop much? Still learning the tricks of properly croping.

Cheers

Devster 

rawshorty
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Great shots, Annie. It's funny but so many people like to take shots on natural perches but i have to admit i love shooting birds on barbed wirelaugh even better if it is rusted. Really adds to the shot IMHO.

Shorty......Canon gear

Canberra

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/ 

Annie W
Annie W's picture

Thanks for looking and enjoying everyone, and thanks for your kind comments!

Funny that you say that Shorty....I used to be drawn towards natural perches, but I'm more of a mind these days to take whatever comes in the way of a perch - but.... I was hoping he'd hop to his right onto a nice mossy post because it just didn't work for me in my head on the wire, but couldn't work out why.  And that is it, it needed rust, silver just didn't completely work here in my head in these!

Devster, with your enthusiasm, you're off to a great start.  Don't be too discouraged with what you get to begin with, and without meaning to sound obvious (oh woah how words can accidentally come across on the web wink) definitely don't compare your shots to anyone elses.  Believe me, they will be enjoyed just as much by everyone - far more encouraging and rewarding to set personal goals for PB's/improvements imo than compare to anyone else, if you know what I mean.  It's just practice and patience, and practice and...enjoy!  I still have a very good relationship with the delete button myself, believe me.

To answer your questions, I like to get in as close as possible, but more prefer to let the bird come close to me if I can.  I move in as close as I can without distressing the bird and if it has a circuit/pattern, I'll watch it for quite a while, sometimes even let it do a few laps before I even get the camera up to get a shot.  Of course this doesn't always work and I do tend to miss quite a few opportunities as birds have changeable minds of their own as we all know laugh  Probably an odd method to many, and of course only one of many that might work too, but just how I like to bird, a bit on the passive side I suppose.

This guy surprised me as he came in very close, closer than I thought he might, then backed off a little to check me out - a curious little guy I guess.  The first shot above he was about 2.5m away, the next 2m, the last two 3m.  Being that close, by rights I should have had more detail even in these, but I didn't hold my gear steady enough and blew a lot of my other shots.  I think I was a bit too excited to finally see one lower than 30m up a tree, hahaha.

As far as cropping, if the detail is there and the background is nice and smooth, I'll sometimes do a close crop, for a profile etc.  Generally though I try not to crop too much and aim to leave a little environment in and room around the bird, especially in the direction it's facing.  Disclaimer, I'm sure I still don't get cropping "right" all the time: only a few months ago a couple of friends kindly pointed out I was a bit of a crappy cropper (my words not theirs), but I sure did more than welcome the advice, so hope/think I am gradually getting better since then.  If your cropping tool in whatever program you use to process/edit has a grid on it, have a go at using that, set it to "rule of thirds" if it has that option, that would be a good start (google cropping rule of thirds or similar and you'll come across some very short and easy to understand visual tuts out there).  You're welcome to PM me if you have any questions about anything - I still consider I'm pretty inexperienced but I'll be more than happy to dob in, I mean suggest, other more experienced members if I can't answer your question (hehe).  As you can see though, I sometimes tend to waffle, sorry cheekysmiley

West Coast Tasmania

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