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Post by Ding Carpio on Jan 23, 2009 11:44:23 GMT
Learned that our Security guys have a new motorboat so hitched a ride with them yesterday as they patroled La Mesa reservoir. My camo outfit was pretty useless as I was in a bright white and blue boat wearing a screaming-orange lifevest. Security guys were nice enough to take me to the narrow coves and tributaries where there were lots of raptors. I counted nine Ospreys. Of course, it could've been just one who was smart enough to sneak ahead to where we were going to delude me about their numbers. ;D It was a fun exercise in camera control dexterity as I had to quickly shift ISO and speed depending on where the bird is flying; and gear was on manual focus, too. Lots of water birds, too. But most of my shots were blurred as I was in a boat that bobbed up and down and foliage was too dark for fast shutters. We also had to kill the engine as we neared the birds to get rid of the vibration. Tripod was mostly useless. Had some technical exercise about the proper exposure on a crow. But the prize of the day was an immature White-bellied Sea-Eagle, a lifer for me. All shots were: Canon 40D Canon 400mm f5.6L + Kenko 1.4x TC Benro tripod + Benro GH1 gimbal head Manual focus, Manual Exposure
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Post by Neon Rosell II on Jan 23, 2009 12:30:05 GMT
Wooww!! Nice shots Ding!! Great exposure control on all the shots!!
Can we go boating again?, I won't bring my howitzer for safety reasons. ;D It will definitely unbalance the boat...hehe
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Post by mantarey on Jan 23, 2009 12:57:03 GMT
Wow that's a big harvest Ding. Superb details on the Osprey and the WBSE, you must have been close.
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Post by Romy Ocon on Jan 23, 2009 22:15:03 GMT
Amazing series, Ding!!! Looks like that place is teeming with birds.
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Post by Farmer Nestor on Jan 24, 2009 9:28:39 GMT
Beautiful shots Panyero!!
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Post by Ding Carpio on Jan 25, 2009 21:45:48 GMT
Thanks, everyone. It was a lucky sortie. All the birds in under 2 hours.
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Post by Ralf Nabong on Jan 26, 2009 0:05:03 GMT
Wow! Great set Ding This really proves that the reservation of the watershed is successful! Congratulations to the "Keeper of the Watershed"
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Post by Mark Itol on Jan 26, 2009 5:08:36 GMT
Great catch, Ding! You are a master of manual focusing!
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Post by Ding Carpio on Jan 26, 2009 8:25:42 GMT
Wohoo! Posted the photo in WBCP and Arne Jensen thinks it's a (immature) Grey-headed Fish-Eagle! (read below) Hopefully, I can get confirmation. " I would think it is Grey-headed because of the presence of supercilium, darker head colors than imm White-bellied, slightly smaller beak, and a dark tail w some paler mottling at the innner-base third. Still have to hear from Desmond and Tim on this one"
AJ
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Post by Neon Rosell II on Jan 26, 2009 9:17:48 GMT
Yeah!! Definitely different from the immature White-bellied Sea-eagle, as it has barrings on its flight feathers as oppose to a solid black on the WBSE. Reference photo of Imm. WBSE from SJ Bats.
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Post by tina mallari on Jan 26, 2009 11:49:15 GMT
Amazing captures Ding !!!
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Post by Ding Carpio on Feb 19, 2009 14:07:39 GMT
Hitched a ride with the Security Boat Patrol this morning hoping to catch again the immature Grey-Headed Fish Eagle (and, hopefully it won't be immature anymore. The eagle didn't show up. But shot lots of Ospreys (ho-hum) and even more Purple Herons (double ho-hum). But got me a lifer. The most gaudy male Purple-throated Sunbird. Unfortunately, I was again on a bobbing boat so tripod was useless and the birds were too small that these are blurred crop-to-deaths: Sunbirds seem to love this tree. Any idea what it is?
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