Pretty noisy things

[astroboof (Steve McN)]

I'm struggling to meet the photo challenge this month, but have had a couple of days off and have done some visual astronomy and taken some terrestrial pics.

These birds perch not far from my mount, and the bloody things have been going bonkers over flowering Parrot Trees on our property. These taken with fuji x + fujinon 50-230mm lens, aperture mode but autofocus obviously with birds. Handheld and should have used my mono seeming the zoom lens is not fast. Its a nice daytime 'Mildlife' lens though.

Maybe I will create my own fireworks, out bush... hmm.

[REVEREND (Raymond)]

Nice set Steve. Shame about the stick over the face of the lorikeet.
Cheers Reverend.

[astroboof (Steve McN)]

Yeah Rev, same thought here. Always next time, no shortage of lorikeet opportunities.

I enjoyed your Osprey pic recently, I gotta match that detail yet.
Have these two though from local jetty;

[BilliGoatsGruff (Billi)]

I love the honeyeaters they give my cat such an ear bashing when he sits in our bottle brush tree.

[Regulus (Trevor)]

That's a beautiful set of photos Steve.

[astroboof (Steve McN)]

Yeah they are loud Billy, but not as bad as noisy minors, thank god. Our chooks get the hurry up from them.

Cheers Trevor, getting there slowly, have 4400 images on the fuji X system already, 90% get canned, that hasn't changed. Getting some lens lust again too, it's hopeless..

Here is a captive Dollar Bird from a local wildlife sanctuary/hospital. Dollar birds are a tropical species and a kind of Roller, or large swallow, never been this close to one before, they are gorgeous and this photo barely captures their charm.

[Regulus (Trevor)]

Wow, that's a beautiful bird Steve. Nicely caught.

Getting some lens lust again too

Just satisfied that urge. Swapped out my Sigma 70 F2.8 macro for the Canon 100 F2.8. and now I'm keen to get it into the field. I hope it's as good as the Sigma was for sharpness/colour, and total lack of CA.
The difference for me was the closest focus distance. To get 1:1 on the Sigma the object was just 3cm away, and often this was awkward. The Canon has a 14cm working distance. However, the canon has a really short focusing ring. About a 1/3 rotation, where the Sigma had 2 turns and made fine focus beautiful. Pluses and Minus'; always.

Trev