Birds Birds not in Flight Thread - Post Your Shots Here

[evacguy]

The storm before the calm - St.James Park London.

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 800

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 1000

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

One of my first few shots on the 400 -800. It's a Melanistic Hen Pheasant, so an unusual find. She found me, by walking toward me at a reserve!

• ILCE-7RM4
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 689.0 mm
• ƒ/10
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 6400

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Preening Marsh Harrier. Taken in crop mode on the RiV and cropped in post too. A shame the background is a bit messy, but I couldn't get a better angle. It still shows the sharpness of the 400 800 at range nicely.

• ILCE-7RM4
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 500

 

[AlphaWorld]

Reflection of a Pacific Black Duck

Shot with the 400-800 G at f/9 on the A1 II at 1/2000, ISO 5000

 

[Paul stuart]

 

[Paul stuart]

• ILCE-1
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 4000

 

[evacguy]

What the duck!

A pochard on the lake at St.James Park Buckingham Palace.

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/2.8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 400

..... and a white headed duck - so is this where the ugly duckling comes from?

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 1/200 sec
• ISO 2000

... a tighter crop just to make sure, yep, not a very handsome duck.

I do love the patterns in the water.

• ILCE-7M4
• FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
• 200.0 mm
• ƒ/11
• 1/200 sec
• ISO 2000

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Quite literally my first shot with the A1, as today was the first decent day of weather since it arrived on Wednesday. I can't complain really Reed Warbler at close range.

• ILCE-1
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 3200

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Reflection of a Pacific Black Duck

Also featuring.... A Pacific Black Duck

Very nice pic.

 

[AlphaWorld]

Quite literally my first shot with the A1, as today was the first decent day of weather since it arrived on Wednesday. I can't complain really Reed Warbler at close range.

View attachment 77225

Well, that's a good start with your new A1! Enjoy!

Did you get it new or second-hand? I was wondering if new ones come with the latest firmware installed (there was new firmware released in April 2025: V3.01)

 

[taz]

Paid a visit to RSPB. Radipole (Weymouth) yesterday, as it was a bright, calm day, in the hope of seeing some Bearded Tits. We parked in the car park, walked 30 yds to the bridge into the reserve and six of them flew into the reeds by the bridge. Sometimes it's easier than others!!View attachment 68248View attachment 68250

Wow that's amazing especially for a 600mm lens, it looks like i need to start saving my pennies up cause i would love one

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Well, that's a good start with your new A1! Enjoy!

Did you get it new or second-hand? I was wondering if new ones come with the latest firmware installed (there was new firmware released in April 2025: V3.01)

Used. The prices here have started to become sensible, well, some have. I paid £2400 and it's in very good nick with only 16k mech shutter count. I could still get a new one for £3400 so some peoples prices here are daft.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Mr Heron looking furtive...

• ILCE-1
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 500

 

[spudhead]

great crested grebe

• ILCE-1
• FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 2X Teleconverter
• 600.0 mm
• ƒ/7.1
• 1/2000 sec
• ISO 640

 

[Paul stuart]

kingfisher

• ILCE-1
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 125

 

[Paul stuart]

• ILCE-1
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/4000 sec
• ISO 800

 

[Doug Herr]

Western Tanagers (Piranga ludoviciana), dispersing to the lowlands from their breeding grounds in the nearby Sierra Nevada, have begun showing up in my yard
photographed 06 August 2025
IMBY Sacramento County California

• ILCE-1
• FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
• 420.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/400 sec
• ISO 800

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

House Sparrow. Quite remarkable claws and toes they have, as they are hedge dwelling birds.

• ILCE-1
• FE 400-800mm F6.3-8 G OSS
• 800.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/1000 sec
• ISO 1250

 

[AlphaWorld]

This is a male Chestnut Teal, shot with the 400-800 at 800mm f/9 on the A1 II at 1/2000, ISO 5000.

What caught my eye in this shot was what looked with an image of Saturn in the middle of the reflection - took me a while to work out that it's a bubble on the water surface + its reflection - an interesting effect that I don't think I could duplicate if I tried!

 

[AlphaWorld]

And another Pacific Black Duck. This is a 3/4 crop, demonstrating eye AF on the A1 II - definitely working

Shot on the 400-800 at 648mm, f/9, on the A1 II at 1/2000, ISO 8000, no noise reduction.

 

[evacguy]

And another Pacific Black Duck. This is a 3/4 crop, demonstrating eye AF on the A1 II - definitely working

View attachment 77460

Shot on the 400-800 at 648mm, f/9, on the A1 II at 1/2000, ISO 8000, no noise reduction.

Very nice shot. I zoomed into the head and neck, I think this would make a great crop.

 

[Richard A]

Where did you take these @AlphaWorld?

 

[AlphaWorld]

Where did you take these @AlphaWorld?

Both of those shots were taken at Werribee Open Range Zoo - these are wild ducks swimming on the water in the hippo enclosure (water "enriched" by the hippos). Earlier water bird shots were taken on the Werribee River.

 

[AlphaWorld]

I visited Melbourne Zoo today - took way more shots than I intended because I had forgotten that I turned the A9 III up to 11 (OK, worse than 11! I had forgotten that I temporarily changed Hi+ to 120 (I thought it was 60), and I also thought I was on Hi, not Hi+ )

Anyway, I had a 480GB card in Slot 1, and shot over 13 thousand images, amounting to over 360GB. Amazingly, my battery was still at 43% after that.

I spotted this wild honeyeater enjoying one of the flowering succulent just after I entered the zoo. I think it might be a Noisy Miner (not to be confused with a Mynah, even though those are noisy, too!).
(400-800 at 400mm, f/6.3 - have to love Sony lenses wide open! A9 III at 1/500, ISO 2000)

I visited the Great Flight Aviary, and photographed a variety of birds.

This is a Nicobar Pigeon (beautifully iridescent, although that doesn't show much in the shade). Not an Australian local.

(400-800 at 800mm, f/8, on the A9 III at 1/400, ISO 12800, but no noise reduction)

This is a Blue-faced Honeyeater (400-800 at 420mm, f/6/3, on the A9 III at 1/500, ISO 4000 - I should have reduced the ISO - had to reduce the exposure in post). Its tongue was flicking out as I got this shot.

A different Blue-faced Honeyeater - this one landed too close and I had to back up several steps. You are seeing the full frame here.
(400-800 at 402mm, f/6.3, A9 III at 1/500, ISO 2500) - the olive back is clearer with the bird in the shadow.

Two Pink Cockatoos enjoying digging into some kind of stump - I waited for one to pop up to get this shot

(400-800 at 400mm. f/6.3, A9 III at 1/500, ISO 5000)

One more bird, not from the Great Flight Aviary. This is a local (a kookaburra) who taughed at me as I was leaving the zoo.
(400-800 at 800mm, f/8, on the A9 III at 1/500, ISO 1000). Cropped to 3000x3000, then resized to 2000x2000 for this site.

 

[Richard A]

Noisy Miners are native birds but they have become so successful in urban areas and they group together and push other species out. I have lived in this house for about 10 years now and Willy Wagtails and New Holland Honeyeaters have disappeared from our backyard in that time.