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Birds Birds not in Flight Thread - Post Your Shots Here

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

splashy duch stjames-1.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
  • 200.0 mm
  • ƒ/2.8
  • 1/1000 sec
  • ISO 800
splashy duch stjames-2.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
  • 200.0 mm
  • ƒ/2.8
  • 1/1000 sec
  • ISO 1000
 
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!


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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.

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What the duck!

A pochard on the lake at St.James Park Buckingham Palace.
pochard stjames-1.jpg
  • 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?
white headed duck-2.jpg
  • 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.
white headed duck-4.jpg
  • ILCE-7M4
  • FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS II
  • 200.0 mm
  • ƒ/11
  • 1/200 sec
  • ISO 2000
 
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 :D Reed Warbler at close range.

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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 :D 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)
 
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
 
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.
 
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
DH204981_web.jpg
  • ILCE-1
  • FE 300mm F2.8 GM OSS + 1.4X Teleconverter
  • 420.0 mm
  • ƒ/8
  • 1/400 sec
  • ISO 800
 
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!

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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.
 

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