# Birds -- Post 'Em if you Got 'Em



## Charles Helm

I know there are some great ones out there. I have just a few that are so-so:









(Credit for that one goes to Gert van der Walt of Windhoek, Namibia.)



If the bigger images are too large, I can crop and reduce them. Click the pictures for original image sizes (large).

Now let's see some good ones.


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## Pod

Great shots....you're teasing me with those Africa pics again!! I like the ostriches.


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## Charles Helm

Pod said:


> Great shots....you're teasing me with those Africa pics again!! I like the ostriches.


 When it is the only interesting place you've been...:redface:

Most of the time the ostriches were too far away and I thought I would not get any pictures of them. The one day they were right near the truck and I managed to snap a few.

Naturally I've learned a lot more about the camera and could do a better job today, but unless the stock market really takes off it may be a long time time before I get another chance, if ever.


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## Pod

This is Marcelle. He showed up in our backyard just after he left the nest, barely able to fly. My daughter fed him and "mothered" him for a few days then he wouldn't leave. When she went out in the backyard Marcelle would fly off the house or out of the trees and land on her, wanting some seeds. We were afraid our dog would get him so we hauled him about a mile away and turned him loose. Five days later he was back, tame as ever. We took him a little farther and released him again, it took him 2 weeks to find his way back. We gave up after that, eventually he took up with another dove at our feeder and finally left.


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## Charles Helm

Nice one and with a good story. I must be the only one that sees the dove in the back yard and thinks about eating them!


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## NurseD-bait

COOL BEANS Pod.....


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## Pod

A few more....


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## Charles Helm

Pod said:


> A few more....


 Very nice -- thanks.


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## RustyBrown

*Here's a couple recents...*

The Watchman...


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## RustyBrown

*Green Heron*

Sam Houston Park Downtown!!!!


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## Charles Helm

Rusty -- those are really good. Thanks.


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## Freshwaterman

*Eagles*

*Taken in Montana and on Vancouver Island*


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## Charles Helm

Thanks for posting the eagles!


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## NaClH2O

Mine may not be as nice to look at as the others, but they're still birds. All were taken from Burke-Crenshaw Park in Pasadena on 1-21-06.


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## Charles Helm

NaClH2O said:


> Mine may not be as nice to look at as the others, but they're still birds. All were taken from Burke-Crenshaw Park in Pasadena on 1-21-06.


Some interesting looking ones -- thanks!


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## Cutter

Great pics so far, keep em comin'


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## Cutter




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## Charles Helm

Cutter -- I really like that first shot!


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## GinMan

..


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## Charles Helm

Nice one GinMan!


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## NaClH2O

Here are a few more birds I have taken pictures of over the last month or so.


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## Charles Helm

NaClH2O said:


> Here are a few more birds I have taken pictures of over the last month or so.


 Thanks -- I think the fourth is my favorite.


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## NaClH2O

Charles Helm said:


> Thanks -- I think the fourth is my favorite.


 Thanks. I wound up having to use the digital zoom on that picture to get that close, but I still thought it came out well enough to keep.


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## Freshwaterman

Were`s All The Green Jays ?


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## pelican

There are some really nice shots in here, folks. Sure glad I don't have to take photos for a living.  I don't have much in the way of birds but here's a few from around the house, beach and local area. I really need a better telephoto one day ...


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## Charles Helm

pelican said:


> There are some really nice shots in here, folks. Sure glad I don't have to take photos for a living.  I don't have much in the way of birds but here's a few from around the house, beach and local area. I really need a better telephoto one day ...


I like!

I could have used a longer lens Saturday as we had a big owl (think it was a Great Horned but I am no expert) across the fenceline on a brush pile. What I got was mostly owl-shaped blobs.:frown:


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## Charles Helm

Okay, feeble attempt at the owl:

Do you see the owl?



It's an owl blob.



Pretty pathetic, I know. I need to get closer than that.

[Click pictures to enlarge to original image size.]


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## Charles Helm

I thought I would bring this one back to the top in view of the April contest subject.


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## Bobby

I thought it was NUDE birds????
I forgot the after shot.


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## Charles Helm

Bobby said:


> I thought it was NUDE birds????


I don't make the rules...:rotfl:

I was tempted to make a play on words but I will forego it.


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## Walkin' Jack

Here's a few of mine.


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## Dorado-Mahi

Bobby said:


> I thought it was NUDE birds????
> I forgot the after shot.


That's 2funny Bobby. :rotfl:


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## Dorado-Mahi

Captured these two dove yesterday afternoon.


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## Charles Helm

Walkin' Jack said:


> Here's a few of mine.


I particularly like the second one and the last one -- what do you suppose the bird thinks when the cat looks in?


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## Charles Helm

Dorado-Mahi said:


> Captured these two dove yesterday afternoon.


Nice work as usual.

Thanks.


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## Walkin' Jack

A cat that close would normally strike fear in the hearts of most birds, I expect. Even in the safety of a cage. This guy however is a very tough hombre. I expect he was thinking something along the lines of.... "If I could just get out of this cage for 10 seconds I'd have your eye balls for lunch." His name is Pepper and he don't know the meaning of the word fear. I caught him in my back yard and took him to my sister-in-law up in North central Texas. Sometimes I still think I can hear him squawking! LOL

The Blue Heron would have been my contest entry except for the fact that pics of Blue Herons were beginning to stack up. I was on the Galveston fishing Pier and this feller landed on the roof of the little building by the steps. There was a stack of pallets there and I climbed up, with him sitting right there watching me the whole time. I took his pic and he flew off. Go figger! 



Charles Helm said:


> I particularly like the second one and the last one -- what do you suppose the bird thinks when the cat looks in?


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## Charles Helm

Walkin' Jack said:


> AThere was a stack of pallets there and I climbed up, with him sitting right there watching me the whole time. I took his pic and he flew off. Go figger!


Polite of him to wait until you got your shot!


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## Dorado-Mahi

Another variety of dove showed up in the backyard. Not sure what this one is. Took a few shots of another type of dove which turned out to blurry to post. It's about half the size of the three dove posted with dark rusty red wings. It also likes to stay on the ground and spooks easily.


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## Dorado-Mahi

Dorado-Mahi said:


> Another variety of dove showed up in the backyard. Not sure what this one is. Took a few shots of another type of dove which turned out to blurry to post. It's about half the size of the three dove posted with dark rusty red wings. It also likes to stay on the ground and spooks easily.


I did some searching on the net and I think the above dove is an Inca Dove without the rusted/red wings. It's a little larger than the shot of the dove that turned out so blurry but it's color and feather pattern is similar.


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## Charles Helm

I like the way the coloring outlines the feathers.


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## bd2dabone

*Gull*

sea gull


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## Charles Helm

bd2dabone said:


> sea gull


Now that is a classic picture. I always associate the beach with the birds scurrying along the edge of the water.


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## EastBound

A few birds shot from Rockport area.


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## Charles Helm

I like the way they are arranged by height in the first picture, and I like the use of depth of field to emphasize the subject in the third one. Thanks for posting.


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## Harbormaster

A couple of pelican shots!


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## Charles Helm

Harbormaster said:


> A couple of pelican shots!


 Very nice detail on that first shot. Thanks.


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## wacowade

*Texas City Dike*

Just a nice sunset with a passing Gull at the Texas City Dike.. Nothing to write home about, but I liked the final image.. Just sharing one..

Wade


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## Charles Helm

wacowade said:


> Nothing to write home about, but I liked the final image..


I like it as well.


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## Dorado-Mahi

From Galveston this past weekend.


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## Charles Helm

Nice detail and interesting composition -- thanks Dorado-Mahi.


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## michaelbaranowski

This is a Water Turkey I shoot while trying to get a photo above and below water.


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## Charles Helm

michaelbaranowski said:


> This is a Water Turkey I shoot while trying to get a photo above and below water.


 Interesting shot!


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## RustyBrown

*Simple and clean...*

I don't know why, but I've always had an affinity for this shot. I think it must be the curves in the wings and the symetry.


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## Charles Helm

RustyBrown said:


> I don't know why, but I've always had an affinity for this shot. I think it must be the curves in the wings and the symetry.


 Clean, simple and crisp -- very nice.


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## Dorado-Mahi

RustyBrown said:


> I don't know why, but I've always had an affinity for this shot. I think it must be the curves in the wings and the symetry.


Like Charles said... uncluttered beauty and gorgeous light. Nice work.


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## Walkin' Jack

*Ringneck doves??*

Been seein' these two around for several days. Finally got 'em to cooperate for the camera. Sorry for the poor quality pic. Only 3.1 MP and this was shot at 14X and those are never very sharp.


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## Charles Helm

Walkin' Jack said:


> Been seein' these two around for several days. Finally got 'em to cooperate for the camera. Sorry for the poor quality pic. Only 3.1 MP and this was shot at 14X and those are never very sharp.


 You must be feeding them to draw a crowd like that!


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## Walkin' Jack

Yes, we have 3 feeders out. We have seen many birds that aren't even suppose to be in this area but we still get flocks and flocks of the BuleJays and grackles and the ever present mockingbird. No bird species is more abundant in our yard than the mourning doves.

Sometimes we will be treated to a small hawk or kite of some kind swoshing down and nailing one of the doves. They always get the doves because they are the slowest. One of these days I'll have the digital handy when THAT is going on.


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## Charles Helm

Walkin' Jack said:


> Sometimes we will be treated to a small hawk or kite of some kind swoshing down and nailing one of the doves. They always get the doves because they are the slowest. One of these days I'll have the digital handy when THAT is going on.


 Now that would be an interesting shot for sure!


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## Dorado-Mahi

Walkin' Jack said:


> ...we still get flocks and flocks of the BuleJays and grackles and the *ever present mockingbird*.


Saw a mockingbird terrorizing a squirrel on the fence today. The squirrel was running for its life and screaming. :rotfl: One of the funniest things I ever saw. Of course I didn't have my camera with me.


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