This morning I shot a construction site as a contract shooter....thern I had lunch with the president of my former employer (a personal friend and fellow photographer who GAVE me his Epson 4000 Pro) and by that time I was beat...and a bit tired from 3 glasses of Chardonnay 
Anyway...I was going home but decided to stop by the cemetery when my new neighbors the flickers reside.
Upon entering, I see crows dive bombing the top of a tree and really creating a racket. I got out of the car with the camera (hand held) in case I saw a red tail or something but my view high up in the tree was obstructed by the branches on the tree in front of me....so I dropped onto my butt and crawled backward until I could see what was there. I was unprepared for what I found as I've never seen one close by...and totally unprepared and had no time to worry about some rather bright highlights that were blown to my eyes anyway. I got off one shot before the darn crows flushed the bird...
After calling my wife and leaving her a voice mail of "you won't believe what I saw in the cemetery!" I set up by the flicker nest. This time I set up in a slightly different location and a bit further away, so these are all shot at 700MM as I wanted a blue sky background sort of profile shot, rather than using the trunk of the adjacent tree to fill the open space...
First...Mrs. Flicker looking down at flying ants buzzing around....she was watching them and as soon as they'd land her long tongue would scoop them. I of course managed to miss those shots.
Calling for her mate to get his butt to sit on the eggs for a while...
A quick shot as she readies to leave the nest as her wayward husband has now returned to the tree above her...
Mr Flicker arrives..and I actually managed to get him.... (The light here is weird. You could easily blow the exposed wood which they've uncovered, yet even at ISO 500 and 640 the shutter speeds get low quickly. I think I may need to try some of that darn flash stuff)
Heading into take care of his fatherly duties...
Taking in the last rays of the sun as it's about to dip below the distant hill..
Anyway...I was going home but decided to stop by the cemetery when my new neighbors the flickers reside.
Upon entering, I see crows dive bombing the top of a tree and really creating a racket. I got out of the car with the camera (hand held) in case I saw a red tail or something but my view high up in the tree was obstructed by the branches on the tree in front of me....so I dropped onto my butt and crawled backward until I could see what was there. I was unprepared for what I found as I've never seen one close by...and totally unprepared and had no time to worry about some rather bright highlights that were blown to my eyes anyway. I got off one shot before the darn crows flushed the bird...
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After calling my wife and leaving her a voice mail of "you won't believe what I saw in the cemetery!" I set up by the flicker nest. This time I set up in a slightly different location and a bit further away, so these are all shot at 700MM as I wanted a blue sky background sort of profile shot, rather than using the trunk of the adjacent tree to fill the open space...
First...Mrs. Flicker looking down at flying ants buzzing around....she was watching them and as soon as they'd land her long tongue would scoop them. I of course managed to miss those shots.
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Calling for her mate to get his butt to sit on the eggs for a while...
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A quick shot as she readies to leave the nest as her wayward husband has now returned to the tree above her...
Subscribe to see EXIF info for this image (if available)
Mr Flicker arrives..and I actually managed to get him.... (The light here is weird. You could easily blow the exposed wood which they've uncovered, yet even at ISO 500 and 640 the shutter speeds get low quickly. I think I may need to try some of that darn flash stuff)
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Heading into take care of his fatherly duties...
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Taking in the last rays of the sun as it's about to dip below the distant hill..
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