Double trouble

Winter is fast approaching, possibly my favorite time of the year. Munich after Christmas gets cold, down to -15 and sometimes lower. This means food is scarce and the birds are happy for a sunflower seed or two. Buzzards too are happy to find road kill or the odd dead mouse. Shame that this year I will be at work, rather in a baby break. Sitting for 8 hours, -15°, with only a few shots to show for it...brilliant.

Larger version on my site. 7D, 300 2.8, 1.4TC (tripod, hide, thermos)

Well worth the wait Neil. A great interaction shot, maybe a little more space around the birds but still one I'd love to have seen and taken.

Nice image Neil, will be having a go at these myself when the weather gets colder. Probably not fashionable but my favourite bird!

Scott

Very nice action image.

David

I took years to get these shots ;) I would see buzzards everywhere, loads down here, but even 200yards away you look at em and they scoot, was frustrating in the least. Then one day I was talking to a local hunter, he gave me valuable info on what one can and cannot do here in Germany regards to baiting and access. Unlike the hunters I try to keep it natural, rodents, road kill or the odd dead forest animal.

Cheers!

Cracking but agree about an absence of space around the birds.

OK, I hear you all, my prime does not zoom :( I have considered moving to Nikon for the 200-400 but I am reading alot of mixed reviews of all Nikon teles (about softness at infinity focus, removing the 200-400s front element for best performance..)

Thanks for the comments, I am hear to learn.

Great pose captured to small on here as you now know I love the poses. The 200-400 I have had now for a few weeks on trail and its going back as I like my 600mm its what ever suits YOU Neil knowone else. With a fixed lens like my 600 over time you get use to seeing the distance to the subject and now I use a full frame camera too what I see with my eye almost always shows that way when I look through my viewfinder. A skill I used while in the army as a Sniper its called 'Judging Distance' try it really helps you to see the subject in real time in the field as you are on the move, this is how I get round the Fixed focal length issue. It means in short what you see will be the image you will get through the viewfinder,it will be different on what ever crop factor you have on your make of camera to get round that you just adjust accordling. I hope that helps

My opinions of the 200-400 are not based on opinion but tests and people who use them regular. I know some have problems and some dont...but if I were already a Nikon user I would have one now, but swapping systems is too pricey for me as an enthusiast. I am getting used to fixed though, and the IQ is the obvious winner! Thanks for the help!

It doesn't real work for me at this size Neil. So I had a look on your website at the larger size version and that works very well. What is the little patch of red under the claw......blood?


Calum

Hello Neil.

Cracking capture and as for the extra room it wouldnt take much to add some more canvas on this shot.

It's not every day you find yourself getting too close to this often wary species, so good job on capturing the moment. Interesting to see the significant difference in the darkness of the plumage between both birds.

Thanks guys, enjoyed every minute of my buzzard vigils. I noticed quite a range of colours, older birds seemd to be darker and were higher up the food chain.

@ Calum, probably a small bit of flesh, the mice were hidden in the snow to keep the shots clean for public consumption...

Cracking shot, Neil


Simon