This being said, I'm glad that I managed to spot as many avian creatures while there with my naked eye and take as many bird photographs (with my old -- and actually pretty trusty for 5 years -- Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ2) on my visit. (On the other hand, I rue my not having been quick enough to get a shot of the mongoose that I also spotted at Mai Po!) And, indeed, I did end up taking so many photos that afternoon that it was quite difficult to decide which to (not) use for this week's entry for Sandi's Photo Hunt.
In the end, I opted for a photo featuring a cute bird on a wire, another of birds in flight (with the top part of a solitary tree also being in the picture), and a photo with lots of trees -- thus fulfilling the requirements of Gattina's chosen Photo Hunt theme for this week.-- atop which can be seen lots of birds.
To confirm that those specks are indeed birds (rather than, say, leaves), check out the enlarged version of the photo by clicking on it. Another way to tell that those are indeed birds is by noting how many of the trees' branches and trunks are colored white...by the bird excrement that stuck and accumulated on them over the time that those migratory creatures decided to make their area of Mai Po their home for the winter! ;D
20 comments:
I can't guess what birds are those as they are too far. I am not an avid bird watcher, I have only a limited knowledge of birds but I would like to compare the species of birds in HK and SG.
I figure it would take luck to get a good bird shot. We have a lot of birds here now.
You ask about the crisscross markers on stump I post...My husband thought if he cut crisscross marks in stump it would burn out easier.
He was wrong it did nothing. coffee is on
Hi EastCoastLife --
I think the small bird on a wire is a bittern, the ones flying are egrets and the ones on the trees are herons. In any case, we get a lot of those in the cooler months in Hong Kong. :)
Hi peppylady --
Know what you mean about luck -- often times, the birds don't want to cooperate with photographers. ;)
And thanks for explaining those crisscross marks -- funny!
I can totally relate to the sentiment you shared here. I do have some photos taken from 2006 in Alaska that I wished I had a better camera, but well, the digital camera was just getting introduced then. Happy weekend.
Wonderful takes!!
That's a very special tree and an excellent photo !
Love the picture with the birds and the solitary tree. Your present camera is a gem!
bird & tree
Hi YTSL, that's a lot of excrement. Your photo collection is wonderful and perfect for the two themes. I also like that solitary bird on a wire photo.
Have a wonderful weekend.
I love the shot of the birds on the wire and also the other shots but that's my favorite. I have a few bird shots from when I had an old camera that make me wish they were taken with one of my last two cameras.
Hi there,
The bird on the wire might as well be a Night Heron. Can't tell from this angle if it's a he or a she though. The beak and legs appeared to match.
T
I like all these photos and especially love the composition in the second one. I've never seen a mongoose! Your new camera sounds great - have fun with it!
Hi PhotoCache --
Re digital cameras: I'm currently on my third and it is amazing how much better they've become in such a short time! It's also incredible how much more inclined to take photos I have become since having a digital camera... indeed, I even went for years in the pre-digital camera era when I didn't take a single photo!
Hi magiceye --
Thanks!
Hi Gattina --
I take it that you particularly approve of the middle photo? ;b
Hi Marcy --
I'm getting used to my present camera. It's not as good with macro shots as my old one but it's infinitely better than my old for night shots, photos in darkened rooms and, of course, zoom! :)
Hi Trekcapri --
Thanks for enjoying my chosen photos. Re the bird on the wire: I like the bird's shape! :)
Hi Carver --
You've made my day with your comments as your bird shots are truly amazing!
Hi T --
Thanks for another bird ID! Take it that you're a birdwatcher? :)
Hi Annie --
I was just lucky with the second photo. Took a bunch of quick photos of the birds in flight and that one came out the best by far. :)
Hi there,
guess I could only be flagged as a wannabee bird watch. I could only identify from memory about twenty common birds. The rest I could only try to memorize their looks and then look them up when I am home. I do have a few reference books on local birds sitting around.
Night Herons are very common birds in town. Male birds have brighter grey/white feathers and they have a strand of long feather behind their heads, trailing down to their mid back. I have seen enough of them in Aberdeen. I even spotted some of them in Kwun Tong and North Point.
Wiki has some photos of Night Herons.
T
Hi again T --
I've got reference books on Hong Kong flowers but not yet of birds. That thought is tempting though, given the many types of birds one sees out in Hong Kong -- not just while hiking but also in urban areas. (Like you, I've spotted interesting birds in Kwun Tong -- at the pier there, and also Kowloon City's -- but haven't seen too many (yet) in North Point!)
Great bird shot for this week's theme!
Hi JDeQ --
Thanks!
Hi there,
Before buying any bird reference books, maybe you should take a look at this:
http://www.engineering.hku.hk/enggke/projects.php?content=p201301
The Android version had been out for quite a while and could be downloaded from Google Play.
I have these two books:
- The Birds of Hong Kong and South China
- A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hong Kong
For a layman I found the photographic guide much easier to use as it use the shape/profile of the birds as index.
T
Hi once again T --
Believe it or not, I don't have a "smart" phone -- and am not sure when, if ever, I'll get one.
So hard copy books will work better for me... ;b
Hi there,
No, no, I'm not surprised. Using mobile gadgets is sort of a compromise. I used them basically because I sort of needed mobile email and search engine access, but I am not a fan of social networking services. Anyway...... Using a dumb phone saves quite a few hundred bucks for something else every months as well.
T
Hi once more T --
Having a non smart phone also makes it easier to maintain a work-life balance. Having said that, I have got a number of work-related phone calls that I wish I hadn't got while on leave, including while relaxing out on a beach one beautiful day! ;(
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