Heavy on the post process

Taken on a grey day, which I'm finding is a little more productive for pictures of crows.  Pushed ACR on this one, but still like the outcome, grain left in for effect.  I like the fact on this that the crow perched on the only non-rusty fence post - something that was lost on me until it was seen on the computer - which gives the image a nice symmetry.

1/1250s f7.1 -0.3EV ISO1250

For a bit of contrast here is a Redstart on the same perch in Autumn 2013

1/1250s f7.1 +0.3EV ISO640
Noise reduction and sharpening only in ACR.

Mallard flap

ISO1250 f/5 1/1600s

I like the textures that female ducks and juvenile gulls present, often more interesting than the other options.  Probably could have done with a smaller aperture and a couple of further notches on the ISO but  Like the underwing details.  Greyscale version below.  Will probably have a further play around with it.

Snow Bunting

ISO 800 f/8 1/1600 sec

More passerine shots here

Garden Buzzard again!

I still find it hard to accept that I have seen a Buzzard from my garden, but now I've done it again!  Heard a crow make a noise like it only does when a raptor is about (I assume that the noise is corvid for "shit the bed it's huge cor blimey, there's a nasty piece of work in the sky for sure me ol' china"), looked up and saw the Buzzard drift behind a house.  The camera was set up for something completely different to shots of big birds in the sky and I nearly totalled the tripod in the rush to get the camera separated from it. The bird thankfully banked round and drifted right over my head, and much lower than last time.

So here you are, ISO 800, 1/8000 f.6.3.  Nonsense settings, but it is still the best picture I have ever taken of a Buzzard from my garden.  From my garden!