Have you ever watched a bird, just being a bird? They seem to be very busy almost all the time. Flitting from here to there, building a nest, looking for food, getting acquainted with other birds, checking in on the chicks. Imagine trying to capture just one clear image during all that busyness.
I use a mirrorless camera, which is significantly lighter than most DSLRs, but it is still pretty heavy when I attach a telephoto lens. A lot of photographers use mono pods (the single leg version of a tri-pod) which helps take the weight off and add stability to the camera, but I can’t adjust to the restricted mobility and shoot hand held most of the time. That is silly and amateurish, but that’s how I like it. So when I am lucky enough to get shots like these, I like to share. They are not tack sharp, but they make me smile and I hope you will also.
I am sharing this post with Teri at Second Wind Leisure Perspective. She hosts Sunday Stills Photo Challenge and this week her challenge is FOR THE BIRDS!
If you would like to participate in the challenge, please pop over to Second Wind Leisure Perspective and read the guidelines. Or, just go there to see some beautiful bird shots this week.
Picture Retirement 
These wonderful bird pictures made me smile! Thank you!
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Beth, I’m glad my little birdies made you smile. Have a lovely week!
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Beautiful shots, Suzanne. The colours of the bird feathers, including white, are so striking. Thank you for sharing these with us.
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Thank you Natalie, I darkened the grey/black pond to make the white stand out more. Glad you like it.
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These are beautiful!
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Thank you dawn and thanks for stopping by Picture Retirement.
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Gorgeous! I have one of those mono pod things (came with the camera) and have yet to use it. I don’t usually use a tripod either. By the time every thing is set up, the shot I was trying to capture would be gone!
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Exactly, who has time to bother with that? Guess I will never be a “serious” photographer!
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Haha, I’m not sure what kind of bird the one with the red mouth is, but he/she seems to be bawling you out. All you shots are great… very nice variety.
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Janis, Malcolm says that is me when he is driving!
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Oh, these photos are brilliant, Suzanne! You don’t need a tripod, you have a steady hand and a ready eye! My Lumix has the travel lens but it works for me. Aren’t birds amazing? Thanks for showing us how it’s done!
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Terri, I am more lucky than skilled when it comes to capturing birds.Thanks for the challenge.
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Gorgeous photos Suzanne and yes I love to watch birds. My grandsons both enjoy watching the Lorikeets, colourful birds that we have in Australia. The chirp so loudly mornings and late afternoons but are a beautiful sight as they are green gold and red. I’m not a photographer unfortunately but your photos have brought me joy to start my week. Thank you x
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Well then, I’ve accomplished my mission Sue. Have a joyful week!
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Hi, Suzanne – I was just at Terri’s site and absolutely love this weeks Sunday Stills them. Your shots are incredible. I especially like #1. How cool is that dude?! 😀
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He’s strutting his stuff!
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From two neophyte bird watchers, fabulous photos! We were introduced to bird watching by default as we lived in Sri Lanka at the edge of the jungle for about four years and were awoken each day by the most beautiful cacophony of bird calls. We knew we had ” lots of birds”, in our “backyard”, but not until an ornithologist stayed at our house, did we know just how rich a bird life resides there. He counted 43 different types of birds just on the property.
Love the colors in the fourth photo. Magnificent capture.
Peta
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Peta, I know nothing of birds, but I do enjoy watching their activity. I liked the way the feathers were slicked back and separated on the little blue/gray fellow. He took a dive and came up that way. I highlighted the creases to add dimension, since I thought that was the most interesting part of the photo.His colors are all his own and just as I saw him.
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I can’t think of many things harder to photograph than birds. We tried to do that for the first time on one of our recent trips. Even though my partner had the right equipment, it was quite a challenge! You’ve done a great job and I really love the colors and composition of the 4th photo!!
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Thank you Tracey, it is all about patience and luck! I was elevated on the boardwalk above the bird in the 4th photo, using a 300mm lens. Great vantage point to get that shot.
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Suzanne, I always enjoy your photos…and these birdy ones are awesome!
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Thank you Nancy, I love taking them and I especially love sharing them! Thanks for your comment.
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Fabulous photo’s Suzanne and gorgeous birds
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Thank you Sam. Take care.
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Nothing silly and amateurish about the results. Those are wonderful.
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Thanks Dan, I have tried, but the tri-pod doesn’t suite my personality!!
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Your photos are fabulous!! Sharp and colorful and wonderful composition. Great work!
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Laurel, thank you for your very kind comment. Nice of you to stop by today.
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Just wow! Great work on these. The images are sharp, well composed & with a good use of depth of field. You’ve got to be happy with these captures.
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Thank you Jo, I do love them. There are a couple straight out of the camera, no edits. I’ll bet you can guess which ones. P.S. I got one today that I just posted on Instagram with a beautiful reflection. Check it out when you get a minute.
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I just saw it – the gull…lovely…
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Hi Suzanne, My heart skips a beat as I read through your post and then see the photos. Wow! Right down to the individual hairs and the glint in the eyes. I have brought tri-pods with me and I find I just end up carrying them around and not using them. For me, I enjoy taking spontaneous photos. I feel amateurish and I am occasionally lucky because of the sheer number of photos I take. When I read your post, and your critique, my immediate thought is the proof is in the pudding. You capture stunning, exquisite photos, Suzanne! The photos have definitely made me smile!
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