More captures from Merritt Island NWR over the weekend. Thanks for viewing.

Nice, angsty birds! (they seem to be irritated by you lens Reyno!)

Fantastic stuff, the 1st and 2nd pix are real winners...


OT: Reyno, what's the minimum lens to have to get started in birding? Please feed my "envy moment":).

You know, I don't get birding.
But these are fine photos.
The first one is very Audubon.

Thanks Mon & Caloy.

Caloy: Birding is a case of "the longer the better." I'd say 400mm is an ideal starter. I started with the EF 100-400 just because of the flexibility of a zoom and the benifits of IS.

Thanks Mon & Caloy.

Caloy: Birding is a case of "the longer the better." I'd say 400mm is an ideal starter. I started with the EF 100-400 just because of the flexibility of a zoom and the benifits of IS.

Thanks Reyno...just did some reading on a Nikon 400mm f/2.8. The article sez it weighs 14 lbs.!!! What do you eat to have bigger arm muscles?!

Great timing on this shot, Reyno! Wondering though... the red area under the wing, is that normal or is it a wound? Apologies for being ignorant... :)



Belted Kingfisher with a Catch
http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o240/reyno_photos/69661961.jpg

That laggerhead shrike is really something to look at! :) How big is this bird Reyno? :)

Thanks Ria, Rosalie, & Earl for the looks and comments.

Caloy: Carrying the gear in the field is a workout in itself so I eat lots of burgers & fries as I shed em off easily when I'm out in the field. But seriously, it feels and looks like a lot of load to carry in the start but once you get the hang of it and once the adrenalin starts pumping in excitement, you won't even notice you're carrying that much. My gear setup in the field consist of 2 bodies, 100-400, 500, tripod, and other stuff including packed lunch and bottled water.

Rosalie: The red coloration in the underwing of the Belted Kingfisher is a natural color of the female which is absent in the male.

Earl: Here's the sizes of the posted birds measured from tip of beak to tip of tail. These birds are very agile and tend to get spooked very easily. And they don't sit in any one location very long.
1. Northern Mockingbird: 9-10 inches
2. Loggerhead Shrike: 7-9 inches
3. Belted Kingfisher: 11-14 inches

Rosalie: The red coloration in the underwing of the Belted Kingfisher is a natural color of the female which is absent in the male.



Thanks for the info, Reyno! Learned something new today... :)

great shots there Reyno!

where is Merritt Island pala, btw?

love the 1st and 2nd photo.. sharp as a blade..
always.. nice job rey..

Thanks Etchie & Jimmy for the looks and comments.

Etchie: Merritt Island is about 40 miles east of Orlando.