Birds w/ 200mm or less

Both shot with my Nifty Fifty

This thread has convinced me i need a 70-200 lens

Taken with the EF-s 17-55 at 55mm

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OK, I'll throw my hat in the ring...

This was my first go at these little guys. Heck, my first go at birds... I can certainly see this getting addictive.

Man, are these guys fast! They sure don't sit around waiting for you to figure out what you're gonna do.

40D & 70-200 f/4 L

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finch shot with 100mm macro

With a 100mm Macro...

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Obviously not much of a zoom on this little guy.

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My 100mm Macro

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Great shots all! This one is titled, "Angry Honker". Most of the Canadian geese at our local golf course are mild mannered, but not this guy. The hissing sound he made was pretty intimidating, so I was sure to keep my distance.

OhLook wrote in post #15845320
The light was better in Yosemite than at home. I got back yesterday. G15 for all these.

Crow/raven (ID?) on outdoor furniture.

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Portrait of same bird.

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Occasionally this bird (same one) made a vocalization that sounded something like a cough while spreading out its tailfeathers and the feathers at its throat.

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The obligatory Steller's jay. I saw many (and heard more) but didn't get a shot of one in a nice pose.

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There were many robins, too. Late afternoon with low light; the G15 performs well in this condition.

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The same robin.

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A flock of these sparrow-size birds--chickadees?--was foraging on the ground.

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Nice series and yes, I believe that is a raven. It's way too big to be a crow and the throat feathers are like a beard and tail is like a wedge all points to it being a raven. The song of a crow is like a kaw, kaw and a raven is more like what you descirbed as a cough. I believe the other bird " sparrow-size birds--chickadees" is a Dark-eyed [Oregon] Junco.

Horrible location, but they are birds at 200mm

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bwfishing wrote in post #15852152
Nice series and yes that I believe that is a raven. It's way too big to be a crow and the throat feathers are like a beard and tail is like a wedge all points to it being a raven. The song of a crow is like a kaw, kaw and a raven is more like what you descirbed as a cough.I believe the other bird " sparrow-size birds--chickadees" is a Dark-eyed [Oregon] Junco.

The raven is more likely a boat-tailed grackle.

Cheers.

RAW-Shooter wrote in post #15853174
The raven is more likely a boat-tailed grackle.

I'm sorry, but having looked up BTGs, I doubt that ID. Their range is the extreme southeastern US. They have a more gracile build and a (proportionally) longer and narrower beak than my bird. The females are much lighter, not iridescent dark blue. I saw many of these blue-black birds in Yosemite and none that looked like female grackles.

OhLook wrote in post #15853238
I'm sorry, but having looked up BTGs, I doubt that ID. Their range is the extreme southeastern US. They have a more gracile build and a (proportionally) longer and narrower beak than my bird. The females are much lighter, not iridescent dark blue. I saw many of these blue-black birds in Yosemite and none that looked like female grackles.

I can see were a grackle id could be made based on the overall black plumage
and iridescent blue, which you captured quite well btw, but I think along with your information the eyes on the male grackles I've seen are pale yellow "golden" eye. In your 2nd photo the close-up shows a dark eye that is mostly if not all black.

The first photo to me is a good example of the size. The back of the chair, usually around 24 inches or 2 feet. This bird is certainly around this tall. crows are normally not this tall. The 3rd photo is the real deal maker to me as crows throat feathers remain smooth during even during calling.

I don't consider myself a birder so I could be wrong, but I'm standing by the orginal call of a raven.