Monday, September 09, 2019

Whiteholme

2 Pochard


4 comments:

heavy birder said...

Jesus Pete you want to get yourself a bigger zoom lens. All I can make out when Ive blown them up is that they appear to have grey backs and slopping foreheads which are good for Pochard, but apart from that I just couldn't say for definite.

Peter Smith said...

Thanks Nick. I'm using a Panasonic Lumix TZ80 that cost me £250 at Argos. It has a 30x optical zoom. I like the fact that I can carry it around in my pocket, and that my nose - rather than a tripod - keeps it still! But as you say it cannot match the performance of more pricey equipment.

heavy birder said...

I am now using a Panasonic Lumix fz 82 it has a 60x optical zoom, I got it new for £199, I was lucky because a week later the price went up to £299. If the birds were in the middle of the reservoir then probably neither would be of use.

Peter Smith said...

I think the head and bill profile is pochard not scaup. And I think the birds are in eclipse. (Re camera: another thing I like about the TZ80 is that it has a viewfinder. When I used a camera with just a screen, I found it impossible to get onto some birds, especially in bright conditions. Also, the 'Intelligent Auto' locks onto things quickly, something that didn't happen as well with the TZ70 that I tested in Currys).