# General > Member's Lounge > Photography >  Into the Bush !

## mervin

Shooting forest birds are can be so challengeing at times.....especially now when I have not been shooting for months ! 

*Hooded Pitta*
*Pitta sordida*

Canon 40D + 500f4
F8, 1/15, ISO 400, Ev -1

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## ranmasatome

OMG! Nice catch... saw the blue winged variety just a few days ago.. hard to catch them in the open.

Nice one.

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## trident

mervin,
You got the Hooded Pitta !!!
I was trying for about 2 weeks now, but that bird still no show.
Bidadari?

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## luenny

Hi Mervin,
I think you just made Richard jealous. Hahaha!! He's been trying to get this one for weeks.

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## mervin

> mervin,
> You got the Hooded Pitta !!!
> I was trying for about 2 weeks now, but that bird still no show.
> Bidadari?


yup, next time call me lah. 

its under a particular tree, in the bush.
plenty of tree/bush there bro and u must know which one or else its a needle in a hay stack.

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## trident

> yup, next time call me lah. 
> 
> its under a particular tree, in the bush.
> plenty of tree/bush there bro and u must know which one or else its a needle in a hay stack.


mervin,
sure call you, cos I found lots of needles and this fellow but no pitta  :Grin: 
Hogdson Hawk Cuckoo 20D 400mmf5.6+1.4tc ISO800 F5.6 1/40s

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## doubleace

Wah very nice and clear bird shot.. Now all change to shooting birds instead of macro already? :Wink:

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## mervin

Hahaha ! Sure !

At least u got the Hawkson, i didnt

Anyway here are 2 other "residents" there.


*Drongo Cuckoo*
_Surniculus lugubris_

CAnon 40D + 500f4 +1.4TC
F8, 1/200, ISO 400, Ev 0




*Indian Cuckoo
Cuculus micropterus*

CAnon 40D + 500f4 +1.4TC
F8, 1/250, ISO 400, Ev 0

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## trident

Mervin,
Very nice Indian and Drongo cuckoo. The Drongo is very friendly.
Bidadari is a good place for birds. This Sunday morning trying for the black baza and
oriental honey bazzard. Wanna join me?  :Smile: 

Andy,
Yah now shooting birds partly it's migrating season, more birds than usual.
You should go try it sometimes, addictive  :Smile:

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## doubleace

Richard,
no long lens only can take those birds station on low tree. Those on high tree quite difficult for me.. :Wink:

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## mervin

> Mervin,
> Very nice Indian and Drongo cuckoo. The Drongo is very friendly.
> Bidadari is a good place for birds. This Sunday morning trying for the black baza and
> oriental honey bazzard. Wanna join me?


would love too but I cant.
will call if i can make it.

anyway Black Baza....u need ALOT OF LUCK !!!!
they are super skittish !

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## trident

mervin,
Yah the baza skittish like hell, that's why have to go back again and again  :Smile: 

Andy,
Right no long lens a bit difficult. I started the same way, try to shoot those within reach but results is always poor, so decided to buy the 400mm f5.6 a few months ago. No regrets.

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## doubleace

Richard,
i aiming for that lens too since i borrow from my friend and shoot bird that time. But i think a tripod will be better to hold the lens to shoot birds will be better. Using handheld abit shaky  :Grin:

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## ash

This bird is beautiful  :Grin: 




> Shooting forest birds are can be so challengeing at times.....especially now when I have not been shooting for months ! 
> 
> *Hooded Pitta*
> *Pitta sordida*
> 
> Canon 40D + 500f4
> F8, 1/15, ISO 400, Ev -1

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## luenny

Darn, you 2 (Richard and Mervin), trying to tempt us into shooting birds. So tempting too. Richard's shot just keep getting better and better. But too bad, no money to buy long lens yet. Will sure like to try my hands on birds. Anybody wants to t-loan me a Nikon 600mm to try out? :Grin:  :Grin:  :Grin:

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## trident

Luenny,
That's a $14k lens hehehe
Saving very hard to get a longer lens..........

Andy,
The 400mm is a good lens to start with, but need a good tripod and ballhead.
I am using Benro's Gimbal and carbon tripod.
The tammy 200-500mm is another lens to consider.

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## doubleace

ok noted.. how about a gun head?

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## mervin

Whats a Gun HEad ?

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## doubleace

> Whats a Gun HEad ?


flashlight i mean.. :Grin:

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## trident

any canon flash with flash extender will do

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## mervin

Although I own a flash extender.....I have never used it leh.

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## trident

same thing I heard from a few birder, no need to use extender,
so I didn't buy, save some $$$ for me.  :Smile:

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## doubleace

oh... but i though that those bird under the tree will be block by the sunlight and flash extender is come into use?

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## trident

Andy,
I normally don't shoot birds that are too far away, so still can do without an extender.
In fact we only need a little bit of flash to fill in. Flash setting usually -0.xx EV

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## genes

All of your shots are so nice guys! Drool....

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## doubleace

Richard,
noted thanks.. :Wink:

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## benetay

Nice! What's the minimum lens for bird shooting? 300 f/4 with 1.4x sufficient? You guys are tempting!

Mervin, do you mind PM me the requirements, often see quite a number of birds but no lens to shoot!

Cheers!

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## wasabi8888

Die.. with these pictures, i have an urge to try to shoot birds... but long lens.. no money for that.... worst still, i am using a full frame.....will at least need the 500mm.... worst worst still, on Nikon.... cant borrow lens from "*you* know who"

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## benetay

How Jeff? Want to shoot bird? I'm quite keen to try too. Maybe a 300 f/4 + 1.4x tele on a 1.6 crop body. 670mm. 

Guess will have to wait till term break again, May June period.

Cheers!

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## benny

Let's organize a trip to the bird park!!!

Cheers,

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## wasabi8888

> Let's organize a trip to the bird park!!!
> 
> Cheers,


bird park? more like sungei buloh my fren....

benetay.. see how.... long lens huge investment

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## trident

benetay,
The 400mm f5.6 which cost about the same as the 300mm, is a better choice.
Got a longer reach. 
Or the Tammy 200-500mm f5.6, very reasonably priced lens used by many birders.

Jeff, Benny,
Sungei Buloh got lots of shore bird which migrate here for the winter.
Chinese Garden good place for birds.

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## benetay

woah! you guys are evil. 

300 or 400mm not expensive, don't need investment. Unless you're aiming for the 500,600,800mm. 

Let me clear my semester first before making any decision. Got to upgrade my body first in May/June, either a 5D mk2 or second hand 1Dmk3.

After that, see if still got budget for long lens.

Cheers!

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## genes

I'm also thinking of a 400mm. I think its a very versatile lens.

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## wasabi8888

> benetay,
> The 400mm f5.6 which cost about the same as the 300mm, is a better choice.
> Got a longer reach. 
> Or the Tammy 200-500mm f5.6, very reasonably priced lens used by many birders.
> 
> Jeff, Benny,
> Sungei Buloh got lots of shore bird which migrate here for the winter.
> Chinese Garden good place for birds.


cant find the price list in club snap and nikon singapore website for the 400mm/500mm/600mm Nikon...

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## genes

Do you guys shoot with a tripod or a monopod? The 400mm was killing my arms previously while i was shooting without any of those supports.

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## mervin

> Let's organize a trip to the bird park!!!
> 
> Cheers,


hahahaha !!!!!  :Laughing: 







> bird park? more like sungei buloh my fren....


SB, almost definitely need long lens, especially when the shore birds are in the ponds. too far and too small birds for short lens to work.

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## mervin

MOnopods can work but tripod would be more ideal.

Stablility is the key word, especailly with long lens.

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## mervin

with wildlife shooting especially birds....there is no such thing as a long enough lens.

http://avianwatchasia.org/forums/showthread.php?t=11580

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## mervin

> Nice! What's the minimum lens for bird shooting? 300 f/4 with 1.4x sufficient? You guys are tempting!
> 
> Mervin, do you mind PM me the requirements, often see quite a number of birds but no lens to shoot!
> 
> Cheers!


Ben, it depends. 

If *you* are shooting at the bird park with relatively large birds at short distances then a 300 or 300 + TC is good.

However out in the wild where birds are very shy then longer lenses will be more ideal.

Let me put it this way, I never leave home without my 500 and lot of times its still too short.

Therefore if one is really interested in Bird photography and money is not a issue then I say go for the longest lens available. But please remember the lens is not the only equipment that cost.
Tripod to support the weight of the whole set-up dont come cheap either, especially the carbon-fiber ones.

Lastly, lets not forget one endurance level. 
Its not that easier to carry heavy equipments over long and sometimes "rough" terrain.

ASk Benny Ng about his trip through Riffle RAnge with his 500 lens !!!!!  :Laughing:

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## benetay

Thanks for the insights! Maybe when i start working before i invest in those expensive lens. Highly expensive. 

Cheers!

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## genes

> ASk Benny Ng about his trip through Riffle RAnge with his 500 lens !!!!!


No wonder he doesn't shoot outdoors much now, you guys must have tekan him jialat jialat that time.  :Grin:

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## mervin

He was suppose to buy a new pair of trekking shoes after that but I wonder......... :Angel: 

ANyway I was at Japanese, Chinese and Juroung Lake Garden this evening.
Walked for almost 3 hours without getting a chance to fired off a short.

Lesson 1 for bird photography, must be "hard-working" but one MUST HAVE LUCK, LOTS OF IT !!!!!!!!! :Knockout:

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## benetay

While i walked from bukit panjang to Sime forest & back from 930 till 430...lesson number 2, get a good walking shoe.  :Laughing:

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## subxero

Nice and shoot images  :Smile:

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## benny

> No wonder he doesn't shoot outdoors much now, you guys must have tekan him jialat jialat that time.


My advice... don't go out with manics like mervin. He's mad. He always say it's a walk in the park. By park, he probably means Mt Everest National Park.

Told me it was a simple walk near my place. Should be back by lunch time. But in the end, it was tougher than scaling Mount Everest! It was so bad that even my Gore-Tex trekking boots gave way and broke. And there was not enough water and food. By the time we reached civilization, it was pass 3pm. I was so hungry that I could have eaten the 500mm if it was palatable. And some of these places that we go to don't even have mobile phone reception. Can't call to order McDonalds or any other form of interim nourishment. Thank goodness the height of a mounted 500mm serves as a good stool during my frequent rest stop.

And I don't even have a picture from the entire trip as I just couldn't muster the interest nor energy to shoot when I'm so weak from hunger.

Only once, did we do something more sane and less torturing. That was the Chinese Garden program where I got this night jar.



So don't say never warn you guys!

Cheers,

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## luenny

Hahaha ... you're scaring people off. By the way, nice night jar. Is this guy on the ground?

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## benny

> Hahaha ... you're scaring people off. By the way, nice night jar. Is this guy on the ground?


It's nothing but the truth. Yes, I am on the ground.

Cheers,

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## genes

Haaaa.....Mervin, got pictures of benny from that trip? heeeheeeheee  :Grin: 

Nice shot benny, the bird and the background very nice!!!

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## benetay

:Laughing:  Benny needs a lens porter. The porter's job will be to carry all the gears + food & water. So when he shouts "I'm thirsty!" the porter will run with all his might to deliver water to him. If it' isn't cold enough, he will have to add more ice to his drink. During lunch break, the porter will have to unpack & cook simple meal. "Hello! Less salt and oil" He must have a laptop or GPS phone with him all the while. "Log in AQ, someone is spamming!" So the porter while holding the lens, tripod, bag etc will have to quickly zip out his Macbook Pro & use voice activation to go to AQ since his hands are full. 

At the end of the day, the porter throws the white towel and call quits.

 :Laughing: 

Cheers!

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## benny

That's why benetay don't want to go shooting with me.

Cheers,

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## benetay

Shooting fish is the best for you. Don't need to walk so far for anything! When you're hungry, can call sake sushi. To cool off just down a couple of beers!  :Laughing: 

Lucky Jeff not like that.  :Grin: 

Cheers!

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## mervin

Benny - But we did see a White-Bellied SeaEagle pair nesting !!!

We even stand beside its SHiT Pole !!!!!!

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## mervin

Dont listen to Benny !

Look ! See how happy he is, smiling some more ! but I am not so sure whats he is doing with his flash unit

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## trident

the heat must have gotten to him, 
trying to call mervin's flash unit?

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## benny

Please!!! By that time I was delirious from hunger and was trying to see if my flash had better reception than my phone. The smile was from the thought of McDonald's delivery of McSpicy meal upsized delivered to us before we collapse from hunger. Anyway, goes to prove my point, Mervin had nothing to shoot on the tedious trek that he even shot me!

Nice bokeh by the way.

Cheers,

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## genes

Looks like benny's seeing stars over his head.  :Laughing:

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## mervin

> Mervin had nothing to shoot on the tedious trek that he even shot me!
> 
> Cheers,


Yes, nothing to shoot cos too may other people walking around.

There were kids and their grandpa and grandmas running around in slippers !!!! :Opps:

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## benny

> There were kids and their grandpa and grandmas running around in slippers !!!!


Oh please! That's from the Bukit Batok trip. Not this one. If grandpa can do it, so can I!

Cheers,

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## benetay

You sure Benny? Let's do one trip together. Got to loan a lens first. 

 :Grin: 

Cheers!

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## trident

ok let's do it  :Smile:

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## mervin

> Oh please! That's from the Bukit Batok trip. Not this one. If grandpa can do it, so can I!
> 
> Cheers,



You did !  :Laughing: 

I will be around for a week during the Chinese New Year period, So Benny ........lets go !!!!!

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