Spring is on the way!

[A.M.D.A.]

Taken a few hours ago.

Attachment 63951

Camera/lens: PENTAX *ist D with PENTAX SMC PENTAX-A* 300mm F4.0 lens. (MF-only).
Other equipment used: TAMRON 2X tele-converter, Velbon CX-540 tripod, PENTAX AF-330FTZ external flash unit (did not fire).

1/200 second at F1.8
ISO 800
900mm (35mm equivalent)
Spot-metering mode
Aperture priority
Contrast: Hard
Saturation: Normal
Sharpness: Hard

Above data is according to EXIF*, which should still be intact.

*Except focal length (recorded as "0.0mm") and other equipment used.

I love chickadees.

[gjtoth]

Great shot! These are difficult to capture. They sure don't sit still very long!

[AmberC]

Great job!

[Frog]

I haven't seen any buds yet but haven't looked either. Have seen some bulbs starting.

[scott-devon]

Very nice, buds are a long way away here but it's sure nice to see.

[slayer7124]

Nice shot of a bird that doesn't like to stay still. Oh, and let me know when Spring decides to make its way down here. Nor'easter on the way for this week....

[paulnj]

buds... huh? I hope you are right, but winter hear will keep me working

[Pink Dragonfly]

Thanks for sharing Great composition too!

How's the snow doing over there?

Mette

[A.M.D.A.]

Thanks for commenting, everyone.

Chickadees do not like to stay still for long. Very tough trying to get the little bundle of energy in the frame, and still find time to MF. I think I did some "focus bracketing", adjusting and tweaking focus for every shot.

How's the snow doing over there?

Big snow has stopped falling weeks ago... but the ground is still covered in places, melting slowly. But we still get the occasional light flurry, perhaps a few cm's. I'm glad the big part's over... for now anyway.

P.S. Birds are starting to sing! The last few days I've heard song sparrows, winter wrens, dark-eyed juncos, black-capped chickadees, and more birds singing. Yes, songs, not alarm calls/calls.

[WesternGuy]

Not true!!! (lol) All the groundhogs saw their shadows yesterday and, if you believe, we are in for another six weeks of winter - how great is that!!? +10 C tomorrow here on the western Canadian prairies - we have this phenomenon called a Chinook - warm wind from the west, off the Pacific -- gives us these winter thaws to combat the -25 C we often get this time of year. Hope you folks in Kentucky get out from your recent weather without too many problems.

WesternGuy