vidterry's photostream  

...or so it sometimes seems. I hadn't done a portrait shot of Cleo for some time, so here is the new one.

Large and Original sizes are pretty cool.

Cleo is sixteen, and we've been her faithful servants since she was six months old. She was a rescue of sorts, after her original buyer didn't want to foot the expensive surgery bill to repair a ruptured crop. We did, and she's been an absolute joy and an indispensable member of the family since.

African Greys in captivity have lifespans about the same as humans...so Cleo is a high school kid.

And, yes, she talks. Several hundred words and phrases, often in context. (And she does an outrageous Ahnold Schwartzenegger! She thinks his name, though is Ahhhnold Scruffy Bird.)

The woods are thick, and the deer can't be hunted here. They roam free, but are always alert. As long as they have plenty of trees between themselves and the camera, they aren't overly concerned.

I heard the bell-like burbling of the Red-Bellied Woodpecker's call. Usually hear them before spotting them. There it was, high up in a tree across the water. Too far to photograph, but great to be able to see.

Then it launched. I hadn't expected that, but snapped off several shots, out of reflex action. I didn't have any in flight photos of this woodpecker, so it was a keeper...level one, but worth having.

Metadata isn't particularly useful on a grab shot like this, but here it is: Nikon D300. Tamron 200-500 @ 440mm. 1/2500th @ f/6.3. ISO 500. EV = +1.0. WB = Sun. 51 point 3D AF. WB = sun. Aperture Priority (wide open). Photographed February 27, 2012 in the woods along the Cedar River.

Skipper stopping for a quick drink. This is a significant crop. The more one crops and enlarges, the more the sharpness decreases. Very much looking forward to more megapixels.

The details: Nikon D300. Nikkor 105mm VR Micro. 1/250th. Manual Mode. F/25. ISO 200 EV = -2.0. WB = Flash. Single Point AF. Three studio flash heads.