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Not remarkable photography by any means (X-T2 + 100-400/4.5-5.6 @ 400mm + 1.4x TC, around 1/125-250 sec @ 800 ISO, OIS, hand-held - kinda pushing the envelope for the little beast here), but when I spotted this group in a dead tree in the paddock behind my back gate I had to grab what I could and photograph them. To put things further into the context of "why?" - the Wedge-Tailed Eagle is Australia's largest raptor; the Tasmanian sub-species is listed as "Threatened" and is therefore the rarest with fewer than 1,000 adult birds surviving in the wild. It's rare enough to see a single bird up close, but to actually see a whole family probably on their separation "leaving-the-nest flight" (male at top, female middle, and this season's offspring lower - and going by size junior is a female) is literally a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. To see them "literally" from my own back yard made it even more remarkable. This is the group as I first saw them: For scale, in the following photo the bird on the lower right branch is an adult starling: After showing remarkable patience with my presence in full view out in the open paddock, they eventually flew off for their night-time roost (it is illegal here to disturb parents with their chick/s for many good reasons, so I was careful to move slowly and quietly, keeping the lowest profile in the least threatening manner possible). Thankfully with the AOV of an 840mm lens on a 135 camera I did not have to approach too closely, but the image quality was really challenged by both the 1.4x TC and the low angle light of the setting sun often trying to shine straight into the lens barrel. So bright was the backlight that even +3 stops exp comp was inadequate at times to get the exposure on the birds correct, so guesswork was employed.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 These are photos from the phone. I decided to test the shooting capabilities in RAW 9 10 Despite the quarantine measures on nature, you can even go out! For immunity, there is nothing ray of sunshine, fresh air and distributed physical exertion.

Thank you for looking. 1 2 3 4 5

More quarentine work. Thank you for looking. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

My collection of these erractic flying creatures. A real test of patience to get these. Some of them I've posted here some time ago. First three with the AF-S 200mm f/2G VRII and the last with the AF-S 500mm f/4G VRII. Thank you for looking. 1 aD81_0524 by Aguinaldo Tinoco de Paula, no Flickr 2 aD81_0529 by Aguinaldo Tinoco de Paula, no Flickr 3 aD81_0534 by Aguinaldo Tinoco de Paula, no Flickr 4 aD5S_4615 by Aguinaldo Tinoco de Paula, no Flickr 5 aaD4S_0238 by Aguinaldo Tinoco de Paula, no Flickr 6 aaD4S_0235 by Aguinaldo Tinoco de Paula, no Flickr

My eldest daughter, who has recovered from a bad attack of Covid-19, is doing all the food shopping for older people in her apartment building - as well as for me and her mother, although I use online ordering and delivery as much as possible. She is also looking after her ten-year old son and working from home at a very demanding job (Chief Operating Officer in a financial services company).. Heroes are everywhere these days.

Oh, in other news I have used this break to reach out to persons I have had issues with in the past and made amends with them. That has felt wonderful. Life is too short for silly grudges.

I like them all, but the first one sings.

Sabi Sabi, June 2019.

Have fun Mike, wanting to get it should be justification enough. Enjoy it in good health!

X-T2, 16-80mm

Continuing to process my leftovers in this quarentine. Thank you for looking.

The 3% figure was published by WHO in early March when knowledge about the outbreak was very limited. The WHO website shows (as of 17 May) reported laboratory confirmed cases and deaths worldwide as 4,525,497 cases worldwide and 307,395 deaths resulting from a clinically compatible illness in a probable or confirmed COVID case. That is a rate of 6.8%. However, it is universally accepted that laboratory confirmed cases are a fraction of actual cases. Many people are asymptomatic, many people with symptoms have not been tested, and there is a high percentage of false negatives due to the difficulty of carrying out an effective sample collection. At this stage it is impossible to state the case fatality rate. You may not have read this article (a link from the article I posted earlier) which explains this in detail. https://ourworldindata.org/covid-mortality-risk

An elderly man who was both a passenger on that bloody disease-ridden "cruise" ship Ruby Princess and a "close associate" of a Covid sufferer, so both were in quarantine (together?) while the current case was catching the disease from the existing case and was therefore infectious. All contacts in the short time since he actually left quarantine are being traced and will be quarantined, we just hope there were only a few and this gets stopped immediately. Once this is all over, governments should confiscate all cruise ships in their waters, give all crews and passengers one-way airline tickets to their home countries, tow those bloody floating apartment blocks well out to sea and have their navies use them for target practice until they sink to form artificial reefs and home to sea-life rather than spreading pandemic contagion.

As Alan has explained, Australia has managed to contain things moderately well - one of the benefits of distance and isolation. Personally, things haven't been too bad. My work is relatively portable and I often spent extended periods working out of a client's office, so the move to working from home wasn't a problem. In fact, avoiding the stress of a daily commute and having a couple of hours of time has been good. Also having time with family without constantly rushing everywhere has been nice too. I might look into having a day or two working from home after this is all over. Socially, having lived on three continents, many friends were already located out of reach, so such contacts have continued unhindered. I guess things will be different for someone who has grown up with their best friend just round the corner and now suddenly even just around the corner is a massive distance. Similarly, those living in societies that aren't as stable will find things much harder - I know there are many places where the aspects of society many of us take for granted aren't reliable at the best of times and will struggle even more in the trying times we are currently living through.

This morning I made the mistake of taking my selfie, what was I thinking of! Nikon Z6 + Z Nikkor 35mm @ 1/50 f5 ISO1000

My two pine trees are under constant assault by Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos at the moment, as it happens. Here are three of a chick which was grumbling at mother because it couldn't figure out how to get to the pine-cone's heart.

El Capitan and Half Dome. Thank you for looking.

It is more complicated than that. Simply comparing national population densities is misleading, because in many countries there are large areas with few or no inhabitants. A more useful comparison is lived density, discussed here https://theconversation.com/think-your-country-is-crowded-these-maps-reveal-the-truth-about-population-density-across-europe-90345 It is also necessary to look at the extent of international contacts. London and New York have done badly, but they are probably the two most internationally connected major cities in the world. Demographics are also relevant. Minority ethnic communities have been disproportionately hit, and the UK has a very high percentage of these. In Sweden, which has not had a lockdown, the worst results have been in immigrant communities. Obesity is also a factor, and the UK has far too many obese people. And in the UK deaths peaked on 8 April, far too soon for the lockdown to have had an impact on stopping the rise. The UK has suffered in part because of its centralised bureaucratic healthcare system which did not take advantage of the private sector in the way that Germany did. What is clear that is Western Europe has not done well, that mistakes have been made, and that there are many factors to take into account,

In the Netherlands we are fortunate to have capable politicians who are advised by excellent medical experts. The number of hospital admissions and fatalities due to Covid is declining so it seems the worst is over thanks to the strict lockdown measures. As a result of this some measures are lifted. It is noticeable people are getting increasingly impatient so the government is trying to strike a balance between what's necessary and what the people are willing to accept and comply with. Focus is shifting from the medical aspect to the economical damage which is enormous but for a rich country like ours shouldn't pose a long term problem. If the Dutch government loans the extra money needed to support businesses and workforce (an estimated 90 billion Euro) they don't even have to pay interest they get payed because of our excellent credit rating. Talking about differences between nations ... On a personal level I still work from home and don't have to travel (three hours a day, by public transport) to the office. If possible I'd like to continue work from home as long as possible. So far the inconveniences for my personal life are minor compared to what other people have to put up with. I feel very lucky about that and wish those less fortunate all the best in coping with this extraordinary situation.

Thank you for looking.

Makes me want to blow my brains out (I found my blower, just in time!).

Me and my blower ! With Mike ! In flattering soft focus .. Very ill-advised .. 😎 cheers, Maurice

Congrats Mike. I love my Z7. I bought a D850 when they came out. I bought the Z7 when it came out. After I go the Z7 I have hardly used the D850. It is so convenient to use. I look forward to hearing about your experience with it compared to your other bodies.

This image is from the beach outside a popular "restaurant" called Strandlopers in Langebaan, Western Cape. The restaurant is just a rustic collection of hobbled together tables, old pallets and fishing nets, where they serve up fresh seafood and other local fare. Apparently it was burned down last month. There are rumours of arson, but no further work about it on the news. They are too busy reporting on a virus.

Af-S 200mm f/2G VR II, handheld. Thank you for looking. aD4S_8534 by Aguinaldo Tinoco de Paula, no Flickr

Congratulations Mike. Looking forward to seeing some great pics in the near future. I have to admit to a severe touch of GAS but so far have managed control the urge, particularly as I already use five cameras on a regular basis, albeit each for a different purpose. On the other hand there is still room on the shelf for one more!

X-T2, 16-80mm

Good job! You are very fortunate to be able to get out and make photos. May is always the best month of the year for us, weather-wise and we're stuck indoors. Day 50-something today...

97% then

99.9% of the people who get covid19 will live to tell the tale.

I didn't, Mike - river cruises not the same concept, but more like localised ferries travelling between local communities as they ply between cities and countries on the same river. If you live in a smallish sea port city like Hobart (where the main docks are actually part of the CBD itself), you get a first-hand look at potentially what a prime disease spreader these bloody things are. They pull into a port from some foreign land, disgorge 2,500 people onto the streets for a 12-24 -hour "experience" where the hordes mostly travel on foot through the local population, or board busses to infest the immediate outlying "tourist" areas, mostly returning to the ship for their pre-paid meals and then sailing off to the next destination sometime after nightfall or dawn. They're so self contained with meals and accommodation that they leave very little wealth behind, but as has now been proven world-wide, as a spreader of contagion internationally they are absolutely near perfect in concept and execution. If you want an example of a perfect disease spreading storm internationally, the "cruise ship" would have to be at or near the top of the list of possibilities.

#7 .. awesome !! .. cheers, Maurice

Dallas when you sus who is doing this very antisocial activity, make sure they get several loads back!

We have a three bin system here. General rubbish, garden waste and recycling. However they have started to realise they might have to change as no one will accept the recycling due to the difficulties in processing, things like separating fragments of broken glass from waste paper. Oh and the fact that people can’t follow the rules - even in the supposedly well educated middle class neighbourhood I live in, I see things like plastic bags in the recycling, which is not allowed, and there is one annoying idiot who drops their dog waste in whatever bin they walk past - I’ve found their little plastic bag in my garden waste or recycling bin on several occasions.

This man is earning his salary!

Tasmania is a special case, but It's so great that the impact of the virus there has been limited by sensible precautions, as well as geographic factors. All I can say is, "WELL DONE!"

Both Australia and New Zealand have the advantage of being island nations, so isolation was relatively easy to obtain by simply closing off all means of travel in and out of the country outside of some very specific cases. I don't think this is political comment, either - it is news on a Global scale, and comment on whatever politicians do isn't really political commentary, rather it's newsworthy with regards to being clever about dealing with the pandemic, or just mind-numbingly stupid, both of which have been in evidence in different parts of the world. New Zealand went straight into an immediate stage 4 lockdown which was extended to six weeks; yesterday their Prime Minister announced the timetable for a staged withdrawal of restrictions over the next few weeks as their rate of infections was halted almost in its tracks by the population co-operating and suffering the short term pain for a long-term gain. Australia was a bit slower off the mark with a more right-wing government initially following a predictable "economy first" resistance before buckling under public pressure to actually do something about the rising rate of infections, a large percentage of which originated from returning cruise ship passengers and botched handling of disembarking passengers simply being turned loose to fly home all over the country. Australia then went into a stage 3 lockdown with some further restrictions added, and here in Tasmania the State's borders were closed (by the conservative government) unless arrivals submitted to a compulsory 14 day quarantine in a State supplied hotel room close to their arrival point by being immediately bussed there on arrival. There was recently an outbreak of a few dozen cases centred around a couple of north-west Tasmanian hospitals (involving passengers from those disease-incubating cruise ships), but there have now been no new Covid-19 cases for four straight days here so announcements of the easing of some lock-down restrictions have been made. As all arrivals into this State are by sea or air, the borders remaining closed into the foreseeable future will hopefully keep infections at, or at least close to, zero for the oncoming winter. Except for a few mutterings of dissent, by and large the population in Tasmania has taken the "short, sharp hit" approach on the chin and hopefully most restrictions will be lifted by September, provided public co-operation (particularly involving social distancing) is maintained. Intra-regional travel will probably be the last restriction lifted before the State's border closures are lifted, though - yesterday that restriction on travel was lifted from "essential medical and food" reasons only to allow exercise in public parks and reserves within 30km of home address, and visitation restrictions and some non-essential shops were also allowed to open on a semi-restricted basis. I guess this result is because while the politicians formulated the rules, it was ultimately achieved because the population co-operated even though things might have appeared somewhat draconian initially. The threat of a $1,680 on-the-spot fine if caught breaking the lockdown rules may well have had quite a bit to do with this co-operation, though.

That's the usual story with Wedge-tails as Chris confirms above - they fly very high as a rule, and cover amazing distances simply riding the thermals. I have photographed them before, but as posting these photos on a couple of local social media pages has confirmed, to see three wild eagles together in the one tree outside of an actual nesting situation is pretty much unheard of. The mainland species are more plentiful than here in Tasmania, where this island State's manic obsession with logging has decimated breeding habitat, along with the State's principally hydro-electric power supply's dams largely located in the remote and wetter west of the island providing further obstacles in the way of transmission towers and associated lethal live wires crossing the remnant habitat, and yet further complicated with the eagles' difficulties in anticipating and navigating around the revolving blades of the increasing number of wind turbines springing up in open areas. Add to that the eagles' rather lazy habit of feeding in situ on road-kill and therefore often suffering the same fate themselves and you have the perfect recipe for yet another human-caused extinction event in the making.

Thank you all for the comments. This is a similar to the first one, in color. I've posted it here already some months ago.

Does blowing in your ear make your hair stand up ?

They've both been TV presenters since they got their break in a regional kids TV soap called Byker Grove back in the 80's. Don't think they have done anything as interesting as being in the military.

Very nice backlit images. I like them all. The best is #5 for me. The iphone images are good too. Which model of iPhone? thank you for posting.

Whoops ! Broadband bouncing again .. ;( .. I can't tell you much about Ant & Dec, but they hosted a few shows aimed at the same idiot audience Clarkson does. One of them smashed up his car while drunk and blew both careers for a while, one of them was Special Forces and wrote (or maybe co-wrote) an inspiring motivational book - might have been one & the same ! J directed proceedings vigorously ! cheers, Maurice

No, can't say I have heard of her. But I found a snap with your collection...

I have the PD strap kit on my Z7 from the fundraiser (with upgrades) .. even bought the binocular clip ! And my old 055 makes a good mic stand, after I replaced it with the chunky Feisol Tournament carbon jobby ! And the big Gitzo monopod that's done several African trips as in my cameo ! Prefer Wine, Women and Music tho' .. 😉

Books, books .. I got some somewhere .. Techie stuff, mostly useless !

Fantastic!

Thank you Akira. That bird was there for pure luck. I find the framing a bit tight but I woke up today determined to test the Reflex 1000mm & TC201 combo and this was the only opportunity with the sunrise.

Taken more than 30 years ago, with a Nikon F2s and Nikkor 24mm f/2.8. This beauty is 80km from my place. Thank you for looking.