UK autumn peacock

[miscat1066]

Slightly concerned that the neighbourhood peacock might have an uncomfortable winter. It's still roosting in trees, 10m off the ground.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day mate

I suppose there are two things here with your image ...
i) .. you are doing a beaut job in showing us the dark bird against the sky ~ a hard task for any camera (so well done)
ii) .. I suppose that the bird is used to this style of roosting and its feathers will fluff enough to keep it warm until hunger takes over

If you wanted to try flash into the tree we might be able to see more of the bird and its plumage - but I don't know enough about it to know if it's a good idea or not (others here might know more than me)

Phil

[Isac]

I hope the peacock is OK. That's really high for a bird like that.
For dark objects, it is best to place the metering mode to Spot Metering.
It's good to keep your aperture as wide open as possible at f:4 which you have done.
Up your exposure until it looks right. For these shots I would give it +2 to +3. this helps to get the ISO down as well
Manual is good as you have used. The shutter is way to slow to get good detail.
It sure was a challenge to get good quality shots in that light, but the above should help.
Next best thing is Post Production to lift the exposure and remove the noise.

[MJ224]

The peacock will survive unless it's old and its days are numbered anyway. You can help by feeding perhaps..

[miscat1066]

As I came back before dark I noticed the sky was clear and the peacock would make a nice silhouette against the stars. Unlike other birds I know where the peacock will be sitting.

It's pretty dark round here (trick or treat people don't come this far as it's too scary!) so to the naked eye the bird is just a silhouette.

The photos were taken quite late in the evening, just before I went off to bed. Tripod, Canon 6D, 70-200mm lens. 30 second exposures. ISO 6400 because a 6D is best at this for dark night shots. RAW.

The blurry star picture is as it appears but with post processing.

The star trails pic is 2 pics, both post processed the same and then combined in Gimp. You'll notice that the peacock and the stars are in focus so they are actually different images; manual focus stacking.

I could have uplit the bird but didn't like to though at 30 seconds my phone screen would be enough to make a difference if I had pointed it upwards. Instead I was after a silhuoette but couldn't resist boosting the darks a bit to get a bit of chest colour, though very noisy.

He's nice to have around and doesn't do the usual 4am squark that peacocks do. He honks.

He'll probably survive somehow but when the wind gets up at 3am and it starts sleeting I wouldn't like to be on a branch 10m up.

Here's a picture of the peacock during the day.

[MJ224]

Works well enough...

Uplighting the bird as you call it may well disturb it, best leave it for the sake of a photo..JMHO...:-)

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day mate

I like your explanations above ... Well Done!!

Phil

[Isac]

Good story and I understand where you're coming from.

[AlfandBen]

I was thinking it may be a younger bird having been driven out as it matures, we get them from time to time from a farm a couple of miles away, but from that last shot it looks to be in full plumage.

I have a picture somewhere of three on top of our roof.

Peanuts are quite good if you want to try to tempt him into somewhere safer / warmer.

[miscat1066]

The winter has been kind to the peacock up until the last 2 nights. He was pretty much frozen last night, it being snowy and windy. He's down now on the coconut mat at the front door. He doesn't want to come in.

[Ozzie_Traveller]

G'day mate

This new pic is a beauty - the 'awful' weather .... how the bird / anything at all ... can survive I do not know
I do like the way the snow on the branches has shown up as it all comes together to say 'miserable winter weather! '

Phil

[Isac]

Wow, looks super chilly there. Good image to show the conditions that the Peacock has to endure.