nikonlightbirding – lightweight bird photography

About photographing particularly environment and behavior of Eurasian birds: migrating, flying, swimming, foraging, displaying, fighting, mating, nesting, feeding, …

Consistently using:

Camouflage: not disturbing birds
Lightweight equipment: semi pro Nikon (compatible) camera’s and lenses
APERTURE mode Birds: minimal camera reset during actual bird photography.

Results under various conditions of weather, available light, equipment used:

*Holland 2021 shadow with some sunlight, Little Owl (Steenuil) size 22cm distance 15m, 35mm equivalent 630mm. Nesting in our back yard.*

*Holland Reggedal sun Grey Heron (Blauwe Reiger), *size 93cm distance 40m,* on top of a dam, starting his dive towards fish, D500 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR **equivalent 1500mm**.*

Holland 2025 sun **juvenile** Kingfisher (IJsvogel) size 16cm distance 50m. Nikon Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR **equivalent 500mm**. First day juveniles (**black feet)** left nest. Not an impressive picture but marvellous detail at 50 meter by combo **Fresnel lens & Z7 II sensor: notice the cobweb strings at the branche at 45 meter!**

*Holland July 2025 cloudy (Sint Jans vlinder)* **Z7 II Nikkor 500 f/5.6E PF VR** **equivalent 1500mm**.

*Holland heavy overcast June 2025 couple* **rare (Zwartkopmeeuw**) size 35cm distance 85m, total camouflage. Not rich but acceptable **detail considering bird size, 85 meter and low light**.

kingfisher — Holland 2019 cloudy Kingfisher female (IJsvogel) size 16cm shaking off waterdrops, distance 25m equivalent 420mm D800 Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR 1/350 f/5.6 **ISO 1600**. **Clean colourful picture by this sensor**.

*Holland Reggedal May 2025 sun White Stork (Ooievaar) size 101cm mating distance **90m**, **Z7 II Nikkor 500 f/5.6E PF VR** **equivalent 1500mm** standard camouflage.* ***Thanks to good light and top quality optical lens almost unbelievable detail and expression at large distance!***

*Holland Reggedal **Febr** **2025** heavy overcast Great White Heron (Grote Zilverreiger) size 93cm **distance 65m** **Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6.E PF VR** equivalent 1050mm substantial camouflage.* ***Strong wind*** *made picture alive and appealing*.

black-headed gull — Holland isle Texel May 2024 distance 40m sun Black-headed Gull (Kokmeeuw) **defending nest** against Common Tern (Visdief). D300 great **Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR** equivalent 900mm standard camouflage. Great action!

Lesbos May 2014 sun Nightjar (Nachtzwaluw) D300 Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II equivalent 600mm -0.50EV 1/500 f/5.6 ISO 200 *substantial camouflage. Piccture taken at sufficient distance not to disturb sleeping bird nevertheless great detail thanks to high quality lens and asferical converter.*

*Lesbos Sun May 2011 (qqq vlinder) distance 25m D300 Nikkor 300mm f/4E PF VR equivalent 630mm.*

common tern — *Holland Reggedal 2024 sun Common Tern (Visdief) size 35cm **distance 60m** Z50 Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm.*

*Holland Reggedal 2025 cloudy (Kleine Vos) size 4cm distance 8m Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent1500mm.*

Holland Reggedal 2025 sun Kingfisher (IJsvogel) female, size 16 cm distance 35m, Z7 II **Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E** **PF VR** equivalent1500mm. Female, wet, has fed young in nest and splashed into river to clean feathers from dirty nest. Rich **detail**, **contrast** and **color** **at 35 meter**!

*Holland Reggedal 2025 heavy overcast Kingfisher (IJsvogel) size 16cm distance 35m equivalent 1500mm. Mating near first nest, **fast action** & **heavy overcast**: possibly a bit too long exposure time*.

*Holland Reggedal 2019 shadow Buzzard size 55cm distance 25m **catching frog** 35mm equivalent 900mm, D7200 high quality lightweight **Tamron G2 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3** total camouflage.*

*Lesbos 2018 sun Little Bittern (Woudaap) size 38cm distance 20m D300 & **extremely fast focussing** **Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II** equivalent 600mm.*

spoonbill — *Holland 2024 sun Tessel Spoonbill (Lepelaar) size 83cm distance 30m sun D7200 **high quality medium weight Sigma Sports 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3** equivalent 1260mm standard camouflage.*

*Holland Lauwersoog 2020* *sun* *White-tailed Eagle (Zeearend) 1st or 2nd year size 80cm distance 50m D500 **Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR** equivalent 1050mm standard camouflage.*

*Holland 2024 Reggedal sun Goosander (Grote Zaagbek) three men size 62cm distance 60m **Z50** Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm.* **Fantastic detail and colour**.

*Holland august 2025 sun Grey Heron (Blauwe Reiger) size 94cm distance 75m sunbathing with spreaded wings early in the morning.*

*Holland estate Eerde 2025 dark cloudy Marten (Steenmarter) distance 12m equivalent1500mm. Marten showed up during birding, observed us for about a minute, then quietly disappeared in the bush.*..

*Holland Reggedal 2025 sun Great Spotted Woodpecker (Grote Bonte Specht) **juvenile** size 22cm distance 35m Nikon Z7 II Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF VR equivalent 1500mm.*

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Legenda:

Some pages are translated into Dutch, marked “Dutch”, originals being marked “English”.
[…] means: optional, e. g. “D500 [TC-14E]” means “D500” or “D500 TC-14E”.
Distances up to 45 meter are measured, otherwise estimated.
Pictures by default created using tripod or tribike for stabilisation, otherwise marked “handheld“.
Contact: amevanbaren@gmail.com (Annemiek) or dikbaren@gmail.com (Dik).

NLB base version 31 aug 2024 updated through 28 july 2025.