Yesterday, 28 April 2023, I had to go for a day’s drive because everyone had to remove their vehicle out of the parking lot (again!) for the day. We were told to remove by 8:30 am, ready for the guys coming at 9:00 am. Well, the guys who used blowers to remove all the dust and loose gravel, etc. started working at 7:00 am. The painters arrived at 8:30 am, just as I was ready to leave home. The lot was cleaned and the yellow lines between cars were repainted. The whole day was spent driving the roads SW of Calgary, all of them familiar, but a couple only driven a few times.
I very recently decided to buy a new camera, the Canon SX70 HS. I found it concerning that I had been using my Canon SX60 since May 2017 - at least, the earliest photo I can find on my Flickr page was taken on 6 May 2017. The camera has been used a lot! I was very undecided about the Canon SX70, as my daughter has had this camera for quite a long time and finds that the photos tend to be rather blurry. For many months, I have read up about the Canon SX70 and never felt completely happy with everything I read. I have researched other similar cameras and there really isn't anything much out there. I already have the Nikon P900 (totally lousy/useless/ viewfinder) and the Panasonic FZ1000 (far less zoom). Both these cameras are heavy and I need a much lighter camera, especially now because of my damaged right shoulder, which makes holding and using a camera both painful and awkward. Things I read these days seem to say that phone cameras are kind of replacing point-and-shoot cameras and companies are producing very few point-and-shoot models. No telling how long it could be before they stop making them altogether. So, I wanted to be prepared for if/when my faithful and much used Canon SX60 eventually dies.
So, yesterday, I took both cameras with me, though I did take more shots with the SX60. I can't say that the photos from either camera came out as sharp as I would have liked - very bright out, and windy. Now I have to compare the quality of the images. I found the SX70 a nice, light camera to use, I must say, I had changed a few of the most important (to me) settings, but I’m sure there are others that need checking and tweaking. Some of my Bluebird photos came out better with the SX70. I saw my first Wilson's Snipe of the season and the SX70 did well, as did the SX60, though the colour is very different between the two cameras. I need to compare a lot of images in the next while. The five photos posted this evening have all been edited.
"These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wilsons_snipe/id
"Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the Common Snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_snipe
According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military."
youtu.be/Z16CUdX2g5Q 