Sunbird

I THINK this is a Crimson Sunbird, but it may be a Scarlet Sunbird. You'll need to click on this and look for the bright red bit at the center. The bird's about 4 inches long. I was about 15 feet away, using my telephoto when I took the picture. (Sabah (Borneo), Malaysia)

I took a series of pictures of this bird, and they really bring out one of the difficulties for me with my new camera. I need to learn how to override and focus manually faster. When I take autofocus shots, the camera tends to look for straight lines and focus on those straight lines. That's okay if you're focusing on something a good long ways away, or with lots of light. But if you're taking telephoto pics of something small under tree cover, then I've got problems and need to learn to focus manually to overcome them.

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Classes start here soon, which is good. It's been a bit rainy, but I got myself out for a walk today. I need to make sure to try to get at least a walk in when I can for some excercise!

I've found myself surprised by how quiet the city is; the cars seem quieter somehow, and certainly off the main street, walking on the narrow little streets, the noise seems subdued. On campus, I live away from the main street, and don't hear traffic noises at all (though I sometimes hear my neighbors a bit).