Grosbeaks with a city backdrop

On Monday and Tuesday I have really enjoyed watching Pine Grosbeaks with the city skyline as a backdrop. I have previously tried to take pictures of these birds with famous structures in the background such as here but it didn’t work as well I had hoped. The last two days though it has worked much better although it really was rather gloomy which was challenging with regards to shutter speed when shooting at f.25-f.29 (necessary to have the background in some sort of focus).

Pine Grosbeak (konglebit) with the Oslo's highest building, the Rasisson Blu Plaza

with the Posthuset building and Barcode buildings

the white building is the plastic covered government offices that were bombed on 22 July 2011

Royal Palace I

Royal Palace II

Royal Palace III

the harbour

the ski jumps at Holmekollen (where I previously took a picture with the city as a backdrop)

a building site

now at f.6.3 so the background is blurred

I was conscious of the lights behind the birds but didn't quite get the positioning right

the blue lights of the hotel

because it was so gloomy and the birds so close I could use the in-built flash on the bazooka