Big Bird and artifacts

[davegray]

Hi

earlier today I took this photo in West Devon and I have 2 questions - before I head back to the area to see if I can get closer - what is it ? It looked to have a wingspan in the region of five feet or more. (The image has been reduced so I've included an enlarged section of the bird).

and

I have circled some artifacts that seem to become apparent when I use the upper end of my Panasonic's zoom - any ideas what may be causing them, the lens and filter were spotless and I also noticed them recently when shooting aircraft against a light sky. I'm also sure they are not sun spots of any kind as the angles would be all wrong.

Any help on either point will be useful, thanks,
Dave.

[Bobolink44]

Hi Dave, will leave your artifact issue to someone else but your bird looks like a Common Buzzard.

[davegray]

Thanks, I'm off to see if I can get some better shots of it (when it stops raining !)

[Colin Key]

Hello Dave,

Not sure which Panasonic your are using, but those round things look like dust on the camera sensor to me.

Try stopping the lens right down to minimum aperture and take some shots of the clear sky, look at them in whatever software processing program you use with the contrast and sharpness turned right up. If it enhances these round spots (and produces others) then it is muck on the camera's sensor.

Colin

[Joe stockwell]

the top two look like sensor dirt but the second looks more like a wet clean residue has it always been there?

[john robinson]

Dave
They're sensor marks. - lens dirt or marks rarely show.
JohnR

[davegray]

Thanks for the responses, I think I'll get the sensor cleaned and see if that removes them.
Dave.