Biggest Week in American Birding: Black-throated Blue Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2023 — Lots of Black-throated Blue Warblers skulking through the under brush (or maybe it is just brush now that the canopy is gone) at Magee Marsh this year. Or maybe they are just more visible without the overhanging trees. OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 770mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 640 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. -.3EV
Maine! Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2023 — Bobolinks were not the only singing birds along the road to our local beach. The Beach Roses are always a good spot for Song Sparrows this time of year. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Catbird

Catbird: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2023 — There are generally quite a few Catbirds in Magee Marsh during the Biggest Week in American Birding. I suspect they breed there. To my eye, they have their own understated beauty. OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 500 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. -.3EV
India! Pied Kingfisher
Pied Kingfisher: Chambal River, Uttar Paradesh, India, March 2023 — The Pied Kingfisher is another bird common all over India where there are rivers and larger bodies of water…with a wide but disjointed range all through Asia and Africa. The sit on high perches on the banks of rivers and lakes, and you often see them hovering over water. This one was hunting from the bank of the Chambal River while we passed in our boats. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 ! 1/500th. +.3EV.
Prothonotary flare?
Prothonotary Warbler: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2023 — I don’t have any idea what that flared feather look says in Prothonotary…but it is very expressive. The shout I get. “Male on territory! Females take note. All others scram.” But the flare. I am not so sure about that. OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f6.3 @ 1/640th. -.3EV.
Maine! Bobolink again…

Bobolink: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, June 2023 — I took my friend Stef looking for Bobolink the other day, and they surprised me by still being up and singing in the field where they are nesting this year. This one circled out to sit on one of the new saplings the Town planted along the road. He let us walk all the way around the tree to get his good side 🙂 OM System OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom @ 1600mm equivalent (2x digital zoom). Program mode with my evolving bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1000th.
India! Black-crowned Night Heron

Black-crowned Night Heron: Chambal River, Uttar Paradesh, India, March 2023 — Again, not an uncommon bird almost anywhere in the world, but good to see from our boats on the Chambal River. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +.3EV.
Maine! Terns in flight
Least Terns: Kennebunk, Maine, USA — I am just beginning to learn to shoot birds in flight with my new OM Systems OM-1 and the 100-400mm lens. The camera makes it easier, but I don’t get enough chances to practice. These shots of Least Terns hunting over the mouth of the Mousam River here in Kennebunk were all underexposed, for the bird, as the camera did not fully compensate for the bright sky background. I had to bring up shadows in post processing. Still, for what amounts to a first try at small birds, I am pretty happy with the results. 🙂 I have attempted Least Terns with each new camera I have owned, and the OM-1 certainly makes it easier. Program mode with my evolving birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. 800mm equivalent. ISO 200 @ f7.1 and f6.3 @ 1/3200th.
Wildlife of Keoladeo National Park: Golden Jackal

Finishing up, I think, the wildlife posts from Keoladeo National Park, in Bharatpur India, this is a Indian Golden Jackal, a handsome wild canine common throughout Asia and into Europe. It is most closely reflected to the wolf and coyote, and, in fact will cross breed with Asian Wolves and domestic dogs. It is about the same size as the North American Coyote, and favors river bottoms and agricultural areas, as opposed to foothills and mountains. Sony Rx10iv at 238mm equivalent. (It was right beside the road.) Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
India! Black-winged Stilt

Black-winged Stilt: Chambal River, Chambal River, Chambal, Uttar Paradesh, India, March 2023 — Another shot from our boats on the Chambal River. Black-winged Stilt has, again, one of the widest distributions of any bird, according to some, existing on every continent. Others consider the Africa/Asian as one species and the Stilts of the Americas as another. Some consider the Stilts of northern Asia different than the stilts of South Asia and Africa. So, confusing at all? Elegant, eye-catching birds whatever! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +.3EV.