India! Sarus Crane in flight
Sarus Crane: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — It was late, after 5PM, and we were still deep in the refuge. The sun was setting. The light was failing. We were well out on dyke birding the marsh on both sides when we heard cranes in flight calling and turned to see a pair of Sarus Cranes coming right at us and just above tree top level. Not much hope, but I had to try. You have to right? I did not have time to zoom out, so as the birds passed over I just fired off a burst of shots and hoped for the best. I do have my Birds In Flight settings programed to a button so I was able to switch on the fly, so to speak. This is not the best ever, but it is the best shot I got. 🙂 These are huge birds. Long wings. Heavy bodies, and tall…the tallest cranes on earth at over 5 feet. I had to pull detail out of the shadows in this very back-lit shot, but overall I am happy with it. You don’t get many chances at a shot like this, especially if you are only in India for two weeks. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4.5 @ 1/1000th.
Costa Rica! Lesser Violetear and Mountain Gem
Lesser Violetear and White-throated Mountain Gem hummingbirds: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Another shot from the flower set up at Batsu Gardens last December. I have lots! This is a Lesser Violetear and a male White-throated Mountain Gem. There were way more Violetears than Mountain Gems. Sony Rx10iv at 493mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 2000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine! Eastern Towhee
Eastern Towhee: Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve at Laudholm Farms, Wells, Maine, USA, May 2023 — Again I took advantage of some early sun, or so I thought, to get out for some practice with the new Olympus OM-1 and the 100-400mm zoom. By the time I got down to Laudholm Farms, the clouds had rolled in and the light was already less than ideal. So it goes. I have trouble remembering that this is not the Rufous-sided Towhee, which is the name it had when I as first leaning bird names. I think I may have confused more than one young birder by calling it that. It has been the Eastern Towhee for some time now. 🙂 It was keeping company with a couple of Catbirds and some Robins along the upper trail at Laudholm. Olympus OM-1 with the 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving custom birds modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 250 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
White-breasted Waterhen
White-breasted Waterhen: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — There are several birds at Keoladeo which are adapted for walking on floating vegetation. One of the most common is the Waterhen, which is, at least in the park, relatively fearless. We saw them right next to and even up on the road. In fact, not to spoil a future post, we hand fed one who was enamored of our trail mix. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 561mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine! Chickadee at nest hole…
Black-capped Chickadee: Roger’s Pond Park, Kennebunk, Maine, USA, May 2023 — We had a few hours of sunshine yesterday early so I took my new Olympus OM-1 and 100-400mm zoom out for some “field” practice. So far most of my photos have been from the back deck door or from my backyard photo blind. I need to know how the camera works in less controlled environment. 🙂 Not much going on at Roger’s Pond. I always hope for the pair of Eagles that is often see there…well, more often not seen there…but sometimes seen there. Not yesterday. And no ducks in the river. I had to make do with chickadees and titmice. This Chickadee was working a nest cavity low on a big maple. Olympus OM-1 and 100-400mm zoom at 1600mm equivalent (with digital tele-converter). Program mode with my evolving custom bird modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f6.3 @ 1/500th. Minus .7EV.
India! Immature Black-necked Stork
Immature Black-necked Stork: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — Not our first Black-necked Stork, but considerably closer than the ones we saw from the road on our way to Bharatpur. This is an immature bird. We saw a LOT of immature birds of many species at Keoladeo. 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.
Maine! Grey Squirrel (I see you!)
Grey Squirrel: Kennebunk Maine, USA, May 2023 — When you live in Maine you practice Animal Auto Focus on any wildlife available…mostly squirrels. 🙂 This squirrel did its “laying out flat on a branch” thing for me, and watched me inside my hide. He very definitely knew exactly where I was and was keeping track of what I was doing. We have two different framings here: 800mm equivalent and, using the digital tele-converter in the OM-1, 1600mm equivalent. In both cases the camera automatically kept focus on the eye. Program mode with my evolving wildlife modifications. (That is what the practice is all about.) Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 800 @ f6.3 @ 1/500th. Minus .7EV.
India! Bar-headed Goose
Bar-headed Geese: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — Keoladeo is winter home to a fair number of Bar Headed Geese. There are lots of things of note about the Bar-headed Goose. It migrates to and from high mountain lakes in central Asia, flying through and over the Himalaya Mountains at elevations up to 14,000 feet, in temperatures as low as 0 degrees, sometime through 300mph headwinds. Their blood chemistry is adapted to extract more oxygen than your average bird. They can fly up to 1000 miles in a single day during migration, flapping all the way. They run so hot and are so well insulted that ice can not form on their wings, even at the highest elevations…and they fly strongly enough so that a they can fly through strong cross-winds without being blown off course. Now that is some goose! And yet to look at they don’t look like super-geese…they are, in fact, kind of elegantly attractive. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th.
Maine! Wet birds…
Pine Warbler, Purple Finch, White-breasted Nuthatch, Eastern Bluebird, Red-breasted Nuthatch: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, April 2023 — We are having several days of cold rain here in a row, but the birds have been very active at the feeders despite the weather. I had fun yesterday afternoon when the light was at its brightest for the day, photographing wet birds through the double-glazed deck door. I can’t say that they look very happy! but they were certainly busy. Olympus OM-1 with the 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1600-2500 @ f6.3 @ 1/500th. Minus .7EV.
India! Yellow-footed Green Pigeon
Yellow-footed Green Pigeon: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — My rickshaw driver could be very insistent when he spotted a bird (or birds) that he thought I should photograph. These two Yellow-footed Green Pigeons were sitting right over the road at Keoladeo, and he stopped and jockeyed the rickshaw around for a good angle. I have to admit they were picture worthy, despite being one of the most common birds of Rajasthan. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 125 @ f4 @ 1/500th.