Posts in Category: flight
Florida! Skimmer
Black Skimmer: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — Another of my “most wanted” birds and shots for my Florida trip this year: the Black Skimmer skimming. The hardest part is keeping the skimmer in an 800mm equivalent frame as it is moving so fast over the water, especially when it passes close. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Most wanted for today
Snowy Egret: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, January 2024 — I am giving my first Easy Birds and Wildlife with the OM-1 workshop early tomorrow morning, so I will post this tonight…for tomorrow’s Pic for today. 🙂 I have only seen the Snowy Egrets tiptoeing across surface of the water a few times in my life…it is a feeding technique that they only do when the brine shrimp hatch in shallow pools in the marsh, and then dozens of Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Spoonbills, and gulls gather to feast and the Snowys dance on the water. It is amazing to see. I have a few photos from past years, but nothing I was really happy with, and mostly accidental. Today with the OM-1 it was easy…almost too easy. I have dozens of shots better than anything I have managed before. I have a short video I will post one of these days so you can get a sense of what it looks like “live.” OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at a 300mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight modifications. -1.0 EV. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! Star of the show
White-necked Jacobin: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Costa Rica, December 2023 — Very much the star of the hummingbird show at Dave and Dave’s. If the White-necked Jacobins had their way, no other hummingbirds would visit the flowers at Dave and Dave’s. Ever. They seem to spend more time and energy defending the feeding spots than they do feeding. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS Zoom at 506mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Air traffic control
Herring Gull: York County, Maine, USA, January 2024 — a couple of Herring Gulls on approach to a busy stretch of cobbles along the river mouth. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Canada Geese
Canada Geese: York County, Maine, USA, January 2024 — Down at the beach after the storms looking to see what birds might have come in. There is a small flock of Canada Geese perhaps wintering in the marsh around the mouth of our river. We will see how long they stay. I caught these on the move from one feeding area to another. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Costa Rica! White-necked Jacobin
White-necked Jacobin: Dave and Dave’s Costa Rican Nature Park, La Vergin, Costa Rica, December 2023 — This shot of the White-necked Jacobin with the tail flared against the sun is one you can hope for at Dave and Dave’s on any visit. Patience and anticipation are all that are required. A camera that is up to the job helps. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Flying Eagle again
Bald Eagle: York County, Maine, USA, January 2024 — Another from the flight sequence of one of the two Eagles who often sit in the tall trees on the far side one of our local rivers. Right place at the right time as the bird launched out and came right by me. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixomator Pro.
Maine! Flying Eagle
Bald Eagle: York County, Maine, USA, January 2024 — We will pause our coverage of my December trip to Costa Rice for this local update. I went out yesterday, after finishing up clearing the drive, and resting for while, to photograph the fresh fallen snow, and check a few spots for birds. You never know if a Snowy Owl might have blown in on the storm. No owls, but our resident Eagle flew into one of its favored perches above the river while I parked the car, and sat for a few portrait shots before showing obvious signs of flight. I could not get my finger off the shutter release long enough to switch to my birds-in-flight mode…in hindsight I should have taken the half second it takes to do that when I first began to think the eagle was about to fly…but I didn’t. Next time. Still I got a few shots as the eagle passed in front of me fairly close. It is amazing how much bigger the bird looks in flight than it does sitting on a branch. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. -0.7 EV. Processed in Pixomator Pro.
Costa Rica! Not your normal Quetzal shot
Resplendent Quetzal: San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — I am still trying for my “best” Resplendent Quetzal photo. The light is never good, just after dawn in the shadows of the steep mountain valley on the Pacific slope of Costa Rica, and the distances are just over what we might like…and with the streamer feathers the bird is hard to fit effectively in a frame at any focal length that will capture the feather detail…but still you have to try every time this magnificent bird gives you the chance. And Quetzals in flight? Even harder 🙂 So I am happy with this photo. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 552mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator and Photo Quality (photo enhance and photo unblur). Another shot at ISO 25600.
Costa Rica! In one end and out the other
Lesser Violet-ear Hummingbird: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2023 — Just for a smile. Stuff happens. This Lesser Violet-ear was sipping from a suspended flower and reached the saturation point. This is more common than you might think when hummingbirds drink sugar water. OM Systems OM-1 with the ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 570mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Photomator and “photo enhancer and unblur” (great app, terrible title).