Posts in Category: flight
Maine! swing and a miss
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Life is not all wins for the Least Tern. I suspect, like most photographers I know, there are way more misses than keepers. These shots are keepers, though at larger magnifications they are not critically sharp…they capture a moment. Not a moment of success for the Tern, but a significant moment nonetheless. And considering how fast the tern was moving, I am happy to have gotten them at all. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 684mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator and assembled in FrameMagic.
Maine! DoorDash delivery
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — I am still learning to capture Least Terns in flight with my OM-1Mkii and the M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom…playing with focus limits to speed up the focus. On this day the Terns were closer than I had figured, and I should have stopped shooting to adjust the inner limit. Hard to do when the terns are in the air all around you and carrying sand eels and you are litterally spinning around trying to get them in frame. This bird was just at my close limit for the day. I have adjusted it before my next outing. 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Air Traffic Control
Common and Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — At the mouth of one of our tidal rivers the Least Terns nest in great numbers, and the Common Terns are attracted by the sand eels. It is inevitable that they sometimes occupy the same airspace. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Skimmer on approach
Black Skimmer: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, January 2024 — I had fun with the Black Skimmers at Merritt Island but never did get exactly the image I wanted. Next time. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Both sides now
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — Least Terns hunting Sand Eels at the mouth of one of our rivers, along with Roseate and Common Terns. There is a large colony of Least Terns nesting one river south, and a few may nest on this beach…through there are no signs yet (other than the Fish and Wildlife protected area signs). The slope and shape of all our beaches were radically altered by the late winter and early spring storms. Terns in flight are always going to be a challenge to photograph. They are super acrobatic flyers as you see here where two similar postures show the underside and the upper-side of the wings. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! The dive!
Roseate Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2024 — There were three species of Terns actively feeding at the mouth of one of our local rivers on Sunday: Roseate (pictured here), Common, and Least. The sand eels were plentiful. I set out to try to capture the diving terns and terns rising from the water, and the OM System OM-1Mkii and M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom did well, even at 800mm equivalent. Any faults in the photos are user error 🙂 This is Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. 16.7 frames per second in SH2 mode and 1/2500th and 1/2000th of a second. The hardest part was keeping the bird in frame as it dived and continuing to keep it in frame as it rose. The Roseate Tern tail features are a treat. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Close Encounter?
Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — Though the Atlantic population of Least Tern is not Federally endangered, the Least Tern is on the Endangered Species list in Maine, and known nesting sites are monitored and protected. If you frequent a beach where Least Terns nest, you will see the signs and roped off areas. Please respect them. On Maine’s well developed coast there is not a lot of habitat left to them. Least Terns are acrobatic flyers and aggressive defenders of their nest sites. If you get too close they will let you know by buzzing you repeatedly until you move on. I happened to be on a beach when the folks from Fish and Wildlife were repositioning the ropes and signs to protect a nest site that terns were trying to establish outside the protected area. The terns were not happy, and, of course, incapable of realizing that the work was for their benefit. I stood well back and tried to photograph the terns in flight…which, if you have ever tried, or even if you have seen Least Terns in flight, you will realize is not easy to do at the best of times. This bird, though it looks close in the cropped version, was still quite a ways from me. OM Systems OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Spoonbill hop
Roseate Spoonbill: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — Nothing quite equals Florida light and nothing quite equals a Roseate Spoonbill…especially one showing its wings while taking a short hop over the water. Right place, right time, and ready! OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 372mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Florida! Where’s Waldo?
Mixed flock of gulls and skimmers, mostly Laughing Gulls, a few Ring-billed Gulls, and see if you can find the Black Skimmers: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, January 2024 — Something, perhaps an Osprey or and Eagle put this massed flock of gulls and skimmers up into the air. I just shot into the mass and sorted out this image as one of the better ones. OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! More Tree Swallow action
Tree Swallow: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — A little more Tree Swallow action from the marsh. Such pretty, elegant, little birds. I would like to say that I worked hard to catch this exact moment and used the ProCapture feature of the camera to help…but I didn’t. It was a happy accident, such as happens to all bird photographers from time to time. 🙂 Especially with birds as active as Tree Swallows. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds in flight and action mode (okay, that much forethought went into it…I did know action was likely to happen). Processed in Photomator.