Posts in Category: action

Maine! Tern in flight…

Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — Another composited image of a Least Tern in flight at the mouth of one of our local rivers…entering hunting mode. Three shots at 25 frames per second, clipped out and arranged and processed in Pixelmator Pro. Program mode with my evolving birds-in-flight modifications. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. ISO 320 @ f6.3 @ 1/3200th. +.3EV.

Biggest Week in American Birding! Landing!

Trumpeter Swan: Metzger Marsh Wildlife Area, Beno, Ohio, USA, May 2023 — Landing gear fully down. OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds-in-flight modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 800 @ f6.3 @ 1/4000th.

Maine! Piping Plover chick

Piping Plover: York County, Maine, USA, June 2023 — One more from my brief encounter with the Piping Plovers. It is hard to say how old this chick is. They are up and running the beach within hours of hatching. I know it is at least a day old because my wife saw them the day before. There were 3 chicks from this nest, and each chick, if it survives to flight stage, is a success story. Maybe next year this chick will nest one beach further north, or at the north end of this beach, and that will be a bit more Piping Plover territory reclaimed! OM Systems OM-1 with 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my evolving birds modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f7.1 @ 1/1600th. -.3EV

India! Nilgai

Nilgai: Chambal Sarus Crane Conservation Area, Uttar Pradesh, India, March 2023 — Sarus Cranes were not the only large wildlife to take advantage of the farmer’s fields in the Chambal Sarus Crane Conservation Area in Uttar Pradesh India. These Nilgai look like they are swimming in the see of grain…and I am sure they do much more damage to the crop than the Cranes do. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5 @ 1/1000th. -.3EV

Diving Least Tern

Least Tern: York County, Maine, USA — The Least Tern is also listed as “endangered” in Maine, and its nesting sites are protected. And again, this year they are nesting on our popular tourist and fishing beach. Please give them space. This diving Tern was over the river, right above the heads of the fishermen…but after considerably smaller prey. This is composite of a series of shots of the same Least Tern diving on prey…taken at 25 frames per second, with the OM Systems OM-1 and the 100-400mm zoom at 800mm equivalent and assembled during processing in Pixelmator Pro. I could edit out the slight halos around the birds but I think in this case it adds to the effect, as though the tern was disrupting the air and carrying light with it. Taken in Program with my evolving birds-in-flight modifications. ISO 250 @ f6.3 @ 1/3200th.

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.

Costa Rica! Another two for…

Female Volcano and Talamanca Hummingbirds: Batsu Gardens, San Geraldo de Dota, Costa Rica, December 2022 — Another set of hummers from the flower shoot at Batsu Gardens. Same Female Volcano along with a Talamanca this time. I hope to be back at Batsu next December. (Anyone coming with me?) Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 1000 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Cardinal dance

Northern Cardinal: Kennebunk, Maine, USA, February 2023 — The birds were not only active at the feeders during the end of February snow-storm, they were active around the feeders…particularly active, bouncing around, fluttering, being generally aggressive toward each other for no apparent reason…active! This female Northern Cardinal posed for a second, and then danced in place for several. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Process in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 400 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Uganda Edition: Eland!

Common Eland: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — No the best photo, but our only sighting of the somewhat shy Elands of Lake Mburo National Park. The two Eland species, Common and Giant, are the largest antelope in the world. Lake Mburo has the Common, which is just slightly smaller on average than the Giant. Still, impressive animals. Sony Rx10iv at 526mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Uganda Edition: Olive Baboon

Olive Baboon: Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — The Olive Baboon is the only baboon species in Uganda, and this is, of course, the classic shot of the youngster catching a ride. Still taken our first day in the park wile we were still on our way to lake for our afternoon boat safari. Sony Rx10iv at 517mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 320 @ f4 @ 1/500th.