Posts in Category: animals
Ring-bill in early light
Ring-billed Gull, Jacksonville Florida
There were lots of Ring-billed Gulls sitting on the railing along the riverfront in Jacksonville Florida early in the morning, soon after sunrise. They were absolutely fearless, and easy photographic subjects. The warmth of the light really brings out the color of the eye and its surround.
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. Program mode. 1/800th @ f4 @ ISO 100. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Double-crested Cormorant (with crests :)
Double-crested Cormorant, La Jolla California
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. Program mode. 1/250th @ ISO 160 @ f4. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Brant’s Cormorant
Brant’s Cormorant, La Jolla California
This time of year the cormorants in La Jolla Cove are in full breeding plumage. This is a Brant’s Cormorant. Note the white mutton chops, the white filaments down the back, and the bright blue throat. And, of course, the blue crystal eye. One handsome bird!
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. Program mode. 1/400th @ ISO 100 @ f4. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Pelican in flight: Point Loma
Brown Pelican, Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego California
Another Brown Pelican in flight shot…this time from the Tide Pools at Cabrillo National Monument at the end of Point Loma in San Diego. The loess cliffs at the Tide Pools are idea for Pelican flight shots, as the birds often ride the uplift right above the top of the cliffs, just above eye-level. This image really catches the “mass” of the bird and the huge wings that sustain it in a glide.
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. 1/1000th @ ISO 100 @ f4. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Pelican in flight…
Brown Pelican, La Jolla California
I ventured out onto the sea wall that protects Children’s Beach in La Jolla, California when I visited last week, mostly to get closer to the Harbor Seals that had clustered on that side of the beach…but as I was shooting seals this breeding plumage Brown Pelican flew by just below eye-level. I turned in time for a short burst of shots. Pelicans are easy flight shot targets, but that only makes them more fun! 🙂
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. Program mode. 1/1000th @ ISO 100 @ f4. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Sea Lions of La Jolla
Sea Lions, La Jolla Cove, California
As I have mentioned before, when I am in San Diego for the San Diego Birding Festival I always try to ge to La Jolla Cove for a morning with the Sea Lions, Harbor Seals, Cormorants and Pelicans. This is a classic Sea Lion pile on the rocks of the sea cliffs of La Jolla.
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. Program mode. 1/640th @ ISO 100 @ f4. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Anna’s Impossibly Bright
Anna’s Hummingbird, San Diego California
I pretty much had to force myself to go out yesterday morning in the light drizzle and heavy overcast, but the marsh and dunes behind my hotel at the mouth of the San Diego River Channel were just to tempting. And it was a great walk. Good close shots of Marbled Godwitts, a lone Willit, and a Whimbrel. And some dramatic seascapes off the end of the jetty. But the best treat was this male Anna’s Hummingbird that sat so that even the dull light lit its gorget and cap so brightly that it was just within the capture range of the camera. 🙂
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Burrowing Owl in Ice Plant: Happy Sunday!
Burrowing Owl, San Diego California
“If your eye is generous, your whole being is full of light!” Jesus
Yesterday the San Diego Birding Festival started at noon, and I had a workshop at 12:30, so I slept in, and only went out to the San Diego River Channel and the Western National Wildlife Refuge across from Sea World. It is a good marshy river habitat, though the high banks of the river channel keep you well away from most of the birds. Great for scope views. There have been reports of a Burrowing Owl along this stretch in past years and I am always alert, especially in the area overrun by Ground Squirrels. I did not have to really even look for this Owl, as two other photographers were there already. Such a delight! I have not seen a Burrowing Owl this close since my days in New Mexico 30 years ago, and I can count the number of Burrowing Owl I have ever seen on my fingers without running out of digits. I wrote a little poem about it for yesterday’s Day Poem.
Burrowing Owl on the bank above
the San Diego River, right by the
Sports Arena Bridge. What at treat!
Sat in a big patch of Ice Plant, a
mound really, at the mouth, obviously
of a Ground Squirrel burrow, the
sun in its bright yellow eyes, turning
its head side to side, and occasionally
looking straight at me. I felt privileged
to be included in its gaze. Privileged!
And of course another word for “privileged” is “blessed”. I felt blessed to see the Burrowing Owl. It is one of the things, the main thing, I love about bird watching. You never know what you will see, if you just go out with your eyes open…and you almost always see something that quickens the pulse and makes you feel more alive. Blessed. It is a part of the generous eye that I really enjoy. “Eye’s wide open” is the way another translator translates it…eyes wide open in wonder and delight.
And may you go through this Sunday with generous eyes…and I believe God will bless you in what you see.
La Jolla Pelican
Brown Pelican, La Jolla Cove, California
The San Diego Birding Festival show did not open until 3PM yesterday so I spent the morning and early afternoon at two of my favorite San Diego area spots for photography: La Jolla Cove and Cabrillo National Monument.
At La Jolla this time of year you have breeding plumage Brown Pelicans in large numbers, as well as both Brant’s and Double Creasted Cormorants…and of course, lots of Sea Lions at the north end of the cove, and Harbor Seals at the south end. It is pupping time for the seals and they are out on Children’s Pool Beach. It is a great place for photography and I can spend several hours just walking up and down the path along the top of the cliffs.
This Brown Pelican is showing full colors. Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. 1/1000th @ ISO 100 @ f4.5. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.
Dawn Gull
Western Gull, San Diego CA
I am in San Diego for the San Diego Birding Festival where I will represent ZEISS so I waited for dawn and got out to the beach. Staying in a different hotel this year…right on the beach at the mouth of the San Diego River. My room faces the Channel, but the Pacific face is just down the beach. There, were, of course, lots of gulls on the beach this morning, waiting for the sun. Gulls are not my strong suit, and immature gulls are pretty much a complete mystery to me, but I think this is just an immature Western Gull. The first rays of the sun were just touching him as he looked out to sea.
Sony Rx10iii at 600mm equivalent field of view. 1/250th @ ISO 250 @ f4. Processed in Polarr on my iPad Pro.