Daily Archives: December 1, 2024
Maine! Skulking Sparrow
Song Sparrow: York County, Maine, USA, November 2024 — I have noticed that the late staying Song Sparrows this November are staying mostly on the ground and mostly deep in the brush. It is amazing what Subject Recognition, eye-tracking auto focus can do. I had to use manual focus to help the camera find the bird behind the foreground obstructions, but one it found the bird, it locked on and stayed focused on the eye as the bird foraged deep in the brush under a dense bush. You can see the out-of-focus branches in front of it. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400Di3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Yellowstone! Bison bugle
American Bison: Lamar Valley, Yellowstone National Park, October 2024 — You have to be aware all the time when photographing Bison from the Lamar Valley road that there are, very possibly, bison behind you, just over the ridge where you can’t see them…and that they will sneak up on you when they are ready to cross the road to the rest of the herd. This bull bison had his harem behind us, but fortunately was in a challenging mood, and sounded off as soon as the herd, and its rival bulls, came in sight. He was still pretty close already when we turned. He did lead his harem across the road, and it looked for a few moments like we were going to see two dominant bulls go head to head…but nothing came of it…there is lots of space on either side of the Lamar road, for as many bulls as you might like to see. Sony a6700 with Tamron 50-400Di3 at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my birds in flight and action modifications (just because that is how the camera was set from a sequence of head butting young bulls across the road). Processed in Photomator.