Biggest Week in American Birding! Kinglets
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — While warbler numbers, individuals, not so much species, were definitely way down this year at Magee, Ruby-crowned Kinglet numbers were definitely way up. They were everywhere…and that’s good from a photographer’s point of view, because if there is anything harder to photograph than a feeding warbler, it is a feeding Ruby-crowned Kinglet. They seem to be trying to be everywhere in the bush at the same time…never setting for more than a second in any one spot. You can waste a lot of bound electrons chasing them. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Maine! Cardinal visitation
Northern Cardinal: York County, Maine, USA, May 2024 — Now that I am back from Ohio and the Biggest Week in American Birding, it is time to catch up on some Maine birds. Our neighborhood pair of Cardinals came for a visit just before I left. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Lonely and only
Black-throated Green Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — Nothing told the story of the strange year at Magee quite so loudly as the almost total lack of Black-throated Green Warblers…often the most present of warblers in the marsh…everywhere and in your face constantly. There may have been more Black-throated Greens the first week of the festival, but I only saw this one individual, my first day at Magee, and then not a single one the rest of the week. I am glad I took quite a few shots of this one. He might look like he is singing, but he is actually swallowing a spider. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Happy Mother’s Day: The Biggest Week in American Birding
Scarlet Tanager: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — This is one of my wife Carol’s favorite birds. We don’t see them often in Maine so I am always happy to bring her one home from Ohio, generally just in time for Mother’s Day (or a few days late). OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding: My favorite!
Blackburnian Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — I had to wait until today to photograph my favorite warbler: the Blackburnian. I found two more or less cooperative individuals on what turned out to be a mostly sunny day on the Boardwalk. Blackburnians are warblers of the high canopy, and I have only ever seen them anywhere near eye-level at Magee. This year, or a least today, they hovered a bit above that and most of my shots are looking up. Still, such a stunning bird! OM System OM-1 with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding! Oriole vs spider
Baltimore Oriole: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — The spider, or at least its egg sack, did not stand a chance in the long run against the Oriole, but the sticky thread put up a good fight. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
Biggest Week in American Birding! That Song!
Prothonotary Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — This bird was partially obscured by foreground foliage, a real issue this year a Magee with the foliage out way more than usual, but its song, or at least its singing posture, is still worth celebrating. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
The Biggest Week in American Birding: Black and white inside out
Black and White Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — One of the issues for this year’s Biggest Week in American Birding is that the trees are fully leafed out. The Apple along the boardwalk that is normally in full boom, or some years, just coming into bloom, is totally past bloom and the flowers are all gone. The leafy trees make warbler photography particularly difficult as there is almost always something between you and the bird. It makes me very thankful for the bird detection, bird’s eye tracking auto focus, which, at least some of time, gets miraculous shots right through foreground obstructions. This is a case in point…where the bird was almost totally obstructed and yet the OM-1Mkii pulled it off, giving me a rare shot of Black and White Warbler in major preening motion, almost turned inside out. 🙂 OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
The Biggest Week in American Birding: Chestnut-sided
Chestnut-sided Warbler: Magee Marsh Boardwalk, Oak Harbor, Ohio, May 2024 — It is a nice sunny day on the boardwalk this morning and I am sure the warblers are hopping. Unfortunately I came down with what might be a case of food poisoning last night so I am sticking close to the hotel room. The Chestnut-sided Warbler is one of the friendliest of warblers on the boardwalk, often approaching within feet of birders. This is pretty much a full frame shot at 800mm equivalent. The tricky part is, of course, keeping the bird in frame when it is that close. The only way is just shoot a lot of frames! OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
The Biggest Week in American Birding, Day 1 Warblers
Northern Waterthrush, Palm Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler: Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Oak Harbor, Ohio, USA, May 2024 — There were way more people at Magee Marsh today than there were warblers. It happens. Still not a bad haul for my first day, 2024, at the Marsh. I saw one more species that I did not get a good photo of…a Common Yellowthroat, and I was only there for a few hours, in the morning when it was somewhat cloudy and dark. Other warblers were undoubtedly seen, especially as evening came on, but after getting up at 2:30 AM to catch my airplane, I was done by early afternoon. I also saw three snakes and maybe a dozen other passerine species. OM System OM-1Mkii with M.Zuiko 100-400IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom bird modifications. Processed in Photomator.
