Fall Migration Beginning

The temps here have finally dropped towards the low nineties.  The cool fronts are starting to bring a few winter and migrant birds.  We are excited about the activity as we have had a few somewhat boring birding trips recently.  Here are a few images that I captured the past few days.

This is the first Osprey that we have seen since spring.  It was across the water high in a tree, about 200 yards distant.  This is one of several poses that I was able to get.  It is heavily cropped, and sharpened with FocusMagic software.

Osprey

This Green Heron was a welcome sight, too.  They have been around most of the summer, but I have had a hard time spotting one.  This one was across the water, but at a point where I much closer, maybe 150 yards.

Green Heron

Yesterday, we drove along the brushy fence line near Spring Creek Park.  A friend had seen a Wilson’s Warbler the day before and we were hoping to see it for ourselves.  We were not disappointed.  We saw two, but as they flit quickly through the brush, it was nearly impossible to get a good photo this time.  I managed to get this image before they disappeared farther into the woods.  Not a great shot, but recognizable.

Wilson’s Warbler

Along with the Wilson’s, there were a couple of Nashville Warblers.

Nashville Warbler

Nashville Warbler

Along the way, we also saw a Yellow Warbler and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, but was unsucessful in getting any photos of them.

‘Tis the season for Warblers

Oh, the weather outside is…….nasty.  And getting colder by the minute as you can see by the snow falling on this blog.  Yes, a Siberian Clipper, or what is best known around these parts as a Blue Norther is going to come whistlin’ in.  I don’t think there is anything between San Angelo and the Canadian border except a snow fence.  And I’ll bet a dollar it is laying on the ground.

So, what about those warblers.  I don’t think I have ever written a post about them.  At least not collectively, anyway.  We have a few that winter around here, and I thought you might like to see some pictures of each.  So, not in any particular order I present………

Yellow-rumped Warbler

The Yellow-rumped Warbler is probably the most seen here in the San Angelo area.

Black and White Warbler

A neat story about the Black and White Warbler.  What an original name.  Anyway, I was at the bird blind at San Angelo State Park, sitting there watching to see what birds might fly in.  Suddenly, the Black and White flew in, perched on that twig.  Fifteen seconds later it was gone.  I had never seen one before, and I have never seen one since.  It is a very rare bird around here, and I was at the right place at the right time.

MacGillivray’s Warbler

The MacGillivray’s Warbler is very similar to the Nashville Warbler pictured below.  But check the eye.  The MacGillivray’s has the barred eye.

Nashville Warbler

Wilson’s Warbler

Without that black cap on the Wilson’s Warbler, it would be confused with the Yellow Warbler pictured below.

Yellow Warbler

I hope you enjoyed these photos.  Click on any of them to see some enlargements.

Catch Me If You Can – Photographing the Tiny Birds

A lot of the images that I got last week were of those tiny, hard to find little birds that flit around in the dense shrubs and bushes.  I think you know what I am talking about.  You watch some dense foliage, see a branch or twig move unnaturally, then try to see what is in there.  I can usually, eventually see the hidden bird.  Photographing it is another challenge.

Wilson’s Warbler

I am usually photographing from my vehicle.  I have my Canon 7D and 500mm lens resting on the window.  I use it after I have had an inital location with the binocular.   I set the camera to use only the center focus point.  When I can locate the bird, I try to get that focus point on the bird and then take the shot.  If the foliage is extra dense, I sometimes have to use a bit of manual ‘help’ to keep the focus.

These images illustrate how hard some of these little birds can be to see.

Bell’s Vireo

Townsend’s Warbler

Yellow-breasted Chat

All of the images have been drastically cropped.  In a few, I didn’t know what I had until I got them into the computer and magnified them enough to ID them.  It is always nice to be able to get shots of birds that are more exposed in the open, like the two below.

Acorn Woodpecker

Clay-colored Sparrow.

So I hope you enjoy this little narrative, and the images.  Click on any of them to see enlargements.

Wilson’s Warblers at Eldorado

In my endeavors to keep bringing you new and exciting images, I dug back through my files and came upon these photos a a Wilson’s Warbler (Wilsonia pusilla) that were captured near the water treatment ponds at Eldorado, Texas, several weeks ago.  One major difference between the Wilson’s Warbler and the Yellow Warbler in my post yesterday is that the Wilson’s has a dark patch atop it’s head.  The bottom photo is a juvenile, so the patch isn’t as dark yet.

Wilson's Warbler

Wison's Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

All photos were taken with my Canon EOS 7D with 500mm lens with 1.4 tele-converter attached.  Hand-held at 1/640 sec, shutter priority, hand-held.

Cropping close for better close-ups

A friend of mine asked me the other day if I cropped my photographs.  I replied in the affirmative, that I cropped nearly all of my images to some extent.  Most of them very little, say for print sizes, etc.   But  I like to do most of my composition in-camera or in the view-finder if I can.

Unfortunately, trying to compose an esthetic picture while trying to capture a moving animal or a skittering bird, is very difficult.  So for that reason, I take what I can get, and compose during cropping.

Care must be taken to get your subject in focus.  My method is to use only one of the camera’s focus points.  Generally that for me, is the center one.  The importance of using only on point becomes to be most apparent when I am photographing a tiny bird among the branches, like the wren photo below.  With more than one focus point being used, the lens would be going wild searching because of the surrounding twigs and branches.

The first image below is what I saw through the view-finder.  You can see the difficulty I would have had with more than one focus point.  I also like to use spot metering in these cases, that is, if I remember to change the setting.  (Hey, I am human). 🙂  With spot-metering the chance of getting the subject exposed properly is much better.

Wilson's Warbler - original camera image

Wilson's Warbler - cropped and edited

The same principal applies to the following image of the Dickcissel.  Although the bird is more out in the open, there still was the fence wires to make focus difficult.  Of course, I must admit that one of the most difficult efforts, is to get that focus point on the bird.  But with practice it is easy to do with practice.   Remember,  what I see through the viewfinder is what is maybe 70-80 feet away, and I am looking through my 500mm lens.  I am actually much further away from the subject that it appears.  I had to use my binoculars to first locate the warbler in the bushes.

Dickcissel - original camera image

Dickcissel - cropped and edited

Of course, what I have described is only my methods based on my own experiences.  I am sure that some other photographers have their own ways of obtaining their images.  Heck, maybe I am doing things the hard way, but it is what works best for me.  At least, until someone asks “Hey, Bob, have you ever tried this?”  I am alway open to hearing tips from my peers.

But for now, that’s my story and I’m sticking with it. 🙂

I hope you enjoyed reading my little foray into trying to write an educational article.  I couldn’t think of anything else to write about today.  Click on the images to see enlargements.  Also, check out my other works by clicking on the Flickr logo on the right side of this page.

Another Foray to Eldorado Water Treatment Ponds

This past weekend Ann and I decided to make another trip to one of our favorite birding haunts. the water treatment ponds at Eldorado, Texas.  Our friends, Suzanne and Sid Johnson, who live there accompanied us.  It was fruitful day, to say the least, as we saw 42 different species.  Three of the highlights are pictured below.

The first is a Wilson’s Warbler, (Wilsonia pusilla).  A pretty little yellow bird, identified by the black crown on it’s head.  This one was in a Hackberry tree along with a few of it’s friends.

Wilson's Warbler

• Canon EOS 7D with Canon 500mm lens with 1.4 teleconverter
• 1/640 sec. @ f13 minus 2/3 EV adjustment – ISO 100
• Lens focal distance – 700mm
• Partial metering
• Shutter priority

After that we came across this bird sitting on a fence.  It was hard to ID at first, because of difficulty in getting close enough.  I thought it looked familiar, but wasn’t able to confirm what I saw until I was able to maneuver the car so I could get a shot with my long lens.  It is a Dickcissel (Spiza americana).  This is either a winter male, or a first year male.

Dickcissel

• Canon EOS 7D with Canon 500mm lens with 1.4 teleconverter
• 1/800 sec @ f6.3 – ISO 100
• Lens focal distance – 700mm
• Partial metering
• Shutter priority

Along the ponds there an abundance of reeds.  In those reeds we saw a large proliferation of Marsh Wrens (Cistothorus palustris).

Marsh Wren

• Canon EOS 7D with Canon 100-400mm zoom lens
• 1/1250 sec. @ f5/6 minus 2/3 EV adjustment – ISO 400
• Lens focal distance – 340mm
• Spot metering
• Shutter priority

A  side note to this story.  Late last night I received an e-mail from Suzanne Johnson.  She and Sid made another trip to the ponds after dinner and saw four Soras (Porzanna carolina).  They are the first ever to be seen in that area.

Click on any image to see an enlargement.  To see more of my photography click the Flickr Logo at the right side of this page.