Canon EF 300mm f2.8L IS USM

While setting up the pop-up blind close to the bird feeders this afternoon Willard added a new twist to the day's shoot by offering me the use of his new Canon EF 300mm f2.8L IS USM with 1.4x extender.  I was quick to accept his offer.  With his lens locked onto my camera I settled in and soon the feeders were swarming with birds filling up for the long cold night ahead. 

I have been shooting this location quite a bit lately with my Canon 30D and the Canon 100-400mm.  The images captured today would allow a good comparison between the two lenses.

The images displayed on this post were all shot at ISO 200 F5.0.  Shutter speed from 1/60th to 1/200th according to lighting conditions.

My first impression of this lens drawn from this afternoon shoot and the review of the images captured is WOW!  The incredible detail & sharpness will probably keep me up at nights trying to figure out how in the world I can squeeze one into the family budget and still have a family :)

Blue Jay: Rapid Fire

As noted in the previous post I usually shoot high-speed continuous when photographing wildlife.  Poses and expressions change far to quickly for me to successfully capture just the right moment otherwise; thank God for digital!

In this series a Blue Jay landed between the natural feeders striking different poses as it checked me out trying to decide if it was safe to put its head into the woodpecker hole to retrieve some food.

This particular perch is a favorite of mine because of the beautiful brown tones imparted by the dead poke and the more muted browns and grays found on the tree parts.  Heavily clouded skies provided very even lighting for this series. 

I'm happy with all of these images so please tell me which raucous Blue Jay shot you like most.

Feeder Action Shots

Bird action at the feeders is often frantic as most of you visiting here know so well.  Trying to catch birds in good portrait poses requires patience along with shooting many many frames, I usually shoot burst with the camera set on high-speed continuous which sometimes results in catching birds as they begin flight.  Here a Black-eyed Junco lifts one foot as it begins to take flight. 

One Tufted Titmouse peers intently at the feeders as another seems to fall off its perch.

Without so much as lifting its wings a Junco hops across the top of an upright snag.

Seasons End 2010

With the weather report calling for cold & calm Saturday my fishing buddy and I decided to make our last foray for Chesapeake Bay stripers.  Arriving at the marina, the frosty air and the snow lying in the boat made us wonder about our sanity but two other boats were in line ahead of us to launch so at least we knew we were not the only nut cases heading out.

Water temps had dropped to between 39 & 43 degrees giving the striped bass a good case of lock-jaw.  Trolling from 7:30 am to 3pm produced only one strike, a fat 20"er to end the season with.

The high point of the day occurred when I noticed two birds circling and diving quite a distance away.  Since surfacing bait fish draws birds, gulls, terns, and gannets; diving birds frequently lead the way to great fishing action.  With anticipation I headed the boat towards the action and began scanning the birds through binoculars.  I was very surprised to see that the two birds were mature Bald Eagles!  Soon the eagles were joined by a few gannets and although the gannets circled they did not dive as the eagles.  As we neared the location we began noticing a disturbance in the water preceding each eagle dive but each time the eagles would come up with empty talons.

Upon our arrival at the location the eagles flew away and I watched the sonar intently looking for the school of fish I was expecting to see but the water was empty.  My puzzlement continued until a lone coot popped up beside the boat.  There was no doubt as to what we had just observed.  The eagles had been attempting to catch the coot which was evading each of their attacks by diving.  The eagles were circling about waiting for the coot to come up for air and each time it did they were launching their attacks. 

I suppose our arrival was welcomed by the coot, possibly savings its life but leaving the eagles hungry and having to look elsewhere for a meal.  I wish I could have photographed the eagles, but I was only carrying a little P&S camera, not wishing to subject the DSLR to the rigors of salt spray.

The day wrapped up my fishing for this season and the eagles gave me a great memory to take with me into the long winter months.

First Snow at the Feeder

 The seasons first accumulating snow passed through our area late this morning leaving slippery roads in its wake.  It wasn't much of a snow, maybe one-half inch at best but it sure did make travel treacherous for a little while.  While vehicle travel was impeded on the roadways, bird traffic really picked up at our feeders.

I took the opportunity to once again set up the pop-up blind near the feeders in my continuing quest for close-up bird shots.  A Dark-eyed Junco posed momentarily on a log no more than 10 feet from the front of the lens.

A White-throated Sparrow dutifully waits its turn at the hollow log feeder as chickadees, tufted titmice, white-breasted nuthatches and cardinals swarm about.

The blind is allowing me to get closer to the birds than was possible from an exposed position.  The birds certainly know that I am there as they watch me swing the camera and frequently make eye contact.  I believe that their greater level of trust is because with the blind enclosing me they perceive me as being restrained and less threatening.  I am enjoying shooting at the closer distances giving me an added level of sharpness and image detail not to mention the added protection from the winter winds.

Mourning Dove Closeup and More

Another close up image from my feeder session using the pop-up blind came when a Mourning Dove lit on a nearby log.  Doves are ground feeders and will not perch on our naturalized feeders; perferring to forage on the seed that other birds have scattered on the ground.  Other species like the fox and white-throat sparrows share the doves preference for ground feeding making it more difficult to photograph them well as compared to the perching birds.

Birds are not the only critters to visit the feeders as can be seen here with one eye looking out of woodpecker hole.   

 To my knowledge the Pileated Woodpeckers are the only woodpecker species in our area who chisel rectangular holes. 

Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker

A pair of Northern Yellow-shafted Flickers were surprise visitors to the bird feeding area.  As these birds feed primarily on insect they are not attracted to our offering of various seeds. 

While waiting in the pop-up blind I described in the previous post the female flicker dropped in to perch momentarily on the broken poke stalks. 

A moment later she hopped onto a branch and began watching the standing tree beside her perch.

As she continued watching I noticed the male scaling the standing tree searching for a meal.  The male was partially concealed by branches and never gave me an opportunity for a good photograph.

In less than two minutes the encounter was over as the pair flew away but in that short time I had captured eighteen images; three of which you see here. 

Blue Jays up Close

After watching the Blue Jays visit the feeders from a distance only to have them stop coming to the feeders when I set up within suitable range for my 400mm lens I decided to try a different approach today.  After erecting my old Ameristep Outhouse blind in a suitable location and opening the front window just enough to shoot through the Jays quickly accepted the blind and returned to feeding.  They were a little apprehensive about the camera & lens movement but still comfortable enough to allow me to photograph them extensively.

My goal when photographing any wildlife is to capture it in as natural a stetting as possible.  Our feeders for the most part are made of hollow logs with natural knot and woodpecker holes.  However the most natural shots come when the birds perch on surrounding brush and weeds. 

This Blue Jay chose to perch on the weathered and broken poke stems that grow beside one feeder. 

I am extremely pleased with the results obtained in these two images which may be my very best Blue Jay shots ever.

Blue Jays were not the only birds who responded well to the use of the blind and I will be sharing some of those images in the coming days.

For more Critters of all Kinds

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Wingshooting Doves

I remember back years ago when I tried hunting doves.  Hitting these fast flying lightweights with a shotgun was no easy task.

While photographing feeder birds this week the doves began landing nearby.  Always ready for a new photographic challange I began trying to capture them on the wing as they arrived.

This dove came in fast making a U turn then folding its wings as it plopped down in the meadow to begin feeding.  I thought hitting doves with a shotgun was difficult back in the day; it was nothing compared with trying to keep them in the viewfinder, maintain focus and capture a decent image.   

These images do not measure up to the quality I normally post here at Country Captures but considering the difficulty of the subject I felt it fitting to share what I have accomplished to date.  Getting a truly good image of a dove landing or taking flight remains an unrealized goal. 

Clearing Skies

With rain today, heavy rain forecast for tonight through tomorrow and lowland flooding possible I am looking forward to clearing skies.

I captured this image as the skies began to clear near sundown after our Thanksgiving day storm.

Deer season is in full swing here.  So far I have not heard of any hunting accidents in our area.  I don't ever remember a first day with as little gunfire as I heard Monday, even on stormy days, and Monday was picture perfect weather!