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September 25, 2018March 10, 2019

Hopin’ For Hoopoes

As I rounded the bend in a trail in Parc de l’Oreneta in Barcelona, I drew an audible gasp, my eyes widening in surprise. There on the ground about 30 yards in front of me was a hoopoe, digging through dead leaves and tree litter looking for his morning meal. I had been looking for this bird for the last five years, and finally, here it was quite unexpectedly in front of me! Having decorated the cover of a “birds of the world” guide on my bookshelf, the hoopoe’s beautiful feather characteristics caught my eye. Ever since, I have been hoping to photograph one in the wild. I searched for one in both Africa and India, but to no avail. For some reason, it didn’t even make my radar for target birds on this trip to Spain, yet here it was on a quiet Saturday morning in a city park.

A Eurasian hoopoe hunts through the grass for a morning snack, Parc de l’Oreneta, Barcelona, Spain.

Unfortunately, my stalking skills could not overcome this bird’s awareness, and it flew off before I could get better than distant identifying shots. No matter – I was thrilled to know this species was here, and I planned to be back in the park bright and early the next morning.

The next morning, I spent some time in an open clearing, hoping to get a hoopoe perched in the rising sun. After about an hour of searching and waiting (meanwhile photographing the many monk parakeets that dotted the trees), I decided to move into the forested part of the park. Knowing the hoopoe is a ground feeder, I picked a primitive trail, hoping to stay away from morning joggers along the larger gravel and dirt roads. The ground sloped uphill to the left of the trail, and that is where I focused my search. Soon, the rustling of leaves alerted me to a hoopoe poking through forest detritus scattered along the hillside.

A Eurasian hoopoe perches on a stout branch, Parc de l’Oreneta, Barcelona, Spain.

As I moved closer, it flushed to a nearby tree branch. I was able to get some safety shots of the hoopoe, but it was still skittish and constantly scanning its surroundings. I knew I should not get closer, and had to try a completely different approach. I moved further down the trail, then straight up the hill through the forest, lugging my 13 pound camera rig over my shoulder. Now I was able to move down the hill toward the hoopoe from a different direction. It had moved from the first branch, but looked much more relaxed in its second perch.

A Eurasian hoopoe perches on a stout branch, Parc de l’Oreneta, Barcelona, Spain.

I was able to create some wonderful portraits with a relaxed hoopoe in full view. However, I didn’t yet have the iconic hoopoe shot that I was after. With my heart beating in my chest, I slowed my breath and waited. After several minutes, the bird finally stretched out its wing as it prepared for a nap on the branch.

Stretching a wing, a Eurasian hoopoe displays its beautiful crest plumage, Parc de l’Oreneta, Barcelona, Spain.

With the stretch came that amazing crest of feathers along the top of its head. My shutter fired and I knew I had the shot I had spend 5 years hoping for.

Gear I used to create the photos in this post:

November 22, 2017March 10, 2019

Fall Birds Along The San Francisco Bay

A bewick's wren perches on a narrow branch, Redwood Shores, CA.

Winter is coming to the SF Bay Area, and so are the wonderful variety of wintering birds. I set out on a recent afternoon to see what the winds have brought in, and to capture some of these winged denizens in beautiful golden light. Looking back through the day’s photos though, I realized that most of what I saw were year-round birds. Oh well, even if I didn’t see a typical winter’s variety, the winter months always tend to be a bit more “birdy” around here.

A european starling perches on the top of an ornamental bush, Redwood Shores, CA.

First up on the list was a young European starling. Yes, I know, some consider this more or less a garbage bird, but if you see a good specimen in nice light, it can make a rather pleasent photo.

A double-crested cormorant swims through still water, Redwood Shores, CA.

The next bird I spent time with is a very popular one along the bay – the double-crested cormorant. I got some nice close-up shots has this one swam back and forth, diving for food.

A double-crested cormorant flies low over the water, Redwood Shores, CA.

My patience with this commoner was rewarded with some decent take-off and flight shots. Birds in flight are more than a little difficult to shoot with my 800mm beast. So I always give a thank you to those who take off slowly, giving my ample time to track them with autofocus.

A green heron stands in iceplant next to a water channel, Redwood Shores, CA.

Green herons are pretty common around my house, but are usually seen only by the most avid birders. You wouldn’t think it from the photograph, but these guys can really blend into the rocks and vegetation surrounding the water channels. If they aren’t moving, they are very hard to spot, even when scanning a shoreline with a scope. Therefore, it is always a treat when I do see one and can get close enough for decent photographs.

A sooty fox sparrow perches on a small branch, Redwood Shores, CA.

Fox sparrows have a wide range, which includes both breeding and wintering in the Bay Area. However, I’ve seen them more commonly in the winter. These guys are definitely more rare than some of the most common sparrows, and I was happy to catch one on camera as it stopped for a few quick seconds on a branch.

A bewick's wren perches on a narrow branch, Redwood Shores, CA. — A bewick’s wren perches on a narrow branch, Redwood Shores, CA.

I’m always happy to see these wrens flitting about. They are uncommon enough to warrant excitement, and it was nice to capture one in a natural environment. I have a family of Bewick’s wrens that visit my front yard, but photographs of bird feeders are relegated to my stock collection.

A white-crowned sparrow perches on the top of a bush, Redwood Shores, CA.

White-crowned sparrows are very common during the winter along the bay, but are not seen here in the summer months. However, they are year round residents just over the hill along the coast. Seeing white-crowned sparrows often reminds me of the diversity of San Mateo county and how you can see an entirely different ecosystem of birds by traveling a few short miles.

A great egret stands next to a water channel, looking for fish, Redwood Shores, CA.

Finally, I rounded out my afternoon with the big daddy of the marsh, the great egret. They are very common, but also beautiful. Here I found a nice looking specimen so I spent a little time photographing him. Overall, it was a pretty birdy afternoon – I’m looking forward to the influx of wintering waterfowl that will bring great visual variety to the area.

Gear I used to create the photos in this post:

September 7, 2017March 10, 2019

Bird On A Wire – Birds Of Ontario

On a trip to Ontario Canada a while back, I was able to spend some time photographing some of the area’s local birds, knowing that many of what I found there would be new species to me. I quickly found a few local residents, but as my time was short, I wasn’t able to get all of them without man-made elements in the frame.

An eastern kingbird perches on a wire fence, Wolf Island, Ontario, Canada.

The first such local was an eastern kingbird. He was perched right next to a country road, at perfect eye level with my lens, which was resting on a bean bag sitting in an open window. Often bean bags are the best supports from which to shoot from a vehicle, especially if you want the opportunity to shoot out both sides of the car. Often Kerry is kind enough to drive slowly (and as quietly as possible) down country roads while I keep the back seat to myself and move back and forth between the rear windows as required.

I usually try to capture birds in more natural environments, but there were no trees nearby, there was a perfect distant background, and I had no time to wait for a better perch.

A female bobolink perches on a wire fence, Wolf Island, Ontario, Canada.

The second bird I photographed in the same area (and yes, perched on a similar wire fence to the first bird) was a female bobolink. I saw several males in the area as well, but they stayed farther from the road and I didn’t get any worthwhile photos of them. It is always difficult identifying female species as the coloring can be quite different than the males. Since males typically have more differentiating colors, species are usually described using the males’ attributes instead of the females. To identify female birds, I often troll through hundreds of photos after guessing at the species, or at least narrowing down the family of bird.

A mute swan swims through calm water in a wetland, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

I also got some decent photos of a mute swan, and finally without distracting “hand of man” elements! Mute swans are native to Europe and Asia, but have established sizable populations in the coastal areas of the Great Lakes. I felt lucky to see one in the wild, as I’d never find one on the west coast of the US.

An osprey flies with wings stretched, Wolf Island, Ontario, Canada.

My last bird for the day was not a new species for me, but who can’t marvel at a beautiful osprey in flight? The local area had erected several nesting towers to encourage the birds to raise their young here. This osprey had chicks in the nest, and gave me lots of great flight shots as it flew to and from the nest.

An osprey perches on the edge of a man-made nest tower, Wolf Island, Ontario, Canada.

Here the osprey is perched at the edge of its nesting tower, looking majestic.

It is always fun to travel to new areas for nature photography. While landscape photography dictates that you continually visit new areas, bird and wildlife photography can often be done closer to home. Closer to home, you often have much more time with an animal, but with traveling, nothing beats the thrill of seeing what’s around the next corner.

Gear I used to create the photos in this post:

January 18, 2016February 15, 2017

2015 Round-up – Top 40 Photos Of The Year

I recently finished compiling my top 40 picks from the last 12 months. The gallery is an assortment of my various trips and outings, including trips to India, Mexico and Canada. As always, there is a mixture of bird, wildlife and landscape, including some previously unpublished.

Please enjoy the gallery below. For best viewing (especially if viewing on a mobile device), please click on the following photo:

The sun sets behind the western horizon, casting the offshore sea stacks into shadow, Bandon, Oregon

To view the gallery, click here to see individual photos.

If you are interested in compilations from previous years, please see the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 lists.