Clutching the remains of a fish he caught, an osprey takes off out of a nest after he delivered dinner to his nesting mate, Mono Lake, CA. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 1600. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/320 sec. at f/5.6
Last week I took a photography trip to the eastern Sierra to capture some spring time action over there. I went with a photographer friend to the south end of Mono Lake in hopes of a great sunset. Unfortunately, the skies were clear and the light was flat. Instead of a lasting sunset glow, it was as if someone just turned out the lights.
Fortunately, there were two pairs of osprey nesting near the shore in large nests built on top of two tufa towers. Just before dusk, the males came in close to the nests with fresh-caught fish. We had a brief show during which they perched on nearby tufa towers, enjoying their dinner, before they returned to the nests to deliver what was left to their respective mates.
An osprey clutches the remains of a fish in its talon as it perches on top of a tufa tower, Mono Lake, CA
During this time, the sun set and the light left. However, just before it got completely dark, I managed to get a shot of one of the males leaving the nest with the rest of the fish dinner. Because the sun was well over the horizon, it back lit the birds. I knew I could not get enough detail on the birds, so I underexposed and went with a full silhouette, emphasizing the graphical shape of the osprey taking off.
A burrowing owl sits in its burrow surveying the surrounding area. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 200. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/500 sec. at f/8
I took this photo last week of a local burrowing owl, whose burrow I had discovered the week before when out scouting with a couple of local birders. Since the light was poor that day, I returned later to get the bird in the nice warm light of sunrise.
I found the owl sitting upright in the burrow, not crouched low as I’ve seen other owls. He seemed quite comfortable with my presence. He was situated on the edge of a golf course, and I was able to photograph him while standing on a paved road, so I’m guessing that he is quite used to people being in the vicinity. I was careful not to approach too closely however, as the too much human contact with a burrow has been known to displace owls permanently. As much as I liked the lighting and the photos, he never did pop out of his hole, and I wanted to try to get photos of him up out of the ground.
A burrowing owl perches on a tree branch above its burrow at sunrise. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 500. Evaluative metering -2/3: 1/250 sec. at f/5.6
I returned two mornings later, this time a half hour earlier, so I could be there for day break. As I approached, I was excited to see the owl perched on a low branch of a nearby tree. I photographed the owl as the sun rose behind me, lighting the bird like a spotlight, while leaving the background dark. In order to compensate for a much brighter bird than the background, I had to dial down my exposure compensation to -2/3 of a stop, so as not to blow out the highlights of the owl.
In order to keep the ISO as low as possible, I opened up to the lens’ maximum aperture (5.6), knowing that with the owl’s fairly flat features, I could still get its entire face sharp at that depth of field. The shutter speed was just fast enough to photograph without needing to lock down the gimbal head of my tripod. However, because my subject wasn’t moving, I didn’t have to pan the lens with the bird, so I locked it down anyway, eliminating any chance of lens shake.
Soon after the photo above was taken, the sun rose higher in the sky and was casting small shadows into the owl’s large eyes. Sometimes the lighting is perfect for a given situation only for a few moments. While the owl was still in the tree at the time I left that morning, I knew it would only be a matter of time before it returned to its burrow for the day.
A greter white-fronted goose walks through a field of grass and white flowers. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/1600 sec. at f/8
Canada Geese are everywhere around the San Francisco Bay. And I mean everywhere. This year-round resident breeds throughout the bay area and infests parks, lakes, sidewalks, and streets. The geese are so ubiquitous, that most people just block them out and ignore them. But every once in a while it pays to scan flock of Canada Geese – you might just find one that sticks out.
Such is the case with the Greater White-fronted Goose, which (at least in my area) tends to hang out with larger groups of Canada Geese. They are slightly uncommon for the area, but in the winter you might find one or two with their Canada brethren. A singular Ross’s or Snow Goose can also be found mixing it up with Canada Geese, as can the Cackling Goose, which looks almost identical to a Canada Goose, except that it is the size of a mallard.
A greater white-fronted goose stands for a head and shoulder portrait. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/1600 sec. at f/8
I found this goose in a local park along the bay. I set up a little ways away and waited for him to separate from all the Canada Geese so that I could get some solo shots. He was quite cooperative, posing occasionally for some portraits like the photo above. I used an aperture of f/8 in order to have enough depth of field to cover his entire body. If I kept the aperture large and focused on his eye, the close edge of his round body would likely have been out of focus.
A male blue-winged teal is mirrored in the glassy water surface. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/400 sec. at f/8
Things have been pretty busy for me lately, with a quick vacation out of the country and running here and there to capture migrant birds as they pass through the area. I did manage to get some photos processed of a late departure – the blue-winged teal. There is a small pond near my house (local birders know it as “Radio Road”) that is one the best places in the Bay Area to view blue-winged teals in the winter. Several pairs are usually present and can often be viewed quite closely.
I saw this male in prime photographing position when I was out running. I find that running is a great way to scout out the miles of shoreline near my house to see where specific birds might be found later in the day. If he would just remain in the same general area for a while longer, I could finish my run and grab my camera.
A male blue-winged teal perches on an underwater rock. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 500. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/1600 sec. at f/8
When I returned later in the day, he was still sitting in the same spot sleeping. Several other photographers had recognized this great opportunity as well and had set up shop nearby. Now the waiting game began. I needed him to wake up! I got in a comfortable position, sitting on the ground behind the tripod with its legs splayed out so as to get as low as possible. After about 15 minutes, one of the other photographers gave up and left. You can only take so many photos of a sleeping bird!
Finally the teal woke up, preened for a while, and swam around close to shore, feeding on submerged vegetation. The lighting was perfect, with the sun just starting to set behind me. I felt slightly bad for the absent photographer because I know I’ve been that guy before. The more experienced I become, the more I realize that patience is one of the most important virtues of wildlife photography.
