pond – Page 8

March 31, 2011January 14, 2013

Breeding American Avocets

Spring is in the air, and so is the reproductive instinct of many local bird species. I had the opportunity recently to photograph an American avocet pair copulating, and was able to record the interesting mating dance that occurred immediately afterward. Remaining monogamous throughout the breeding season, this pair will soon likely select a local nest site, or migrate north to nest (avocets are both migratory and year-round residents of the SF bay area).

The female avocet signals that she's ready to receive the male by standing with her head close to the water with the beak straight out in front. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1: 1/800 sec. at f/8

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As they begin, the female signals to the male that she’s ready by standing alert with her head low and forward, close to the water. The male stands next to his mate, or directly behind her.

The male avocet mounts the female from behind. The act of copulation lasts only a few seconds. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1: 1/800 sec. at f/8

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In one quick motion, the males jumps up onto the female’s back. Breeding only lasts a few seconds, during which time the male flaps his wings repeatedly. Just as quickly, he jumps down again.

Immediately after copulation, the avocets cross beaks. Holding them in this position, they walk in a tight circle two or three times. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1: 1/640 sec. at f/8

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Immediately after copulation, the avocets turn toward each other and cross beaks. Each bill rests against the other’s neck, with the male standing slightly taller than the female. Holding this position, they walk in several tight circles.

Soon after the avocet pair copulates, they promenade side-by-side in a straight line. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1: 1/800 sec. at f/8

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Once the circles are completed, they march off together side-by-side. I always find it fascinating to watch these intricate rituals that have developed over thousands of years.

Rising out of the water, an american avocet flaps its wings to dry them off. — Rising out of the water, an american avocet flaps its wings in the air. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +1/3: 1/1600 sec. at f/7.1

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February 22, 2011January 14, 2013

Quite A Mouthful (Photo of the week)

The bill of a brown pelican balloons underwater as it scoops the water for fish. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/640 sec. at f/7.1

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This week’s photo features a brown pelican fishing. What impressed me about this photos is just how big the pelican’s throat pouch balloons underwater. Often we just see the head as it comes up full of water (and hopefully fish), but here we can see the bill before any water starts to drain. Brown pelicans often dive for their food, whereas other pelican species prefer to scoop prey just below the surface of the water. Once the bill is above water, it must drain before the pelican can swallow what’s left over. During this time, fish can sometimes be seen jumping out of the throat pouch for freedom. In addition, other birds sometimes take this opportunity to steal fish out of the pelican’s mouth.

January 19, 2011January 14, 2013

Thinking digitally

A juvenile black-crowned night heron perches among reeds along the edge of a pond. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/320 sec. at f/8

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I little while ago I found myself in a situation in which I could not have gotten the shot I wanted had I been using film. After being tipped off by a friend, I found this nice looking juvenile black-crowned night heron in some reeds next to a pond. The shoreline was such that in order to get the proper frontal lighting on the heron, with a small angle of inclination between the lens view and the ground, I had to be right up close to him. Luckily, he seemed in no hurry to move, nor did he seem to care about my presence. While this distance was great for making tight head shots like the photo above, there was no way I could “back up” and capture any habitat around the bird.

Then I started thinking digitally. I knew that if I was careful in my photographing, I could take multiple photos and stitch them together later, creating the illusion of a wider angle. An added benefit would be a huge image file, which I could later print at very large sizes if I wanted to.

The process of taking the photos was very similar to the process I use for creating stitched panoramas – set the camera to manual exposure, fix the focus so that it is constant for all images, and fire away. The difference was that instead of moving left to right in a single line, my goal was for an aspect ratio close to a normal 35 mm photograph (2:3). In this case, I created two columns of three photos. I didn’t worry about lining up the overlap perfectly – I just eyeballed it.

Note that this only worked because my subject was completely stationary. If the heron was moving at all, the photos would not have lined up well and the stitched image wouldn’t have been successful. It probably took between five to ten seconds to capture all six shots, which I then stitched in Photoshop, creating the 50 megapixel image below.

Composed of six separate images (two columns of three shots), this stitched photo is 50 megapixels. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 800. Evaluative metering 0 EV: 1/250 sec. at f/8

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Even though I found myself in a position where I was “too close” (don’t worry, I’m not complaining – its a GREAT problem to have!), I was able to think digitally to solve my problem. By combining multiple shots, I was able to virtually “back up” and capture a wider shot of the heron.

January 16, 2011January 14, 2013

Green Heron (Photo of the week)

A green heron walks along the rocky shore of a water channel. Canon 800mm f/5.6L IS lens with the EOS-7D. ISO 400. Evaluative metering +2/3: 1/800 sec. at f/7.1

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Yesterday I finally got some good views of a green heron that has been reported in Redwood Shores, CA over the past few weeks. I had been out looking several times to no avail, as this is a somewhat uncommon bird for the area. He was perched across a narrow man-made water channel in decent light. Once I moved down to water level to photograph, he began walking along the shoreline with his crest extended. At first I though I might have interrupted his solitude, but he turned and paced back and forth in front of me for a while. He was probably just looking for a better place to fish.