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GRAPHIC – Feeding Raptor

Found this hawk feeding away on a rodent at Anahuac NWR.  These shots were taken out the car window and was able to get very close to him.  He was more interested in eating breakfast than me taking his picture.  I screwed up and had my camera set to +1 exp compensation for flight shots and didn’t adjust it until later in this series.  Got several shots that were too blown out on the whites.  Should have known better but got a little excited coming upon this scene that I didn’t pay enough attention to what I was doing.  Also had to change memory cards.  There were lots of weeds around him and some of the best graphic shots have too many weeds in front of him.  Still a good time and even got some shots of him cleaning his talons.  A car came by and spooked him which allowed for some full frame flight shots.

All taken with Canon 7d and 100-400 lens, hand held out the car window

1/800 sec @ F5.6, +1 exp comp., ISO 320, spot metering, no flash

1/800 sec @ F6.3, +2/3 exp comp., ISO 250, spot metering, no flash

1/800 sec @ F6.3, +2/3 exp comp., ISO 250, spot metering, no flash

1/1600 sec @ F6.3, +1/3 exp comp., ISO 250, spot metering, no flash

1/2,000 sec @ F7.1, +1/3 exp comp., ISO 250, spot metering, no flash

Posted by  |  March 13, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: , | 4 Comments

Brazos Bend at Sunrise

Made another road trip to Brazos Bend State Park last weekend.  Not much happening there but still a good time to get out.  Tried sitting down on the bank with the tripod and was able to get the Grebe with wings spread

All taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens

1/2000 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, spot metering, no flash

1/2000 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, spot metering, no flash

1/2500 sec @ F5.6, ISO 250, spot metering, no flash

1/640 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, + 2/3 exposure comp., spot metering, no flash

1/1250 sec @ F5.6, ISO 400, + 2/3 exp. comp, spot metering, flash @ -3 stops with better beamer

Posted by  |  March 10, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: , | 2 Comments

Snowy Egret Fishing

From the 2010 archives, here is a series of shots taken at Bolivar Flats of a Snowy Egret fishing.  This was a great day at Bolivar with Snowy’s and Reddish Egrets everywhere.  Haven’t seen this much concentrated activity since then.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens on ground pod

1/3,200 to 1/5,000 sec @F5.6, + 2/3 exp. comp, ISO 200, spot metering, no flash

Posted by  |  March 5, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 4 Comments

Willet

A few Willet shots from a recent trip to Bolivar Flats with Sheldon.  Trying to go back as much as possible before it gets too warm to wear the waders.  Took these shortly after the sun came up.  Got a few decent reflection shots from a standing position but liked the colors much better after getting down low.  Got good color reflecting from the shoreline.

All taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens on ground pod.

1/16oo sec @ F5.6, +2/3 exp comp, ISO 250, spot metering, no flash (it broke)

1/8oo sec @ F5.6, +2/3 exp comp, ISO 250, spot metering, no flash (it broke)

1/8oo sec @ F5.6, +2/3 exp comp, ISO 250, spot metering, no flash (it broke)

1/16oo sec @ F5.6, +2/3 exp comp, ISO 250, spot metering, no flash (it broke)

Posted by  |  March 1, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 4 Comments

Foggy Background

Here are a few more shots of the fog from Bolivar.  After the sunrise shots, you could see the tops of the Galveston buildings stick up through the fog along with some ships coming into port.

Posted by  |  February 28, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | Leave a comment

Foggy Sunrise

The fog was very thick all the way to Bolivar.  The sun peaked through the fog  just as I had hoped.  I laid down to catch the Godwit’s and the moved to the poles to get the Great Blue Heron on its perch.  The sun was fairly high up for the GBH shot so I had to use more negative exposure compensation to keep the sun from blowing out too much.  Interesting tip about the 7D, you can go beyond the -3 stops in exposure compensation that shows on the camera.  If you keep turning the dial, you can get much lower.  The 3rd photo was taken at -5.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens

1/6400 sec @ F10, ISO 200, -3 exp. comp., evaluative metering, ground pod

1/1600 sec @ F8, ISO 200, -1 2/3 exp. comp., evaluative metering, ground pod

1/8000 sec @ F7.1, ISO 100, -5 exp. comp., evaluative metering, hand held

1/1600 sec @ F7.1, ISO 250, evaluative metering, hand held

Posted by  |  February 27, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: , , | 2 Comments

San Antonio Airshow

Along with wildlife, my other passion is airshows.  Here are a few shots from last year’s San Antonio Airshow.  Got my 100-400 lens for airshows and learned that is works well for birds too.  Guess that I like flying things of all types.  I’ve been making the drive to San Antonio for a few years now, especially since they have had the F-22 while Houston is still waiting for it to show up.  The F-22 is an awesome plane to watch and photograph.  Can’t wait to go back this year.

 

Posted by  |  February 24, 2011 | Categories: Airshow | Tags: , | 2 Comments

Cooterville

Here are some shots from last weekend at Brazos Bend of the resident coots.  Found a decent spot to camp out along 40 acre lake and sat down with my tripod for about 1.5 hrs on Sat and Sun.  Around sunrise, the coots come across the trail and head into the water and then the run out into the main part of the lake through the two openings in the far bank.  I”ve always like to try to catch them while they are running on the water.  Had to switch to the minimum focus distance on the 100-400 on the close up shots as they were very close.  They are kind of cute close up with the ivory colored bill and red forehead and eyes.

Posted by  |  February 22, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 1 Comment

Sprinting Moorhen

Made my first trip back to Brazos Bend State Park in a few months on Sat and found lots of fog but no sun.  I love when it is foggy but it helps to have the sun shining through it.  Saturday was just fog and clouds.  Tried to make the best of it by sitting on my keester for about 1.5 hrs along the bank at 40 acre lake.  Worked on getting some slow shutter speed shots of Coots as they ran by and ended up finding this enthusiastic Moorhen as well.

Taken with Canon 7D and 100-400 lens, no flash

1/50 sec @ F5.6, +2/3 exposure compensation, spot metering, ISO 500

Posted by  |  February 20, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Tags: | 2 Comments

Galveston Featherfest Photo Contest

It’s that time of year again for the Galveston Featherfest photo contest.  I’ve had some success in the contest in recent years and I’d encourage everyone who shoots in Galveston and surrounding counties to enter.  It’s a weekly contest so you can enter two photos every week for four weeks.  Here is the press release.

Feb. 14, 2011                                                 

                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                            

Photography Now a Big Part of FeatherFest

Bird Photo Contest Call for Entries

 

GALVESTON ISLAND, Texas (Feb. 14, 2011) – Entries are now being accepted for the FeatherFest Photo Contest held in conjunction with Galveston’s annual birding, nature and photography festival.

Individuals are invited to submit images of birds taken in Galveston or adjacent counties. Entries for Week 1 are due Tuesday, March 1. Contest details are outlined below.

Photographers also have an opportunity to participate in PhotoFest, the track of field trips and workshops held April 7 through 9 during FeatherFest that are designed for photographers of all skill levels.

After last year’s near sell-out debut, PhotoFest 2011 offers new programs led by professional photography instructors. PhotoFest events are presented this year by Houston Camera Exchange.

            In addition, a wide variety of cameras and equipment will be featured at Birders’ Bazaar, the festival’s free public trade show and nature arts and crafts market place.

“Photography has become an important part of FeatherFest, and the photo contest gets bigger and better every year,” said Barbara Rabek, co-leader with Steve Upperman of both the competition and PhotoFest.

“Photographers are always taking pictures of the amazing birds that live in the area or migrate through, and this organized competition is a good way to recognize their efforts. This is the contest’s fifth year, and it’s a perfect fit with FeatherFest and PhotoFest.”

First-, second-  and third-place winning photos from four weekly contests in March will be published in The Daily News and on the FeatherFest Web site. A Grand Prize winning photo will be

selected from these winners and published in early April.

The photo contest is presented by The Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council in partnership with The Daily News and the Bay Area Photo Club. Photo club members will judge the entries, drawing on their photography and competition expertise.    

Photo Contest Rules:

  • Photos must be of birds from Galveston or adjacent counties.
  • Photos must be e-mailed to photofest2011@gmail.com by 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, 8, 15 and 22 to be included in photos being judged for the following Tuesday edition of The Daily News.
  • Two photos per week may be submitted and must arrive in separate e-mails.
  • Photos must be in JPEG format at 300 dpi and not larger than 6 MB. 
  • Images may be cropped, sharpened, color adjusted and/or altered in other minor ways.
  • Images may not be collages or blends of more than one image.  
  • Photos must be accompanied with the photographer’s name; title of photo; name of bird(s) in photo; and location where photo was taken.
  • First-, second- and third-place winners will be selected each week for four weeks. A Grand Prize photo will be selected from the four weekly first-place winners.   
  • A photographer may not win more than one first, second or third place during the four weeks.
  • Photographers who submit an entry grant The Galveston County Daily News and The Galveston Island Nature Tourism Counsel a limited license to publish and display the photo and to use it in promotional materials without compensation.

On the Web: http://www.galvestonfeatherfest.com/PhotoContest.php

Posted by  |  February 15, 2011 | Categories: Birds | Leave a comment