Sirfishalot's Blog

May 17th, 2013 – Avian Friday: Mr. Mallard

Sirfishalot — Sat, 18 May 2013 06:13:52 +0000

With as many waterfowl species we have here the Pacific Northwest, you would think that I spend more time photographing them. I guess we tend to take them for granted somewhat though they are beautiful birds in their own right. i haven’t tried very much to capture them in flight which really displays the beauty of their plumage, especially the males. I’ll have to make more of an effort to capture some more in-flight images of these guys.

For this Mallard I was testing out the new firmware update for the Canon 5D MkIII. It provides improvement to the autofocus system when using lens apertures as small as f/8 which is great for us wildlife shooters who use teleconverters. I don’t have the most current ones so I really couldn’t tell much difference using the 2X on the 500/4, but with the 1.4X the AF seemed to be quite a bit better. This duck was quite a distance off and the camera did a nice job of maintaining the focus point on the bird. I guess a better test will come later this summer during hummingbird season.

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)

Seattle, Washington
700mm | 1/1400th Sec. @f/7.1 | ISO 500

Canon 5D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM + 1.4X Rear Adapter

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Define & ColorEfx.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

May 10th, 2013 a Avian Friday: Tree Swallow

Sirfishalot — Sat, 11 May 2013 05:16:26 +0000

Now is the time of year when I usually get pumped up for getting out to do some serious bird photography. The only problem is now this thing called work has severely limited my time to strictly being able to shoot only on the weekends. But in my case that is a good thing, especially since I’m back working in the career I was trained and have my college degrees in.:)

Anyway, here is another shot from my last outing a couple of days before returning to the office. The Swallows are out in good numbers and always fascinating to watch their aerial acrobatics. I didn’t try for any flight shots that day, but this little fella was perched nicely within range so I tried to position myself to include a decent background to take advantage of its pose. These swallows nest primarily in the cavities of trees as well as in nest boxes. If I have a chance to get out this weekend, I might see if I can manage some in-flight action and some other species of Swallows.

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor )
Seattle Washington
700mm | 1/320th Sec. @f/10.0 | ISO 400

Canon 1D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM + EFS 1.4X Rear Extender

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Software Suite.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

May 3rd, 2013 – Avian Friday: Red-Winged Blackbird

Sirfishalot — Sat, 04 May 2013 04:42:54 +0000

Spring is in full effect here in the Pacific Northwest and that means a lot more opportunity for nature photography. One particular bird that is in abundance here is the Red-winged Blackbird. The males; as with most bird species, are the more colorful but the female red-wings are beautiful in their own right. When I spotted this one foraging in amongst the apple tree blossoms it seemed like a perfect backdrop to frame her plumage. Of course she wouldn’t stand still for a few seconds for the perfect pose and I was quickly running out of patience at the end of the morning shoot.

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Seattle Washington
700mm | 1/800th Sec. @f/8.0 | ISO 640

Canon 1D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM + EFS 1.4X Rear Extender

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Software Suite.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

April 26th, 2013 – Avian Friday: Rock Sandpiper

Sirfishalot — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 05:09:22 +0000

It’s been too long since I’ve had a chance to get out to capture any new bird imagery. Now that we have some fabulous spring weather here in the Pacific Northwest, I’ve run out of excuses and paid a visit to my old nearby stomping grounds at the U of W’s Montlake Fill. I got a late start so the light was becoming harsh, but I managed to find this little guy near the main pond. He didn’t seem to be very skittish as I was able to get fairly close to without spooking him. As with most of my waterfowl and shorebirds shots I wanted to get as low of an angle as possible. So taking the big lens off the monopod and getting down and dirty near the shoreline was the order of the day. Of course I got wet and dirty, but it was worth it to capture this pretty little bird.

Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis)

Seattle Washington
700mm | 1/800th Sec. @f/8.0 | ISO 640

Canon 1D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM + EFS 1.4X Rear Extender

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Software Suite.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

April 19th, 2013 – Avian Friday: Rough-legged Hawk

Sirfishalot — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 09:08:36 +0000

I continue to go back through to revisit some older files with newer processing techniques. This week it’s another raptor from my favorite stomping grounds in the Skagit Valley. The Rough-legged Hawk is not as common as the Northern Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks in the area. This bird was spotted from the highway and photographed from the cover of my truck acting somewhat as a blind. It was a considerable distance away, so I used a 2X teleconverter for the extra reach.

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

Edison, Washington
1000mm | 1/500th Sec. @f/10| ISO 100

Canon 1D Mark II+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM + EF 2X Rear Extender

Processed with Lightroom 4, Nik Suite, Photoshop CS6.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

April 12th, 2013 – Avian Friday: White Ninja

Sirfishalot — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 01:36:00 +0000

During a past visit to Bolsa Chica Wetlands I spent a little time observing this little Snowy Egret. I assumed he was a youngster because he wasn’t having much success hunting for baitfish at the tide gate to the reserve. I had posted another shot from this sequence previously, but I think the processing on this one is an improvement.

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Huntington Beach, California
500mm | 1/1250th Sec. @f/7.1| ISO 640

Canon 1D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

April 5th, 2013 – Avian Friday: Mr. Redhead

Sirfishalot — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 20:31:52 +0000

Earlier in the year I took some shots this Downy Woodpecker which I shared in a previous post. Here is a little closer look at this handsome little fella.

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)

Seattle Washington
500mm | 1/1000th Sec. @f/4.0 | ISO 640

Canon 1D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS5.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

March 29th, 2013- Avian Friday: Plains Drifter

Sirfishalot — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 06:17:10 +0000

One of the most common raptors found in the lowlands of Washington’s Skagit Valley is the Northern Harrier. I had taken a bunch of shots of these guys during my recent trip to Fir Island so I’ll probably be posting several more images of them. Some of the other hawks and falcons in the area appear to be content with resting on a perch or a utility wire while they survey the fields for prey. Not the Harriers though, they seem to almost constantly be gliding over tall grasses in search of voles.

Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)

Edison, Washington
700mm | 1/1000th Sec. @f/6.3 | ISO 1000

Canon 5D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM + 1.4X Rear Adapter

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Define & ColorEfx.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

March 22nd, 2013 – Avian Friday: Snow Geese

Sirfishalot — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:39:12 +0000

One of Western Washington’s key attractions for nature photographers and birders are the Snow Geese flocks that winter at Fir Island. Only an hours drive north of Seattle, this portion of the Skagit Valley is rich with opportunities to see many different species of birds. One of the most impressive though are the hundreds of Snow Geese. They can usually be found at the Fir Island Farms/Hayton Snow Goose Reserve, but often they can be found at other farm fields in the vicinity so you may have to do a little driving to locate them. Usually its about this time of year that they begin to migrate from the area, but they were still there in good numbers two weeks ago. The first image is from a couple of seasons back and the following from my most recent visit.

Snow Geese (Chen caerulescens)

Fir Island, Washington;
500mm | 1/2000th Sec. @f/7.1| ISO 160
Canon 1D Mark III + Canon EF 500/4L IS USM

Fir Island, Washington;
500mm | 1/400th Sec. @f/9| ISO 200
Canon 5D Mark III + Canon EF 500/4L IS USM

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Define & ColorEfex.

To see larger versions please click on the images.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT

March 15th, 2013 – Avian Friday: Bald Eagle

Sirfishalot — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 06:51:43 +0000

Spring is just around the corner here in the Pacific Northwest and we had some great weather and light last weekend; perfect for my day off from work. I headed up to one of my favorite haunts in Washington’s Skagit Valley in search of raptors for some new bird images. I only had a very brief and distant look at the Short-eared Owls that I had hoped might still be around.There was still good numbers of Snow Geese as well as the usual Red-tail Hawks and Northern Harriers. Many of the Bald Eagles that migrate north following their winter layover along the Skagit River seemed to have already made their way further north towards Canadian soil. There were still a few around Fir Island and you can usually spot them along the Dike Road perched in the trees above. Though not really the ideal angle and with lots of obstructing branches, it hard to pass up shots of such a majestic bird. This is a mondo crop of the full frame image and I also took the liberty to remove a couple of branches using the Content-aware Fill in Photoshop.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Fir Island, Washington
700mm | 1/1500th Sec. @f/9 | ISO 200

Canon 5D Mark III+ Canon EF 500/4L IS USM + 1.4X Rear Adapter

Processed with Lightroom 4, Photoshop CS6, Nik Define & ColorEfx.

To see a larger version please click on the image.

Feel free to comment below if you like what you see or have any other observations.

Thanks for stopping by,

JayT