Saturday, April 25, 2009

BALD EAGLE (HALIAEETUS LEUOCOCEPHALUS)



BALD EAGLE
(HALIAEETUS LEUOCOCEPHALUS)

I have not been able to get in the field for a few days, so I am going back and looking at a few images I missed before. These three images shot on April 6th at the Skagit Game Range in Western WA were unexpected.

The eagle in the nest (barely visible in the lower left) had been a bit boring to watch most of the morning. I was looking through some mud flats for shorebirds and little critters and looked up to see the second eagle fly in, make a prey drop, and immediately fly out. Barely had time to get camera in position and snap these three. There are exactly 5 seconds total elapsed time from the first to the thirds shot. Got lucky with the warm light and half decent focus.

I really love all three of these pics, mostly for the great memory they invoke of a sunny warm morning alone in the woods and fields.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200, f7.1 @ 1/320, ISO200, Aperture priority spot metered with +1/3 exp comp., auto WB



Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200, f7.1 @ 1/500, ISO200, Aperture priority spot metered with +1/3 exp comp., auto WB



Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200, f7.1 @ 1/500, ISO200, Aperture priority spot metered with +1/3 exp comp., auto WB

Sunday, April 5, 2009

TACHYCINETA BICOLOR (TREE SWALLOW)




PLEASE CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW IT FULL SIZED

TREE SWALLOW
(TACHYCINETA BICOLOR)

Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200 f2.8, Nikkor TC-1.4E II teleconverter, f/7.1 1/1250 ISO 500, spot metered +.33 exp comp

One of the many signs of spring that have come back in force in recent weeks. And, one of the benefits of getting out into the field often is the patterns and seasons become more pronounced, more immediate feeling. For several weeks wintering raptors, SNOW GEESE, and other arctic species have been thinning on the estuaries of the Stillaguamish and Skagit Rivers in NW Washington state as spring movements back more northerly breeding grounds. I will not see another ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK until next winter's return. But then there is the color and boundless energy of TREE SWALLOWS, RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS, and other spring migrants arriving from wintering locations in the southern US, Mexico, Central and South America.

Today I spent a few hours just after sunrise watching TREE SWALLOWS demonstrate their flight mastery. Astonishing to watch. Throughout the morning they skimmed the tree along the outer dikes of the Skagit Game Range. They have beautiful vocalizations but in larger groups it gets a bit raucous sounding to me. Their iridescent blue and green dorsal coloration shows in flashes and starts as they course about, but in a scope or binoculars in good light they shine.

This perky little fella got some goo stuck on it's head. As best I could tell it seemed to brush against some spider webs that then collected a bit of sawdust from the swallows grubbing for a snack.




Nikon D300, Nikkor 70-200 f2.8, Nikkor TC-1.4E II teleconverter, f/7.1 1/500 ISO 500, spot metered +.33 exp comp