Kara and I spent some more time in the Eastern UP birding this past weekend.  This time, we joined a group from SW Michigan that birds up there every year.  With Kara’s new job at the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, we thought it’d be a good marketing opportunity as well as a way to meet new friends and enjoy some more time in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. 

Of course, this time of year is great up there for Owls.  We saw the usual suspects as well as hitting some spots we typically don’t go to.  This was a fun change of pace from simply sitting on Snowy & Hawk Owls all day waiting for  action.

All in all, it was a nice trip with the weather cooperating about half the time.  One disappointment was finding a dead Northern Hawk Owl hanging from a power line.  We have our own opinions of how the bird died but we will probably never truely know.  We thought this string of wrongful bird deaths was continuing when the next morning, Kara and I found a dead Sharp-Tailed Grouse.  We figured we were cursed by then until we went in for a closer look.  This was a natural kill by one of the many raptors in the area and it was still fresh (including a wing print in the snow where the bird pounced).  It doesn’t get any better than that!  Oddly enough, it was a refreshing site to see after the non-natural death of the Hawk Owl the day before.

We did lots of driving and searching with a few nice sessions of sitting and waiting (my favorite) which yielded some nice results.  This trip tended to be more about birding but I did manage to get a couple decent flight shots of Snowy’s as well as having fun sitting in the snow shooting Black-Capped Chickadees coming and going.  We were after Boreals but they never materialized.  All in all, another good weekend.

Keep close to the blog.  I will be heading to San Francisco next week for business which should yield some new imagery on my off time.  At the end of the week, Kara will be joining me and we will be doing some birding and sight-seeing for a few days.  New posts to follow!

With my wife finally changing to a job with weekends off, the first thing I’ve been looking forward to is heading North in winter to Michigan’s beautiful UP to see some Owls, get some life birds and hopefully come home with some killer photographs (not to mention a nice getaway with Kara!)  After months of work on Dad’s new house and all of life’s other road bumps, last weekend came with the outlook for sunny skies and cold weather; perfect!  So we headed up late Friday night and started our adventure early Saturday morning.  Saturday morning started at -16F, damn cold!  Many know I was in my element and Kara braved it although the truck was a nice haven for us both.

All in all we found 1 Northern Hawk Owl and 6 individual Snowy Owls including a stunning Adult Male (below).  Most of the Owls were perched high hunting from good vantage points.  At some points, Ravens would find the birds and harass them but for the most part, the birds didn’t mind all the activity around them.  With the great lighting, one could spot the birds from quite a ways away.

Our life birds for the trip totaled 2; Sharp-Tailed Grouse and Bohemian Waxwing.  The Bohemian Waxwings have been one of those birds we’ve had trouble with for the last couple years.  We’ve chased them on a few different occasions with no luck so it was a wonderful sighting Sunday morning.

Photographically, it was an amazing trip given the day and a half of shooting.  The primary goal was for Snowy Owl flight shots and we had a few opportunities for just that including some very cold sessions waiting and waiting.  In a couple of those cases, patience did pay off.  We finished Sunday in the UP around 1:00pm when clouds started to move in and ruin the AMAZING lighting we had up to that point.

Keep near the blog for the next lesson in our series of tips & tricks (Lesson 3, Exposing properly at High ISO: Techniques for obtaining larger depth of field without losing shutter speed)

NOTABLE BIRD SPECIES:
Snowy Owl (6 Individuals): Rudyard Flats (Hantz Rd. & Centerline Rd.)
Northern Hawk Owl (1): Riverside Dr. just North of 13 Mile Rd.
*SHARP-TAILED GROUSE (14): Corner of Riverside Dr. & 10 Mile Rd.
Pileated Woodpecker (2): 1 at the Hawk Owl spot above, 1 on 3 Mile Rd.
*BOHEMIAN WAXWING (12): Dunbar Forest, near boat launch
Pine Grosbeak: Dunbar Forest, near boat launch
Bald Eagle (1 adult): Rudyard Flats (Hantz Rd.)
Rough-Legged Hawk (many): Riverside Dr (8 Mile Rd. to 15 Mile Rd.)

The last month has been a whirlwind, to say the least.  We are in the middle of selling and buying a house which is very stressfull, full of work and doesn’t leave much time for anything else, let alone 4 Art Shows and 40+ hours a week of work.  This weekend was the first in a long time where I had nothing planned so Dad and I finally got the canoe out for some much needed release.

We headed to Whitford Lake (Ft. Custer State Park) to try out the canoe and maybe do some shooting.  We really wanted to try out the trolling motor but as luck would have it, it didn’t work out.  We didn’t check to see that part of the mount needed some cutting to fit the canoe properly so we ended up just paddling instead.  No big deal.  Unfortunately, we had to fight the wind but we found a couple sheltered coves that offered some nice opportunities for Water Lillies, Dragonflies & Damselflies.

Both Dad and I shot from time to time as we got used to maneuvering the canoe.  It was a good first run and the next time should be improved.  We got off the lake before the real winds picked up, had lunch and called it a day.

We’re about half way through our Show Season and given the bad economy, it’s not going too bad.  We’ve done very well at a couple of our proven Art Shows (KIA & Reeds Lake) and even though sales weren’t the best at East Lansing and Ella Sharp, we had pretty good weather and enjoyed ourselves.

Please come out and see us.  We always enjoy seeing followers!  The next few shows include South Haven, Richland, & Holland.  See http://www.glancesatnature.com/show-schedule.html for our full Show Schedule.

-Josh

Yesterday was quite annoying as I was stuck at home waiting for a Satellite TV tech.  As you can probably guess, the range of time the tech could show was ridiculous (anytime between 12 & 5).  Wouldn’t you know it, the guy shows at 4:59pm on the dot.  This usually wouldn’t be a big deal but it was beautiful yesterday.

After being stuck at home all day, when Kara got home from work we went for a kayak float on Hart’s Lake.  It was a nice night on the lake and while our bird list wasn’t huge, it included some really great birds you just don’t see that often.  One of the nice treats were 2 Bald Eagles that put on quite a flight show for us.  I’ve seen thousands of these birds but they never get old.

We also had more Bufflehead than normal.  This is a new place for birding in Battle Creek and it’s a stop-off point for migrant Waterfowl among other great specialties.  I’m not sure how long the Bufflehead will stay but these birds sure are brilliant looking so I hope to get some more views before they move on.  Unfortunately, they are quite skittish but we did end up with some nice views.

We ended the evening with a very inquisitive Beaver swimming back and forth right in-front of us while we were packing up the Kayaks.  It was interesting watching it hang close to shore until we left.

-Josh

Capturing images of landing birds is harder than one would think.  I assumed by simply focusing the camera on a branch and hammering the shutter down as a bird approaches that branch, I’d be getting more results than I’d know what to do with.  I found after reviewing the first group of images, I had nothing worth keeping.  How did this happen!?  Let’s take a closer look at some of the problems we face with this type of photography.

The first thing you will notice when reviewing images (given the example above) is the branch will be sharp but the bird is almost always slightly out-of-focus.  More often than not, this is because even when shooting in a burst mode at 6-8 frames per second (fps), a lot can happen during the “time in between” the shutter is actually clicking.  This “time in between” gets longer as your fps is lower.  If you are shooting at close to a wide open aperture (ex. f4-f5.6 on a telephoto lens) and your shutter snaps at the point when the bird is still 6 inches from the branch, that is far enough outside your depth-of-field range so the bird ends up out-of-focus.  This is a big problem.

One example on how to help with this problem is to make your depth of field larger (larger f-stop #).  By doing this and focusing on a point just behind the branch, you increase your chances of ALSO having the landing bird in focus.  Most SLRs/D-SLRs have a depth-of-field preview button located at the side of where the lens connects.  You can quickly press and hold that button, look through your viewfinder, and see what all will be in focus.  Keep in mind, however, with this technique your shutter speeds will slow down as you stop down the aperture.

Another way to remedy this is to monitor where your birds are typically flying in from to land on your perch.  You can position yourself so the bird is flying in from the side to land on the perch.  By doing this, the bird will be in your depth-of-field for a longer point in time when it’s landing.   This will give you more sharp results but the bad side to this is you end up with all side-view shots of landing birds.  This is a good way to start but if you’re able to get birds flying towards you, you will end up with much more dramatic results.  The illustration below shows what I mean.   Notice the Blue Jay coming in from the left is in the depth-of-field range longer than the Gray Jay coming in from more behind the perch.  The Blue Jay example will give you more images that are sharp but they aren’t as dramatic as seeing more of the wings fanned out on the Gray Jay.  The Gray Jay yields less results that are sharp but it’s worth the time and effort.

When photographing landing birds, shutter speed is extremely important.  My goal is usually to get at least 1200th of a second.  Having said that, if you are in low light or extremely shaded or cloudy conditions this will be hard to obtain.  One way to get faster shutter speeds is to change your aperture to wide open or close to it.  Keep in mind your depth-of-field will get smaller so even though you’re getting faster shutter speeds, you will start to notice LESS sharp results from making your depth-of-field smaller.  One thing I will do in good lighting is to shoot in Aperture Priority (Canon), stop down my aperture to say f9-f11, and bump up my ISO to 400-800.  As you do these changes, you will notice your shutter speeds getting faster and faster.  This isn’t magic, its basic principles of exposure.  Lesson 3 will go back to basics to explain some simple exposure principles.

We’ve talked about the more technical side of this style of shooting so let’s go into some easier tips to try.  When shooting landing birds, to maximize your chances try to funnel the birds to a specific perch.  One thing I do is hang feeders (if you’re after feeder birds) near the perch you want them to land on.  I will even put seed right on the perch.  DON’T FORGET ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND!!!  This is something so many aspiring photographers don’t think about until it’s too late.  Pick a perch that gets birds but also look behind the perch and ensure your background is how you’d like it.  I prefer to get blurred backgrounds that make my subject POP so pine boughs 10-20ft behind your perch will yield nicely blurred backgrounds.  In some cases, making your own perches and mounting them exactly where you want can be helpful.  Bottom line, put the time and effort in and it will be worth it.  Also try to position yourself hidden but with a clear view of the perch with the sun more behind you.  The sun behind you will give you front-lit results and that lighting will maximize your shutter speeds.  Remember, FAST FAST FAST!

Let’s go over the “TOP 5″ summary points to take away from this lesson:
     1) Shoot in the fastest burst mode available on your camera
     2) Strive for shutter speeds over 1000th of a second.
     3) Increase your depth-of-field by stopping down (f9-f11 in good lighting)
     4) Increase ISO to 400+ in lower lighting situations
     5) Set up perches to maximize results

Stay tuned for Lesson 3 where we’ll get back to basics and look at applying the principles of exposure to nature photography.

-Josh

My wife and I were in Dorset, Ontario & Algonquin Provincial Park (APP) the last week and what a wonderful trip it was.  The main purpose of the trip was to attend the Region IV Interpreters Workshop for the National Association for Interpretation (NAI, www.interpnet.com).  While my wife was more involved with the conference, I had some much needed time in the field on my own.

I wasn’t able to get any new life birds but I was able to get 2 new life mammals (Pine Martin and Eastern Wolf) so I am pretty excited about that.  I did, however, get some nice shots of birds that I’ve had trouble getting in Michigan including Evening & Pine Grosbeaks, Common Redpolls, and Pine Siskins.

Most of my time was spent at 3 places within APP.  The park was an amazing place and we only saw a miniscual part of the park.  In terms of acres, it’s over 2 million strong.  The 3 places I did most of my shooting were the Visitor’s Center, the Spruce Bog, and Opeongo Rd.  Opeongo Rd. was known for extremely tame birds.  To illustrate just how tame these wild birds are, please see the pic below.  =)

One of the more memorable experiences of the trip was Tuesday afternoon and evening when all conference attendees were at the APP Visitors Center hoping for Wolves to come out and feed on a Moose carcass the staff had helicoptered in and placed in the bog about 400 meters aways.  Late in the afternoon, 2 Wolves trotted out as if they knew it was the perfect time.  I was able to get some shots including one sequence of the Wolves getting into a fight while feeding.  While this was obviously way too far out for any of the gear I had (and I had some long glass) one of the shots turned out good enough that it will be a nice memory to have of the experience.

Later that night after a spoken Wolf presentation, close to a hundred of us piled on the deck and the staff tried their own calls in order to get a howling response from the Wolves.  Wouldn’t you know it, it worked!  It was one of the most inspiring experiences I’d had in a long time which made for an end to a really amazing day.

Click HERE to hear the wild Eastern Wolves howling

I spent Wednesday afternoon birding with a good friend John.  Our goal was to basically find some hot spots for us to take my wife and his girlfriend to the next day.  We ended our search at the Spruce Bog where I was able to get some nice shots of Gray Jays landing as well as perched shots of Red-Breasted Nuthatches.  I worked all week on birds landing at perches (one of my goals for the trip)  It’s really a lot more difficult than one would think, especially knowing I’m after sharp & well-exposed stuff.  I think Lesson 2 on the blog will cover techniques on this very type of photography.

Monday - Wednesday brought great lighting and weather to the region which absolutely made my week.  There was enough available light in most situations that allowed me to really be picky with my depth-of-field without losing too much shutter speed.  In many instances I was shooting at ISO 400-600 with an aperture of f8-f11 and still getting shutter speeds well over 1400th of a second.  On Thursday, however, the lighting went to crap and even at ISO 800 wide open at f4, I was barely peaking at 500th of a second, not nearly enough shutter speed to get the results I was after.  Some times, one just needs to step back and come to the realization that some things just aren’t possible in those situations.

Keep near the blog for the next lesson in our series of tips & tricks (Lesson 2, Flaps Down and Ready to Land: Techniques for Capturing Landing Birds)

-Josh

Just a quick post about the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) workshop my wife and I attended in Dorset, Ontario last week.  It was a great conference with a lot of great memories including seeing Eastern Wolves in the wild, many great birds, good hikes with friends and a special surprise for me as I received the 2009 Oustanding Interpretive Volunteer Award for NAI Region IV.

More posts about my time in the field as well as pics from the Canada trip will come soon!

-Josh

When I first spotted some White-Winged Crossbills at Fort Custer State Park a month ago, I was extatic knowing how rare this sighting is in SW Michigan.  Over the last few weeks, however, these great birds have been showing up all over lower Michigan.  Even though that took my excitement down a notch, it’s still a great bird to have around.

I’ve done some shooting but not a whole lot.  I hope to get out a couple more times this week before heading to Canada so wish me luck.  This is the best so far.

After reading a few posts over the last couple weeks of a Snowy Owl hanging around in Berrien County, MI I decided to try and chase it today.  The in-laws were in town, it was the last day they were with us and we needed an adventure.  Yesterday’s adventure was going after White-Winged Crossbills at Fort Custer State Park.  That was fun and even though my brother-in-law said it was pretty cool, we knew he needed a bit more excitement.   Soooo, about midway through telling them we could possibly see a Snowy Owl, it was in the bag and they were getting ready to go.  What was nice is because they live in West Lafayette, IN it was right on the way home for them.  Perfect!

We headed out and after having lunch, we all got in the truck to start the search.  Within about 20 minutes, we found the bird about 250 yards out.  A nice safe distance.  Keep in mind, I wasn’t after killer photos per say but more or less a good bird sighting for the fam.  We found the bird and scoped it for stunning views of it preening before it took flight and perched on a power pole not too far away.  I’d say we found the excitement my brother-in-law was after.  He loved seeing the bird.

Enjoy the picture and happy photographing!

-Josh