Picture Of The Day

The sun was just starting to get low in the sky and made for a great picture highlighting the tree line.

Camera    NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D90
ISO    200
Focal Length    58mm (87mm in 35mm)
Aperture    f/7.1
Exposure Time    0.005s (1/200)
Name    HEB_12_6502.jpg
Size    4288 x 2848
Date Taken    2012-05-03 19:45:41

 

Fox Squirrel in the Backyard

A few pictures of Fox Squirrels in the backyard

Camera	NIKON CORPORATION NIKON D90
ISO	320
Focal Length	105mm (157mm in 35mm)
Aperture	f/5.6
Exposure Time	0.008s (1/125)
Name	HEB_12_8299.jpg
Size	3058 x 2031
Date Taken	2012-12-01 11:16:44

Clark's Spiny Lizard

Pictures of Clark's Spiny Lizard from our "Out West" trip in 2006.

Camera	SONY DSC-H5
ISO	200
Focal Length	72mm
Aperture	f/3.7
Exposure Time	0.008s (1/125)
Name	DSC00878.jpg
Size	3072 x 2304
Date Taken	2006-07-23 14:09:03
Date Modified	2012-03-25 20:07:56
File Size	2.81 MB
Flash	flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode
Metering	pattern
Exposure Program	normal program

Mute Swan

I visited Gervasi Lake on Sunday and took a few pictures of the resident Mute Swans Gina and Giuseppe. They had 4 cygnets earlier in the year but unfortunately not all of them survived the attacks of predators. I know that 2 had died, but Sunday I only saw 1 of the cygnets. Many times they fall victim to snapping turtles.

I had my 70-300mm lens with me so I could get some pretty good shots without disturbing the swans. A month ago when I took a few pictures and all the cygnets were still alive I saw dad go after a fellow who was getting a little too close. Fun to watch!

The swans are able to make noises but you don’t hear the loud calls that non mute swans are capable of. Mute Swans are not natural to the United States and were introduced from Europe and Asia.

Mute Swans are usually strongly territorial with just a single pair on smaller lakes and will keep geese away from the lake.

See my post at iNaturalist

 

Backyard Birds - American Goldfinch

I typically put a couple of Niger seed sacks out in the backyard near the bird bath each year. It is very relaxing sitting on the upper deck of the house listening to the American Goldfinches sing as they fly back and forth to the seed and the water fountains and birdbath.They fly to the tree and eventually make their way down to the seed, sometimes sharing and sometimes fending off the other birds.

Of course with all those birds comes with a few fights that sometimes get very acrobatic. These little birds are very fast and catching them in flight is difficult and typically a bit blurry as well. The two Goldfinches below decided to go heels when one decided to chases the other from the food.

Once the birds find your feeders they can empty them out pretty quick. I typically make sure they are filled Friday night so I can enjoy there visits during the weekend. Of course a few squirrels typically need to stop by and checkout what is happening. A few peanuts are in order for them.

Gulls In Flight

It isn't easy taking pictures of birds in flight. Anytime you point your camera toward the sky you get back lighting, that usually means what you are taking a picture of will turnout too dark. Of course there is also the problem of a blurry picture if you don't have the shutter speed set properly. When everything works out you do end up with some great pictures and sometimes a few unusual pictures as well. The above picture was taken with a Nikon D90 at 1/400s shutter speed. The ISO was 200 which is the sweet spot for the D90.

The little girl was chasing the gull around until he took flight to get away. Photographed at Niagara Falls, Canada. For every good picture I have of a gull in flight, I have 10 others that are worthless. You have to learn to track the birds and keep them in full frame, and that is easier said than done. It is easier if the bird is flying toward you but then you miss out on some other good shots.

Gulls are a medium sized bird and can hover which gives you a good opportunity to get a good picture.

Click on the pictures above to see a larger version and more information about each photo.