Swamp Sparrows

I had hoped to get out in early June to shoot some Sparrows.  Well, that simply didn't happen.  So here it is October and I finally getting out looking for sparrows.  Of course at this time of year, the big ticket is Nelson and Le Conte's Sparrow, but so far those have eluded me.  This morning ( a beautiful 85 degree day in October) I went to a new little swampy area coined Snipe Marsh.  There were sparrows there, however most of them stayed in the heavy cover.  I did have a few Swamp Sparrows come out for a nice view.  I love the pose and will be trying to get a few more like this!

A few summer time birds

I didn't get many bird shots this summer, but here are a few.  This first one is more of a documentry shot than a good bird photo.  As much as I hate to admit it, this guy had me stumped.  Here is an immature Orchard Oriole!  I never saw the parents as that would have clued me in pretty fast.  I saw these guys every week when I went out the wetland area at Highbanks to check bluebird boxes.

While photographing the Oriole, I found this Willow Flycatcher hanging out in the same thicket.

The wetland pond at Highbanks always has families of Wood Ducks on it.  They are pretty skitish, but I snuck up on this guy.

Heading out to Glacier Ridge Metro Park a few day later, I was hoping for some grassland birds.  It was not to be that day.  A little late in the year, but I did manage this photo of a Killdeer!

Dragonflies and Butterflies!

Wow, looking back at my blog, I see I have not updated it since the end of June.  Probably because I just haven’t done much birding or bird photography this summer.  It has however been a wonderful summer with a completely new avenue of photography.  One of my summer hobbies is to be a Bluebird box monitor at Highbanks Metro Parks in Columbus, Ohio.  Usually once June hits the photography subsides, but this year I discovered dragonflies and butterflies.  What a treat.  I took many pictures.  I tried this before, but one thing that really made a difference was adding a 20mm extension tube to the setup.  This allowed me to get much close and really had some success.  I may need to change my blog title one more time! 

This is the photo that really started me off this year.  I got this shot at Highbanks Metro Park and was amazed at how sharp it came out.  The extension tube was a key factor in it. 

For butterflies, this was one of my first.  I saw this Little Wood Satyr Butterfly when I approached box 12 at Highbanks.  I love the heart shaped leaf that it is sitting on.  I was not super close so I was happy to see it come out with nice detail.



For the next few weeks I even tried my hand at getting these little tiny guys in focus.  This was not easy!  They are so small.  Half the time I’d walk right past them without even noticing they are there.  When the focus locks, I’m a happy camper, or should I say a happy photographer! 

Pickerington Ponds MP

I've really enjoyed shooting the last couple weeks, but have not had much birding opportunity.  A friend, suffering from an injury, wanted to go to the park.  So, off we we went.  It got hot early!  It's late June in Ohio so the best birding is grassland birds, or in our case, Great Blue Herons.   We went to Pickerington Ponds Metro Parks in Columbus.

Started off seeing Mockingbird fledglings.  We could also hear a Common Yellowthroat, but as usual for these guys, he was hiding deep in the brush.

On to another area where there was a very active Great Blue Heron Rookery.

We took a walk around to the back side of the rookery and in the field we saw lots of Red-wing Blackbird.

We also could hear a Chat out in the field, but he never showed himself.  What else is new!  While watching for a glimpse of the chat we had a lovely Field Sparrow and Song Sparrow singing for our attention.

After the ranger stopped by and told us where he had seen a Baltimore oriole nest, we decided to head to a different tail.  As we walk back we had several GBH flybys!

I was so excited to see a few of them come out!

We did not find the Baltimore Oriole, but enjoyed the trail none-the-less!  We did flush a family of Pheasants.

It's not Florida...But

When you live in Ohio you get used to the idea that the birds are very skittish.  Herons and Egrets are no exception.  However, when you get up to Lake Erie, things can get a little more relaxed.  I keep thinking that someday I will go up there just to shoot (take pictures of) these beautiful birds.  I went to Magee for Spring migration and mostly wanted to see and shoot warblers. 

Driving back to the board walk, you will see lots of Great Blue's and Great Egrets!  As I was driving along at the speed of a turtle, I spotted this guy fishing the canal.

The Catch:

Canals run along the back side of the boardwalk.  Most times I get some close encounters with Great Blues.  This year was a very memorial one.

A zoom is very helpful when these guys are so close.  Here is what they look like at 400mm.

Fishing, he caught a unsuspecting Frog.

Cuyahoga Valley and Brandywine Falls

My wife and I were in Akron visiting with friends over the weekend. On Sunday we had a chance to go to Cuyahoga Valley National Park. We have never been there. A national park only a couple hours drive and we had never been there? Yes, it was time to go - even if it was only for a few hours.

Falls are a favorite theme of ours when picking where to go on visits to a new area. So we stopped at the Hunt Farm Visitor Information Center and asked "where are the cool falls?" They directed us to Brandywine Falls. It is spectacular!!! 

As you can tell, waterfalls are not our forte when it comes to photographing. The only camera we had was a very old 3.2 megapixel point and shoot, so we did the best we could.

This truely was an easy falls to get to.  A board walk and a couple flights of stairs to the bottom.  After enjoying the view, we headed to the top.  We had to stop and take a picture of the warning sign. 

Not always birds...

Well, there are those who think I only shoot birds. This is not true at all.   I actually only shoot birds 95% of the time. I love all wildlife. So just to show that it’s not all about the birds here are a few shots.

I really like flowers, they don't move all over the place like those pesky little birds.  This one is particularly pretty!

Are squirrels not the best friend a person with a new camera.  They are everywhere and I have lots and lots of pictures of them.  Never have I taken one that I really like until this one.

Turtles are so cool.  Imagine our surprise when we see this huge snapper crossing the parking lot.  We didn't have any problem catching up to him.

I had such high hopes for this picture of a Painted Turtle when I took it.

An added bonus of Magee Wildlife Area is the oportunity to see snakes. I saw at least 3 different snakes, Water snakes, Black rat or racer (is there a different??) and this awesome Fox Snake!

High ISO

While discussing photographic situations and problems with my friend Greg, we discussed the need for speed. Shutter speed that is. In photography it is truely a give and take world. A properly exposed picture is the right combination of shutter speed and aperture based on the sensitivity of the sensor. These three things play together. In perfect lighting situations, an ISO (the sensitivity) of 200, aperture of f7.1 and shutter speed of 1/1000 second would produce a nice image. As the light fades, we need to change these settings. When we increase the ISO, we introduce noise to the photo. F7.1 is the sweet spot for my lens, when I open the aperture up, the pictures loose clarity and with slower shutter speeds I run into camera shake and motion blur.

So what are the compromises. This year, I’ve been making an attempt to shoot off a Tripod as much as possible. That helps with camera shake. In this discussion with Greg, he suggested that shutter speed was more important than ISO sensitivity. So, I’ve been cranking up the ISO to see what happens. With the Canon 40D, I’ve been getting good results with very high ISO’s. Some photos have simply amazed me.

The leaves came out really early this year and the forests became very dark under a heavy canopy. As I went out searching for birds to shoot, I also looked for breaks in the canopy that might allow for better lighting. Traveling though Scioto Trail State Forest, I came across this stunning Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The lighting was just terrible. I turned up the ISO and held my ground with f7.1. Shooting on a tripod I got these 2 shoots. I am just simply amazed. . Camera: Canon EOS 40D; Exposure Time: 0.01s (1/100); Aperture: f/7.1; ISO: 1000; Focal Length: 400mm (640mm in 35mm)

Camera: Canon EOS 40D; Exposure Time: 0.01s (1/100); Aperture: f/7.1; ISO: 800
Focal Length: 400mm (640mm in 35mm)

Huddleland - May 9th

My friend Greg owns property in the Hocking Hills region. Greg is an excellent photographer, but has never paid any attention to birds, until now. We went there on Saturday May 9th to see what was there. It was a beautiful day, but very windy. The wind was so bad that we basically setup where we could find the least amount of wind. We were there all day and had a great time. Our first stop of the morning provided us with a wonderful little Blue-winged Warbler.
After enjoying the company of this fine fellow for about an hour or so, we headed off. There was a place where Indigo Buntings, and White-eyed Vireos were singing up a storm, so we sat down. As we were sitting there wondering why the Buntings and Vireos were not coming out to play we noticed a beautiful Common Yellowthroat. He was very cooperative and gave us wonderful views.
The day was wrapping up with very unsuccessful attempts to get photos of a singing Hooded. What else is new? We also attempted our luck on a pair of Ovenbirds, but they did not seem interested in having their picture taken either. So we decided to take a last spin around the property on ATV's. They are so much fun to ride. As Greg took me to the creek with a small falls in it, we found a pair of Louisiana’s making a nest.

By the time we got to the Creek it was very overcast. It was very dark and the canopy above did not help. I vowed to return on a day when the sun was out. It was neat to watch the pair gathering up nesting material.

Delays in posting

I'm still about 2 weeks behind, please be patient with me and stop back often.

Shawnee State Forest (May 5th and 6th)

For the second week in a row I got to work in souther n Ohio for 3 days. A birders dream come true! Again, after work I went to Shawnee State Forest. I do truely love this place. Last years fire, pushed me to the East side of 125, but this year I went back to my favorate places. The first night, the birds just did not want to come close, so I really did not get any pictures. The socond day however was totally different. I found a great little spot that was holding the newly arriving Chats. Once again these guys showed up seeminly over night.


Yellow-breasted Chat. Just a little fired up.
















In this same area was a pair of Scarlet Tanagers hanging out.

Lastly before the evening set, I saw this Hooded. These guys are so dificult to get a shot of. Even though he was a little far, and I had to leave a little more enviroment around him, I am still pleased with the shot.

To end this even of wonderful bird shooting, I was blasted with the sound of Whip-Poor-Wills!

Jackson County (Apr 28, 29)

I got to explore the Cooper Hollow WA for two evenings after work. This is a beautiful place. I found the expected birds and had a very nice time. One of the highlights was running into the most flashy White-eyed Vireo I've ever seen. This guy forgot he was known for his elusiveness and just came right out to sing. Add some excellent evening sun and I got a couple good shots of him!

Yellow-throated Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers seem to be the popular bird of the spring. Everywhere I go, there they are!!

I always take time out to shoot a passing deer. In the spring, these guys can look so scraggly!



Not only did the early leaf out that occured this year make it harder to see the birds, it also blocked a lot of light. Lack of light always seems to be my enemy.





On the way home from Jackson Friday night, I stopped at Scioto Trail SF. I enjoyed running into some birders stopped on a bridge over the Scioto. They were checking out the mass of Cliff Swallows. I was greatful to see them too. It's been a few years since I last saw a Cliff.
The Scarlet Tanagers were no where one day and the next day they were everywhere. The woods were filled with they're Chick-burs.

Spring is here

I havn't posted since Fall. Wow, that's just too long. I didn't really do a lot of shooting over the winter, except in my backyard. Well, at least until now. Last weekend I went to Shawnee State Forest with a couple guys from Lens and Leaves Nature Photography Club.

We were greeted right off the bat with a singing Blue-winged Warbler. A perfect place too. He was right along the creek bed, with a row of Dogwoods and other trees to perch on. Having 3 of us in individual chair blinds, we had plenty of room and as the bird moved up and down the row, he gave each of us nice looks. Of course, he only landed on the “perfect” perch for about 5 seconds. Here he is, singing away, like it’s spring or something.

After the Blue-winged gave us a card full, it was time to move. We did try (with no success to get another bird to this area). We decided to move to the other side of the creek and see if we could entice a waterthrush out into the open. No luck so we started to pack up. As we were putting our stuff in the truck, Kelly pointed out a beautiful Yellow-throated Warbler right there. So, he was our next subject. These pictures turned out the best of the day.

On to a new spot. As we drove, listening for a next subject, We ran into a group of birders and stopped to share notes. They pointed out a spot where they had seen a waterthrush, so we headed out in that direction. This next spot did have a waterthrush. As a matter of fact there were lots of birds at this place. Besided the Louisianna Waterthrush, there was an Ovenbird, B&W, and Worm-eating. The only pictures I came away with were of the Worm-eating Warbler. An awesome bird no doubt!

The day was getting on and everyone seemed to want to see a Prairie. So, off we went. Come to the top of a hill and as we approached we could see that there was a clearing. We knew, this was perfect habitat. Not more than a split second after thinking that, did we here this guy singing. He was not a very cooperative guy. Surprisingly enough he was hangin in the woods right next to the field. Not a lot of shot opportunities, so this was the best I could do.

All in all, we had a great day. Even when it seems like everything falls into place, I only end up with a few good shots. But if it weren’t a challenge then it wouldn't be worth it!

God Bless,
Bruce