“A good snapshot keeps a moment from running away.” ― Eudora Welty
Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This image I took a month ago while birding in Carmel, CA. They’re so little and cute!
Here’s one more. A Snowy Plover watching two Sanderlings foraging in the sand, and I’m sure it has an eye on me too.
Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/ AF-S Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter= 420mm
More to come…
Copyright © Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
I thought of this quote of Thoreau’s while out birding yesterday. “It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”
A friend and I had gone up to San Francisco Golden Gate Park hoping to see a Porthonotary Warbler. We knew it was being seen in the mornings, and late afternoons, but we both had obligations in the morning and couldn’t get up there, so we left late hoping for an afternoon sighting.
While we were in the area where the Porthonotary Warbler was sighted I spied some movement in the foliage of a huge Cypress tree. I thought it might be a Nuthatch, but it turned out to be a Black-throated Gray Warbler! A first sighting for me!
It was in the foliage so I kicked up the ISO. I used my Nik Plug-in Dfine to help some with the noise. I wish there was a highlight in its eye. This is the best of the images I took of it. It’s such a busy, flittly little bird that most of my images were soft or blurry. One day I hope I get another crack at one.
While hanging around the area where the Porthonotary Warbler was most likely to show up I was noticing the flowers,
and plants around me so I switched my 300mm f4 Nikkor lens for the LensBaby Composer Pro II with the Soft Focus Optic and made quite a few images. Most of which I don’t have names for. Here are several images,
We didn’t see the Porthonotary Warbler, but it was a good day out filled with a lot of beautiful flowers, plants,
nice weather, and good company.
Nikon D300s| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/ AF-S Nikkor 14eII, and LensBaby Composer Pro II w/soft focus optic
More to come…
Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Shortly after the mornings began getting chillier here in No. California a pair of Chestnut-backed Chickadees showed up at my feeder. They make sorties for about 30 minutes or so in the mornings then I don’t see them again until the following morning. Since their arrival I’ve been trying to get a good image of them from my window, but I’ve not liked anything I’ve taken as they were too soft, or blurry, too noisey, or something so, I ended up deleting them all. I was quite frustrated I can tell you!
Thursday afternoon I was in the backyard with #1 Grandson who was busy getting into everything he shouldn’t…not being content with his climbing fort, toys, or sandbox as some toddlers are wont to be when a Chestnut-backed Chickadee perched itself on a tippy top branch of my Camellia bush!
Fortunately, I took my camera out with me just in case the Hummingbirds were brave enough to continue feeding with us in the yard. This is the best image of the Chestnut-backed Chickadee I’ve been able to make to date! I hope I’m ready the next time it makes an appearance.
Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4| Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter| Lexar Professional Digital Film
UPDATE on the RUFF- A post by a birder on the birding forum reported seeing the Ruff in its favorite corner of the salt pond today. It had been flushed by the Harrier a couple of times. The Ruff is wounded on the wing, but it can fly without any apparent problems, and is eating. Happy news indeed!
More to come…
Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This was a very exciting sighting for me, and most other birders in the area. This bird is a rare visitor to North America according to my Sibley’s Birds of North America book! It’s been hanging around a local salt pond for over a week now. I had a bit of time yesterday so went over in hopes of seeing and photographing it even though I was going over rather late in the morning. I got lucky! It was there in its favorite corner of the pond, but only for about 5 minutes before it flew off. Thankfully it was enough time for me to capture this image. I haven’t seen any reports of it today, but hope it’s still here.
Now, I want to travel north in the Spring to see the Male in Breeding Plumage. It’s an awesome looking bird. Reminds me of an English Judge and the fashion trend during Renaissance Times.
If you’ve never seen an image of a Male Ruff take a look at Nat Geo’s photo here
Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4 w/Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter| Lexar Professional Digital Film
More to come…
Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Taken last Saturday morning in Carmel by the Sea, CA. It was still overcast, and a bit cloudy which provided a lovely soft light on these two Sanderlings that were foraging up a little higher on the beach.
Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter
More to come…
Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
This little bird is a first sighting for me. I think it’s a Black Turnstone which is in the Sandpiper family.
This one and several others were feeding on the rocks near the shore while some Oyster Catchers were preening or trying to nap.
I always try to focus in on a small detail here and there while out shooting and yesterday the fallen feathers laying on the sand caught my eye~
It was a great morning to be on the coast birding.
More to come…
Taken September 13, 2014 in Carmel, CA- Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 + Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter
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