Birds – Page 13 – Circadianreflections Blog

Tufted Puffin-Adult Summer

July 29, 2013July 29, 2013Posted in Birds, California, Copyright 2013 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved., Nature, Nikon, Photography, Travel, WildlifeTagged Alvaro's Adventures, Birding, Farallon Islands, Nikon D700, San Jose California Nature Photography, Tufted PuffinLeave a comment

This is the first time I’ve ever seen a Puffin in the wild! I went on a Birding trip out to the Farallon Islands 27 miles outside of San Francisco in the Pacific Ocean. We weren’t allowed on the island-only Biologists are allowed on the island, but we cruised all around them and then we went out to deeper water from there. Along the way we saw 3 Tufted Puffin.

There are only 50 pairs of Tufted Puffin nesting on the Islands at this time, but there thousands of gulls, Common Murre’s, lots of Cormorants, seals, sea lions, and one lone Gannet. In deeper water we saw Hump Back whales, and a Blue Whale too.

I saw so many new birds on the trip, and the one bird I hoped to see was the Tufted Puffin. I went home a happy sailor just seeing one. I hoped I got one good shot.
The weather was overcast, and to get the shutter speed I needed I really pushed the ISO. Shooting from the boat was challenging. I would focus on a bird then the boat would go up or down and my focus point was off. I didn’t start to get the rhythm of the sea til near the end of the day, and then there wasn’t much to see as we were pushing hard to get back.
We were out at sea for nearly 9 hours. I went with Alvaro’s Adventures out of Half Moon Bay. I would definitely go again.

Alvaro is a Biologist, and he had two expert birders along for the tour. One was on the starboard side calling out birds and mammals, and the other on the Port side doing the same. I don’t think we missed anything flying or swimming on our route.

I’ve not been able to spend much time online lately. #1 Grandson is very busy and takes all my attention these days. I’m looking at your photos when I can and I’ll catch up soon!

Bird of the Week: Tufted Puffin (valleybirder.wordpress.com)

Clark’s Nutcracker

June 15, 2013June 15, 2013Posted in Birds, Copyright 2013 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved., Nature, Nikon, Photography, TravelTagged Birds, Lake Tahoe, Nikon D300S, NV, San Jose California Nature PhotographyLeave a comment

My friend Jackie had thought to take or purchased bird food to lure birds to her deck while on vacation in Lake Tahoe.
She had been feeding them all week; throwing bird food loaded with peanuts,seeds, and berries on the decking, setting it on the railing, and tossing some to the roof top below the deck.
By the time I arrived the birds to my delight were coming really close to us to get the food. I think we spent 2 hours on the deck photographing the Stellar Jays, and Pygmy Nuthatches.
Just as I was getting ready to quit shooting and get ready for our excursion around the lake this bird flew to the top of a farther Douglas Fir I think. It’s not a bird I’d ever seen before. I thought it was a Thrasher at first by its bill, but KUDO’s to Jackie who identified the bird when she got home to New Jersey as a Clark’s Nutcracker.

It’s taking flight off the tree in the photo above. I’m glad I got this shot because it shows more wing and tail detail than my earlier shots of it just sitting and surveying the landscape in the photos below.

Here’s another photo of a Pygmy Nuthatch with a bug or something in its bill.

Here’s a snapshot of Jackie and I in late afternoon light hanging around the shore waiting for Golden Hour and Sunset.

Nikon D300s, and D700 w/Nikkor 300mm f4, and 17-35mm.

Pygmy Nuthatch (circadianreflections.wordpress.com)

On the third day there was better light

May 11, 2013May 11, 2013Posted in Birds, Copyright 2013 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved., Nature, Photography, WildlifeTagged Camera, Cedar Waxwing, Los Gatos, Niko, San Jose California Nature Photography1 Comment

I have gone out 3 mornings in a row trying to get a decent photograph of a Cedar Waxwing. The first morning the light was awful. It was overcast requiring me to really crank up my ISO to get the speed I needed to maintain a sharp photograph, but all my photos have too much noise…yes even with the D700 it’s too much noise for me. To keep my speed up I was using ISO 3200. These little guys move fast.
Yesterday wasn’t as overcast, but the Cedar Waxwings kept themselves high in the trees which was too far for my lens unfortunately, but this morning the light was better, the sun was breaking through the marine layer earlier, so I dressed grabbed a slice of toast, and a quick cup-a-tea then headed over to the park hoping to spot the Waxwings before the park got too busy.

Arriving in the park I saw a gaggle of geese with several goslings in tow-here’s just two, two Killdeer in the grass hunting for breakfast, and there were robins, and crows as well.

The early morning runners and walkers were already there, and several families were claiming picnic areas, and tables.

It took me a little while to find the flock this morning. They moved a little further south from where they were previously. I spent over an hour following them and photographing them. They had flown to some great low branches where the sun was at a great angle for both back-lit and side-lit shots. I was focused and shooting away when suddenly in the creek below this Canadian Goose started honking, and honking, and the Waxwings got upset; flitting around and then from the corner of my eye I spied a large bird coming in fast…it was a Hawk! All the Waxwings, and the Goose took off for safer branches. I’m not sure if this is a Red-tail or a Coopers.

I saw this Hawk high up in a Eucalyptus Tree on my way out of the park. I think it’s a Cooper’s Hawk, but am not positive. Any help with the Hawk ID I’d appreciate it.

Waxwings don’t normally live here. They will be gone by June I’ve heard. This is the first time I’ve ever seen them in the wild. I’m so happy to have seen them and get a few photos I like. I hope to get back here and photograph them again before they move on.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Red-breasted Sapsucker, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2013 Deborah M Zajac. All Rights Reserved

I have to give a HUGE shout out to my friend Alex who shared this find with me and a few other friends. Thank you Alex!
It’s the first time I’ve seen this woodpecker.

Also a Big Thank you to Dali for driving us today!
It was a fun day and good to hang out with you all.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (dannybrownphotography.wordpress.com)

“It is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all.” Laura Ingalls Wilder

January 4, 2013January 4, 2013Posted in Birds, California, Copyright 2013 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved., hikes, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Birds, D700, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nature, Nikon, Photography, White-crowned SparrowLeave a comment

“It is the sweet, simple things in life which are the real ones after all.” Laura Ingalls Wilder, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 70-300mm vr

Northern Harrier on the Hunt

December 14, 2012December 14, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Birding, Nature, Nikkor, Nikon D300S, Northern Harrier, Pacific-Flyway, Photography, Snow Goose, Wildlife1 Comment

This Harrier was just one of many great birds I saw when I got out for a day of birding recently. The Harriers were flying low over the ponds, and marshes all day long. Whenever they were near, or overhead the Snow Geese, White-Fronted Geese, Ibis, and Coots would take to the sky. The noise was amazing to hear.
Late in the afternoon we saw a Harrier chasing a Snow Goose, the goose dived into the marsh grass with the Harrier in hot pursuit! We waited with anticipation to see if the Harrier would come up with the Goose. He did not! That was one lucky goose.

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 80-200 @ 200 + Tamron 1.4x TC| f8| 1/800 sec| ISO 500| Hand-held and shot from the car window

There must have been a Harrier nearby to create this stir-up

Snow geese in retreat…

a couple of Greater White-fronted Geese enjoying the pond,

Snow Geese Make Middle Creek Sparkle Every Spring (gloucestercitynews.net)
Snow geese make comeback (poststar.com)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/20139314@N05/6828314045/in/photostream (flickr.com)

Marsh Wren

December 11, 2012December 12, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Bird, Marsh Wren, Nikon D700, PhotographyLeave a comment

Mash Wren, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Via Flickr:
This is my first Marsh Wren capture on film. I tried to get one back in 2010 and have been trying since. My friend Alex told me what this bird was then and how hard they are to get on film. Boy, was he right! They’re flity little things. This one was busy hopping from reed to reed, but thankfully he wanted to be in the sun after days of rain, and didn’t retreat inside the reeds so I was able to capture him on film.

Splendid Fairy Wren (wino-sapien.blogspot.com)

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