Birds – Page 16 – Circadianreflections Blog

White-tailed Kite

March 19, 2012March 19, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Birds of Prey, D700, Mare Island, Nature, Nikon, Photography, San Francisco Bay Area, White-tailed Kite, Wildlife4 Comments

This photograph is one I took at last month’s Pacific Flyway Festival. It’s a week-end event for birders out on Mare Island in the San Francisco Bay Area. Several hikes, and guided tours with experienced birders are offered. I went with a group of folks, and my friend Dali out to Skaggs Island for a private walk-about. It’s part of an old Navy base which is being renovated and rehabilitated to marsh land.
This Kite was perched in a tree just within range for me to get several shots of it before it flew away. I was so excited to be this close to one that didn’t fly away the moment it spotted me. They’re so skittish they perch far away from the roads, or they take flight as soon as they see me coming.
The day was overcast, and the sky was flat so I decided to turn this one into a “high Key” shot.

Nikon D700| Nikkor 70-300 @ 300mm| f7.1| 1/1600sec| ISO 500| Manual Mode| Tripod

“Everybody, get on the floor, let’s dance! Don’t fight the feelin’, give yourself a chance! Shake, Shake, Shake! Shake your booty!” KC and the Sunshine Band

March 17, 2012March 17, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Birds of Prey, California, Grizzly Island Preserve, Hawks, Nature, Photography, WildlifeLeave a comment

“Everybody, get on the floor, let’s dance! Don’t fight the feelin’, give yourself a chance! Shake, Shake, Shake! Shake your booty!” KC and the Sunshine Band, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

Via Flickr:
Copyright © 2012 Deborah M. Zajac. All Rights Reserved

Nikon D300s| Nikkor 70-300mmVR@ 300mm| f5.6| 1/2000 sec| ISO500| Manual Mode| Hand-held from a car window- Auto-Tour

Northern Pintail

March 16, 2012March 16, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Ducks, Nature, Nikon D700, Northern Pintail, Photography, Waterfowl4 Comments

I’m looking through some photos of earlier birding trips and finding a few I like more now than when I first uploaded them.
Colusa National Wildlife Refuge.

The Beak Warmer

March 14, 2012March 14, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged D700, Ducks, Mallards, Nature, Nikon, Photography, Waterfowl, WildlifeLeave a comment

Nikon D700| Nikkor 80-200 @ 200mm + 1.4TC| Tripod| Watsonville, CA

Gliding in a Cloudless Sky

March 13, 2012March 13, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Birds of Prey, CA, D700, Nature, Nikon, Osprey, Photography, Watsonville, WildlifeLeave a comment

Nikon D700| Nikkor 80-200mm @ 200mm + 1.4x TC | f8| 1/2000 sec| ISO 800| Manual Mode| Tripod I spent part of the time shooting him in manual focus. With the TC on my Auto-Focus would hunt from time to time and I found it faster just to manually focus. I was changing from AF to MF I don’t know if this was MF or AF. Must find that in my Metadata.

Please click the photo to view it large. It looks blurry at this compressed size.

John Shaw: Nature & Wildlife Gear Guide (nikonusa.com)
Which NIKKOR Lens Type is Right for Your D-SLR? (nikonusa.com)

Osprey- Adult

March 11, 2012March 11, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, WildlifeTagged California, Osprey, Photography, Travel6 Comments

Osprey- Adult, originally uploaded by dmzajac2004-.

A couple of friends alerted me to an article in their hometown paper that told of a pair of Bald Eagles that had been sighted moving into an old Blue Heron nest.
My friend Dali and I headed over to check it out after we shot the Moonset in Pescadero.

When we arrived we spotted some finches in a tree and while shooting those I noticed a Bald Eagle high in the sky and coming our way. Dali spotted the other one off to the left.
They were far too high for my gear to get a photograph of them, but they looked beautiful soaring way up there in the blue sky.
They were flying south and I watched them until they were just tiny specks.

We also heard there is also a pair of Osprey living in this park so we scouted all around the lake and found a favorite perch and hunting spot of theirs.
He or she is flying over a part of the lake I’d seen it return to a couple of times.
I missed seeing it catch a trout earlier. It was obscured by trees and brush, but the sound was amazing. I won’t forget it.

We stayed for several hours but the Eagles didn’t return. We hope to get back here one day soon and see them.

I had to crop it in to get this view. My lens and TC combo are just not long enough.

Nikon D700|Nikkor 80-200 @ 200mm + 1.4x TC| f8| 1/4000 sec| ISO 1600| Manual Mode| Tripod

Cooper’s Hawk or Bird on a Wire

March 4, 2012March 5, 2012Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Nikon, Photography, WildlifeTagged Birds of Prey, California, Coopers Hawk, Hawks, Nikon D700, Photography, Silicon Valley, Wildlife3 Comments

The Copper’s Hawk that I saw in my neighbor’s tree back in late Jan. was on the power lines in my back yard this evening!
I grabbed my camera and hoped he was still there. While I was viewing the playback he flew away and I missed the “in flight” shot. ARG!
I was so excited to see him, but he must be here because there is a pair of nesting Mourning Doves nearby. I suspect he’s after the chicks. I hope he comes back so I get a flight shot, but I don’t want him to get the chicks!

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