Tag: Birding

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.”~ Henry David Thoreau

Posted in birding, Birds in the Wild, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Golden Gate Park, LensBaby Composer Pro II, San Francisco, WarblersTagged , , , , , 10 Comments

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.

Black and White Warbler

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,

Star

Fuschia Blossoms

An Iris?

Succulent Rosette

Stow Lake Bridge

Natural Texture

Japanese Cast Iron Garden Bells and Books

Japanese Tea Garden Golden Gate Park

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…

Life in the Garden-Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Posted in Backyard Birding, birding, Birds, Life in the GardenTagged , , , , , , 2 Comments

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

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…

Sanderlings

Posted in birding, Birds of Northern America, Carmel CA, Nature Photography, ShorebirdsTagged , , , , , , 2 Comments

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Sanderlings

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…

Black Turnstone

Posted in birding, Birds of Northern America, Carmel CA, Nature Photography, ShorebirdsTagged , , , , , 6 Comments

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Black Turnstone

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.

Oyster Catcher

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~

Fallen Feather

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

Catch of the Day!

Posted in Birds, California, San Jose California Nature Photographer, Shorebirds, WildlifeTagged , , , , , 6 Comments

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Catch of the Day

The fish this Seagull caught was so big it kept slipping out of the Gull’s mouth onto the sand. It was still alive and flopping about too. Several times the waves came up threatening to pull the fish back to sea, but that Gull would grab a fin and pull it back to the dry sand and try to eat it over and over. Finally he managed to swallow it.

Carmel by the Sea-  Nikon D700| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4| AF-S Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter

Life in the Garden

Posted in Birds, California, Flowers, Insects, Macro Photography, Photography, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , 1 Comment

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Life in the Garden

Most the flowers in my yard have been long gone, but the Lantana continues to grow and bloom! The Fritillary still comes by to sip on the Lantana, and yesterday I had a Skipper of some sort stop by.

Growing under, and around the Lantana I have some wild Scarlet Pimpernel. Most consider this a weed and pull it out, but I let it grow. I like its tiny flowers. They’re only as big as my little finger’s nail.

Scarlet Pimpernel

Change is definitely in the air around here. There are fewer and fewer Finches coming to the Feeder this week. I think they’re beginning to move on. Here’s a male House Finch perched on the feeder. I really like this feeder. It really is Squirrel proof! ( This was shot  through a double glass window so it’s a bit soft).

House Finch Male

The Anna’s Hummingbirds are still around, but I haven’t been able to get a decent image of them from my window. 
I’m going to get myself a blind during the off season so I’m ready for them next Spring.

 It’s a Holiday week-end ( Labor Day on Monday) here in the States I hope to get over to the coast, or to some favorite birding places to see if any of the winter birds are starting to arrive. It’s also He-Man’s birthday tomorrow so, I’ll be in the kitchen baking the cake he’s requested: Chocolate cake with custard filling and vanilla frosting. 

I hope you all have a great week-end.

Images made with:

Nikon D700 w/ Nikkor 105mm Micro lens, and

Nikon D300s w/ AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4 w/Nikkor 14eII Teleconverter

more to come…

Ring-necked Pheasant

Posted in Birds, California, Nature, Photography, WildlifeTagged , , , , , , 3 Comments

Copyright © 2014 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Ring-necked Pheasant MaleThis one is from my Archives. I made this image in late May this year.  This was a really neat and thrilling experience seeing this male Pheasant. I see them so rarely, and most the time they’re on the run the instant they spot me. This male was so busy eating, and I think used to people being around so, he didn’t pay much attention to my presence or the sound of my clicking shutter button.

I really liked the light on his back and face.

Nikon D3oos| AF-S Nikkor 300mm f4| Hand-held