Upstate New York Bird Photography

Ring-necked Pheasant Encounter

2012-02-12T00:51:00.001-05:00

Two days ago I took a small walk at a local birding area and happened upon two ring-necked pheasants.
Normally by the time I see these birds, they have taken flight.
One of these birds stuck around and allowed me to photograph it.
It was a moderate overcast day with small bursts of sunshine every now and then.
The temperature was about 38 degrees and there was no snow on the ground at this time.
Strange for an area that averages over 100 inches anually.

Eye to Eye:

The Strut:

The Maneuver:

The Escape:

Last Day Of The Month

2012-01-31T18:11:00.001-05:00

It was a beautiful sunny day today.
The temperature climbed to about 45 degrees.
I started the morning with a trip to Summer Hill.
I quickly located chickadees and a white-breated nuthatch.
Then with a bit of luck, I spotted a pine siskin.
I was not able to get a usable image of the bird.
After that I was fortunate enough to hear the lovely sound of a white-winged crossbill.
I was unable to locate it, but it was a positive identification by ear.
I rounded out the day with a couple images from a spot on the way home.

Black-capped Chickadee:

American Tree Sparrow:

Sunny But Cold

2012-01-19T15:03:00.007-05:00

It was 27 degrees this morning, but the sun was shining and I had the itch to get out and shoot something.
First thing in the morning I spotted two bald eagles, but was not offered a decent vantage point in which to photograph them.

House Finch:

Delightful Chickadees

2012-01-11T18:50:00.000-05:00

It was a bright sunny day and around 40 degrees out.
I loaded my gear in the car around 9am and headed for an undisclosed location.
Note to self: Next time pack a lunch.
The first thing to great me today was a beautiful red-tailed hawk.
It didn't stay very long but I didn't really expect it to.
Shortly after the hawk, I spotted a downy woodpecker fast at work on a tree.
The rest of my morning was filled with happy little chickadees.
I captured well over 100 images of these flirtacious little gems.
They were singing and foraging.

Black-capped Chickadee:

What more could I ask for other than perhaps lunch!

--Shawn

Dismal Day

2012-01-10T13:05:00.001-05:00

The day started off quite overcast.
The temperature was about 37 degrees and it was raining off and on.
I decided to scout out some new locations.
While doing so, I was fortunate enough to view about fifteen different types of birds.
The highlight of my jaunt today was a white-throated sparrow.
I located one particular spot with water and marsh about seven miles from home that looks to have alot of potential.
The wind was quite numbing today and I am downing a nice warm cup of coffee as I type this.
Trying to save a bit on the gas bill this month, so the heat is set at the usual 57 degrees on the thermostat.
I can almost see my breath <--just kidding!
Time to find some lunch.
--Shawn

A Cornucopia Of Birds

2012-01-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

The day started off a chilly 27 degrees but rose to about 43 by afternoon.
I only managed a couple of mediocre images today so I won't bother to post any.
That said, I did see a nice variety of birds.

Crows
Downy Woodpeckers
Cedar Waxwings
Red-tailed Hawk
Black-capped Chickadee
Bald Eagle (4)
I also was fortunate enough to hear the call of a barred owl.

It was a very nice day!

A Wonderful Day

2012-01-08T19:25:00.001-05:00

I spent the day close to home.
It was a beautiful sunny day for the most part.
The temperature was about 32 degrees.
My first stop was in Baldwinsville where I located a group of feeding cedar waxwings.
The waxwings were scared away when hunters fired their guns and did not soon return.
I managed to capture a few images and then headed for Memphis.
While in Memphis, New York I located two brown creepers, a golden-crowned kinglet and a plethura of dark-eyed juncos.
My goal for tomorrow is to try and get a decent image of the brown creepers.

Dark-eyed Junco:

Northern Cardinals

2012-01-06T13:17:00.001-05:00

I spent the morning at some local birding spots.
The morning started with me spotting a group of waxwings high in the trees.
They were quickly scared off, but I have no clue by what.
Shortly after that I spotted a blue-jay but couldn't get a clear shot of it.
After that, two cardinals landed within about 15 feet of me.
One left after seeing me move, but the other allowed me to take quite a few nice images.
I am finally getting adjusted to the 600mm focal length.
I am looking forward to warbler season in the worst way.

Northern Cardinal:

Eagles

2012-01-04T23:11:00.000-05:00

I started the morning a bit late.
The weather was extremely cold.
I fixed myself some breakfast and headed out the door with my camera in hand.
It was the perfect weather for eagles, so I set out on a quest to Montezuma.
I didn't get very far before I spotted two in some trees.
I waited for them to leave their majestic perch that was quite obstructed by branches.
I didn't have to wait very long before one took to the air.
With my camera in place, I fired off a few shots.

Later I met with a local birder and discussed the best access point to another place for more eagle viewing.
The birder gave me some good advice and was on their way.
While chatting, the eagles took flight and did not return until later in the day.

I am realizing that 600mm of focal length presents many interesting challenges.
I look forward to catching up with the eagles again in the near future.

New Birding Journal

2012-01-02T18:49:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was the first day of the new year.
I decided to take a small road trip to some popular spots.
The day looked as though it would be a wash.
Rain was predicted for the afternoon and the lighting was terrible.
Some days you just have to take the cards you are dealt.

I started the morning at Mercer Park.
There were about 25 mallards there also about 50 geese and a handful of gulls.
With my 2x converter attached to my 300mm, I soon learned I was in need for some adjustments to my shooting style.
I am happy to report that the 2x focused better than I had anticipated.
This combination seems to be a bit sharper than my 1.4x, at least when I nail focus that is.

I quickly got bored at Mercer park and headed for Fair Haven West.
On the way I spotted a hawk with its back to me on a wire.
When I arrived there, I was greated by a group of duck hunters that didn't seem to be having much luck.
Shortly after that a woman arrived to pick up rocks from the shore of Lake Ontario.

I ventured over to the East side only to be disappointed by the lack of smaller birds flitting in and out of the pines.
There were a group of swans on the pond, but other than that not alot going on other than a couple buffalo head ducks that quickly took flight out of view.

From there I ventured to Oswego in search of some ducks.
There was a kestral in a tree along the road but it quickly took flight.
Being a busy and dangerous road, I did not stop to wait for its return.
I then arrived at Oswego to search for ducks.
No luck, at this time I was losing light and asking myself where they had gone.
I made my way up to Montario Point and located a few mallards.

With the light fading and the weather taking a turn for the worse, I headed for home.

One Last Image For 2011

2011-12-20T15:08:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful sunny morning and the sun was shining brightly.
The chickadees and tree sparrows were quite abundant.

American Tree Sparrow:

Winter Is Coming

2011-12-19T10:07:00.000-05:00

With snow in the air I am reminded that Winter will soon arrive.
The x-mas tree is up and trimmed, the holiday shopping is almost complete, and I am looking forward to a new year and a exploring bird photography with 600mm of lens. I have spent the majority of time shooting birds with a 300mm + 1.4x teleconverter. I wanted to prove to myself and to others that doubted bird photography could be accomplished with only 420mm of focal length.
I swore off using the 2x teleconverter, not because of image quality, but to force myself to get closer to the quarry I was in pursuit of.
In the coming year my goal is to capture images using the 300mm and 2x combo exclusively.

"FEATURED"

2011-11-19T13:56:00.005-05:00

What's new and exciting? ... Let me tell you!

I have just completed adding a new feature to my site.
It is a collection of featured images for the month and can be reached by clicking on the "Featured" link in the top tool bar.
I intend to add a new gallery at the end of each month to highlight some featured bird images captured throughout that month.