Category: Birds
+ Africa, Andy Nguyen, baboons, Birds, Crane, eagles, egret, Fish, Geese, giraffes, hippo, Kenya, lions, Maasai Mara, mirrorless, monkeys, Naivasha, Nakuru, rhino, Uncategorized
(In and) Out of Africa
by Susan
Kenya, to be specific. It was a truly unforgettable experience in many ways, not the least of which was the sprawling Maasai Mara and the incredible diversity of the wildlife it sustains. I left the Olympus cameras at home. We really wouldn’t be doing much walking, so lightweight gear was not a consideration. Instead, I used the full-frame Nikon d850 and the Nikkor 200-500 … Read More (In and) Out of Africa
It’s Here! It’s a GO!
by Susan
The Wild Wings Photography Tour, Costa Rica 2022 is a GO! This is the kind of birds we will see — — and I am hoping that this is the kind of photos we will take! With Andy’s patient help and expert teaching we will no doubt bring lots and lots of good photos back home. So, get your passports updated and your … Read More It’s Here! It’s a GO!
Wild Wings Day 6: The (Final) Star
by Susan
If Saturday was SuperSaturday, then I would have to say that Sunday was StupendousSunday. I thought I was in photography heaven. When Andy said he was taking us to a rookery, I immediately thought of this: Which is a fairly typical example of a great blue heron rookery up where I live. You know, a stand of dead trees in the middle of a … Read More Wild Wings Day 6: The (Final) Star
+ about me, Andy Nguyen, Birds, Crane, Ducks, Fish, heron, mirrorless, Montezuma, osprey, Uncategorized, Wild Wings Photography
Wild Wings Day 5: The Star
by Susan
Today was SuperSaturday, so by definition The Star of the Day would be a SuperStar. And it was! No doubt about it, it was babies! Babies clearly were the Number One SuperStar of the Day! Our morning outing was delayed by thunderstorms, severe enough to prompt lightning warnings. But once they cleared we were off, looking for SuperStar candidates. It didn’t take long to … Read More Wild Wings Day 5: The Star
Wild Wings Day 3: The Star
by Susan
We went out twice on Day 3, once in the morning and once in the evening during the golden hours of sunrise and sunset. The choice of Star of the Day was actually quite difficult, as several lovely and not-so-lovely candidates had to be considered. The first candidate would have to be the purple gallinule. The morning light glistened off its iridescent feathers — … Read More Wild Wings Day 3: The Star
+ Birds
Wild Wings Day 1: The Star
by Susan
The Star of the Day was really hard to choose. Of course, my immediate choice, and likely the one Andy intended, would be the spoonbills. Spoonbills are large, pink wading birds with distinctive spoon-like bills — you really can’t miss seeing them! And you really can’t miss taking photos of them, unless you are me. 😦 This being my first workshop and its first … Read More Wild Wings Day 1: The Star
+ Birds, bridge camera, Crane, Ducks, eagles, egret, gear, Geese, heron, mirrorless, Red-tail hawk, swans, Uncategorized
Sony a7ii
by Susan
I really love my Olympus gear, but I can’t ignore the full-frame fuss any longer. So, I took the plunge and bought a (used) Sony — not the latest model and certainly not the most expensive — but one that Digital Camera World recommended as a very capable and affordable full-frame, as long as you don’t do video (https://www.digitalcameraworld.com/buying-guides/best-full-frame-mirrorless-camera). Although still a relative newbie … Read More Sony a7ii
+ Andrea van Beausichem, Andrea van Beusichem, Birds, Ducks, eagles, egret, Fish, Geese, grebes, heron, Migration, Montezuma, muskrat, osprey, swans, Uncategorized
Spring, Montezuma Style
by Susan
Winter is slowly losing its grip on western New York. Eaglets are hatching, osprey and herons are nesting, and ducks, geese, and swans have found their mates. Although spring arrived meterologically on March 21, it wasn’t really spring for us nature photofolks until April 1st, when the gate to Wildlife Drive swung open. Today was sunny (and warm!), so I packed a lunch and … Read More Spring, Montezuma Style
+ Andrea van Beausichem, Andrea van Beusichem, Birds, Coots, Ducks, eagles, egret, Fish, Geese, heron, Migration, Montezuma, natural, osprey, sludge, swans, Uncategorized
Montezuma Waterfowl Refuge?
by Susan
Unfortunately, current practices would indicate that this is an appropriate name change for the (former?) Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. For the past three years each of its marsh pools have been sequentially groomed to promote a plant-based ecosystem to encourage the waterfowl population — ducks, geese, and swans, but primarily ducks. This strategy, however, has decimated the fish habitat upon which water waders … Read More Montezuma Waterfowl Refuge?
Feeding the Waterfowl, An Update
by Susan
Well, this blog has definitely been seen, because Ms. van Beusichem has now issued a brochure, Draining the Main Pool, Feeding the Waterfowl, which is available without charge at the MNWR Visitor’s Center. Nice try, but in my opinion it warrants no cigar. She merely repeats the glib arguments that we have already heard, albeit with a bit more cheerfulness. “The Montezuma National Wildlife … Read More Feeding the Waterfowl, An Update
+ Birds, bridge camera, Caspian Tern, Fish, gear, heron, mirrorless, osprey, Uncategorized
Losing My Fear of ISO
by Susan
What newbie wouldn’t be scared of ISO? On one hand, it promises you brighter, better photos. . . . . .but the other hand takes them away with great big blobs of grain. Up to now, I simply ignored this third leg of the exposure triangle. I figured that by keeping the ISO low (200 or below), I wouldn’t have to worry about grain. … Read More Losing My Fear of ISO
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