Category: Uncategorized
Wild Wings Day 4: The Star
by Susan
The Star of the Day today could have been the pelicans, which were quite photoworthy. Or it could have been any of the number of small waders that ran along the shore and entertained us by pestering each other. But The Star of the Day was none of these. It was definitely the wood stork. And not just *any* wood stork. It was THIS … Read More Wild Wings Day 4: The Star
Wild Wings Day 2: The Star
by Susan
No problem choosing The Star of the Day for Day 2, the uncontested winner was the reddish egret. “In the stately and dignified world of herons,” according to AllAboutBirds (Cornell University), “Reddish Egrets are the swashbuckling cousins.” And right they are! Anyone who has watched great blue herons or great or snowy egrets patiently stalking their prey will be quite surprised at the tactics … Read More Wild Wings Day 2: The Star
Wild Wings Photography
by Susan
Having just returned from the Florida 2022 workshop, I can’t say enough good things about the tour sponsored by Wild Wings Photography. Andy, the group leader, is an excellent photographer – but he is much more than that. His technical and artistic skills with the camera are matched only by his extensive studies and field experience, not only with bird life but with all … Read More Wild Wings Photography
T-ewwwwww-SDAY
by Susan
A couple of ewwwwww photos from Sterling today transformed Tuesday into a real T-EWWWWW-sday. Well, not completely. There were some sweet photos of mamma herons, a mamma eagle, and some pretty flowers. But definitely a good portion of ewwwww. Sometimes when you see a dark thing sticking up from a soggy bog bottom, it’s inanimate and harmless. Maybe it’s just a branch or perhaps … Read More T-ewwwwww-SDAY
+ 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
Marsh Wrens
by Susan
You can hear them in the cattails, but they are very hard to see. That’s because they don’t sit at the top, like the song sparrows do; they much prefer to hide at mid-level, where the greenery is at its thickest. So, get familiar with manual focus, because autofocus will fail miserably. Its will struggle for a while and then settle on the nearest … Read More Marsh Wrens
The Oly 100-400 f5-6.3
by Susan
I love this lens! Just over half the cost of the Canon L series 100-400, it gets an impressive 800mm equivalent view, something that the Canon can’t do without an extender. And, again like the Canon, it’s versatile with a selection of distance ranges, as close as 1.3m to 6m to infinity. So, for less money (and less weight!) you get some pretty good … Read More The Oly 100-400 f5-6.3
Sterling Nature Center
by Susan
It was supposed to be a butterfly hunt, led by SNC Director Jim D’Angelo, but despite all good intentions it was upstaged by The Bullfrog Chorus, which put on quite a show. It was stunning! I’m surprised I arrived on time, given the distractions presented to me along the Rt 104 drive. . .distractions that were just too beautiful and intriguing to ignore. But … Read More Sterling Nature Center
+ 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
If current practices persist, this name change would certainly be warranted. For the past three years (2018-2021) each of the pools here have been groomed for a single purpose — to create a habitat for ducks — as well as geese and swans but primarily ducks. And only geese and swans but primarily ducks. So, in early spring the pools are drained down to … 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
Wildlife Dried
by Susan
Writing on Joseph Karpinksi’s Facebook Page, Birds of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, MNWR spokesperson Andrea van Beusichem advised visitors that Wildlife Drive will be “challenging” this year. I’m not sure if that is the best way to describe it. . .pathetic is more like it. There just isn’t much to see on the grasslands situated where the marshes used to be. But hey, at … Read More Wildlife Dried
Spot On!
by Susan
How? With spot metering, of course. I never had to bother with it before, but in retrospect I really should have. Oh, I know how much the camera meter likes 18% gray, but I didn’t think much of it. Matrix metering — a/k/a evaluative a/k/a zone metering — is the default setting on most cameras — and for a reason. It (generally) works. Olympus … Read More Spot On!
Seen by Susan: Fun with Flora and Fauna 
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