Jim Mundy's Nature Photography Blog

Using Micro adjustment for your Camera and Lenses is a must 2

2012-01-22T16:35:00.000-08:00

If you are a Canon user and have been frustrated by not getting good crisp sharp pictures especially when using extenders you are not alone. I for one have had plenty of problems and was just about to give up when Canon came out with cameras with micro adjustment. Today I would not own a digital SLR that did not have this feature. I have adjusted each lens separately and when I put any lens on the camera automatically adjust for that lens.

In April of 2010 I blogged about the micro adjustment how wonderful it is. I also showed a chart that I created and used to help with my adjustments. Since that time I have bought a product created to help with the micro adjustments called lens align. I used it to calibrate all of my lenses again and wow what a difference. Now I can use my 2x extender on my smaller lenses hand held and get some spectacular pictures. I can still remember never being able to get a good picture with my 2x extender however now it has opened up a new world for me. If you go back and look at my first article my adjustment are still close to those numbers for my extenders. .

This picture of the blue dasher dragonfly was with my Mark III and my EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM and my 2.0 extender. Being able to get picture like this with a light lens and the extenders is quite exciting and I will be doing more insects in the future now that I can produce shots like this.

If you are a local photographer and you would like to adjust your lenses to your camera I would be happy to do it with your help and a small fee.

Beauty in the Yard

2011-07-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

I am staying around the house this weekend and noticed some Damselflies landing on my plants in the front yard and grabbed my camera to capture some shots. They ended up being Familiar Bluet Damselfly male and female. At first glance they remind you of a dragonfly but the way the hold there wings helps distinguish them apart from the dragonfly. The male has striking blue color why the female is less colorful which is helps make her less noticeable. The nice thing about taking pictures of different creatures in nature is the learning process after the picture is taken.

Equipment Testing

2011-07-10T04:24:00.000-07:00

I went out this morning Saturday July 9th to test my camera equipment to make sure all is working well and found that my 1.4 extender is broken and must be replaced or fixed. You see on the last leg of my trip in South Dakota I was trying to get a picture of a Mountain Bluebird and I let go of my tripod for just a short second and it fell over breaking my Wimberley Head. I thought that was all the damage but I had not been out with my big lens since I got the tripod head back from the welder. As it looks so far only the extender was broken not the camera or my 600mm lens. I finally found a cooperative test subject to test my equipment on and took this beautiful picture of this Halloween Pennant Male and Female.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park South

2011-06-06T05:33:00.001-07:00

It rained all night and into the early afternoon on Tuesday May 31, 2011 and I finally started to see it clear up but it was quite windy, in fact they were calling for a wind warning for the rest of the day and evening. Around 3:00 pm the sun was shining so I grabbed my gear and headed toward the park. They had an alternate entrance area through their maintenance building because of flooding. I cannot seem to get away from rain and flooding, lucky for me they had an alternate way to enter the park or I might not have been able to go in. Since I had paid the day before at the north section my pass was good for the south as well so I showed them my receipt and went on my way. I first came to a prairie dog area where I sat for a while getting pictures and watching them make this funny little barking noise they do while throwing their whole body into the noise, It quite amusing and after about twenty minutes I was on my way again.
When I stopped on the northern part of the park it was cloudy and this time it was partly cloudy with sunshine which I really prefer. I like clouds in my pictures but not total cloud cover because I think blue skies really make the picture more striking. I went all around the park taking pictures and then went to get a bite to eat and came back as the clouds were becoming scarcer. I was hoping to find more types of wildlife in the evening but really did not see much more than the first trip around just more of them. As I was coming to the end of the loop through the floodplain area I noticed a lot of elk in the fields eating. I probably saw more elk in that one spot than I did in my entire trip to Yellowstone. I headed back to my room to download my pictures and to prepare for departure in the morning.

Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge to Theodore Roosevelt National Park

2011-05-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning May 29, 2011, I got up and headed toward Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge to hopefully get some species that I have not seen or taken photos of. I stopped along the way just west of the little town of Niobe at an original prairie where the Chestnut-collared Longspur and Sprague’s Pipit’s were suppose to be but could not find them. I did find upland Sandpipers though but did not get any picture. It was dark and cloudy and breezy morning and walked around in the field looking for anything rare species to photograph. I decide to move on to Lostwood and found that a big section of that area was closed because a Piping Plover had nested in the road, probably because so much of the area is saturated with water. I was going to head on the one side that was still open and I noticed most of the road was under water, I could tell some people were still going through but I decided not to risk it and decided to moved on to another area called Zahl National Wildlife Refuge. This ended up being a bust because I no sooner got there and the rain started to come down very hard. I am starting to think the rain clouds are following me.
My plan was to get to Theodore Roosevelt for the evening so I decide to head in that direction. I got to the north section around 2:00 pm and drove through the park and got some pictures before the rain caught up with me. I left their and headed for my destination for the night, actually three nights. I am staying at Medora North Dakota near the south section of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Shortly after I arrived the rain started and as of Monday afternoon the rain is still falling. They are calling for a 30% chance of rain Tuesday and 10% on Wednesday and a high of 72. This will be the warmest day for a while it has been in the 50’s. The plan is to head toward South Dakota on Wednesday and of course that is suppose to be the nicest day.

Back to Upper Souris River National Wildlife Refuge

2011-05-30T10:06:00.000-07:00

I went back to Upper Souris River National Wildlife Refuge Saturday morning May 28th to see try to find some new birds to photograph and to enjoy the different habitats. I went on the auto trail loop and it wasn’t long before I found and photographed a Vesper Sparrow which I found on a hillside prairie that was recently burned despite all the rain they have been having. This guy was really friendly and I was able get lots of photographs. I was just getting ready to try to look for something else in a field on the opposite side of the road and I saw the rain coming.
There were Bobolinks calling in the field and some Clay-colored sparrows but a light mist of rain started to come down and I knew it would not be long before the heavy rain would come so I picked up my gear and headed for the car. I hadn’t put my gear in the car just before the big rain started. I decide to just wait it out and finally after about an hour or so the rain finished and I was back looking for something to photograph. Although I did not find anything new to photograph I spent the whole day there which was great but not as successful as I had hoped. Before I left I did a landscape photograph of a wetland area with thick clouds. All in all it was a nice time with only a little rain but I know it would not be long before the rain starts up again.

Lot’s of water 2

2011-05-26T18:46:00.000-07:00

Again excess water is making changes on my route. I went to Upper Souris River National Wildlife Refuge this morning and the main road to into the area was closed to flooding so I went to Des Lacs Nation Wildlife Area.
I talked to an employee at the visitor centre who gave me some information about the Upper Souris and Des Lacs. I was able to get out and walk some today at one of their trails and picked up a couple species of birds as well as a couple landscape pictures. I got the Clay-colored Sparrow and a Black-and White Warbler among a few others. It sure hasn’t been as productive as I would hope it would be. I still have plenty of time but ducks are very skittish and finding areas with the sparrows I want to photograph has been a challenge. Friday is supposed to be about 50% of rain and less on Saturday and Sunday. I will be hanging in this area until Sunday at this point and driving to several of the wildlife areas mentioned above as well as Lostwood National Wildlife Area and hope to pick up some good species in the next few days.

Lots of Water!

2011-05-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

My first full day in North Dakota was dark and cloudy in the morning and brighter in the afternoon and I was able to get a few pictures. I have seen lots of ducks but they spook easy even inside the car. I have decided I really don’t like shooting from the car. It’s not comfortable and I find it hard to concentrate too. Most of all the wetland I have seen are on private land and I don’t feel like asking permission every time I see a duck.
I went to Long Lake National Wildlife area and enjoyed some shooting outside of the car. After all that driving I don’t want to spend more time in a car. I left that are this morning (Wednesday) and headed to J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge and the main road by the Visitor center and the viewing shelter was under water. I know I will be running into this problem in other areas as sell. Many of the nesting species have been misplaced because the water is so high. I am back in Minot in a hotel hoping for better luck tomorrow. I will be heading to Upper Souris National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday hoping for better results then Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge.

In just one hour

2011-05-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

After setting up my booth and pictures there was time to go out and get some pictures so my wife and I headed out to the state forest and drove until we heard a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, we found a place to pull over and I got my gear out and walked into an open woods and it wasn’t long and the male landed near by and I captured a few good shots.
I also heard and Ovenbird and finally got him down low enough to get a few shots of him too. The sun started going behind the clouds and then the mosquitoes started to bite me but before I quite shooting pictures I was able to capture this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. As I was leaving I realized I had only been shooting and I got three great species.

On the road again

2011-05-19T15:57:00.001-07:00

I leave early Friday May 19, 2011 to head to Michigan for the Kirtland Warbler Festival. I am the featured photographer at the show and will be selling my pictures and talking up my nature photography. They asked me to do it last year but I was too busy planning my Alaska trip to do it. I hope to get setup early afternoon on Friday and have some time in the evening to get some photos. I hope to do the same Saturday evening since I will be heading back early Sunday to drop my wife Carol off at the house and pick up my supplies and head north to the Dakotas.
My plan is to get past Chicago Sunday evening before stopping for the night so I won’t have to deal with all the traffic in the morning. I should be able to get to Steele North Dakota before dark. I hope the weather is good and not rainy like it has been at home. I have attached a map showing my route and I will have a little more than two weeks to explore and get lots of pictures I hope.

I was suppose to have my good friend Brian Jorg with me on the trip but with all the rain we have had this spring, he couldn’t take the time off because they were so far behind at work, so I will be doing this adventure on my own.

The Sweet Spot

2011-05-02T17:11:00.000-07:00

The weather was nice last Saturday April 30th so I headed out early to take advantage of the early morning light. First I headed to Mitchell Memorial Forest hoping to catch a few species there but I was very disappointed in the results. A little discourage at not getting any good pictures I put all my gear in the car and headed for Miami Whitewater Forest. On the way I was thinking where should I go and I drove in and slowly listened for bird songs and heard a cerulean and a hooded warbler so I pulled into a parking lot and got out my gear. I set up near the edge of the woods were the sun would be at my back and got setup and then the photos began.
My first opportunity was the Cerulean warbler and I actually saw the female and was able to get a couple snaps of before she disappeared. The mail hung around and I was able to get off quite a few of him. Next I kept seeing a white-breasted nuthatch going in and out of a tree preparing for the nest or feeding a female on the nest. I did not really focus on him until later because a Summer Tanager caught my eye and this species is one I have not had a lot of opportunity to photograph so I focused on getting more pictures this species.
Fortunately for me this bird was photogenic and was begging me to get it picture and I got quite of few. The first pose that got my attention was when it set in a dip of a dead branch and puffed out and pulled its tail up behind his head like a feather. It set there for a while and I captured many different poses but my favorite is this one. Then after a while the nuthatch started hanging around again and I finally started taking pictures of him scurrying around all over. I had got lost in taking pictures of this species and realized I had taken more than I probably should have but I was having a good time.

I can get so involved in getting pictures that I loose all track of time. While I was photographing the tanager a robin had landed on a branch and posed for a few shot before getting back to it days work. Next a hooded warbler stopped by to see what the fuss was and I was able to get a few shots of before it disappeared. Then I had a yellow-throated Vireo come in for a several minutes and then it too went on its merry way.
I then had another visit form the Summer Tanager and spent probably another 30 plus minutes capturing more photographs of this species before packing up and heading home.

I like most people needed to get home and mow my yard before the next batch of rain on Sunday. I felt very lucky to have six species of birds to show up and get good photographs and not have to move form the spot. These kinds of days are great and I enjoy the moment because I know the next time may not be so great.

Some Nice Weather at Last

2011-04-19T18:08:00.000-07:00

This April 13th, 14th and the 17th and 18th the weather was finally good enough and I was able to get out and get some pictures of birds from the area. On the 13th I went back to my bluebird spot and captured some more bluebird picture this time though I got them with redbud flowers. Then on the 14th I was very fortunate to get some good pictures of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch and Northern Parula Warbler. On the 16th I was able to get some pictures of the Pine Warbler, Chipping Sparrow and the Red-bellied Woodpecker. Finally on the 17th I had to visit my trusted bluebird were I took a few more pictures of them with redbuds Flowers. I have really enjoyed these nice days and am looking for to getting out again real soon. Looks like the next day the weather will be nice is Thursday April 21st, hopefully I can find some new migrants to get pictures of soon..

Itching to get out and do Some Photography

2011-04-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have blogged about any adventures with my camera so out I went with my camera. Fighting a sinus infection or a viral infection since last Monday March 4th, I decided not to let this stop me from getting out this weekend. Spring has arrived and birds are singing their spring love song and are starting their nesting season. So I pumped myself up with drugs to make myself feel better and went out looking for birds to photograph. I went over to the Dam area at Winton Woods and picked an area off the beaten path and looked, listened and waited to see what birds were using the area and it was not long before I heard the songs of the Carolina wren and notice them foraging in the area and was able to capture a couple shots. Then I heard the song of the eastern bluebird and noticed they were possibly going nesting in a tree not far from where I was standing and I was right. I saw them going in on occasion and I was hopeful to get some great photographs and I did. I have taken so many pictures it will be hard to decide which one to keep and which ones to delete. I heard and saw may more birds but these bluebirds were so cooperative I had to spend most of my time on them. Anytime you get an animal that is cooperative get pictures while you can because they may not ever be like that again. Here are a few I really liked.

Back to North Chagrin Reserve for Wood Ducks

2010-10-17T07:28:00.000-07:00

On Saturday October 9, 2010 I met up with some photographers from the Ohio Valley Camera Club to shoot the wood ducks. I was the host for this trip since I have been there before. People from all over the country have come to this spot to get great photos of these ducks. If you have ever tried to get pictures of wood ducks before in the wild you know how hard it can be. Over the years people have been feeding them here and they are very friendly. Starting last year they have stopped allowing feeding and eventually as the wood ducks die off they will not be replaced by new tame ones and then North Chagrin Reserve will not be the destination for wood ducks any longer.

I always meet other photographers from other states when I go up there and enjoy talking with them. This time I met Maxis Gamez from Florida and enjoyed talking to him about photography. It was funny to see him excited over Canada Geese though. For us they are a dime a dozen and have become a nuisance but to him he hadn’t had much opportunity to photograph them in Florida since I guess they are not seen often down there. I guess one man’s junk bird is another mans treasure bird. I really had a great time with everybody at North Chagrin Reserve and got some more wonderful pictures of wood ducks.

Extirpated species from Ohio was found

2010-09-03T18:38:00.000-07:00

I had a special treat today and got to photograph a supposed extirpated plant in Ohio. This species Orobanche riparia as it is called now was found at Shawnee Lookout in South Western Ohio by Jim Decker and Dan Boone. This species which was known as Louisiana broomrape (Orobanche ludoviciana) and was thought to be one species by earlier botanist but now is divided into two species an upland species and a bottom land species which is the one that was found. This kind of find doesn't happen very often so great job to Jim and Dan for finding this rare species. If you want to read more about this species copy this address and past it in your browser and read a research paper on this new species.

http://www.brit.org/fileadmin/Publications/JBotResInstTexas_3_1/03-11_Collins_etal_Orobanche_JBRIT3_1__02.pdf

An update on this species, Dan Boone and other botanists met at Shawnee Lookout today Saturday September 4th to see this plant and a quick search around the area uncovered ten more plants. This species is a parasitic plant on ragweed and is probably more common than we think. Now that this species has been discovered again my guess is by the time the entire group of Ohio botanist do more searching and find more populations this species status will go from extirpated to endangered and maybe even become removed from the list of rare plants.

Trip to Daniel Boone National Forest

2010-08-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday August 21, 2010 in Kentucky with Dan Boone, and Jim Decker looking for several species of rare plants that I had never seen before and was looking forward to seeing them and photographing them. The first species was the native New York Ironweed which is extinct in Ohio and we were successful at finding it as well and many other species too. Next we headed to another location were there was a natural seep and found the rare White-fringeless Orchid also known as Monkey-face Orchid.
It did not look like a Monkey’s face to me but it was a very cool orchid just the same. While looking at and photographing the Orchid I had the pleasure of meeting another photographer from Kentucky and a good friend of Dan’s, Richard Cassel.He was a very funny character and we all had a good time looking at various other plants as well. Once we were done there we went looking for the Appalachian rosinweed which was along some back road about one hour away from the orchid and again we were successful. This plant is only known from the Appalachian region of Kentucky and Tennessee. We spent about an hour at that location enjoying and photographing this plant before heading back home.

The Three Bird and Crane-fly Orchids

2010-07-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

On Thursday July 29th I had the privilege of seeing and photographing the Three Bird Orchid (Triphora trianthophora). This rare species gets it name because it has three flowers that usually bloom at different time that are suppose to resemble birds in flight. I guess if you have an imagination you can see it.
This species population is hard to track throughout its range because it does not bloom every year and can lay dormant for years before making its presence known, making it hard to know its current population. This species is found in deciduous forest ranging among much of central to eastern North America and is said to be found mainly in American beech forest. We still have the privilege of having this unique species in Hamilton County while many other orchids that were once found here have all long disappeared.

I was also able to photograph another species of orchid, the Crane-fly Orchid (Tipularia discolor) as well. This species is more common than the above orchid and is more widely distributed in Hamilton County but is missed by many people because it is not as showy as many of its cousins. This orchid blooms mid July and early August and is polinated by moths.

The Yellow-fringed Orchid

2010-07-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday July 24th I got up early and headed east to Shawnee State Forest looking for another orchid to photograph. Knowing it was going to be really hot and humid by the afternoon I was hoping to find it and get back home before the heat of the day. With good directions from Dan Boone I had no problem finding the Yellow-fringed Orchid. I usually would not drive that far for just one plant but I have missed this one for several years so I decided to make the trip. Sure was worth the driving seeing and photographing this rare species. While there I also noticed it was a good year for butterflies, they seemed everywhere.

In search of the rare Purple-fringeless Orchid

2010-07-22T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last night after work Carol and I headed east of Cincinnati in search of the rare Purple-fringeless Orchid in hopes seeing and photographing it.
I found out from Dan Boone that it was in bloom and got direction from Marjie Becus on its location. This is a new orchid for Carol and I and a nice one to add to our plant life list as well. I have wanted to find and photograph this and other rare orchids for a while and I am happy to add this one to my collection.

Denali National Park

2010-06-10T23:52:00.000-07:00

Carol and I arrived at Denali on Monday June 7 around 10:00 am under partly sunny skies and decided to take a bus tour out into the park. We took the bus out to Eielson and back which was around a four hour trip one way. They stopped at several locations on the way and would also stop if any wildlife was seen. Most of the wildlife we saw was far away and not much chance for some good wildlife shots although we did have a lynx close but I was not able to get a good shot. The next two days were mostly cloudy with intermitted rain so we decide to drive to Fairbanks on Tuesday and found the weather mostly sunny and visited some birding areas and did some laundry. On Wednesday we went to the visitor center and went to see the sled dogs and learned about the use of the dogs in the past and their current use. Our final day at Denali was mostly sunny and we went on a six or so mile hike toward the back of the park where we were able to see the Mt. Denali which is only seen by about 20 percent of visitors because it is usually covered by clouds. Tomorrow (Friday) we head back to Anchorage and then home early Sunday Morning.

From Barrow to Homer

2010-06-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

Carol and I left Barrow on June 1st and headed back to anchorage airport to pick up a car and head for Homer. When we left barrow it had been snowing and windy. According to some of the locals the weather has been colder than normal for this time of year and the many of the species I had hoped to get pictures of, had not showed up yet and most of the tundra was still frozen. After picking up some supplies in Anchorage we headed toward Homer and stayed in Soldotna for the first night. The weather has been cloudy and rainy for most of the time since we have left Anchorage and arrived at Homer. We have had some breaks in the rain especially in the evenings. Tomorrow, Friday the 4th of June we leave for Seward. We are actually leaving for Seward a day earlier than we had originally planned. We decided we would rather spend more time in Denali Nation Park so we are heading toward Seward a day earlier then head for Denali a day earlier too.
We are hoping for better weather too. We have a boat ride scheduled to go out to the Fjordes and hope to be able to get some good photographs. I have not been taking many photographs since we left Barrow. The cloudy, raining weather is not the best for photographs of any kind in my opinion. I hope Seward will be more productive than for photographs than it was in Homer. The attached pictures are of the Grewingk Glacier and a Gray Jay.

Barrow Alaska

2010-05-30T18:08:00.001-07:00

Carol and I arrived at Barrow around 5:30pm on May 29, 2010, there time, which would be 9:30 Cincinnati time. We almost did not make it to Barrow because of the fog. The pilot said we might not land depending on how the fog was once we got there. Luckily, we were able to land and as we drove around we encountered areas where the fog was real thick and the temperature here is around 28 degrees. Once we got settled in to our room and got our truck we headed out in search of birds. Right-a-way we saw snow buntings and they are everywhere. As we got to the tundra areas we stated seeing Tundra swans, Greater white fronted goose, as well as many small shore birds. On Saturday morning we headed out and saw a Snowy Owl off in the distance as well as American Golden Plover, Red Phalaropes, Red-necked Phalarope, Dunlins, Ruddy Turnstones, As well as other peeps. The sun never sets here during this time of year and that makes it even harder to get sleep. We are getting ready to head back out so I will post again as time allows.
If you click on the pictures it will show you a larger picture.

Nome Alaska

2010-05-29T14:18:00.001-07:00

Monday afternoon May 24, 2010 we reached Nome and got a cab to our hotel and rented a vehicle and headed out to explore. We had four full days to explore the area and was scheduled to leave on Friday may 28th. We have been lucky so far and have had nice weather every day. We have so busy exploring that I have not had a chance to blog. By the time we have got back to the room each night and go through some of the pictures and down load them on my hard drives it is time for bed. The last two days in Nome were sunny and nice for landscape pictures.
You can see lots of old machines and building in the landscape from the gold rush era. The most common birds here are the Golden-crowned Sparrow, Wilson’s snipe, Willow Ptarmigan and the Lapland Longspur. These three birds are calling at just about every stop. The temperature was around 50 when we got their and 65 degrees on Friday. I will post some more as time allows.

Anchorage Alaska

2010-05-29T13:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 26, 2010 we spent most of the time in an airplane except for a 5 hour layover in Salt Lake City. We decided not to rent a car and go out to the salt lake so I got caught up on some blogging. By the time we reached Anchorage we were pretty wipe out and got our car and headed to our bed and breakfast in Palmer Alaska.
It took us about two hours and by the time we got our bags and car and had reached this place, we had been on the move for at least twelve hours in all. On Sunday we had a full day to explore Anchorage area before leaving on Monday flight for Nome. As you would expect Anchorage is like any big city and has all the comforts of home. That is why we tried to stay away from Anchorage city as much as possible. There were plenty of areas to explore between Palmer and Anchorage but a lot of the landscape areas were littered by homes and very hard to get pictures without them in it.
We had problems getting used to daylight most of the time but we are finally getting used to it and are spending at least twelve ours a day exploring.The following pictures are the Chugach Mountains, Orange-crowned Warbler and Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Wilson’s phalarope

2010-05-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Back in early May I saw a posting from our local bird club of a Wilson’s phalarope, Blacked-necked Stilt as well as many other shorebirds in a small wetland near the visitor center at Fernald Restoration Area and I decided head over and try my luck at photographing these species.
I have photographed stilts before but this was my first opportunity for the Phalarope. I usually don’t go to Fernald because you must stay on the trails and to really get good close-ups of Shore birds it’s better to get down into the mud and let them get comfortable to you and come close to you. Since Fernald was a uranium enrichment site that has been cleaned up, they frown on people getting down on the ground and off the trails even though they say the risk is low. I don’t think I would want too anyway. As always I met some of the other local photographers and birdwatcher in the area that I don’t see often. Although, this was not the best situation I was able to get a couple good shot of the above species.

The search for Viola macloskyi

2010-05-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

On Sunday May 16, 2010 Dan Boone and I went to Cedar Bog in search of a white violet (Viola macloskyi). .
It was reported by a researcher years ago and Dan is updating some identification errors for the Historical Society We searched all over for this species with no luck. On our way out of the bog and near the visitor center I photographed a Broad-headed Skink. After we left there we stopped by at Beaver Creek Wetlands and as we were starting down the boardwalk a tree swallow was on a post and as we approached it did not fly away.
I told Dan that as soon as I pull out my camera it will fly away, but it didn’t. I put on the biggest lens that I had which was a 70-200 lens and started taking picture. This bird let me get so close I was able to get the bird nearly full frame. While on our trip I also photographed Marsh Pea, Columbine, and Prairie Valerian just to name a few. I also got a picture of this neat black and white phantom cranefly (Bittacomorpha clavipe). When it flies you don’t see its wings because they are clear and it looks like it floats on the air.

Arrived at Salt Lake City

2010-05-22T10:54:00.000-07:00

Carol and I left Cincinnati this morning at 8:00 am for Alaska. We made it to our only layover on the way at Salt Lake City. We arrived around noon and now we have 5 hours before we board the plane for Anchorage. This is the beginning of a 3 week trip and we have been looking forward to this trip since we started making plans last year. We made all the plans ourselves (mostly Carol) and will be visiting Nome, Barrow, Homer, and Seward just to name a few. We will also be visiting Denali National Park for a couple days at the end of our trip. We hope our bags don’t get lost along the way because my tripod legs and Wimberley head are in the luggage stowed under the plane and I will need them for my 600mm lens. My plan is to blog as much as I can and to post pictures for our friends and family to share in our adventure of a lifetime. Going through security went smooth this morning except Carol was singled out for a full body scan. The security personnel asked me where I was going with all that camera equipment and I told them, they also wanted to know how much my 600mm lens cost. This is all for now and will post again soon.

Persistence Pays Off

2010-05-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

I went out this morning Saturday May 15, 2010 in hopes to capture some nice bird images and my first stop was out in the prairies at Miami Whitewater Forest. I was hoping to get the Common Yellowthroat on some blue flowers.
Although I saw a few flying around and I did catch one image of the bird on Ohio Spiderwort the bird was too far away to keep. I then headed to the forest area in hopes to capture something there and right away I heard the Cerulean Warbler announcing his territory call as well as others. I saw that this one oak tree seemed to be very active so I looked through my binoculars to see what was moving around and I saw the Cerulean, Summer Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-winged Warbler just to name a few. Suddenly the Summer tanager came down low and I started taking pictures as he jumped around. Finally he got in a perfect position and close enough to be just over half of the total picture.
It's not everyday you get one this close and I have tried to capture either of the tanagers before and this is by far the best shot I have ever taken of the Summer Tanager. I was also successful capturing a few images of the Cerulean as well but not quite as good as the Tanager.

Magee Marsh 2010

2010-05-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

I went to Magee Marsh this last weekend on Friday May 7, and left to come home on May 9 at 11:00 am to make it home for a family gathering at my house for mother’s day.
As always you never know what to expect as far as the birds and this time it was not as good as I had hoped but I had a good time none the less. This was my only chance to make it to Magee Marsh this year since I will be leaving for Alaska on May 22 and have a lot of things to do before I leave. It is always nice see some old photography acquaintances from past years and meeting new ones as well. Saturday was really windy and cold and was not very good for photography so I spent most of the time talking to people and other photographers.
Sunday on the other hand was the best day and even the birds seem to cooperate a little better and we had few good groups of warbler at various time that morning which made it a little more fun. During my time I captured some nice images of the Yellow Warbler, Very, Yellow-rumped Warbler and the old standby the Baltimore Oriole. I also was hoping to capture a nice photograph of Cape May Warbler and I did capture a few but not as close as I wanted.

Using Micro adjustment for your Camera and Lenses is a must.

2010-04-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

For years I have not been happy with the way my equipment seemed to work as far a focus and sharpness. I would take a lot of pictures of birds and only get a small amount that was really sharp. Of course, the pose of the bird I thought was the best, was not sharp usually not even close. I often found myself very frustrated with thoughts of giving up because it was so hard to get good quality pictures. I can now say with the new micro adjustment in Canons newer cameras, I will never buy a camera that does not have this feature and here is why.

My first camera with the micro adjustment was the Canon Mark III and I wanted it because I thought it might help with the problem I was having with sharp images or at the very least it would shed some light on the problem. Once I got it I started using it and was some what satisfied with it. I finally decide to try using the micro adjustment and see if that would make a difference. I took a ceramic bee that I had which had kind of an off set like a birds head to the body and I started taking photos of it in the sun with my 600mm lens and found that many of my pictures was pretty sharp. I then added my 1.4 extender to my 600mm lens and it would hardly get a sharp picture, and with my bird photography I use this extender most of the time. I started adjusting until I was satisfied with the results then I added my 2.0 extender and started adjusting. What I found out is my 600mm by itself was really sharp but my adjustment with the 1.4 extender was +10 and for the 2.0 extender was +15. Now after making those adjustments I can honestly say what a difference.

I recently bought a new camera and I struggled over which one to buy. I knew it would have to have the micro adjustment, and I was leaning towards another Mark III since I really liked it. Because of the cost, sensor size and the video feature I decide to go with the Canon 7D. At first, I tried the camera without doing any adjustments and I was again unhappy with the results. I finally decide to take the time use the micro adjustment with my 600mm lens and this time I used a piece of paper with grids pattern and numbers from 1 to 6 with the number 1 in the center and moving from right to left in sequence (see example).
I also added letters above and below the center as an added precaution thinking it might help determine how the lens was focusing. Then I shot some pictures from the side at a 35 to 45 degree angle to the paper. After taking numerous pictures with just my 600 mm and then with my 1.4 and 2.0 extenders this is what I found. With my 600mm alone I adjusted my camera to +7, and then with my extenders on, the adjustments were the same as my Mark III +10 and +15 respectively. I then headed out into the field to shoot some bird pictures with it and again what a difference this adjustment made for me. I now take more sharp pictures with either camera than I did before and when I get a good pose from the bird the chance of it being sharp is probably near 90 percent.

I also took the time to check each of my other lenses with each of my cameras and made the appropriate adjustments. I would highly recommend that everyone take the time to check and make sure your camera and lenses have been fine tuned so you can enjoy sharp photos too. Also, those people who say that a lens cannot be different on different cameras are clueless because it has happened to me. I believe that is why Canon finally came up with the micro adjustment feature.

A Successful Bird Photography Weekend

2010-04-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

I was out this past Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th looking for birds to photograph and had a successful weekend. My first and only encounter on Saturday morning was with a Northern Parula and I was able to capture some sweet images. I went back on Sunday in hopes to get some more pictures with my Canon 7D since I had adjusted the focus on it and I wanted to test it. After the adjustment, I can truly say it is really tack sharp now? If you know much about birds you may not get a second chance on the same bird but I was really lucky and I captured some better photographs of the Northern Parula as well as a nice House Wren and Tree Swallow all on a redbud branch.I also tried out the video function on the 7D of the Tree Swallow singing.

Birds with Flowers

2010-04-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

I went out this morning Saturday April, 10 in hopes to capture some birds with flowers. I picked redbud since it is native and the flowers are small and less likely to obstruct the birds. I started taking photos at Mitchell Memorial Forest and ended at Miami Whitewater Forest. The first bird I got on Redbud was a Chipping Sparrow and the second bird I got wasn’t on the redbud but it was one I hadn’t got a picture of before and that was the Yellow-throated Warbler. I then moved to Miami Whitewater where I got a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher with flowers. My fourth bird the Louisiana Waterthrush wasn’t with flowers but a nice one just the same and lastly, I capture a tufted titmouse with flowers. I wished I could have gotten every species with redbud flowers but I really did quite well with three out of five. I look for ward to the spring migration and hope it is quite exceptional.

The Amazing Wild Turkey

2010-04-05T17:45:00.000-07:00

On Sunday April 4th I headed out early in the morning in hopes of capturing the skittish wild turkey. I got up early and headed to spot they frequent. The plan was to get setup in my blind before they were coming down from there roost. Well as you can imagine, as I got close to the location I noticed the big birds already flying down from the trees. So I stopped in my tracts and started putting up my blind as fast as I could. I quickly placed out a decoy that I had and got settled inside the blind and hoped they would still come around. Not long after sunrise they were all about and I started using a slate call to try to attract a male close enough to get some pictures. It wasn’t long and I was clicking away.
If you have never seen the display of a male wild turkey you are sure missing out. Although I got some good pictures I wish I would have been able to reach the location I was heading for because it would have provided a clearer view of these magnificent birds. I hope next weekend to get out and get settled in my preferred location and get some more pictures. I used both my Canon Mark III and my new 7D and was unhappy with the pictures of the 7D. After viewing the pictures from the 7D I did some pictures with a grid system on paper and made some Micro adjustment to my this camera. I hope to use it again soon and see if I get better results.

In search of a Pine Warbler

2010-03-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

I went out today after work for a couple hours in search of the Pine Warbler. I wanted to try my Canon 7D out on a bird since I have really taken only wildflowers pictures with it so far.
I went to Mitchell Memorial Forest knowing that the males were already on territory and singing away. Up till now I haven't used my new camera on my 600 mm and was curious how it would perform. I attached my 1.4 extender as well so it would bring me closer to the bird. As a wildlife photographer I am always trying to get what I call a perfect picture. I have taken a number of pictures of the Pine Warbler but up to now I have not got one that I thought was really great.

Following in the footsteps of Dan Boone

2010-03-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturdays March 20, and 28, 2010, Dan Boone and I drove east of Cincinnati to Adams, Highland and Scioto counties in search of blooming wildflowers.
On both excursions we ran the same route with one exception, we stopped to look for the Golden-star on the 28th. We also had four other people joining us on this trip who were all interested in these beautiful wildflowers. For those of you who don’t know Dan, each year he tries to find and identify as many flowering plants as he can. His goal is to beat his previous year’s record as well as to find as many new populations of rare plants or even better find a species that has never been recorded in Ohio before. When time allows I like to tag along with Dan because he is a lot of fun and extremely knowledgeable in native flora and fauna. For our first stop on both trips we went to see the Snow Trillium.
This plant grows in calcareous soils and rocks and is one of the early bloomers. It was in peak bloom on March 20th. We then went to another favorite spot of Dan’s to look for some even smaller plants that most people would easily overlook. These are Draba reptans and Leavenworthia unifolia among others and they are about one inch tall.
These two plants are so small that you would hardly notice them if you weren’t looking for them. When you get a close-up of them you find they are quite interesting looking plants. The next stop was for the Golden-star. This species of Erythronium is found in a small area of Scioto County. This plant looks just like Yellow Trout-lily except that it yellow pedals don’t curve back and it blooms earlier than it’s more common cousin. Our next stop we found a lifer for me, this was the Round-lobed Hepatica. The flower is about half the size of the more common Sharp-lobed Hepatica on a very short pedicel just reaching above the leaf. From there we went down on state route 52 and found many other species including Mouse-tail, Draba brachycarpa an endangered plant in Ohio as well as many common species. In all we saw 41 species of flowering plants in the two trips including White Trout-lily, American Hazelnut, Blood-root, Dutchman’s Breeches, Toadshade Trillium, Virginia Bluebell, American Field Pansy just to name a few. Besides plants we visited many interesting habitats and beautiful areas and also picked up a Pine Warbler. I look forward to following in the footsteps of Dan Boone on our next adventure as well as sharing them with you.

2010-03-10T17:58:00.000-08:00

Signs of spring

On Monday March 8, 2010 my wife, daughter and I took a hike at one of the local parks in Hamilton County that is known to have skunk cabbage, a spring wildflower that lives in marshes, and is usually one of the first signs of spring. This plant is known for its ability to push through the snow and ice by creating its own heat by a process called cellular respiration. My main goal was to get some hiking in and to photograph this neat plant with my new Canon 7D. I have had this camera for several weeks now but haven't had much time to try it out in the field. I will be spending a little more time with this camera in the field before I give my overall opinion of this camera but I must say, so far I like it a lot.

2010-02-27T06:16:00.000-08:00

Red-headed Woodpeckers in Goshen

On February 13, and 14, I went to a buddy’s house from work that lives in Goshen, Ohio to get some photos of Red-headed Woodpeckers. He has them all over his yard coming to the feeder. The temperature both mornings were very cold between 7 and 10
degrees. It did not take long for the cold to penetrate my boots and fingers. It was exciting to finally get close to these beautiful birds. I had a wonderful time although it would have been better if I wasn’t so cold and if all of the woodpeckers would have been done molting. Although, I did get some decent pictures I would have gotten more if the bird that was the friendliest would have been done molting. I also photographed a few other woodpeckers like the Red-bellied and the Northern Flicker. Of course there were plenty of other birds as well but nothing compared to the striking Red-headed Woodpecker.

November 2009 trip to Jasper Pulaski

2009-12-02T16:53:00.000-08:00

On Friday November 27, I went on a short trip up to Jasper Pulaski in Indiana with Allen Claybon to see and photograph Sandhill Cranes. I checked the Jasper Pulaski website before leaving and they had more than 13,000 birds currently hanging in the fields. The weather was a little cold and cloudy when we left and it was supposed to clear by the evening. We had blue skies by the time we reached our destination on Friday at 3:00pm. That left us a few hours to shoot some pictures, although the sun was in our face which is not the best for detailed pictures. We had a couple opportunities for some shots that evening but most of them came as the sun was setting and we got some nice silhouettes pictures in the orange sky.

The next day, Saturday was going the best day because the sun would be at our backs and expectations were high that we would get some good opportunities for some nice flight shots and we were not disappointed. After Saturday morning breakfast we were on the road again heading back to the staging area of the Sandhill Cranes in anticipation for lots of activity from these magnificent birds. It was very cold that morning without the clouds to hold in the heat and as we got closer to our destination I could feel the excitement of seeing this spectacle and the expectations of obtaining some excellent shots. When we reached the parking area it was obvious that lots of other people were there and I hoped we would get a good spot to set up. We stood behind a four foot high fence waiting and watching for any opportunity for any good shots and as some of the birds took fight and left, others came in and landed. This made it good for capturing some good shots and the sound of shutters clicking were all around me. In just a few hours we had captured plenty digital pictures and, at least for me, I thought it was a highly productive trip and I had a great time as well. By 11:00am the sun was getting a little to high and bright so we decided to head back home to Cincinnati and start the process of going through the many hundreds of pictures. To see so many birds in one place like this, made me stop and think of what the pioneers saw during their time and what we have lost. We must do everything we can to see that these and all the other creatures will be around for generations to come. To see the rest of my Sandhill Crane pictures please follow this link.

May 2009 Trip to Magee Marsh and Michigan

2009-06-10T16:21:00.000-07:00

On Friday May 15, I made my way north and stayed in Port Clinton hoping for good weather and a good migration day at Magee Marsh that Saturday. I have been to Magee Marsh several times and although there have been migrant warblers I always miss what is described as a large fall out day. People I would meet would say” you should have been here two days ago the number of migrants birds here was really high”. I had heard that too many times and I was hoping to witness this first hand. I was in luck because right from the start on Saturday birds seemed to be in higher numbers than I had ever had. The boardwalk of course had so many people that carrying my 600 mm lens with the tripod is not any fun so I and many other photographers ended up along the road hoping to get great shots of these beautiful migrating birds. You always know where the birds are based on the number of people and photographers grouped up and all the flashes going off. It still amazes me how wave after wave these birds would just appear and the excitement builds in anticipation on getting great shots. I felt like I did very well considering all. I got my first pictures of a Bay-breasted Warbler and the one is a beautiful pose. I have looked at some other photographer’s pictures and I have not seen many that compares to my shot. I also ended up with one really nice shot of the Black-throated Green Warbler and one Black-throated blue Warbler as well. After a long day I headed back to my hotel to go through my pictures to see what I wanted to keep and discarding the rest. I went there Sunday morning and found it nothing like Saturday so around eleven o’clock I headed west to I -75 then north into Michigan. I spent two days in Lower Michigan exploring for birds to photograph before heading to the Upper Peninsula where I stayed until I headed home. I stayed in the town of Newberry and explored the many roads in the Hiawatha National Forest for potential wildlife to photograph. I barely scratched the surface of potential areas to explore in the Upper Peninsula and hope to get back again real soon to this beautiful state. I left for home on Thursday morning May 28 and made it all the way home that evening and surprised my wife Carol. The weather was rainy that morning and the forecast for the next couple days were also calling for rain as well so I figured I would head home a few day’s early and start going through my picture and posting them on my website. While I got to see some beautiful country I also picked up some nice warblers pictures too. I saw and heard quite a number of species and picked up some pictures of Black-and-white, Canada, Magnolia, Kirtland’s, Pine, Palm and Nashville Warblers. I picked up Evening and Rose-breasted Grosbeak as well as other species. All in all I had a great trip and look forward to going back there some day and explore more of Michigan’s wild places.