Landing on the Roof of the Bay: Sharp 1200mm Flight!

What’s Up?

We woke early and headed to Okefenokee Swamp NWR for a boat ride. The scenery and vegetation were gorgeous in the early morning light. We had permission to visit a large wading bird rookery. Instead of parking the boat on the far side of the canal, waiting quietly for the birds to return, and having some really good photo chances, we motored past the colony and flushed all the birds. Then we then made a u-turn, motored past the colony, and flushed all the birds again. The boatman said, “We can’t stop because photographers will flush the birds and keep them off their eggs …”

We had a nice lunch at Skippers Fish Camp Restaurant in Darien, GA, the second oldest town in the state. We looked at lots of images after lunch. I had seen some of Christy’s image from the previous night on the back of the camera and wanted to use one of the birds on the roof of the shelter to set the scene for today’s featured image. But she did not have either a card reader or her laptop. Eric Bowles saved the day again by coming up with a solution. We put the card in Christy’s R5, put in one of my Delkin UHS II cards in the other slot, and copied all the images from one card to the other. With all the images on my card, I downloaded them and optimized my favorite of Christy’s rooftop images.

For our afternoon session we spent some time at Harris Neck NWR. Can you say not-too-good?

Today is Wednesday 13 April. I will be leaving very early and headed for Indian Lake Estates. Though I may stop at Huguenot Memorial Park to check on the breeding bird colony, I hope to be home in time for a swim. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less than an hour to prepare and makes thirty-three days in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

John Prine

As has been the case with my obsession for bird photography, my obsession with the words and rock-a-billy music of John Prine has not lessened over time. I listen to every song, concert, and interview that I can find on YouTube. He is so personable and humble that you get the feeling that you are talking to an old friend. His fabulous sense of humor is evident in the lyrics of Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore , a powerful anti-Vietnam war protest song.

rockabilly: a form of popular music combining features of rock music and bluegrass.

Or, rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading to what is considered “classic” rock and roll.

Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore

Song by John Prine

Lyrics:

While digesting Reader’s Digest
In the back of a dirty book store,
A plastic flag, with gum on the back,
Fell out on the floor.
Well, I picked it up and I ran outside
Slapped it on my window shield,
And if I could see old Betsy Ross
I’d tell her how good I feel.
But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
They’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
Well, I went to the bank this morning
And the cashier he said to me,
“If you join the Christmas club
We’ll give you ten of them flags for free.”
Well, I didn’t mess around a bit
I took him up on what he said.
And I stuck them stickers all over my car
And one on my wife’s forehead.
But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
They’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
Well, I got my window shield so filled
With flags I couldn’t see.
So, I ran the car upside a curb
And right into a tree.
By the time they got a doctor down
I was already dead.
And I’ll never understand why the man
Standing in the Pearly Gates said…
“But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
We’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.”

This image was created on 11 April 2022 by post-GNPA IPT participant Christy Cox. She used the handheld Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens (at 500mm) and the highly touted 45MP Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital camera body. ISO 250. Exposure determined via the in-viewfinder histogram and highlight alert evaluation. 1/2500 sec. at f/7.1 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:40;12pm on sunny afternoon. Tracking/AI Servo AF was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Click on the image to see a high res version. Image #1: Courting Royal Terns and Laughing Gull on roof of shelter

Thanks Christy!

Huge thanks to post-GNPA IPT participant Christy Cox for allowing me to share her scene-setting image with you here today. I had been on the end of the pier trying to silhouette some of the fly-by pelicans when I noticed Eric and Christy and Deb Dance near the base of the pier. Curious as to what they were doing, I walked back and realized that Eric had discovered a great situation. With the wind from the north, our left, the birds that were landing atop the shelter were perfectly silhouetted. I prayed for a few birds to land. Some did! Thanks Christy and thanks Eric!

This image was created on 11 April 2022. I used the no-longer available Induro GIT304L Stealth Carbon Fiber Tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted-Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens, the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter, and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). Multi-metering +1.7 stops set AUTO ISO to ISO 1600: 1/2500 sec. at f/8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority Mode. The raw file brightness was one full stop too dark when evaluated in RawDigger. AWB at 7:37:22pm on a clear afternoon. Tracking: Zone with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Royal Tern landing

Razor-sharp 1200mm Dynamic Flight

One of the main themes of my first GNPA Keynote was that I switched cameara systems twice in recent years in hopes of becoming a better flight photographer. Despite my somewhat limited strength and stamina and my far from superior hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, I am happy to say that The Sony A1 has made me a much better flight photographer, or at least allowed me to reach my potential. Accurate full screen tracking AF is simply amazing.

What Bugs Me?

One tiny thing bugs me about this very excellent image that I love otherwise. If you think that you know what it is, please leave a comment.

Click on the image to better see the green eye-AF boxes in action. Sony Alpha 1 Flight Photography AF Points!

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group: $150.00 (or Free)

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up Guide and Info Group is going great guns as more and more folks chime in with thoughtful questions and experience-based answers. As the a1 is becoming more readily available, more and more folks are getting their hands on this amazing body. By early April, the group was up to an astounding 113 lucky and blessed folks. Early on, we discussed the myriad AF options. I gave my opinion as to the best one for flight and general bird photography. The best news is that everyone in the group receives an e-mail that includes a .DAT file with my a1 settings on it, and explicit directions on how to load my settings onto your a1; talk about convenience! I am now offering a .DAT file compatible with firmware update 1.20. Your entry into the group includes a consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE. New a1 folks will now receive three e-mails instead of the previous 28! You will see new e-mails as they are published. Simply put, this e-mail guide is an incredible resource for anyone with an a1.

All who purchased their Alpha 1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link — B&H or Bedfords — will receive a free Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up Guide and free entry into the Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.). Others can purchase their guide here in the BAA Online Store.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

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