What’s Up?

Well before the sun rose on Thursday, there was a Great Horned Owl perched in the dead tree in front of my house. For the rest of the day, I worked, swam, walked, and caught up with last week’s NFL games on TIVO.

Today is Friday 14 October and there is still a ton of work to be done. I may head down to the lake early for a walk and to check things out. Wherever you are, and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took less about two hours to prepare and makes two hundred-two days 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 to get 3% back on your credit card and enjoy free second-day air FedEx. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn!

Iceland

My decades-long dream of spending time on Grimsey Island, Iceland, with the puffins — 13 days in this case!, will be realized this coming July. If anyone would like information on the world’s greatest Iceland/Atlantic Puffin trip this coming July, please contact me via e-mail.

Instagram

Follow me on Instagram here. I am trying to feature both new and old images, especially images that have not appeared recently on the blog. Or search for birds_as_art.

BIRDS AS ART Image Optimization Service (BAA IOS)

Send a PayPal for $62.00 to birdsasart@verizon.net or call Jim at 863-692-0906 and put $62.00 on your credit card. Pick one of your best images and upload the raw file using a large file sending service like Hightail or DropBox and then send me the link via e-mail. I will download and save your raw file, evaluate the exposure and sharpness, and optimize the image as if it were my own after converting the raw file in Adobe Camera Raw. Best of all, I will make a screen recording of the entire process and send you a link to the video to download, save and study.

Induro GIT 304L Price Drop

Amazingly, we have two, brand-new-in-the-box Induro GIT 304L tripods in stock. They are $699.00 each (were $799.00) and the price now includes the insured ground shipping to the lower 48 states. Weekday phone orders only: 863-692-0906. Order yours here while they last.

Please Remember

You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.

Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.

Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy

Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.

Money Saving Reminder

Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.

Important Note

As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link on the right side of each blog post page). My affiliate link works fine with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Gear Questions and Advice

Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BPN, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.

What to do at Sebastian with no Diving Ospreys

This image was created on 12 October 2022 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens (at 112mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was determined via Zebras with Exposure Compensation on the thumb dial. Multi-metering +2 1/3 stops; AUTO ISO set ISO 2000: 1/250 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Shutter Priority mode. AWB at 7:04:13am, about 15 minutes before sunrise. Tracking: Spot S AF/C (with Bird-Eye/Face Detection) performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Pre-dawn cloud-scape

Plan on Arriving Early with a 70-200 Lens

The forecast had been for totally cloudy at sunrise. But I never believe them, so I arrived at 6:30 for the 7:20am sunrise. As no early color had materialized, I set up the 600 with the a1 on the tripod, stuck the 70-200mm f/2.8 and the 24-105mm in my Xtra-hand Vest, and headed out. It took a while for the color to max out. As the colors became more vivid, I mounted the a1 on the 70-200 and went to work. As the color was restricted to a small area of the sky and because there was a boat anchored in just the wrong place, I never thought of grabbing the short zoom. Note, however, that I could have used it at 112mmm and created a very similar image. Given the choice, however, I consider the 70-200 f/2.8 II GM OSS lens to be sharper than the 24-105mm G OSS lens.

The versatile 70-200 lenses are excellent for landscapes.

This image was created on 12 October 2022 at Sebastian Inlet, FL. Crouching a bit, I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 2x Teleconverter (at 400mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. ISO 2000. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/3200 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:46:54am on a then cloudy morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Wood Stork looking down — head portrait

Wood Storks at Sebastian Inlet

Wood Stork are all over the place at Sebastian. They are almost always very reliable and just a bit skittish, but often require a careful approach with long focal length lenses. On Wednesday, they were very mellow and allowed me to get uncharacteristically close with little effort. I walked back to my vehicle, grabbed the 70-200 with the 2X TC and an a1, and went to work looking for pleasing backgrounds.

Preparedness Question

With the 70-200/2X rig, I could have made sharp images at shutter speeds as slow as 1/250 second or less. Why was I set up at 1/3200 sec. when photographing a relatively static subject?

This image was created on 12 October 2022 at Sebastian Inlet. Standing on full height, I used the handheld Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ISO 640. Exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial: 1/8000 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 10:42:91am on a variably sunny, hazy morning. Tracking: Zone/AF-C was active at the moment of exposure and performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the larger version. Image #3: Adult nonbreeding Caspian Tern in flight

Back-up Subjects

Like the Wood Storks, the terns, gulls, and Brown Pelicans that patrol the inlet often give you something to photograph when the Ospreys are not diving. Though there was bait around and more than a few Ospreys, they dove for fish only rarely. Royal Tern is seen most often and there are almost always a few Forster’s Terns around as well. The larger Caspian Terns do not occur regularly. There were two circling around as the tide came in. The 600mm focal length was perfect for them as the turned toward me into the very faint breeze from the east/southeast.

Caspian are as large as Herring Gulls, are much bulkier than the royals, and often fly with their bills pointed downwards. The royals fly with their bills pointed straight ahead.

David Sibley Says

In The Sibley Guide to Birds, 2nd Edition (Sibley Guides), David Allen Sibley writes:

Caspian: Heavier, broader-winged, shorter-tailed, and more gull-like than Royal. Neck and bill thicker. More dark under primaries. Dark red bills with dusky tips.

Royal: Slender and long-winged, bill long and rather heavy. Streamlined and sleek, with powerful direct flight. Limited dark under primaries. Bright orange-red bill never as dark red as many Caspians).

Note that the bill of the Caspian Tern in Image #3 is uncharacteristically more orange than deep red.

The publication of The Sibley Guide to Birds, First Edition, quickly established David Allen Sibley as the author and illustrator of the nation’s supreme and most comprehensive guide to birds. Used by millions of birders from novices to the most expert, The Sibley Guide became the standard by which natural history guides are measured. The highly anticipated second edition builds on this foundation of excellence, offering massively expanded and updated information, new paintings, new and rare species, and a new, elegant design.

I consult my First Edition Sibley almost every day when I am at home. While working on this blog post, I just ordered a new copy of the Second Edition 🙂

Typos

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