February 14th, 2025
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Helen Hays and her ubiquitous smile in the doorway of the Banding Room on GGI wearing a flowered hat designed to keep the sharp beaks of the protective Common Terns from opening up her scalp. August 3, 2014.
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Helen Hays
I was saddened to learn yesterday of the recent death of legendary ornithologist Helen Hays, in a nursing home in Scarsdale, NY, of dementia, at age 94. Helen was the founder and director of the Great Gull Island (GGI) Project for 50 years. The Great Gull Island Project is a monitoring study of Common and Roseate Terns nesting on Great Gull Island, a tiny islet in Long Island Sound off Orient Point on the North Fork of Long Island. Additionally, GGI connects with scientists in Brazil, Argentina, and the Azores, where many of the banded birds from Great Gull Island spend their winters. Over the years, Helen and her team relied on hundreds of volunteers who visited the island each summer to help gather data on the birds and to improve and maintain the site. Those volunteers including my older daughter Jennifer and my son-in-law Erik Egensteiner, who met on GGI in May 1990. As you might suspect, Jen and Erik’s marriage was not the only one born on GGI. Many GGI volunteers went onto to become noted ornithologists.
Wanting to do something more substantial than the above, I spent an hour this morning doing an online search to find some of the stuff I had written about this amazing woman and GGI but came up empty. In addition, I did an article for Birder’s World several decades ago about Helen entitled “One Good Tern Lady.” It is in my office somewhere on a floppy disc. If I find what I am looking for in the next month, I will do a follow-up. The word I used most while describing Helen is badger (as a noun). That’s how tough she was. I visited GGI about eight times over the years. I once asked Helen how many times she had stooped over to grab an eggs or a chick from a ground nest. With her ever-present smile, she said, Millions, I guess.” I’ll close here by saying that Helen was always very nice to me. And everyone else as well.
Learn more in the NY Times obituary here. Though there are some factual errors, it will give you a glimpse into her amazing life and accomplishments.
I was thrilled to find this at the last moment; you can see and hear Helen talking about the project in a program she did at a Long Island Natural History Conference in 2016 here (on YouTube).
What’s Up?
Our two songbirds session went well despite slow starts each morning. The Pine Grosbeaks and Boreal Chickadees were the stars of the show. On Wednesday, I did something that I thought might never do, fill a Delkin 480GB card! I made more than 15,000 images including a very few good ones. And I enjoy learning more about Pre-Capture with the Sony a-1 ii. I will be sharing the best images with you here soon.
Today is Friday 14 February. At 10:00 Alaska time, we will set sail on our first eagle boat ride. We are praying that the light snow in the 10-day forecast turns into a blizzard. Whatever the heck you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.
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.
High Capacity Delkin CF Express Type A 4.0 Memory Cards
At present, there is no longer a need to change a memory card in the field. Both the new Delkin 480GB and 960GB cards have more than enough storage for 99.9% of field applications. Using these new cards, I have never hit the buffer with my a-1 ii despite hammering the shutter button on occasion. Regular readers know that I have been depending on Delkin cards for just about a quarter century. In that time I have never lost a single image due to card failure. I’ve put my Delkin cards in the washing machine and dryer and — after two days, retrieved one from a bag of barbecued spare-rib fat and bones. I got the images off those cards without a problem. Most amazingly, after dropping a card in the parking lot at Nickerson Beach IPT, participant Carlotta Grenier found the card near the ladies’ room four days later after it had been run over by numerous vehicles. After consulting with Delkin, I ripped the mangled cover off the card, put it into the Delkin card reader, and got to enjoy each and every image. I sent the card back to Delkin and they kindly sent me a brand new one. Please do not try that with Sony or San Disk or any of the many cheaper off brand cards.
At a recent dinner in San Diego, Delkin founder, president, and CEO Martin Wood told how his folks were able to recover the data from an industrial card that survived a military jet fighter crash that burned for more than two hours at 2000° F.
The specs for both the Delkin 480GB and 960GB cards are identical:
Max Read Speed: 1830 MB/s
Max Write Speed: 1710 MB/s
Min Sustained Write Speed: 500 MB/s
Records Raw 8K, 6K, and 4K Video
Records High Bitrates and Frame Rates
Records Raw Photos and Rapid Bursts
To help facilitate card usage in almost any environment and keeping your content safe, Delkin has built its BLACK Series with a rugged design that is water and shock proof and is resistant to temperature extremes. In order to further enhance reliability and functionality, the BLACK Series is serialized and protected by a limited lifetime warranty and a 48-hour replacement guarantee upon registration with Delkin.
I have never bought the story that putting all your eggs in one basket is a big mistake. Having to use multiple cards during a single shooting session greatly increases the chances of losing one or more.
You can order your Delkin cards and their great card readers from BIRDS AS ART by clicking here. I recommend minimizing your per GB costs by going with the Delkin Devices 960GB BLACK CFexpress Type A 4.0 Memory Card.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.
If You Are Really a Birder, or Know One a Real One, You Will Laugh Your Ass Off
In the last blog post I mentioned how much I enjoyed the writing of my friend Julian Hough. Every time we chat, I begin by spelling his first name one letter at a time with a British accent: Haych, Oh, You, Gee, Haych. Below, with permission, is the tongue-in-cheek article he posted on his blog (Naturescape Images/The Anglo-American Birding of Julian Hough)here in 2021. He did the writing posing as his son Alex.
Observations of Life by Alex Hough (allegedly). May 31, 2021
While my Dad was away, I thought I’d hijack his blog this month to offer some of my thoughts.
2020 was a year that COVID-19 wreaked havoc on all our freedoms.
Everyone has been confronted with difficult times, but as a teenager the stress of lock-downs came at a time when I was already trying to cope with something that’s affected me all my life. As an adolescent, I thought my DAd’s mood swings and irrational behavior resulted from a neurological mis-wiring of sorts, or maybe “being on the spectrum”, or perhaps even a kind of generalized seasonal disorder. Dealing with it left me overwhelmed with anxiety, frustration and despair. Over the years it became clear that my issues were the result of something worse. Much worse.
You see, my dad is a birder. He watches birds. Who knew that was a thing? It’s an obsession but it looks like an addiction. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand the toll it takes on those closest to him. He’s had this horrible affliction for as long as I can remember and apparently there is no cure. From the outside, you’d never know he has a terrible disease based on his physical appearance. Aside from making soft grunts every time he moves a little too quickly, he has a full head of hair; exercises regularly; and looks generally healthy (well, as much as a 50-something desperately trying to pass for 40 again can look healthy). People who know my Dad ask me what it’s like to have such a “charming and fun father”. If people only knew the degree of mental suffering that lay beneath that self-appointed façade. He tells me that many of his close friends have the disease too. Many of them occasionally visit our house and knowing that now helps explain a lot about his friends. I think that knowing there are other people suffering the same malaise makes him feel less alone.
There are times when my Dad is a functioning member of society, but seasonal fluctuations in behavior, particularly in the first two weeks of May, or from mid-August to early November, make living with him particularly intolerable. Siblings, parents, partners and friends of birders all know what it’s like to live with them during these tough times. I try to be understanding and patient. I really do. My Dad is wonderful and caring, but he just gets so self-absorbed. It’s hard to connect with him sometimes. When he’s going through seasonal withdrawal symptoms, he paces around the room and just stares out the window, mumbling despondently to himself about, “Where are all the cold-fronts?” or “Will it ever go Northwest?”
After all these years I can often predict when he is about to have a full-blown meltdown. The trigger is multiple phone messages usually in short succession. He disassociates from reality and his eyes glaze over while he reads the incoming texts. I don’t know where he goes in that moment. It then abruptly shifts into frenetic running around the house, interspersed with a lot of Tourette’s-like outbursts. He doesn’t usually swear in front of me, but when he does I know it’s a big deal.
“Where the @!!*##$$! are my @!!*##$$! keys?”, is quickly followed by the always predictable yelling of, “Alex, get your shoes on! Turn that computer off! Get in the car. Now! What are you doing? I asked you to do ONE thing! For the love of God, why are your shoes still not on? COME ONNN! We have to go. NOW!”
In those moments, he turns from being the most attentive and loving father to an impatient, maniacal asshole. I start to get anxious. I try to escape to my room to play Minecraft before he can force me into the car to drive hours to some shithole sewage pond to look for a “Mega” or a “Crippler”. I have no clue what those are, or what it all means. It’s like he’s suddenly talking in tongues.
Kidnapped for a twitch to see a Gyrfalcon (for the third time!) and made to hold up the book to feign interest.
I just want a normal Dad like my friends have: a Dad that wants to push me on the swings; a Dad that will chase me around at Tag; a Dad that wants to take me to the park to bond with me (and not just because the park is next to a good gull spot). I remember walks where I would run around, playfully kicking up fall leaves into the air while he often seemed uninterested and distracted. With his head tilted skyward, he would ask in a quizzical manner, “Alex, Do You hear that?“
Sometimes I want to scream, “No! No, Dad, I don’t hear that {F@!!*##$$! } Blackpoll Warbler”. I say the word “F@!!*#$$!” in my head, because he doesn’t like me swearing. I know F@!!#$$! is a bad word, but he is F!!*##$$! making me say it. I don’t like to go outside. I don’t want to look at gulls. I don’t want to walk down the beach for owls. I don’t care about the best way to tell “long-billed” juvenile Semipalmated from a Western Sandpiper. I just don’t. I love you Dad. I just don’t understand you.
Seagulls suck! A trip to a local park magically coincided with the presence of a Ketchup Gull, or whatever it was called, some seagull from Asia that looked like all the rest. While there is presently no cure for what my dad has, and I know he can’t control himself, it makes me angry when he loses sight of what’s important in the world. I wish he would love me as much as he loves birds. But I know that will never happen.
I know there are other kids out there suffering with parents like mine. My heart goes out to them and those selfless people that choose to live with these tortured souls that suffer with this lifelong addiction.
As a young child, I had no choice. No way out. But now, as a teenager, it’s time to stand up for myself. It’s time to set some boundaries. I will no longer be tricked into going out with him for “just a little while”. I can stay home alone now. I offer this letter as hope to others. Just know you are not alone and there is light at the end of the tunnel. It’s time to stand strong and take your life back.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
February 12th, 2025 Your Call?
Which two images do you like best? Why?
What’s Up?
Multiple IPT veterans Steve and Elisabeth Shore joined Anita North and me on Tuesday for the drive from Anchorage down to Homer, AK. We arrived at Land’s End Resort on the Homer Spit at 3:30pm and checked into our rooms. We did a bit of shopping after dinner.
Today is Wednesday 12 February 2025. The four of us will be doing two days of songbird photography at a private home in Anchor Point. The first 2025 Homner IPT begins on Friday. If you are in Anchorage or will be in Homer between now and 23 February and would like to join us on the boat for a session or two with the eagles, please get in touch ASAP via e-mail or by text to 863-221-2372.
North Beach at Fort DeSoto Park (south of St. Petersburg and Tierra Verde, FL) has been closed since Milton, the second major 2024 hurricane, destroyed much of the park’s infrastructure. It is slated to be re-opening soon and I hope to visit this spring. The first four of today’s featured images were created on its wild beaches and sandbars. Also of note in each of today’s images is the sharpness and versatility of the Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens either bare or with either teleconverter. I cannot understand why nobody has grabbed Robert Hollyer’s practically new used copy (below).
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.
High Capacity Delkin CF Express Type A 4.0 Memory Cards
At present, there is no longer a need to change a memory card in the field. Both the new Delkin 480GB and 960GB cards have more than enough storage for 99.9% of field applications. Using these new cards, I have never hit the buffer with my a-1 ii despite hammering the shutter button on occasion. Regular readers know that I have been depending on Delkin cards for just about a quarter century. In that time I have never lost a single image due to card failure. I’ve put my Delkin cards in the washing machine and dryer and — after two days, retrieved one from a bag of barbecued spare-rib fat and bones. I got the images off those cards without a problem. Most amazingly, after dropping a card in the parking lot at Nickerson Beach IPT, participant Carlotta Grenier found the card near the ladies’ room four days later after it had been run over by numerous vehicles. After consulting with Delkin, I ripped the mangled cover off the card, put it into the Delkin card reader, and got to enjoy each and every image. I sent the card back to Delkin and they kindly sent me a brand new one. Please do not try that with Sony or San Disk or any of the many cheaper off brand cards.
At a recent dinner in San Diego, Delkin founder, president, and CEO Martin Wood told how his folks were able to recover the data from an industrial card that survived a military jet fighter crash that burned for more than two hours at 2000° F.
The specs for both the Delkin 480GB and 960GB cards are identical:
Max Read Speed: 1830 MB/s
Max Write Speed: 1710 MB/s
Min Sustained Write Speed: 500 MB/s
Records Raw 8K, 6K, and 4K Video
Records High Bitrates and Frame Rates
Records Raw Photos and Rapid Bursts
To help facilitate card usage in almost any environment and keeping your content safe, Delkin has built its BLACK Series with a rugged design that is water and shock proof and is resistant to temperature extremes. In order to further enhance reliability and functionality, the BLACK Series is serialized and protected by a limited lifetime warranty and a 48-hour replacement guarantee upon registration with Delkin.
I have never bought the story that putting all your eggs in one basket is a big mistake. Having to use multiple cards during a single shooting session greatly increases the chances of losing one or more.
You can order your Delkin cards and their great card readers from BIRDS AS ART by clicking here. I recommend minimizing your per GB costs by going with the Delkin Devices 960GB BLACK CFexpress Type A 4.0 Memory Card.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, please consider using one of my affiliate links when purchasing new gear. It will never cost you a single penny. To support my effort here, please order from B&H by beginning your search here. Or, click here, to order from Bedfords and enter the discount code BIRDSASART at checkout to receive 3% cash back to your credit card and enjoy free Second-Day Air Fed-Ex shipping. It is always best to write for advice via e-mail.
In many cases, I can help you save some serious dollars. And/or prevent you from purchasing the wrong gear from the wrong shop.
Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens
Price reduced a shocking $600.00 on 13 July 2024
Price reduced a shocking $400.00 on 0 February 2025
Used Gear Page veteran Robert Hollyer is offering a Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens in Like-New condition for a BAA record low $8998.00! (was $9,998.00). The sale includes the front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the lens hood, the lens strap, that hard case & strap, the original product box, and insured ground shipping via major courier to lower-48 US addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact Bob via e-mail or by phone at 1-206-359-0018 PST.
I purchased my Sony 400mm f/2.8 two years ago to complement my 600mm f/4. Robert is selling his because he rarely uses it, opting instead for the 600mm f/4! It is far easier for me to handhold the 4 ounces lighter, much smaller, and better balanced 400 f/2.8 than it is to handhold the 600mm f/4. The 400 kills for flight with or without the 1.4X teleconverter. This lens sells new right now for $11,998.00 at B&H and there is a used copy in 9+ condition selling for $10,197.95. Save a handsome $3,000.00 by grabbing Robert’s might-as-well-be-new 400mm GM lens. With either TC, the versatility is amazing and remember, you can’t beat the f/2.8 bokeh! artie
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This image was created on 16 November 2023 at Fort DeSoto Park. Seated on damp sand, I used the foot-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 600: 1/1250 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:10:17am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Snowy plover (probably worn first winter plumage) on lugworm burrow mounds
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A Snowy Dreamy Plover
I have very little if any memory of creating this image. Recently, a dear friend from the Cape May, NJ days, Julian Hough, an expat Brit, asked me if I had this exact shot — non breeding, not an adult. He needed it for an article he is doing on Kentish and Snowy Plovers for his local Connecticut bird club journal. I found several old ones that fit the bill but was not happy with the quality. Then, I found this one. we were both thrilled.
If you enjoy really good writing, check out Julian’s blog here. He calls it Naturescape Images/The Anglo-American Birding of Julian Hough. The guest post, allegedly written by his son Alex, is a hoot. He does not post often but his writing is superb and I enjoy hearing what he has to say whenever I visit.
As for the photo, I love the soft light, the gentle curves of the worm hills, and the matching color of the subject and the background.
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This image was created on 15 April 2024 at Fort DeSoto Park. Seated on dry sand, I used the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800: 1/4000 sec. at f/3.2 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:22:49am on a hazy, partly sunny morning.
Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #2: Royal Tern breeding plumage in flight
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The Knee-pod Rest Position
When hand holding super-telephoto lenses for flight photography, sitting can be a great option. By resting your left forearm atop your left knee, you only need to raise your big lens a few inches to get the viewfinder to your eye. Not having to raise the big lens from your side greatly reduces potential fatigue,
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This image was created on 15 April 2024 at Fort DeSoto Park. Seated on damp sand, I used the foot-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/1000 sec. at f/6.3 (stopped down 1/3 stop) in Manual mode. AWB at 10:15:53am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #3: Red Knot molting into breeding plumage — preening neck
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Wintering Red Knots
Some North American populations of this species winter as far south as southern Argentina while some birds remain along the Gulf coast’s of North America. In some years, flocks of as many as two hundred can be fond at Fort De Soto Park from November through early spring. In late April and early May, some individuals are molting into their handsome breeding finery with brick red breasts and spangled silver and black upperparts. They breed only above the Arctic Circle, most often on Banks, Victoria, and Baffin Islands in northern Canada.
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This image was created on 16 April 2024 at Fort DeSoto Park. Seated on damp sand, I used the knee-pod technique with the hand held Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 2.0x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800: 1/1600 sec. at f/9 (stopped down 1 1/3 stops) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:19:47am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #4: Sandwich Tern in breeding plumage — head portrait — unusually long bill
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Stopping Down at Close Range
When working close to the Minimum Focusing Distance (MFD) of a lens, consider going to a smaller aperture to so that you have enough depth-of-field to cover the subject. Remember that at a given aperture, depth-of-field increases quickly as the distance to the subject increases.
Bill and Cap Clean-up
The more you use the Remove Tool, the more adept you become and the better your results will be. It can be used to erase or eliminate, to add, to blend, and to paint. Used properly, it is magical when used to refine edges. The more I experiment with it, the more I am amazed. Its introduction has been a life saver for me.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II).
You can order your copy from the BAA Online Store here, by sending a PayPal for $40 here, or by calling Jim or Jennifer weekdays at 863-692-0906 with your credit card in hand. Be sure to specify Digital Basics II.
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The BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II)
The techniques mentioned above and tons more great Photoshop tips and techniques — along with my complete digital workflow, Digital Eye Doctor Techniques, and all my personalized Keyboard Shortcuts — are covered in detail in the BIRDS AS ART Current Workflow e-Guide (Digital Basics II), an instructional PDF that is sent via e-mail. Note: folks working on a PC and/or those who do not want to miss anything Photoshop may wish to purchase the original Digital Basics along with DB II while saving $15 by clicking here to buy the DB Bundle.
Please note: the Divide and Conquer technique was inadvertently omitted from DB II. It is detailed in a free excerpt in the blog post here.
Folks who learn well by following along rather than by reading can check out the complete collection of MP 4 Photoshop Tutorial Videos by clicking here. Note: most of the videos are now priced at an amazingly low $5.00 each.
You can learn how and why I converted all of my Canon digital RAW files in DPP 4 in the DPP 4 RAW Conversion Guide here. More recently, I became proficient at converting my Nikon RAW (NEF) files in Adobe Camera Raw. About three years ago I began converting my Nikon and Sony RAW files in Capture One and did that for two years. You can learn more about Capture One in the Capture One Pro 12 Simplified MP4 Video here. The next step would be to get a copy of Arash Hazeghi’s “The Nikon Photographers’ Guide to Phase One Capture One Pro e-Guide” in the blog post here. Today, I convert my Sony raw files in Photoshop with Adobe Camera Raw.
You can learn advanced Quick Masking and advanced Layer Masking techniques in APTATS I & II. You can save $15 by purchasing the pair.
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The Digital Basics III Video Series
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The Digital Basics III Video Series
I realized more than a year ago that my digital workflow had changed significantly and was toying with the idea of writing a Digital Basics III. More recently, I learned and began working with two great new Photoshop Tools, the Remove Tool and the Luminance Targeted Adjustment Tool. The former is like a smarter Spot Healing Brush Tool on steroids and the latter is a step up from the fabulous Color Mixer Tool. During that same time frame, I came up with a new and improved 2-step noise reduction technique. I still use Divide and Conquer, Quick Masks, Layer Masks, an expanded array of personalized keyboard shortcuts, and tons of other stuff from both versions of Digital Basics.
As soon as I realized that I did not want to take on another large writing project, I realized that by creating a series of videos I could much more easily share all the details of my current digital workflow and much more easily incorporate additional new tips, techniques, and tools as I went. And so, The Digital Basics III Video Series was born.
You can order the first five videos in Volume I — 15 detailed image optimizations that cover a wide variety of challenges, by clicking here. The videos will be most valuable for folks using the latest version of Photoshop (2024) or Lightroom along with Topaz DeNoise AI and Topaz Sharpen AI.
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This image was created on 1 May 2024 at Fort DeSoto Park. Seated on dry sand, I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/2000 sec. at f/5.6 (stopped down 2 stops!) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:19:06am on cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #5: Ruddy Turnstone in breeding plumage
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Full Breeding Plumage
Several species of shorebirds including but not limited to Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, Dunlin, Short-billed Dowitcher, Western Sandpiper, and the aforementioned Red Knot complete molting by late April or May and on occasion, can be found and photographed at Fort DeSoto. For me, each find is a treasure. A RUTU this richly colored is almost surely a male.
Do not ask me why I stopped down two stops for this one. That said, this image is incredibly sharp at 800mm with the 2X TC in place.
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This image was created on 1 May 2024 at Fort DeSoto Park. Seated on dry sand, I used the toe-pod technique with the handheld Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera). The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/2000 sec. at f/8 (stopped down 2 stops!) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:50:14am on a cloudy morning.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #6: Great Blue Heron scratching
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Shooting Up
There are several locations at Fort DeSoto where you can get right below the birds and shoot up at a variety of herons and egrets. Several types of images can be made when you find the right bird in the right spot. Stopping down is generally a good plan though in this instance with a side view of a scratching great blue, it was not entirely necessary.
I love all the angled lines in this one.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
February 10th, 2025 Your Call?
Which of today’s five featured Vasili Chernishof Canon EOS R1 images do you like best? Why? (Be sure to click on each image to view the larger, sharper high res version.)
What’s Up?
With the handwriting on the wall and the Eagles up 17-0 in the second quarter, I opted to hit the sack at 7:30pm. Somewhat miraculously, I slept through to the alarm at 2:45am.
Today is Monday 10 February 2025. Bob Eastman and I were headed to the airport by 3:20am After dropping me off at Alaska Airlines, Bob heads for Paducah, KY and expects to be at his place in Reedsburg, WI by Wednesday afternoon (barring the severe snow and ice storms in the forecast), The temp should be about 5° F when he gets home. As for the Chiefs, things only got worse as the Eagles put a 40-22 beating on my favorite team. Bob arrived in Florida near the end of October and as regular readers know, we had a blast since then. Thanks for everything, Bob, and safe travels on your long journey home. Whatever you opt to do, we hope that you too choose to have a great day.
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.
Supporting My Efforts Here
If you enjoy and learn from the blog, are all set for gear, or live overseas, consider leaving a BAA Blog Thank You Gift here.
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This image was created on 21 January 2025 on a San Diego In-the-Field session by multiple IPT veteran Vasili Chernishof. Standing at full height, he used a Gitzo tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 840mm) and the remarkable Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 320: 1/5000 sec at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 9:35:40.
Image #1: Brown Pelican Pacific race breeding plumage in flat flight
Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Vasili Chernishof
Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
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Vasili and the Canon EOS R1
Vasili showed up in San Diego looking to put his brand new Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless camera
to the test. And that is what he did to the tune of between 80 and 100,000 images in a single week. I took a peek at most of those images and was thoroughly impressed by both the speed and especially the accuracy of the Bird Eye tracking and the rich natural colors of the raw files. In today’s blog post, I share five of his best images; I believe that each was improved by my pano crop. As I did, Vasili used his tripod-mounted RF 600mm f/4 lens only sparingly on the trip, often, again as I did, often with the (RF) 1.4X Extender.
The last time I photographed with him he was using a ridiculous Gitzo tripod head that severely hampered him. After quite a bit of badgering by yours truly he finally purchased a Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro from the BIRDS S ART Online Store. He loves it as it allows him to work efficiently with his 600mm f/4 that he can hand hold only for brief moments. Shooting flight with the Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro is a dream: smooth effortless panning without any ballhead flop.
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This image was created on 22 January 2025 on a San Diego In-the-Field session by multiple IPT veteran Vasili Chernishof. Standing at full height, he used the hand held Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens (at 170mm) and the remarkable Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2000: 1/4000 sec at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 8:46:26am on a cloudy morning.
Image #2: Brandt’s Cormorant incoming flight
Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Vasili Chernishof
Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
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Canon EOS R1 Impressive Autofocus
As I have said here quite a bit recently, I was very impressed by the R1’s AF system. With this image, the bird’s face and eyes were incredibly sharp despite the fact that the top of the bird’s head was barely in the frame. A significant amount of canvas was added above and to each side to create the panoramic format.
The 100-300mm f/2.8 Canon Lens
Vasili loves his Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens and used it either alone or with one of the two Canon TCs for much of his San Diego photography. Weighing in at a hefty 5.7 pounds, the lens is quite heavy for most folks and is only minimally lighter than the Canon 600mm f/4. Add another 1/2 or 3/4 pound with one of the relatively gargantuan Canon teleconverters and you are lugging around quite a load. With its smaller physical size, however, Vasili was easily able to hand hold it for long shooting sessions.
With the RF Extender 2X in place, you have a very versatile (and very heavy) 200-600 f/5.6 rig that is 1/3 stop faster and otherwise, except for the weight, comparable to the much lighter Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens or the quite similar Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens (Nikon Z).
Bob Eastman and I are very happy with our Sony 200-600s.
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This image was created on 23 January 2025 on a San Diego In-the-Field session by multiple IPT veteran Vasili Chernishof. Kneeling on damp sand, he used the hand held Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 420mm) and the remarkable Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 160: 1/1000 sec at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:15:31am on a cloudy morning.
Image #3: Sanderling
Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Vasili Chernishof
Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
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Spotlighting
Chances of creating spotlit images in nature photography are rare. (Several folks liked the spotlit preening Western Gull in the last blog post.) Vasili caught this first winter Sanderling running across the black sand at Coronado Beach just as the sun poked briefly between two distant condos and lit up the small shorebird. The spotlighting is quite dramatic and I love the reflection of the sunlight off the bird’s belly onto the sand. The choice of a pano crop here was quite obvious.
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This image was created on 23 January 2025 on a San Diego In-the-Field session by multiple IPT veteran Vasili Chernishof. Seated on a dirt bank, he used a Gitzo tripod/Levered-Clamp FlexShooter Pro-mounted Canon RF 600mm f/4 L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 1.4x (at 840mm) and the remarkable Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 1600: 1/4000 sec at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 4:18:54pm on a sunny afternoon.
Image #4: Cinnamon Teal drake in flight
Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Vasili Chernishof
Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
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Ducks in Flight
Again, like yours truly, Vasili was challenged as to what lens to use for the ducks in flight at Santee as you never knew how close or how far away they would be landing, In this case, the 600 and the RF 1.4X TC was the winning combination. The teal are small, fast, and erratic fliers. Kudos to Vasili for nailing this one.
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This image was created on 24 January 2025 on a San Diego In-the-Field session by multiple IPT veteran Vasili Chernishof. Seated on a dirt bank, he used the hand held Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens with the Canon Extender RF 2x, (at 483mm) and the remarkable Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera. ISO 2500: 1/4000 sec at f/5.6 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 3:20:22pm on a sunny afternoon.
Image #5: Lesser Scaup hen skidding to a landing
Image courtesy of and copyright 2025: Vasili Chernishof
Image Optimization by Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART
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The Landing Skid
For this one, Vasili went with his hand hold-able (for him) 200-600 rig. The splashdown pattern made the pano crop an obvious choice.
Vasili Chernishoff, unsolicited via e-mail
I wanted to thank you again for such a fantastic learning experience; The San Diego trip exceeded my expectations, and I truly appreciate everything I gained from the workshop. I’m already looking forward to several more in Florida! Vasili
Vasili will be joining me again at Stick Marsh in late March and then again at Jacksonville — end of June through early July. I look forward to continuing to guide him on his bird photography journey. And like I am, he is looking forward to the Ospreys at Sebastian Inlet next fall.
Thanks for Vasili for allowing me to share his wonderful images with you here on the blog. More soon.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
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