Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

Your Fave?

Which of today’s two featured images is your favorite? All are invited to leave a comment and let us know why they made their choice. Though the images are quite similar, I have a clear favorite and will share it with you here in the next post.

An Important Air Travel Tip

When you check one or two bags for a flight, be sure that you get the little sticky-back stubs from the computer-generated bag tag. Most airlines will put them on the back of your boarding pass. Some airlines will simply hand the small tag or tags to you. Make sure that you put the bag tags in a safe place where you can find them. I am in the habit of placing the tags (or the boarding pass with the tag or tags affixed to them) in my left rear pants pocket. Once you have your bags at your destination, the tags can be safely discarded. If your bags do not show up, you at least have some recourse and may be able to help the airline locate your missing luggage. Or make a claim.

In addition, when I hand my bags over, I visually inspect the tags to make sure that they are correctly routed to my destination airport. BPN friend Kevin Hice was in a big hurry to catch his next flight when he got to Anchorage the other day. And so was the agent. While Kevin arrived at bag claim, his bags did not. He could not find his bag tag. And Delta has no record of him even checking a bag.

They stated that there is a big round-up at end of the month where and when they inspect all “found” luggage. Good luck, Kevin.

What’s Up?

With nearly perfect weather for the 2nd IPT under our belts and 7.75 hours of overtime shooting on the books (each tip is slotted for 4 hours per day), those who were driving back to Anchorage opted to get out of town a day early on Wednesday to avoid the snowstorm forecast for the Seward Highway. Making the drive in a blizzard is beyond hazardous. Harry Lerner and John Carelli made their flights. Mukesh Patel and Indranil Sircar made the trip with me. Indranil had a flight for Wednesday night and made it home safely on Thursday. Mukesh was able to change his flight and he too made it home easily. I tried to change my ANC to SEA to MCO flights but was unable to do so. My flight leaves very early (12:35 am) on Friday morning. I have a 4 1/2-hour layover in Seattle and if all goes well, Jim will be picking me up in Orlando at about 6pm.

Everyone on both trips agreed that the photography exceeded all of their expectations. The photo opps were (as I had expected them to be), so spectacular on the two trips that I will be doing three Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagles IPTs next season. The dates and details will be announced here very soon.

Please remember to click on each image to enjoy the spectacular high-res versions. The smaller JPEGs as presented are not very impressive.

At 3pm local time I enjoyed the greatest-ever Panang Curry at So Thai Restaurant in Anchorage and then returned my huge rental GMC Yukon at the airport.

I got two hours of sleep from 8:15 to 10:15pm when I was awakened out of a sound sleep by my cell phone alarm. I grabbed the hotel shuttle to the airport and was sitting at the gate by 11:15am. I will board at 11:55 AK time, enjoy the long layover in Seattle, and should get to Orlando just before 6pm. Today is Friday 4 March 2022 and I’ll be flying all day, so the forecast does not mean much to me. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about 90 minutes to prepare and makes 1 day in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on this page and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT.

And 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 immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

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… 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.

This image was created on 28 February 2022, the third day of the second Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was set using Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial: ISO 640: 1/6400 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 10:05:40am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Red-breasted Merganser drake in flight

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet!

Both Red-breasted and Common Mergansers occur in Kachemak Bay. Both are speedy fliers. And both do not like either humans or boats. In general, they are extremely wary. We had just stopped the boat and tossed some herring chucks to attract the eagles. As usually occurs, the gulls were first at the picnic table. I had set up for the gulls at ISO 640, 1/8000 second at f/4. If an eagle flew in, I was ready to go two clicks slower on the shutter speed to 1/5000 second at f/4. At the same time as I saw the bird, the captain shouted. Merganser at 12 o’clock flying right at the bow. I reduced the exposure by one-third stop because the necks of the drake mergansers were a fairly bright white; not as white as the gulls, but a bit brighter than the adult eagles. That proved to be a good decision.

As the drake merganser steamed right at us at about 60 miles per hour — they have been clocked at eighty-one, I raised the lens and fired off a thirty-some-odd frame burst as it veered to my right and passed us just to the starboard. I was not shocked to see that every frame in the series was tack-sharp on the waterfowl’s eye. I was thrilled to find two very nice wing positions in the lot. There were two poor wing positions between today’s two featured images.

When I used Canon, I had many opportunities to shoot-slower flying ducks (and cormorants and many others) coming right at me. They were always sharp. On the bird’s feet. The AF system simply could not keep up with the subjects. I remember saying to the late Chuck Westfall and my good friend Rudy Winston, Canon’s top two technical folks at the time, “What we are really looking for is science-fiction like autofocus.” Today, with the Canon R5 and the R3, the Nikon Z9, and the Sony a9, a9 II, and the Alpha I, we have that in spades. As regular readers know, I give the edge to the Sony A1 for several reasons including and especially the Zebra technology and the glorious 51 MP files.

The Flight Speed of a Red-breasted Merganser

Max C. Thompson, Arctic Health Research Center, Anchorage, Alaska, November 25, 1960. Quoted from here.

In the course of investigating the terrestrial avifauna of the Cape Thompson area of northern Alaska for the United States Atomic Energy Commission, several low aerial reconnaissance flights of the Kukpuk River (Latitude 68 — 22N’, Longitude 166O — OO’W) were made. On May 29, 1960, a flock of six Red-breasted Mergansers (Yergzcs serrator) was flushed from the river ahead of the airplane. The area in which this flock was flushed was bordered on the south by a sheer bluff, rising to about30 feet, and on the north by a bank4 feet high. The wind was blowing from the west at 20 miles per hour. At the time the ducks were flushed, we were flying east up the river. When the ducks took flight, all the birds turned aside except one male which flew slightly below and ahead of the airplane. This bird with a burst of speed, managed to keep his position in relation to the aircraft for about 1500 feet before finally losing ground and turning aside. The air speed of the airplane during the chase was 80 miles per hour. The 20 miles per hour wind from the west added to the 80 miles per hour air speed would give the bird a ground speed of 100 miles per hour.

Similar flights had been conducted several times before and although mergansers had been flushed, none behaved in such a manner that an air speed could be calculated.

Cooke (Flight Speed of Birds, U. S. Dept. Agr. Circ. 428, 1937) did not list the flight speed of the Red-breasted Merganser in her compilation of flight speeds. The fastest speed of a duck that she recorded was that of a Canvasback (Aythya ditieriu) with a clocked speed from an airplane of 72+ miles per hour.

This image was created on 28 February 2022, the third day of the second Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagle IPT. I used the hand held Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter (at 280mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera.. The exposure was set using Zebra technology with ISO on the thumb dial: ISO 640: 1/6400 sec. at f/4 (wide open). AWB at 10:05:40am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Zone AF/C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Red-breasted Merganser drake in flight

Large Crops

Both of today’s featured images are made up of about 40% of the original pixels. Sharp a1 files can stand up well to relatively large or even huge crops.

SONY Alpha a1 Set-up and Info Group

The SONY Alpha a1 Set-up 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. The group is now up to an astounding 111 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 all who wish, can request 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. I finally finished the consolidated Sony a1 CAMSETA2 INFO & GUIDE and distributed it yesterday. New a1 folks will now receive three e-mails instead of the previous 28! It is a lot easier on me and is an incredible resource for folks new to the a1.

All who purchased their Alpha a1 bodies via a BAA affiliate link will receive a free subscription to the Sony Alpha a1 Set-Up and Info Updates group after shooting me their receipts via e-mail. (Note: it may take me several days to confirm B&H orders.) This same service may be purchased by anyone with an a1 body via a $150.00 PayPal sent to birdsasart@verizon.net indicating payment for Alpha a1 Info & Updates. Alternatively, folks can call Jim weekdays at 1-863-692-0906 to pay via credit card. New members will receive composite e-mails that summarize all previous discussions.

Typos

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

What’s Up?

Saturday past, the first morning of the 2nd Homer/Kachemak Bay IPT, began with some frost, but quickly turned into another sunny summer’s day with a high of 41°! The photography was excellent. The afternoon was not great, but we all got some nice head portraits of a large, block-headed female Bald Eagle. Sunday morning started off slowly and then we enjoyed some fabulous flight photography. The afternoon was our best of the trip so far. We tried a new spot and enjoyed a unique situation with a variety of incredible lighting and background opportunities that included sunlit birds set against a low bank of fog one second and jet-black rocks the next. Moi, by far the most conservative shooter on the boat, created 7335 images. After deleting 6934 photos on the first edit, I was left with 401 images that included more than a few that you will see on the blog. The photography has been so spectacular that I will be doing three Homer/Kachemak Bay Bald Eagles IPTs next season. Dates to be announced in about a week.

Speaking of IPTs, BAA-friend Paul Smith left this comment on a recent blog post:

I visited the Stick Marsh this morning. There were lots of birds and lots of activity. The construction work didn’t seem to bother the spoonbills at all! They are up to their usual magic.

Please scroll down for Stick Marsh IPT details.

Apologies for last night’s misfire; an unfinished post was published prematurely when I accidentally hit Publish instead of Save Draft.

Today is Monday 28 February and the forecast is calling for little wind with partly cloudy skies. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about an hour to prepare and makes 1 day in a row with a new one.

Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on this page and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT.

And 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 immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂

Please Remember Also

Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.

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… 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.

This image was created on 4 April 2021 at Stick Marsh in Fellsmere, FL. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 474mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) Multi-metering +2 stops: 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AUTO ISO set ISO 1000. AWB at 7:58:59am on a sunny morning. Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #2: Roseate Spoonbill landing

No Idea What I Was Doing, But It Worked, in Pink and Blue!

I was excited when I came across this image in the APRIL 2021 folder. I loved the soft pink and the soft blue tones. Not to mention the nearly frame-filling subject with the crossed toes. When I looked at the EXIF, however, I was very confused: Multi-Metering +2 stops with Auto ISO in Shutter Priority??? I have no idea what I was thinking, but was thrilled when RawDigger showed yet another dead-solid perfect exposure.

I have no idea as to why I was not in Manual mode, but I sure am glad that things worked out as they did.

Sony mirrorless bodies are far ahead of all competitors as they offer Zebra technology when shooting stills so that the user can determine and set the correct exposure while looking through the viewfinder; there is no need to take a test exposure. On the first IPT, Canon R3 user Kevin Hice had trouble getting the right exposure in changing light conditions, and on the second IPT, multiple IPT veteran and good friend Indranil Sircar is having the same problem. Once you learn to set and use Zebras properly, you are good to go as far as setting consistently good exposures quickly and easily.

Via e-mail from Morris Herstein

I never thought that I could make in-flight photos of birds successfully. That goal was accomplished during the recent workshop at Stick Marsh only because I listened to your advice and instructions. For the first time I realized how important sun angle was, teachings that you had been communicated for a long time. The result of two days shooting produced the most satisfying images of Roseate Spoonbills I ever could have imagined.

Stay well and safe. Thank you. Morris

Via e-mail from Joe Usewicz

Wow. So many photos to go through. Stick Marsh was a great learning experience. Positioning. Wind impact. Landing zones. Working on backgrounds. I clipped too many incredible reflections. Great fun. Just amazing opportunities.

Warmest Regards, Joe

Click on the composite image to enjoy the incredible quality of the hi-res JPEG. Clockwise from upper left back around to the center: spoonbill with mangrove background; spoonbill head and shoulders portrait; spoonbill braking to land; spoonbill dramatic landing pose; adult Black-crowned Night-Heron; spoonbill with nesting material; Great Egret returning to nest; incoming spoonbill; and Limpkin landing.

Stick Marsh IPT: #1: WED 9 March thru the morning of SUN 13 March 2022: $2,299.00. (Limit 6 photographers/Openings: 5)

Stick Marsh IPT #2: MON 14 March thru the morning of FRI 18 March 2022: $2299.00 (Limit 6 photographers)

Do both IPTs back-to-back and enjoy a $200 discount: protect your travel and time investments against bad weather by signing up for both IPTs for $4398.00.

Stick Marsh, where the living is easy. Photograph incoming Roseate Spoonbills in flight at point blank range with intermediate telephoto zoom lenses. This year I will be trying the new Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, often with the 1.4X TC. Longer lenses either on a tripod or hand held are best for the green background stuff. There will be endless flight photography opportunities with a variety of species; in addition to the spoonbills, we should have some excellent chances on Limpkin, Great Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Double-created Cormorant, Anhinga, Black and Turkey Vultures, and more. Folks with 500 and 600mm f/4 lenses will have lots of opportunities to hone their skills whether they are working on a tripod or hand holding.

There will be five morning photo sessions averaging four hours. We start in the pre-dawn. The first four morning sessions will be followed by a working brunch. The cost of brunch is included. There will be two after-brunch photo sessions on sunny days (averaging about an hour) to try for bathing spoonbills, usually centered around 1:30pm. There will be one after-brunch photo critique session (probably on DAY 3). And there will be one Image Processing session after brunch.

We will be based in or near Vero Beach. There are AirBnB possibilities for folks who register early. The deposit is $599.00. Call Jim at the office any weekday at 863-692-0906 to pay by credit card. Balances must be paid by check.

What You Will Learn on a Stick Marsh IPT

• 1- You will learn the basics and fine points of digital exposure. Nikon and Canon folks will learn to get the right exposure every time after making a single test exposure, and SONY folks will learn to use Zebras so that they can be sure of making excellent exposures before pressing the shutter button.
• 2- You will learn to work in Manual exposure mode even if you fear it.
• 3- You will surely learn to evaluate wind and sky conditions and understand how they affect bird photography.
• 4- You will learn the pro secrets that will help you to become a better flight photographer.
• 5- You will learn to zoom out in advance (because the birds are so close!) 🙂
• 6- You will learn how to approach free and wild birds without disturbing them.
• 7- You will learn to spot the good and the great situations.
• 8- You will learn to understand and predict bird behavior.
• 9- You will learn to design pleasing images by mastering your camera’s AF system.
• 10- You will learn to choose the best perspective.
• 11- You will learn to see and control your backgrounds.
• 12- You will learn to see and understand the light.
• 12- You will learn to see and create pleasing blurs in pre-dawn situations.
• 12- You will learn to be ready for the most likely event at all times.

And the best news is that you will be able to take everything you learn home with you so that you will be a better photographer wherever you are and whenever you photograph.

Typos

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