September 12th, 2019 What’s Up?
What a good feeling to have finished getting together all the bricks needed to complete my 2018 tax return; we sent the finished worksheets and all the payroll and interest printouts to my accountant in St. Pete. He should be done in about a week to ten days.
I was glad to learn of the recent sale of Don Carter’s Canon 100-400 II and to learn that the sale of George Golumbeski’s Canon 600 II became pending immediately after it was listed.
IPT News!
I learned last week that Mary van Deusen and her friend Patti Romano will be driving down from South Carolina to join UK Puffins and Gannets veteran Shonagh Adelman on the 2019 Fall Sandbar Secrets Fort DeSoto IPT at the end of this month. Then things got even better when DeSoto IPT veteran Jim Miller e-mailed letting me know that he would also be joining us. Everyone is excited. There are still two spots left on this great workshop.
IPT Updates
- The 2019 Fall Sandbar Secrets Fort DeSoto IPT/September 27-30, 2019: One-half and three FULL DAYS: $1499.00. Free Morning Session on Tuesday, October 1. Limit 6/Openings 2. Afternoon session on Friday, September 25 at 4pm, followed by three full days. We photograph till sunset on Monday, September 30
- The Return to Bosque Reduced Rate Scouting IPT. NOV 26-28, 2019 — 3 FULL DAYS: $1199.00. Limit: 8/Openings: 6. Extra Day Options: Join me for one to three extra In-the-Field Days at the end of the IPT as follows: FRI 29 NOV, SAT 30 NOV, and SUN 1 DEC for only $300.00/day.
- The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is getting folks the hot new SONY stuff: the 200-600, the 600 f/4 GM, and the 7R iv. And the wait-list is short for the Nikon 500 P.
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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on the morning of September 6, 2019, at Indian Lake Estates. I used the handheld Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850 Auto ISO: 800. Matrix metering plus about 1/3 stop: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 in Manual mode was perfect. Natural AUTO1 at 7:41am on a dead-clear morning.
Two up from the center d-25 Continous AF was active at the moment of exposure. The selected AF point was on the pink wattle.
Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Wild Turkey — tight vertical portrait of a young tom
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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500 PF Young Tom Magic
I have been seeing lots of young Wild Turkeys on my morning walks in recent weeks. Most spend time foraging in the North Field that abuts the shore of Lake Walk-in-Water. I only rarely try to photograph them. But last week there was a large group there and the wind was from the northeast. I figure that if I approached them from the north that I might have a chance for a flight shot or two so I grabbed the 500 PF and left the 600 VR on the front passenger seat. As I approached the feeding flock they would move south and then north and then back again. Many species of birds were chowing down on last week’s huge mayfly hatch.
As I continued my approach, I noted that the flock was staying tight together and that they were relatively tame — at times I was too close to create horizontal portraits. After making a few of those, I thought that I might have a chance to create a nice vertical head and shoulders portrait of one of the two young males. On my first few attempts, I clipped the bottoms of the beards. The challenge was to get closer to the birds to avoid that so I continued slowly zigging and zagging left and right and forward. Today’s featured image was my favorite. Note the perfect head turn, about 2-3 degrees toward us.
This image is un-cropped and totally unexpurgated. I did the RAW conversion in Capture One, brought the TIFF into Photoshop, named and saved the master file, and then created the 1200 pixel wide JPEG for today’s blog post. I cannot remember the last time that I did absolutely nothing to an image in Photoshop …
When I began approaching the flock I never thought that I would get close enough to create a vertical front-end portrait …
AF Tip
Pretty much all modern dSLRs and mirrorless camera bodies allow you to set one AF point and mode for horizontals, and a different AF point and mode for verticals. This is a fabulous feature that everyone should know how to set and use. For my vertical shooting, I select a small array of AF points and place it well above center. As long as you have the horizontal/vertical orientation menu item enabled, the camera will remember it.
If I am shooting horizontals, I usually am using a center AF point or small array or one above center. I will often move the point or array that I have set to attain my desired composition. When I need to shoot verticals, all that I have to do is turn the camera on end. The camera will remember the AF point and mode that I have set and in most cases, I am ready to go to work instantly without having to make major changes in the AF point and mode. Depending on how close I am to the subject and the size of the bird in the frame I might move the selected AF point a notch or two up or down or right or left. With Nikon, I like d-25 as the wider spread allows me some compositional freedom in moving the bird left or right (or even up or down a bit) in the frame. To learn to set this menu item see our available Camera Users eGuide here. I am still working on the Nikon D850 Users Guide.
Indian Lake Estates is just one of the great, little-known photography hotspots covered in the BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide. While ILE is at its very best in late winter and early spring, it is pretty darned good right now for turkey and Osprey and the Sandhill Cranes are always easy here regardless of the season.
Your Call?
You are invited to leave a comment letting us know what you like or dislike about today’s featured image.
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back and forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
- Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
- Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
- The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
- Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
- Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
- Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
- West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
- Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
If In Doubt …
If you are in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog or Bedfords, for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links or Bedfords for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
September 10th, 2019 What’s Up?
Congrats to New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and place-kicker Will Lutz. I have always rooted for the Saints and especially for Brees. He and the rest of the Saints stunk in the first half of the Monday Night Football game against the Houston Texans. They went ahead in the second half and when Lutz kicked a 46-yard field goal with 50 seconds left, it looked as if the game were in the bag as they were up by six points. But Houston QB Deshaun Watson marched them down the field on a two-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 37-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kenny Stills (who was originally drafted by New Orleans). All looked lost but the Texans kicker pushed the extra point wide and the game was tied. But New Orleans was called for roughing the kicker. Game over. Or not?
Because the Texans scored so quickly, the Saints got the ball back with 37 seconds left and very slim hopes. Brees completed two passes to get close to field goal range and with six seconds left, completed a short pass to the Texans’ 41-yard line. Lutz, who had missed a 56-yard field goal at the very end of the first half, came out to try a 58-yarder. He pounded it straight through the uprights with lots of room to spare as the Saints won the game in miraculous fashion.
It was Lutz’s longest ever successful field goal. If you wrote this as a script for a Hollywood movie, nobody would believe it. You can check it out on Sports Center.
Which?
Which of George Golumbeski’s two featured images do you like best? Scroll down to view and let us know why.
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Selling Your Used Photo Gear Through BIRDS AS ART
Selling your used (or like-new) photo gear through the BAA Blog is a great idea. We charge only a 5% commission. One of the more popular used gear for sale sites charged a minimum of 20%. Plus assorted fees! Yikes. They went out of business. And e-Bay fees are now up to 13%. The minimum item price here is $500 (or less for a $25 fee). If you are interested please scroll down here or shoot us an e-mail with the words Items for Sale Info Request cut and pasted into the Subject line :). Stuff that is priced fairly — I offer pricing advice to those who agree to the terms — usually sells in no time flat. Over the past year, we have sold many dozens of items. Do know that prices on some items like the EOS-1D Mark IV, the old Canon 100-400, the old 500mm, the EOS-7D, and the 7D Mark II and the original 400mm DO lens have been dropping steadily. Most recently the price of used Canon 600mm f/L IS II lenses have been dropping like a rock since the introduction of the 600 III. You can always see the current listings by clicking here or on the Used Photo Gear tab on the orange-yellow menu bar near the top of each blog post page.
As used gear sales have slowed a bit in recent months — especially with dSLR bodies, there are lots of great buys right now on the Used Gear Page
Canon 600mm f/4L IS USM III Lens (with extras!)
Sale pending first day of listing
Multiple IPT veteran George Golumbeski is offering a Canon 600mm f/4L IS III lens in near-mint condition (with extras) for an amazingly low $11,299.00. The sale includes the a Digital Camo Lenscoat Cover, a 4th Generation Designs replacement low foot, a Don Zeck front lens cap, the rear lens cap, the original lens foot, the heavy-duty Canon front lens cover, the Canon LS600 Soft Case/backpack (no more lens trunks), the original product box, and insured ground shipping via UPS to US lower-48 addresses only. Your item will not ship until your check clears unless other arrangements are made.
Please contact George via e-mail or by phone at 1-973-216-3832 (Eastern time zone).
The 600 III is the latest Canon version of my favorite weapon of mass destruction for bird photography. With its super balance, light weight, incredible sharpness, and a five-stop Image Stabilization system, the 600 III is a technological marvel. The lens tips the scale at a relatively svelte 6.71 lb — about one ounce heavier than the SONY 600mm f/4GM OSS lens. It is a fraction under two pounds lighter than the 600 II. Thus, it is eminently hand-holdable for many folks. You can save a neat $1700.00 by being the one to grab George’s pretty much new lens. Did I mention that unlike me, George is fastidious when it comes to caring for his gear? As you can see by viewing George’s images below, the lens is super-sharp with either TC, one of the great advantages of Canon over Nikon … artie
The Head-On Stare
Pressing the shutter button when an animal or a bird is looking right down the lens barrel will almost always produce an interesting, powerful image. Note that while handholding, George went to ISO 3200 to allow for a fast shutter speed. Note also that while working at point-blank range, he (properly) stopped down from f/5.6 to f/7.1 for a bit of extra depth-of-field.
1200mm Sharpness!
Note the incredible sharpness and fine feather and skin detail on the vulture’s face and neck. Working at 1200mm with Canon is a complete pleasure and the results absolutely kill the images made with the Nikon 600 VR and the TC-E20.
Head Angle
Regular readers and the folks in the Avian Forum on Bird Photographers.Net know that I am always quite concerned about head angle. Some folks think that I am too concerned about it. On BPN, I am known as el capitán de la policía de ángulo de cabeza, captain of the head angle police. Having attended several IPTs, George has mastered the head angle principles. With this vulture image, note that the bird’s head is turned two degrees toward us. That is perfect for a side portrait as it places the tip of the bill and the same plane as the eye.
On a final note do understand that the perfect head angle varies depending on the position of the bird and the orientation of the subject to the back of the camera. Hey, I think that I will do a Head Angle Primer blog post …
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
September 9th, 2019 What’s Up?
On my 2.3 mile Sunday morning walk, I had 33 species of birds including all four dove species and eight wading bird species along with a Pileated Woodpecker and several Eastern Bluebirds. Last week I saw my first-ever ILE Black Tern that was possibly — heck — probably, Dorian-related. I am doing lots of walking and swimming and stretching and getting (just a bit) fitter. With Jennifer’s help, I should be able to finish up my 2019 tax return stuff on Tuesday.
See below if you would like to pre-order a FlexShooter Pro Mini; we have sold three already.
Congrats both to Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev on their amazing performance in the finals of the US Open tennis tournament last night. Whew!
IPT News!
I learned last week that Mary van Deusen and her friend Patti Romano will be driving down from South Carolina (they survived Dorian …) to join UK Puffins and Gannets veteran Shonagh Adelman on the 2019 Fall Sandbar Secrets Fort DeSoto IPT at the end of this month. Then things got even better when DeSoto IPT veteran Jim Miller e-mailed letting me know that he would also be joining us. Everyone is excited. There are still two spots left on this great workshop. Do check out the Extra Day options that were recently added to the Bosque IPT.
IPT Updates
- The 2019 Fall Sandbar Secrets Fort DeSoto IPT/September 27-30, 2019: One-half and three FULL DAYS: $1499.00. Free Morning Session on Tuesday, October 1. Limit 6/Openings 2. Afternoon session on Friday, September 25 at 4pm, followed by three full days. We photograph till sunset on Monday, September 30
- The Return to Bosque Reduced Rate Scouting IPT. NOV 26-28, 2019 — 3 FULL DAYS: $1199.00. Limit: 8/Openings: 6. Extra Day Options: Join me for one to three extra In-the-Field Days at the end of the IPT as follows: FRI 29 NOV, SAT 30 NOV, and SUN 1 DEC for only $300.00/day.
- The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
Click here for complete. IPT info. Couples, IPT veterans, and folks wishing to sign up with a friend or with a partner are asked to contact me via e-mail
FlexShooter Pro News
All FlexShooter Pro BigFeet are now in stock in the BAA Online Store. You can click on the chart above or here for more information.
Coming Soon
The FlexShooter Mini
Several months ago I had a FlexShooter Mini to test on both the UK Puffins and Gannets IPT and the Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. It is a smaller, lighter (one pound!) version of the amazing FlexShooter Pro. I used it often with both the Nikon 500 PF and the SONY 100-400 GM with great success and in a pinch, I was able to make sharper images with the Nikon 600 and the TC-E14. All with the Mini mounted on the lighter Induro GIT 204. I suggested to developer/manufacturer Csaba Karai that the Mini needed a bit more spring tension. A new batch with my suggested changes should be in stock in about two weeks.
The FlexShooter Mini with the lighter Induro GIT 204 is dead-solid-perfect for those whose intermediate telephoto or telephoto zoom is their workhorse lens for bird and nature photography. It will sell for $579 plus shipping. Folks who wish to be assured of getting one from our first shipment can order theirs by phone by calling Jim at 863-692-0906 asap. Your card will not be charged until your Mini is shipped.
FlexShooter Pro Update
We currently have only four FlexShooter Pro heads in stock here. We have all but one of the BigFeet in stock (phone orders only for now: 863-692-0906) but are sold out of the new FLN-60 BigFoot that was recently re-designed for the Nikon 600 VR. Click here to access the pretty much complete FlexShooter Pro story with videos.
IPT Updates
- The 2019 Fall Sandbar Secrets Fort DeSoto IPT/September 27-30, 2019: One-half and three FULL DAYS: $1499.00. Free Morning Session on Tuesday, October 1. Limit 6/Openings 2. Afternoon session on Friday, September 25 at 4pm, followed by three full days. We photograph till sunset on Monday, September 30
- The Return to Bosque Reduced Rate Scouting IPT. NOV 26-28, 2019 — 3 FULL DAYS: $1199.00. Limit: 8/Openings: 6. Extra Day Options: Join me for one to three extra In-the-Field Days at the end of the IPT as follows: FRI 29 NOV, SAT 30 NOV, and SUN 1 DEC for only $300.00/day.
- The 2020 San Diego 4 1/2-DAY BIRDS AS ART Instructional Photo-Tour (IPT) WED JAN 8, 2020 thru and including the morning session on SUN JAN 12: 4 1/2 days: $2099.(Limit: 8/Openings: 5)
Click here for complete. IPT info. Couples, IPT veterans, and folks wishing to sign up with a friend or with a partner are asked to contact me via e-mail
BIRDS AS ART
BIRDS AS ART is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Money Saving Reminder
If you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H, would enjoy free overnight shipping, and would like a $50 discount on your first purchase, click here to order and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If you are looking to strike a deal on Canon or Nikon gear (including the big telephotos) or on a multiple item order, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell at (479) 381-2592 (Eastern time) and be sure to mention your BIRDSASART coupon code and use it for your online order. Steve currently has several D850s in stock along with a Nikon 600mm f/4 VR. He is getting folks the hot new SONY stuff: the 200-600, the 600 f/4 GM, and the 7R iv. And the wait-list is short for the Nikon 500 P.
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. Those questions might deal with systems, camera bodies, accessories, and/or lens choices and decisions.
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This image was created on the morning of July 25, 2019 on the Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the handheld Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 lens at 35mm with the Sony Alpha a7R III Mirrorless digital camera body. ISO: 500. Multi metering with Zebras: 1/640 sec. at f/8 in Manual mode. AWB at 10.39am on a solidly overcast morning.
Image #1: Flightless Cormorant nests on lava rock
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Setting the Scene
Back in the days when I wrote prolifically for the various birding magazines, I would send a tightly edited submission with a dozen or so clean tight portraits of the birds mentioned in the articles. Editors would always ask, “Do you have an establishing shot?” I replied, “What’s an establishing shot?” They would explain that they needed a photograph to set the scene, to show the habitat, and to give the reader an understanding of the situation. That’s why I always made sure to have a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens in my vest. When I switched to Nikon, that became the (far sharper) Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-120mm f/4G ED VR. And there is a very good chance that there will be a Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 lens in my future. And yes, there are lots of implications there …
Though I rarely write for magazine publication anymore, I continue to strive to create good establishing shots as they can help tell the story and explain the situation both here on the blog and in slide programs. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. The image above does a great job of setting the scene detailed in the Flightless Cormorant Nest with Eggs blog post here.
Many times I will use an intermediate telephoto zoom lens at the widest setting to create a bird-scape to show the situation. But on this day, I made the landing with only the Nikon 500 PF. I knew the image that I wanted to create but I did not have the right tool so I asked Anita North if I could borrow her SONY 24-105 and she kindly complied. Thanks again, Anita.
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This image was also created on the morning of July 25, 2019 on the Galapagos Photo-Cruise of a Lifetime. I used the handheld Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens and my souped-up Nikon D850 ISO: 800. Matrix metering +2 1/3 stops off the light gray sky: 1/400 sec. at f/7.1 in Manual mode. Natural Light AUTO1 WB at 9:58am on a solidly overcast morning.
Center d-25 Continous AF was active at the moment of exposure. Nikon Focus Peaking fine-tune value: +4. See the Nikon AF Fine-tune e-Guide here.
Image #2: Flightless Cormorant wing detail
Click on the image to enjoy a larger version.
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Flightless Cormorant
From the CornellLab of Ornithology website here:
The Flightless Cormorant is the only cormorant that has lost the ability to fly. Restricted to Fernandina and Isabela islands in the Galapagos archipelago, this species has a small population averaging about 1000 individuals. It is a large, brown cormorant with a relatively large head and small wings with very reduced remiges. The wings are useful, however, for maneuvering during surface-dives in search of fish, octopus, and squid. The population fluctuates widely with marine productivity. This species breeds year-round, sometimes twice in a year. Nests are constructed of seaweed and placed among the rocks above the high tide mark, generally in loose associations of several pairs.
Perspective Question
Why was it vitally important to the success Image #2 that I crouched down?
Your Call?
Which of today’s two featured images do you like best? Each has something different going for it so be sure to let us know why you made your choice.
If In Doubt …
If in doubt about using the BAA B&H affiliate link correctly, you can always start your search by clicking here. Please note that the tracking is invisible. Web orders only. Please, however, remember to shoot me your receipt via e-mail.
Please Remember to use my Affiliate Links and to Visit the BAA Online Store 🙂
To show your appreciation for my continuing efforts here, we ask, as always, that you get in the habit of using my B&H affiliate links on the right side of the blog for all of your photo and electronics purchases. Please check the availability of all photographic accessories in the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store, especially the Mongoose M3.6 tripod head, Wimberley lens plates, Delkin flash cards and accessories, and LensCoat stuff.
As always, we sell only what I have used, have tested, and can depend on. We will not sell you junk. We know what you need to make creating great images easy and fun. And please remember that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.
I would, of course, appreciate your using our B&H affiliate links for all of your major gear, video, and electronic purchases. For the photographic stuff mentioned in the paragraph above, and for everything else in the new store, we, meaning BAA, would of course greatly appreciate your business. Here is a huge thank you to the many who have been using our links on a regular basis and those who will be visiting the New BIRDS AS ART Online Store as well.
Facebook
Be sure to like and follow BAA on Facebook by clicking on the logo link upper right.
Typos
In all blog posts and Bulletins, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors. Just be right :).
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