I went for a walk on Monday and took about 800 photos of the waterfowl that make their home here in Burlington. Some, of course, are just visiting or wintering. It was a beautiful warm day—very un-typical weather for this time of year in Burlington.
Photos were all taken with a Nikon D300 digital SLR and an AF-S VR Nikkor 300mm f/2.8G IF-ED mounted on a Manfrotto 055XB tripod with a Black Widow Heavy Duty Mark 2 Gimbal Head.
One of the most regal birds in Ontario is the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). The photo below is of a youngster who does not yet have his white head. these birds are making a comeback in my area—north-west corner of Lake Ontario, and are a welcome sight from time to time.
Nikon D300 DSLR with 300mm f/4 lens + 1.7x teleconverter
1/1250 sec at f/6.7, ISO 720 (handheld)
The American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) is a small falcon. It is sometimes (mistakenly) called a “Sparrow Hawk.” American Kestrels are widely distributed across the Americas, with their breeding range extending from Alaska, across northern Canada and south to Mexico and the Caribbean.
Most of the birds breeding in Canada migrate south in the winter, though some do stay as year-round residents. Another tiny jewel of the forest.
Nikon D300 DSLR with 300mm f/4 lens
1/400 sec at f/4.0, ISO 280
This is the famous Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), the tiger of the forest. This magnificent raptor sits haughtily atop the food chain in his forest environment—his only predator being man.
The Barred Owl (Strix varia) is a medium-sized owl about 20 inches long with a wingspan of about 44 inches. Some are as small as 16 in long and as big as 25 in long. The Barred Owl is also known as the Hoot Owl and is widespread in North America, occurring across most of the eastern half of the continent from Florida in the south up into southern regions of Canada.
In the north, these owls are spreading westward causing concern that their aggressive defense of territory will endanger the Spotted Owl.
Nikon D300 DSLR with 300mm f/4 lens
1/400 sec at f/4.0, ISO 200
This little beauty is yet another example of natures perfect creations. The Northern Saw-Whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a tiny owl growing to about 18 cm long (7 to 8 in) with a 43 cm wingspan—proof positive that sometimes the most beautiful things, like jewelry, come in small packages.
Nikon D300 DSLR with 300mm f/4 lens
1/500 sec at f/4.0, ISO 320
I went for a walk along the shores of Lake Ontario today and took several photographs as I went along. It seems to me that I’ve seen more mergansers this fall than I saw all last year.
Please remember that I own the copyright to these images, so do not use them without my permission.
I went for a walk along the shores of Lake Ontario today and took several photographs as I went along. It seems to me that I’ve seen more mergansers this fall than I saw all last year.
Please remember that I own the copyright to these images, so do not use them without my permission.
Tripods are among the most under-used piece of photographic equipment. Many amateurs don’t bother with them because of the inconvenience of carrying this extra piece of gear around for an uncertain benefit to the quality of their shots. For years I have owned a tripod, but seldom used it. This all changed recently when I bought a 300mm f/2.8 lens which weighs a bit more than six pounds—add my D300 DSLR and I’m handholding 8lbs+.
From a distance, a Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 220
So, for me, a tripod has become a necessity, and therefore I need to master its use. To start with, I bought a gimbal-style tripod head (mentioned earlier), and I am now trying to get used to the new setup.
Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
Airborne Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) 1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
This means getting as much practice as possible with the tripod, and resisting the temptation to shoot handheld. This is a lot easier, of course, when the birds cooperate and sit still—something not at all guaranteed.
Mallard pair (Anas Platyrhynchos) cooperating nicely 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
Mallard drake (Anas Platyrhynchos) looking like he’s about to take off. 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
Mallard drake (Anas Platyrhynchos) taking off. 1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
So, am I happy with the results so far? To a point only. I believe I now have the optimum combination of gear for the sort of bird photography I like. The 1.7x teleconverter gives me a 35mm film equivalent of 750mm in reach—not so bad really. And at 300mm f/2.8 (35mm film equivalent of 450mm), this lens is still very usable handheld.
At times when the light is not bright enough, that f/2.8 is great. And even with a 1.4x teleconverter attached, I am able to work at f/4 with a 35mm film equivalent of 630mm in reach—not too shabby at all.
What I really need to work on is being able to quickly locate bird in flight in the lens and focus before it is out of range. A lot easier said than done.
The Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is a big, handsome raptor, which ranges from the southwestern United States through Central America and into much of the drier habitats in South America. They prey on mammals, birds and reptiles. Harris’s Hawks are popular birds used in the sport of falconry.
Unlike most other raptors, which are solitary hunters except when breeding and migrating, Harris’s Hawks will hunt in groups of two to six made up of family members. A small group flies ahead and scouts, alternating with another group member that flies ahead and scouts until prey is caught. At other times, all hawks will encircle the prey while one individual flushes it.
I took the following photograph at The Canadian Raptor Conservancy south of Simcoe, Ontario at Vittoria. The Canadian Raptor Conservancy’s focus is to educate the general public about birds of prey and the important role they play in our natural world.
The Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) is among the most under-appreciated waterfowl in my area (extreme west end of Lake Ontario’s north shore). By the early 20th century, over-hunting and loss of habitat had brought this bird to the brink of extinction in its native range. The Giant Canada Goose subspecies, in fact, was believed to be extinct in the 1950s until a small flock was discovered wintering in Rochester, Minnesota in 1962.
Fortunately, their populations have recovered in most of their range. For many, however, their increasing numbers are mixed blessings at best. I like this bird a lot and happily put up with the minor inconvenience their presence causes from time to time.
The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is one of the heaviest flying birds. Males (cobs) average about 25 lbs and females (pens) over 30 lbs. They are natives of Europe and Asia and introduced in North America. Mute and Trumpeter swans have become quite a common sight in Burlington, where I live in Ontario, Canada. And Tundra Swans are also seen from time to time.
Apparently, Mute Swans get the name “mute” from being less vocal than other swan species. They have white plumage at maturity, though the feathers on their heads and necks are often stained an orange-brown by iron and tannins from water plants.
The American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) was at one time the most abundant dabbling duck in my area (extreme west end of Lake Ontario’s north shore), but has been replaced for the most part by the more colourful Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos).
Black Ducks and Mallard Ducks are closely related and interbreed regularly. Male and female American Black Ducks resemble the female Mallard in size and appearance, however, their brown bodies are darker than the Mallard’s. They also lack the Mallard’s whitish outer tail-feathers and prominent white wing bars, and the American Black Duck’s head and neck are a lighter brown than its torso.
The male and female American Black Ducks are generally similar in appearance, but the male’s bill is yellow while the females is a dull green.
The males of most bird species seem to get all the attention. Not a surprise, of course, considering that they usually have the bright multi-coloured plumage. Female birds, though, can also be quite beautiful and worthy of notice.
This is all too true with Bufflehead ducks (Bucephala albeola). The males are so striking few photographers seem to bother with the females.
Here are a couple of females:
However, let’s not totally ignore the males. Here’s one about to take off:
Nikkor D300 DSLR with 300mm f/2.8 lens + 1.7x teleconverter on a tripod
Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) are not rare in my area (extreme west end of Lake Ontario’s north shore), but neither are these ducks plentiful at this time of year. I always try to get a shot even when—as they often are—they’re out of range for my lens. Sometimes I get lucky and can get a decent image with some heavy cropping.
These were among the first pictures I have taken with my Black Widow Gimbal (BWG) tripod head manufactured by Jobu Design here in Ontario—see earlier post. I doubt I’d have gotten an acceptable shot at that distance if I’d tried to hand-hold the camera—8lbs+ for Nikon D300 DSLR and 300mm f/2.8 lens.
It takes about ten minutes, if that, to get up to speed with this gear—I couldn’t be more pleased with the BWG. Birds in flight (BIF) shots are still a real challenge though; I’ll need plenty of practice.
Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 lens + 1.7x teleconverter = 500mm
1/500 sec at f/4.8. ISO 220
When I bought my Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 prime lens, I realized that I would probably need a gimbal tripod head to use instead of the ball head style I’ve been using for the past few years.
And, after hefting my Nikon D300 DSLR and lens combo around for a bit (8+ lbs), I knew for sure I’d need a gimbal head, which works well for large lenses because of the way it balances the weight of the equipment.
With a gimbal mount, the entire weight of your gear hangs rather than sitting atop a ball head; therefore, it remains stable during operation. You can pan and tilt a 10-15lb camera/lens combination with a single finger. And, because the horizontal and vertical axis are separate, they can be locked independently. This gives a gimbal head a huge advantage when it comes to safety. The lens is not going to tip over the tripod even if you take your hands away without having tightened down the head to secure your gear.
So my research began. As many would, I looked first at the heads made by the popular tripod maker, Manfrotto. Then I researched the acknowledged leader in the field, Wimberley, and the relatively new Canadian-made Black Widow by Jobu Design. And to make sure I’d covered the bases, I looked at Kirk Enterprises and Ries Industries, makers of the King Cobra Action Head and the DPNP Action Head 2000 respectively.
I also took a quick look at a new gimbal head being developed by Chicago-based photographer, Darek Katana.
By all indications, any of these products would have done the trick. However, my objections to most of them were the high prices, and in some cases, a design that lacked a horizontal arm and required the lens to be side mounted. A horizontal arm allows you to top-mount the camera/lens combo making installation easier—one hand remains free to balance the lens, while the other tightens the clamp.
Eventually, I chose the Jobu Design Black Widow Heavy Duty Mark 2 that is pictured above. This is a beautiful piece of gear. It allows smooth, near effortless operation at almost any angle. Set atop a sturdy tripod, it provide the perfect combination of price and performance for photographers using lenses that are 300mm f/2.8 or heavier.
I’ll have more to say after I have had some time in the field with the Black Widow.
Here’s another Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) taken at the extreme west end of the north shore of Lake Ontario. Hopefully his arrival is a sign of good things to come this winter. I’ve also seen a few Goldeneye, a close relative of the Bufflehead. So far, though, no scaup.
I’m still waiting for delivery of a Gimbal head and new tripod so am taking all my photos handheld—a challenge when the lens and camera combination weighs over eight pounds.
The Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) is Canada’s smallest diving duck. Patterned in black and white, with purple/green on the head, this little duck is constantly active, attracting attention out of proportion to its relatively small numbers.
Dozens of these cute little fellows spend their winters at the west end of Lake Ontario’s north shore, where they mingle among the widgeons, mallards, coots, scaup, goldeneyes, mergansers, American Black ducks, mute and trumpeter swans, Canadian geese and other assorted waterfowl that also spend their winters there.
The Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is the most common wild duck in my area—having forced out most of the American Black Ducks in recent years. The male is a beautiful bird, and no less so because it is so frequently seen.
Mallards are year-round residents at the western end of Lake Ontario and are very tolerant of photographers there. I never tire of photographing these birds.
Male (top) and female mallard soaking in some vitamin D on a chilly overcast day.
It wasn’t a great day for photos—the water was rough and sky was gray—but I got a few “savers” anyway. I have not yet received my new tripod and Gimbal head, so I had to get used to hand-holding the 8+ lbs camera/lens combination.
Lens is a “beast” considering its fairly modest focal length, but it is so well balanced I quickly got the hang of it. Up until now, I’ve been using an 80-400mm zoom and a 300mm f/4, which each weigh half as much as the 300mm f/2.8. A six-pound lens does take getting used to, but the VR really helps.
Unfortunately, I’m so used to f/4 being my fastest setting, I never did try shooting wide open at f/2.8 … have to watch that in the future. On my next outing, I’ll try it with a 1.7x teleconverter.
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