Dave's blog - Various & Sundry
Snowy Egret Skirmish
/It is not unusual to see Snowy Egrets fighting for breeding territories and I observed their territorial disputes several times during my recent visit to Bolivar Peninsula and the Smith Oaks rookery at High Island, TX. But, only once did the disputes occur close enough to where I was stationed for me to try to photograph the behavior. The 9 images I captured of that skirmish are shown below.
Carla Brennan (https://carlabrennan.com/) posted photos of Snowy Egrets having a territorial dispute and described the experience as being "like watching angels break out into a fistfight."
Click on each image for a slightly larger view.
Snowy Egrets - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX - April 2021
The photos were all taken with an Olympus E-M1X camera, a 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @ 360 - 419 mm at 1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISOs 320-640.
Smallish Great Egrets - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX - April 2021
/It is difficult to get open looks of the eggs and chicks in the nests at the Smith Oaks Rookery. I did manage to obtain a few images in which parts of the birds were not obscured. .
Great Egrets - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @ 236 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 1000
Great Egrets - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @ 445 mm
1/2000 sec at f/7.1, ISO 1250
Great Egrets - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @500 mm (built-in tc employed)
1/2000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 4000
Great Egrets - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @500 mm (built-in tc employed)
1/2000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 4000
Great Egrets - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @419 mm (built-in tc employed)
1/2500 sec at f/6.3, ISO 4000
Great Egrets Displaying - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX - April 2021
/Click on landscape oriented photos for a slightly larger view.
Go to the text following the last photo for an overview of my April birding trip to Texas.
Great Egret - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @ 406 mm
1/2500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 320
Great Egret - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @320 mm
1/4000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 500
Great Egret - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @350 mm
1/4000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 500
Great Egret - Smith Oaks Rookery, High Island, TX -April 2021
Olympus E-M1X camera
150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @275 mm
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200
The Gulf Coast of Texas is one of my favorite bird photography locations, but this was not my most productive trip. I started the drive to Texas early one morning. I stopped at a McDonalds 4 blocks from the condo for an Egg McMuffin and a cup of coffee. A car in the "pick up your order" station suddenly put his car in reverse and backed into me at the "pay for your order" station. He had received incorrect change. There was no detectable damage to my bumper. Later that day in New Mexico, the wind was blowing so much soil across the highway that my lane detector system stopped working. A little later, the density of the tumbleweeds being blown across the road was so great, the automatic braking system was activated. For the entire two weeks there were basically only 3 or 4 low tides during daylight hours. Those occurred early in the morning when, from the dike that extends 5 miles out into the gulf to protect the Galveston ship channel, the sun was behind the birds. The dike is usually one of my favorite "perches" for photographing the wading birds. The normal tidal system was in effect, of course, but the wind was blowing onto shore so strongly that the predicted low tide water levels never happened. My photos of "shore" birds were obtained from fields pretty far inland. Fortunately the High Island rookery was very active and I spent a lot of time there. On the drive back to Colorado, a rock hit the windshield and produced a crack that grew to about 24 inches in length by the time I arrived at the condo. I enjoyed the trip! it was great to get out of the condo, to listen to the wind, to measure the depth of the water covering the roads to some of my birding spots by noting how much of the legs of the Yellowlegs, Stilts, and Willets feeding in the water on the roads was exposed, and to listen to the imaginary clicks of my mirrorless camera.
Baltimore Oriole - Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary - High Island, TX - May 19, 2021
/The tide and weather were both terrible for photographing shorebirds during my recent trip to the Bolivar Peninsula of Texas. But the birds at the nearby Smith Oaks Rookery and Bird Sanctuary did not abandon the area because of the weather. The sanctuary is heavily wooded and the light levels are low even when the clouds are not obscuring the sun. When it is overcast, ISOs rocket and mandatory noise reduction obscures detail. But I was pleased to get a couple of shots of the Oriole in the open, even if the detail in the images is reduced.
Olympus E-M1X camera and 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @234mm
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 4000
Olympus E-M1X camera and 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @234mm
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 4000
Aggressive territorial disputes by Lesser Yellowlegs at Bolivar Flats in Texas
/All photos were taken on April 21, 2021 with an Olympus E-M1X camera and 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens.
CLICK ON IMAGE AND USE RIGHT ARROW TO SEE LARGER VERSIONS OF THE IMAGES.
Mostly Avocets - Galveston North Jetty - April 20, 2021
/The North Jetty, on the extreme west end of the Bolivar Peninsula, is one of two that protect the ship channel into Galveston Bay. It extends 5 miles into the Gulf. The tide was low during daylight hours and the sun was shining for the first time on my current birding trip.
Six photos taken from the North Jetty on Bolivar Peninsula, TX - April 20, 2021
All were taken with an Olympus E-M1X camera with a 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens.
Anahuac NWR - Two of the Things I Had Forgotten
/I had forgotten that one of the birding trails at Anahuac NWR had honeysuckle plants growing on both sides for the entire length of the trail. Also, I had forgotten how potent the fragrance of honeysuckle could be.
I have forgotten the name of this plant. Will look it up when I get home and modify this text then. I have been informed that this is Showy Pink Evening Primrose or Pink Ladies Oenothera speciosa.
Recent Photos from Texas
/I am on my first photo trip since February 2020. It is good to get out of the condo and listen to the imaginary clicks of my mirrorless camera.
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - Bolivar Peninsula, TX - April 13, 2021
Olympus E-M1X with 150-400mm f4.5 TC lens @ 275 mm
1/1000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 500, handheld
American Bittern- Anahuac NWR, TX - April 13, 2021
Olympus E-M1X with 150-400mm f/4.5 TC lens @ 500 mm
1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld
American Bittern- Anahuac NWR, TX - April 13, 2021
Olympus E-M1X with 150-400mm f/4.5 TC lens @ 395 mm
1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld
American Bittern- Anahuac NWR, TX - April 13, 2021
Olympus E-M1X with 150-400mm f/4.5 TC lens @ 500 mm
1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200, handheld
American Bittern- Anahuac NWR, TX - April 13, 2021
Olympus E-M1X with 150-400mm f/4.5 TC lens @ 500 mm
1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 320, handheld
American Bittern- Anahuac NWR, TX - April 13, 2021
Olympus E-M1X with 150-400mm f/4.5 TC lens @ 500 mm
1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200, handheld
American Bittern- Anahuac NWR, TX - April 13, 2021
Olympus E-M1X with 150-400mm f/4.5 TC lens @ 500 mm
1/640 sec at f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld
Hooded Mergansers
/I found some different subjects for testng the new lens and firmware at Sterne Park on Monday.
Click on the image to see a slightly larger view.
Hooded Merganser - Sterne Park, CO - March 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 473mm, handheld
1/1600 sec at f/5.6, ISO 320
Hooded Merganser - Sterne Park, CO - March 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 500mm, handheld
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 640
Testing a new lens and new camera firmware
/I pre-ordered the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO Lens in mid November 2020. Then Olympus sold their camera division and when this lens was supposed to become available, the number of pre-orders exceeded the availability and they delayed shipping. I received mine in late February but there has been so much snow and so few birds in my local birding spots that I had not really tested the lens in my usual shooting conditions until yesterday. It was a sunny day and there were enough birds at Barr Lake State Park to give the lens a chance to demonstrate its capabilities.
Click on the images to see a slightly larger view.
American White Pelican - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 473 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 320, handheld
The 150-400mm focal length with a constant f/4.5 aperture on the Micro Four Thirds camera is equivalent to 300-800mm in 35mm terms. The lens has a built-in 1.25x teleconverter (approximaely 188-500mm f/5.6 which is approximately 376 - 1000 mm in 35mm terms). The lens is compatible with the Olympus 1.4x and 2.0x teleconverters. The weight of the lens is 4.13 pounds. The image stabilization in the camera and the stabilization in the lens are additive. The image above was shot handheld at the 35mm equivalent of 945mm focal length.
American White Pelicans - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 375 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200, handheld
The latest firmware update for the E-M1X camera included “Bird Detection Autofocus.” This is an Artificial Intelligence trained subject recognition that will focus on the eyes of birds, or their bodies if the eyes are not visible. I was using this autofocus mode for the first time.
Mallards - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 406 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200, handheld, large crop
Based on a single outing sample, I am pleased with the new lens and impressed with the subject recognition software. Both performed well despite operator errors. The weight of the lens was different from that of the lens I have been using. My “motor memory” needs to adjust to the weight of the new lens. I did not do a good job of rapidly acquiring the target. And I was tracking the bird(s), not letting the camera track the birds. In the “bird tracking” mode, all or many autofocus points are active and the camera firmware selects the proper autofocus point. My attemps to track the subject disrupted the ability of the camera to do so.
American White Pelican - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 395 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld, large crop
Note the relative sizes of the Pelicans and the Mallards.
American White Pelican - Barr Lake State Park, CO - March 28 2021
Olympus E-M1X, 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS PRO lens @ 375 mm
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 250, handheld
Impressive wingspan!
Golden Jackal
/Photos taken on a Raymond Barlow Nature and Wildlife Tour in Tanzania with Greg and Shannon. Click on the image for a slightly larger view.
Golden Jackal - Tanzania - Feb. 2020
Olympus E-M1X with 300mm F4 lens + 1.4x tc
1/1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
Golden Jackal - Tanzania - Feb. 2020
Olympus E-M1X with 300mm F4 lens + 1.4x tc
1/2500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
Springtime Again!
/I’ve been waiting. I ventured out. I hiked TWO steps onto the patio. With my phone.
Patio Art
Pictorial Definition of Conspicuous Consumption
/Not a pictorial definition of the way the two words are usually used together, but a pictorial definition of the literal meaning of the two words.
conspicuous - adjective - con.spic.u.ous
1: obvious to the eye or mind 2: attracting attention: Striking
consumption - noun - con.sump.tion
1: the act or process of consuming 2: the using up of a resource
Great Blue Heron - Fort Pickens Gulf Islands National Seashore - September 2014
Nikon D4, 300mm f/4 with 2x teleconverter
1/1600 sec at f/13, ISO 1600
Swainson’s Hawk - Squirrel Creek road (CO) - August 2015
Nikon D4, 500mm f/4 with 2x teleconverter
1/2500 sec at f/11, ISO 1250
Backgrounds (and/or Lighting) - Part 2
/While culling obese folders in my Lightroom catalog, I selected a few with backgrounds or lighting I really like. This is part 2, and the end of this thread. I may have posted all of these photos previously, but if so, it was outside the pinhole of my memory.
Black-necked Stilt - St. Marks NWR (FL)
Nikon D300, 500mm f/4 1/500 sec at f/4.5, ISO 800
Red-shafted Northern Flicker - Washington Park, CO
Nikon D300, 300mm f/4 lens with 1.7x TC
1/640 sec at f/7.1, ISO 800
Red-tailed Hawk - somewhere in Texas
Nikon D4, 500mm f/4 lens with 1.4x teleconverter
1/3200 sec at f/11, ISO 2000
American Redstart - MI
Nikon D500, 500mm f/4 lens with 1.4x teleconverter
1600 sec at f/5.6, ISO 4000
Brewster’s Warbler - MI
Nikon D500, 500mm f/4 lens with 1.4x teleconverter
1/1250 sec at f/7.1, ISO 1100
Backgrounds - Part 1
/While culling obese folders in my Lightroom catalog, I selected a few with backgrounds I really like. The background of the last two photos is the reflection of crabapple trees on a vacant lot adjacent to Sterne Park. A house was built on the lot and the trees are no longer there.
Common Merganser - Sterne Park, Littleton, CO - April 2018
Olympus OM-D EM1X camera, 300mm f/4 lens, 1/3200 sec at f/5, ISO 1250
Double-crested Cormorant- Sterne Park, Littleton, CO - April 2018
Olympus OM-D EM1X camera, 300mm f/4 lens, 1/3200 sec at f/5.6, ISO 3200
Wood Duck - Sterne Park, Littleton, CO - October 2018
Olympus OM-D EM1X camera, 300mm f/4 lens, 1/2000 sec at f/4, ISO 1000
Wood Duck - Sterne Park, Littleton, CO - October 2018
Olympus OM-D EM1X camera, 300mm f/4 lens, 1/2000 sec at f/4, ISO 500
The first and only limerick I ever composed
/Limerick - noun - a kind of humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet.
In 2004 I was a participant in a Symposium (Microcircuits: The Interface between Neurons and Global Brain Function) in Berlin. The participants met in small groups to discuss different topics and to create a summary which would be presented to all attendees. One night at dinner there was a limerick contest between the groups. The content was to be related to the research topics being discussed. Each group presented a limerick and then another, until it was forced out of the competition when it could not. The group I was in and one other group were the last two standing. My group had two limerick experts but it was our groups turn to present and they did not have one prepared. So to keep our group in the competition, I presented the one I had written but wasn’t sure it met the qualifications of being a limerick. This gave the two experts time to regroup and the contest continued until it was finally declared a tie.
My Limerick
One microcircuit allows a locust to fly.
Another breathes but can also sigh.
A third is quite different, and
its distribution is wide.
But it moves the head & also the eye.
The pacemakers cause excitation to occur
in the complex Botzinger.
Add a dash of inhibition and
we discover what potassium
leak conductances are fer.
On This Day in 2018 - Jan. 14, 2018 - Bosque del Apache NWR, NM
/I tried to go back in December this year, but NM had listed Colorado as one of the states whose residents were required to go into quarantine upon arrival in NM.
Snow Geese - Bosque del Apache NWR - NM
Nikon D500, 50 mm f/1.8 lens
1/1250 sec at f/1.8, ISO 2200
Snow Geese - Bosque del Apache NWR - NM
Nikon D500, 50 mm f/1.8 lens
1/1250 sec at f/1.8, ISO 1800
Snow Geese - Bosque del Apache NWR - NM
Nikon D500, 50 mm f/1.8 lens
1/1250 sec at f/1.8, ISO 1400
Antidotes to Self-Pity
/The Online Photographer, one of the blogs I follow, had a post on Gratitude last Thanksgiving. It seemed so appropriate after months of staying in my cave. “Gratitude is absolutely a key component in a practical spiritual toolkit. For one thing, it's the antidote to self-pity. The two are incompatible feelings; you can't be grateful and self-pitying at the same time—the two won't arise together and seldom co-exist. Since self-pity is one of the main causes of our unhappiness and discontent—one of the main pathways by which self-will, ego and greed poison our attitudes—knowing of an antidote is powerful. Whenever I'm feeling sorry for myself, or put-upon because things aren't going my way; or when the idea that I'm the one who knows best is festering in my mind; or I'm feeling dismissive or intolerant of others (because this is one of the guises self-pity and self-will often takes), or I'm just feeling grouchy because nothing ever goes my way—I counter it with gratitude. I turn my thoughts around to everything I have to be grateful for, try to put that negative attitude into its proper perspective. Is what's happening to me so bad? When I think of others who really have problems, much worse than mine, and feel compassion for them—immediately, it right-sizes my own complaints, making them diminish like an ice cube in a bowl of hot water. Instead of counting your complaints, which is our natural human tendency, try counting your blessings instead. It works. We can actually make self-pity evaporate using this mental trick. It pays immediate dividends, instantly improving our mood, attitude, and outlook.” This is a link to the entire article.
Today I read another article that, for me, is an antidote to self-pity. A quote: “I am alive. I have food, I go out, I go for walks, I do some shopping. And I remember: No one wants to kill me.” A link to the article.