Owl Season 2015

[Terry O]

Cool, Max.

 

[squirl033]

took my new toy out today for a field test, to try some shots of the northern pygmy owl i'd heard was lurking around down near Carnation. the new lens performed very well indeed, especially given the conditions... the forecast called for partly sunny, but the sun never came out. it was a murky, almost foggy day, this shot was one of the last of the day, around 4 PM, and what light there was was fading fast, so the light was challenging to say the least.. taken at 600mm, 1/250 @ f/6.3, ISO 2000, -2/3EV, hand-held! this little guy is about the size of a large fist, so it's not a very big target target - this shot was taken from about 40 feet away. to say i'm pleased with the lens would be an understatement.

 

[Joemeche]

Good one, Rocky! 600 hand-held speaks well for the lens AND the lens holder.

 

[squirl033]

thanks, Joe! i've already got an order for a framed print, too!

 

[fiznatty]

I had a friend there today as well and saw one of his shots. Though you guys didn't get the light, it looks like you got the owl down at eye level, which I would've loved. Congrats!

Max

 

[Terry O]

Fabulous, Rocky! To die for image.

 

[squirl033]

thanks, guys! just to show how good the stabilization is with this lens, here's one taken at 600mm, 1/160, hand held...

 

[Bill Anderson]

Good shots, Rocky. I would say your first field test is a success.

My son's Special Olympics regional basketball tournament is next Sunday in Stanwood. I'll be out photographing birds during a long break between games like I do every year. This year I'll be out looking for owls at Eide Rd. You will have to go up there and see what it is like to track flying short-eared owls with your new lens.

 

[squirl033]

Good shots, Rocky. I would say your first field test is a success.

My son's Special Olympics regional basketball tournament is next Sunday in Stanwood. I'll be out photographing birds during a long break between games like I do every year. This year I'll be out looking for owls at Eide Rd. You will have to go up there and see what it is like to track flying short-eared owls with your new lens.

thanks, Bill... yeah, a trip up to Eide Road with the new lens is definitely on the agenda!

 

[squirl033]

here's another look at the little fella, from the other side of the branch... 600mm, 1/200 @ f/6.3

 

[landscapes&birds]

I saw my first barred owl at 3:30 this morning, and heard some saw-whets as well. I can't remember - what are the image size guidelines? 1200px or 1000px?

 

[squirl033]

this long-eared owl was doing some preening... this shot shows its talons, arranged like an osprey's - two toes in front and two in back, instead of 3 in front and one in back like most other raptors... 7D, 400mm, 1/250 @ f/5.6

it didn't seem to like being watched during its "private time" though... it fluffed its feathers and glared... kinda reminded me of my old high-school headmaster...

 

[Joemeche]

Nice shots, Rocky.
Could you tell me again where this LEOW is, please?
Thanks.

 

[squirl033]

Joe, it's hanging out along Eide Road in Stanwood. i've heard there's a pair there, but i've never seen more than one. it likes to snooze in the thickets till just before sunset. the shorties fly around hunting all day, though if it's windy they tend to be less active.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Rocky: It's a good thing you found the Carnation pygmy owl when you did. Paul Bannick and King 5 news were not as lucky.
http://www.king5.com/story/tech/sci...2/02/birders-flock-to-see-pygmy-owl/22779193/

 

[squirl033]

i saw that! actually, some guy came out of the woods, i asked him if he'd seen it, and he pointed back into the trees. all i had to do was go look for a bunch of people with tripods and long lenses! i'm surprised Bannick didn't do the same thing. either there weren't people there photographing it when he went with King5, or Bannick had to make a show of "expertly" searching it out and didn't deign to ask anyone else if they'd seen it...

 

[Bill Anderson]

Janice and Chad: Watch out for those angry Oregon owls while you are out taking photos for this thread.

http://news.yahoo.com/angry-owl-oregon-park-attacks-fourth-jogger-175908427.html

 

[squirl033]

anyone heard if the pygmy owls are still around? the weather's supposed to break for a day or so this week, and i'm thinking about heading back down there for some more shots, but if they haven't been see in some time, i may skip it and go to Nisqually to get the GHO owlets...

 

[retief]

Thanks, Terry

Bill - you have some wonderful short-eared owl flight photos! Do you have any tricks to keeping the focus on them?

Thank you very much. Prayer really helps in keeping them in focus , that is for sure. With each generation of camera the AF gets better, I shoot Nikon and what I find works best for me is to shoot in 9 or 21 pt, attempting to keep the center focus reticle on the bird. With older generations I would get maybe 20-25% of the shots in a flight sequence OOF, with the newer cameras, D810 and D7100, this has gotten better, around 10% or so, maybe less if they are close enough to fill more of the frame. All bets are off, though, when they are flying low in the weeds, still too many times focus will get pulled off to a bush or tree. With Nikon we also have the ability to set the time it will attempt to stay in focus, I have tried them from short to long and sometimes it helps, but not enough to say one is better all the time. I gave up on all the "group" stuff, what I need is an AF system that will focus where I am thinking, not pointing.

Prayer really is your best friend, I'm afraid.

 

[retief]

Nice shot Janice. I am going to give a presentation on bird photography at this year's Puget Sound Bird Fest in Edmonds.
http://www.pugetsoundbirdfest.com/

I want to take a series of bird shots comparing ISO, aperature, and shutter settings in poor light. I think my local barred owl pair in Yost Park will make good models as they just perch and stare at me when I am photographing them under our typical low light conditions.

I have a 12,800 shot of a Short eared at Eide Road taken with a Nikon D810, 400mm + 1.7TC, handheld at 1/80 of a second. Want to see it? Wait a minute, the more I look at this I think this is the Long-eared owl!

1. No Crop, No Noise Reduction


2. Crop, No Noise Reduction


3. Crop, NR done


This had been a really frustrating day, and darned if this bird did not fly in when it was almost too dark to see while we were getting back in the car. Obviously camera was off the tripod, I am not manly enough to hand-hold an 11lb lens on purpose!

Most certainly a bit of noise, but I was rather surprised that I had color at all.