Wildlife of Edmonds, WA. 2015

[photographmemories]

Another nice set of photos, Bill.

Interesting, I usually bump the ISO up a little to bring the subject out of a shadowy appearance in radiant back lighting and perhaps bump the shudder speed up. I usually end up with good results. I may try and + up on exposure compensation next time and see how I like that. Chad

What mode are you shooting in when you do that? The exposure compensation feature of my Canons only works when I shoot in Tv or Av mode. When I need to shoot in M mode and want under/over exposure, I use fixed settings for the ISO, aperature, and shutter speed based on the camera's light meter reading. I then adjust the aperature setting or shutter speed to achieve the degree of exposure compensation I desire.

I'm using the model SX50 HS Canon Powershot bridge camera. You're using the 7D DSLR, two different cameras. My preference mode in which I shoot with is custom mode C1. I have my shutter speed at the ready on the toggle/wheel, the value is shown at the bottom of my screen. With C1 I can toggle up and change the exposure compensation, toggle down and I'm able to adjust the ISO. Yes, some manual work but, I'm able to dial things in when I step onto the field, look at the picture I am getting on the screen, compensate for brightness and try and get some shots that reflect what I see with my naked eyes.


Chad

 

[Bill Anderson]

Some Saturday afternoon (5/23) shots of marsh wrens, all taken with the 5DIII + 500L + 1.4x teleconverter, tripod mounted.

From the #2 viewing platform.



Different bird from the #1 viewing platform. I took these shots "straight on", which resulted in them being slightly over exposed. I tweaked them using Picasa's autocontrast feature.






The bird returned, so I took some shots at -2/3 exposure compensation. Those photos required no tweaking.

 

[squirl033]

good stuff, Bill! looks like you finally got the shot of the wren with a beakfull of fluff!

 

[Terry O]

Great lighting and shots, Bill!

 

[Bill Anderson]

good stuff, Bill! looks like you finally got the shot of the wren with a beakfull of fluff!

That is why I posted that series of shots even though they were slightly over exposed.

 

[Terry O]

That is why I posted that series of shots even though they were slightly over exposed.

They certainly don't look over-exposed on my monitor, Bill.

 

[Bill Anderson]

No photos from Sunday (home chores called), but here are a few SIF (swallows in flight) photos from Saturday at the marsh. I think these are all violet-green swallows.

7D + 100-400L telephoto zoom, handheld


5DIII + 500L + 1.4x teleconverter, tripod mounted
Heat waves + small, fast birds + long distance (100-200 yards) + long lens & teleconverter = less than ideal SIF shots.

 

[Terry O]

Good job, Bill....those are tough shots!

 

[Bill Anderson]

Migratory shorebirds continue to make stops at the marsh. Monday (5/25) two semi-palmated plovers and a sandpiper were in the large mudflat in the middle of the marsh. Even though a cloud cover was present, there were still enough heat waves to distort the photos.

I included a killdeer in the first two shots for comparison with the smaller, look-alike plovers.






I think the sandpiper is a western. It is hard to tell as the mud will make the yellow legs of the least sandpiper appear black like those of the western.


I thought this male red-winged blackbird in the distance made a nice artsy shot.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Marsh wren madness continues as the birds are in full mating mode. The males will spend several minutes chattering from the tops of the cattails.




I believe I caught sight of one of their nests off the boardwalk. Someone told me that a male will build 4-5 nests to entice a female.


Read more about marsh wrens here:
http://www.thebirdersreport.com/wild-birds/bird-sightings/marsh-wren-building-a-nest-and-singing

 

[Terry O]

Love those wren shots, Bill!

 

[squirl033]

great shots of the wrens, Bill! they must have popped up fairly close to the platform for once!

 

[Bill Anderson]

great shots of the wrens, Bill! they must have popped up fairly close to the platform for once!

That and I was shooting with my 500L + 1.4x teleconverter.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Marshal the male marsh wren has established his nesting territory in the bull rushes next to the boardwalk about halfway between the #2 and #1 viewing platforms. Within this territory he has been busy building nests and serenading in an attempt to attract a mate. Here are some photos from Tuesday (5/26).





The article I posted the link to said that male marsh wrens will build up to twelve nests. I have spotted at least three that Marshal has built in a fairly small area. Although hard to see among the bull rushes, the cattail fuzz on the exterior makes the nests stand out.

 

[Bill Anderson]

I went out to the fishing pier as well. The winter migrants have all departed for their summer nesting grounds, but a few year around residents were seen such as these pigeon guillemots in breeding plumage. I like their "walking on water" takeoff sequence.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Wednesday (5/27) was another busy day at the Edmonds marsh.

Wesley continued to check out the irises by the #1 viewing platform when he was not busy chasing off intruders.

 

[Bill Anderson]

I saw my first of the year goldfinch.....


As well as my first of the year merlin.


Marshal continues to work on his many nests. Here he is exiting one of them.



And here he his returning with some more building material.


Another semi-palmated plover showed up, lit up by the light of the low evening sun.

 

[squirl033]

good stuff, Bill! before long, all the birds in the area will have names! great shots of Marshal, though!

 

[Bill Anderson]

good stuff, Bill! before long, all the birds in the area will have names! great shots of Marshal, though!

Marshal continued to put on a show Thursday morning (5/28). I tried to get some shots that weren't his usual posing shots.

Two take offs.





Working on one of the nests. I was manually focusing through the intervening foliage.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Funny thing about going to the marsh. Just when you think all of the interesting migrants have left for their summer breeding grounds, something will surprise you. Wednesday (6/3) was full of surprises.

First up was a pair of yellow-headed blackbirds, a species normally found in eastern Washington. With its signature yellow head, the male is hard to miss. These shots were taken after lunch with the 5DIII + 100-400L II zoom + 1.4x III teleconverter.






The bird flew was backlit and just a silhouette as it flew past me. I really had to tweek these photos just to ID it.




Continued