Monday (10/14) I met Terry at the marsh while my son Daren was playing tennis. A relatively new birder who I sometimes see at the marsh told us that she had seen two shorebirds with long bills off the #3 viewing platform. I thought she might have seen yellowlegs or dowitchers. We walked over to the viewing platform and found two Wilson's snipes.
I experimented with the white balance settings. "Cloudy" brings out yellow and brown which gives a warm tone that I think evokes an autumn look.
While "sunshine" brings out green which I think will look better in spring and summer.
We ran into another regular marsh photographer who told us she heard a heron in one of the trees which borders the sidewalk by the tennis court, but she could not see the bird from the sidewalk. I walked a little way into the marsh and found two herons in the tree. I had never before seen herons in the trees on the north side of the marsh.
Daren and I returned to the marsh after I had picked him up from tennis, but the tide had come in and the snipes were nowhere to be seen. We ran into yet another regular local bird photographer who told us there was nothing worthwhile at the fishing pier. We went to Yost Park, where we found a very late season Swainson's thrush. According to the local bird book, the thrush should have left last month, but very few thrushes read bird books or calenders.
The thrush was in the shade at the bottom of the ravine in fading light. The shot was taken at 1/250, f/5.6, ISO = 12800.
Edit: One local birder has identified this as a hermit thrush, not a Swainson's thrush. That would be nice, as it would be a "lifer" for me. I'll have to check on it further.
I experimented with the white balance settings. "Cloudy" brings out yellow and brown which gives a warm tone that I think evokes an autumn look.
While "sunshine" brings out green which I think will look better in spring and summer.
We ran into another regular marsh photographer who told us she heard a heron in one of the trees which borders the sidewalk by the tennis court, but she could not see the bird from the sidewalk. I walked a little way into the marsh and found two herons in the tree. I had never before seen herons in the trees on the north side of the marsh.
Daren and I returned to the marsh after I had picked him up from tennis, but the tide had come in and the snipes were nowhere to be seen. We ran into yet another regular local bird photographer who told us there was nothing worthwhile at the fishing pier. We went to Yost Park, where we found a very late season Swainson's thrush. According to the local bird book, the thrush should have left last month, but very few thrushes read bird books or calenders.
The thrush was in the shade at the bottom of the ravine in fading light. The shot was taken at 1/250, f/5.6, ISO = 12800.
Edit: One local birder has identified this as a hermit thrush, not a Swainson's thrush. That would be nice, as it would be a "lifer" for me. I'll have to check on it further.
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