Raptors (pics included)

[buzzsaw]

A juvenile Bald Eagle, they usually get their white head around five years of age and can live up to an average of twenty five years!

Heres one that was forever away from me....a football field or so.

[Tom Wilson]

Mike, I'm assuming these are heavily cropped from your comments, but they are nice. I still don't own a nice close up photo of a bald eagle. Great job.

Tom

[buzzsaw]

Quote:

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still don't own a nice close up photo of a bald eagle

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We could change that in a hurry with a trip to the River valley. They are all over the place and if your lucky one will land on the side of the river that your on as opposed to across the river all the time. We could put this on our "Milk run" when we get together.

[buzzsaw]

More from Friday afternoon..... It seems these two are hunting buddies!

A Redtail Hawk keeping a close on eye on everything.

And my favorite shot (of these) These Gulls were doing there circular routes and I was finished taking Eagle pictures and thought it would be neat to get a closeup with the Gull in the forefront and the Eagles in the background..... it worked.

[Steve Foss]

That last pic looks like they're scopin out gull for lunch.

[Dan Thiem]

Happy birthday Buzz!

[buzzsaw]

Thanks Dan, I appreciate it!

[The_Duckslayer]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUZZ!!! Hope that you get a little... you know birthday presents! Great pictures... thanks for sharing! Where did you see these fellers at? I would love to go and watch them with the Binoc's and I am sure that the Lil Mrs would as well. Have a good one and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[buzzsaw]

Thanks Jimbo! Head down to the Minnesota River Valley in Bloomington.... it is off of Blackdog road between 35W and Cedar Ave (77)... anywhere between these roads is good, especially across from the power plant!

[buzzsaw]

They just keep getting in the way of my lens.

This was pretty cool, a lone Bald Eagle was on his perch checking things out and along comes another Bald Eagle..

Then we had the brief staredown.................

Then shorty bailed.......

Here were a few more shots...

[Tom Wilson]

Mike,

Excellent job. I just can't get over how close you're getting to the Eagles down there. It never fails that when I go down there I never see them???

Maybe in the next week or so we can get out to take some snaps--hopefully no more emergencies for me.

Tom W

[buzzsaw]

That would be great Tom! Hobby and I got together last week and took a few shots. Maybe all three of us can get together and go a few places... I would like to head to Red Wing one of these days as well. Lets talk on e-mail ok.

Mike

[buzzsaw]

Looks like all the birders/photographers are on vacation.... not me.... Here are a few handheld pictures taken while wide open at 500mm with 1.4 teleconverter.

[Steve Foss]

buzz:

Sweet light, nice work. Clean your sensor. The blotches below the two flying birds are from dust or embedded dust on your camera sensor. Darn those things! That's one reason why pros (who generally can afford it better) like to have multiple bodies. That way you can keep a specific lens on a specific body, thus vastly reducing the likelihood of adding dust to your sensor by opening the camera body to change lenses.

Ahhh, to be able to afford all that. . . .

I can't remember the Web site, but Hobbydog got me on one where I ordered my own sensor cleaning kit. It works great and didn't cost much. If you bring the camera into a shop, it may run you $50 per cleaning and they may hold onto it for a couple weeks. Nothing like the convenience of doing it at home.

Also, for down the road, when you eventually pick up the latest version of Photoshop, you can correct for chromatic abberation if you shoot in RAW mode. Note the color fringing along some of the tree branches in the sitting hawk images. Some lenses are more susceptible to that than others. Photoshop allows you to minimize that effect while previewing a RAW image. Can't do it with a jpeg.

[Dbl]

cleaningdigitalcameras (Contact US Regarding This Word) is the web site that will hook you up with everything you need to know about cleaning your sensor. I use the elipse method with good success.

Mine has been getting dirtier this winter for some reason. I did not have nearly the problem during the summer that I have found this winter. Not sure why but I have been cleaning mine about every three or four times out.

It can be scary to do it your first time but follow the directions and after a time or two you will clean it like a pro.

[buzzsaw]

Thanks guys, Steve, I already saw the spot on the sensor but it just goes to show that you don't miss a thing. I'm pretty sure oversharpening had some to do with C.A. I'll check the originals.

Oh and I have CS, I just haven't installed it yet.

Still trying to improve, I guess I always will be... any good tips are well received.

[Steve Foss]

Hey Buzz, I'm always trying to improve, too. Nobody's as good now as they will be next year. It's amazing how many flowers or scenes I've gone out and reshot a year later because in gaining a year's experience I though of different/better ideas on how to do it.

I'm especially alert for dirty sensors because I've fought those battles myself.

Sharpening and bumping contrast and saturation will intensify CA, but what's not there can't be intensified, so if you can eliminate or almost eliminate it in CS before you open the image you'll be miles ahead of the game. Cloning it out is a painstaking and time-consuming process.

[buzzsaw]

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Sharpening and bumping contrast and saturation will intensify CA, but what's not there can't be intensified, so if you can eliminate or almost eliminate it in CS before you open the image you'll be miles ahead of the game. Cloning it out is a painstaking and time-consuming process.

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That sounds like some good advice!

You mentioned the good lighting.. I was driving directly into the setting sun heading southish on 35E in Eagan and I saw these two bright birds on the otherside of the highway, a quick U-turn ensued at the next exit and I had two hawks staring directly into 4:00 PM sunlight.... I always see hawks in this area and will put it on my milkrun. I'll be getting a picture of a Barred Owl soon too.

Oh and when is birding in your Sax/zim bog area the best?? spring?? I'd like to make a drive up and maybe we can hang out taking pictures for a day.

[Steve Foss]

It's a great winter birding spot. I was there a couple weeks ago and saw 16 eagles. The warm winter and lack of snow cover are keeping them there. It's no irruption year for owls, but there are great grays and hawk owls spotted, as well as a snowy owl that keeps hanging around. Rough-legged hawks, including some dark phase individuals, also are there. I'm going to make a couple more trips after that snowy owl, because I'd love to get images of it flying against a snowy background. The other thing is, nearly every background up at th S-Z bog is a natural one, so a shooter doesn't have to worry about getting buildings or other city stuff in the shot, most times.

Also, CA does happen with prime glass, though not nearly as often. The Bohemian waxwing shot I'd posted a couple weeks back had some of it, (not much), and it was easily taken out in CS.

It'd be great to have you up here and shoot together, and anyone else, for that matter, who wants to make the trip.

I'm busy this Saturday, but not Sunday. I'll be free next weekend, but will be busy on Saturday, Jan. 28. Spring is also a good time. There are variable habitats in the "bog," and that makes for lots of migrants. And there are sharp-tailed grouse blinds the DNR uses and you can reserve. That's an April thing, and every serious shooter should have some in his/her repertoire (I don't yet ). There's a blind down near Cloquet and one near Hibbing. Just contact the DNR offices in those cities about reserving the blind for a morning (no charge.)

[buzzsaw]

Here are some from Wednesdays lunch... no spots???