American Tree Sparrow

Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6e @500mm, f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 125

The backyard feeders have been surrounded by Tree sparrows lately.  I caught this one in the snow on the ground away from where all the seeds have fallen so the frame wasn't full of "dirty" snow.  These little birds spend the winter here and will head far north in early Spring to breed and raise their young together and will continue to feed them until about two weeks after they leave the nest. 

Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6e @500mm, f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 110

Bald Eagle - First Year

Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 @ 500mm, 1/2500, ISO 140

Here's another shot of one of the many eagles I photographed at Ottawa Nat'l Wildlife Refuge earlier this month.  I like the uplifted wings, spread tail, and catch light in the eye.  As mentioned in yesterday's post I believe this is a first year bird, of which there were several.  This particular refuge is almost two hours from were I live but the eagles certainly help make the trip worthwhile.

The Eagles Have Landed

Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 @ 500mm, 1/2500, ISO 400

I can find eagles almost at will in Ohio now which is quite a bit different than what I mentioned here a few years ago.  (Wow!  I just saw those photos from the link and cringed and almost didn't mention the post from then.  But, that's apparently where I was in my photography-related development stage so it's interesting to see the contrast from then till now.  Hopefully, in a few more years I'll look back on today and feel the same way again.)  This photo is a heavy crop but I love the detail and windblown feathers.  And the catch light in the eye is a real bonus.  The winds were gusting to 25mph on this day so I was really glad to have the heft of the 200-500mm lens.

Ring-billed gull at Huron Harbor

Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 + TC-14II @ 700mm, 1/3200, f/8, ISO 1400

These photos are from the same place and time as the previous post but with different results.  This time it was a Ring-billed gull that got fed.  The images are still much softer than I'd like but I hope they will pass as being okay here.  

Herring Gull Fishing for a Meal

Nikon D750, Nikkor 200-500mm f/5.6 + TC-14II @ 700mm, 1/3200, f/8, ISO 1000

I finally got out for a bit this last Saturday and went to the Huron Harbor because I knew there would be birds there as long as there was still open water.  And there was open water.  Only part of the harbor was frozen over.  So I walked out to where the open water met the frozen and there were a number of gulls flying around looking for a meal.  Now, I'm a relative newbie at this kind of photography event.  I've photographed gulls before but not for the specific purpose of catching them in action while fishing for a meal.