Two Tails

Getting Better 

See, that big lens isn't just for pigeon and bad eagle photos!

Gulls!

Great Blue Heron!

(Note that big sharp beak!)

Black Vultures!

And I took a few (a few hundred!) of these:

(To be continued ...)

Bad Bird Photos of the Week


Wing Clips ...

... focus Fail ...

... and the ever popular decapitation shots ...

Proving it's the photographer, not the equipment.

Hence the Name

;-)

Lens Envy

I'm going hunting this weekend.

For eagles and ducks and swans and whatever else may wander in front of my camera.

And I'll have a big lens.

The first stop is Conowingo Dam to photograph eagles.

And I'll be taking along some major glass.

I went last year around this time and lamented my lack of focal length.

I won't be this year.

In front is a Canon 100-400 mm IS L, my workhorse birding lens. The rear camera sports a Canon 500 mm IS L lens, which I've got for the week. As you can see, it is slightly larger.

But it is just a temporary thing. And a week from now I'll be back to just my little lens.

You can visit your favorite camera store and find out why I own the former and only rent the latter.

Wish me luck.

My 15 Minutes

Read about it here.


   

Controlled Conditions

On my recent Catskills photography trip we visited the so called Roundtop Raptor Center. It was off season, but the proprietor was happy to show us some of his birds. For a fee of course.

And for that fee, we were able to photograph the birds up close and personal, as the saying goes.

The birds had no choice.

Harris's Hawk

American Kestrel

Red-Tailed Hawk

Turkey Vulture

In addition to the raptors there were also Red Junglefowl ...

Also known as Roosters

As well as a coop full of ...

Pigeons

There were also camera shy peafowl. A curious collection.

*****

I wasn't sure what to expect when we set out to visit the "Raptor Center", but it wasn't tethered birds sitting in a yard. 

Harris's Hawk, Tethered

(note the missing talons (click the image))

The birds, a half dozen tethered, would occasionally try to fly. And they'd come crashing to the ground. You'd think they would learn, but no, they would repeatedly try.

Nor did I expect to find heathy wild birds kept in ramshackle enclosures.

The only other raptor centers I've experience with are involved with bird rehabilitation and public outreach. They have two classes of birds in their care. Those that they expect to release back to the wild, and those with injuries that will preclude such release. The latter become permanent residents and educators. Ambassadors of their kind to we who hold the fate of entire species in our hands.

*****

The Center appeared to be a one man operation. The birds kept to be trained as hunters, the proprietor a falconer.

Glove and Claw

*****

Screaming

I've been working this post for a while, word smithing but not quite getting it to work.

And then my friend Laura did it for me, writing this. Go read it. And be sure to read the comments.