One in the Sun for Good Measure & a 2nd Nest Hatches « Arthur Morris/BIRDS AS ART

One in the Sun for Good Measure & a 2nd Nest Hatches

In-the-Field Instructional Photo Sessions

I am available for weather dependent, morning In-the-Field Instructional Photo sessions at either ILE for the cranes or Stick Marsh for the spoonbills: Thursday 4 April through Monday 8 April. e-mail for ITF details and possibilities.

What’s Up?

After hearing of a Burrowing Owl nest with five chicks, I drove over to Cape Coral, FL on Saturday afternoon. I checked out a few locations suggested in the old SW Florida Site Guide and with the help of passers by, miraculously located the nest. Photography was difficult at best. I received a text from ILE neighbor Claudia Cemken letting me know that a second nest hatched very recently! I still think that there may be at least one more nest. I fly to North Dakota on 9 April to do grouse and prairie chickens with BPN friend and IPT veteran Kevin Hice.

Today is 31 March 2024 and I am headed back to the baby owls. Spring is a glorious time for bird photography in Florida. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day.

This image was created on 30 March 2024 down by the lake near my home in Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated on damp grass, I used the toepod technique with the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and the ridiculously amazing Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1000: 1/1000 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. When evaluated in RawDigger, the raw file brightness was determined to be dead solid perfect. AWB at 7:33:24am on a clear sunny morning about 15 minutes after sunrise.

Tracking Zone/AF-C with Bird Face/Eye detection enabled performed to perfection. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.

Image #1: Sandhill Crane chick in purple flowers

Layers of Color and Gorgeous Early Morning Light

Does anything about this image bug you? I have a similar image with the bird in profile, profile, but I prefer the down the lens barrel look above.

How About them, the Sony 300mm f/2.8 and the a9 iii?

Paraphrasing Mel Allen somewhat above. I am using my new gear more and more and am just about finished with the first-ever BAA lens guide. As far as the a9 iii, I am now convinced that eye tracking is better than it is with the a-1. And if you photograph birds in flight and in action and think that it is too fast for you, you are dead wrong.

If you plan on purchasing a Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera (or anything else for that matter), please remember to use or write for either my Bedfords discount code or my B&H affiliate link. Folks who use one of my two affiliate links to purchase the a9 III will receive my .DAT settings (the complete camera set-up) along with a Buttons and Dials Guide and may additional thoughts.

The First Ever BIRDS AS ART Lens Guide

Impressed by my Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) images from the last three posts? Use either my Bedfords or B&H affiliate link to purchase your Sony 300mm f/2.8 GM lens and shoot me your receipt via e-mail and request a copy of the first-ever BAA Lens Guide. This short guide will be published sometime in late March as I have a lot more to learn about this amazing new lens. I thought that it would take only minutes to create, but I was dead wrong. In the process of creating the guide, I learned a ton about the lens. And even better, I discovered a simple yet potentially fatal flaw that was resulting in sporadically unsharp flight images. The set-up fix is simple. Just be sure to use one of my affiliate links.

Typos

With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.

5 comments to One in the Sun for Good Measure & a 2nd Nest Hatches

  • David Pugsley

    Lovely as always. I’m guessing the shadow on the right along the top edge of the purple flowers may bug you. I imagine it’s a shadow from one of the adults.

  • Beautiful light, beautiful early AM color. Bird connected to viewer. Is the little dark spot, on the left side of the breast, behind the feathers, the problem?

  • Ray J Rozema

    Wonderful image

  • Adam

    “profile, profile” but in terms of the image, the only couple picayune things I would mention are the coloring/shadow? on the edge of the chick’s right chest, perhaps the strong vertical line on the left side of the image (dark stick?) and the blob of green/brown on the right.

  • Artie
    Absolutely beautiful photo all around colors and the youngster is looking right at ya and that is sweet. Love it and the purple flowers just really make an amazing pleasing photo.
    Happy Easter my great friend 🙂
    Always with love b

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