What’s Up?
Bob Eastman and I enjoyed a fabulous cloudy morning of bird photography yesterday at ILE. We put out a road-killed opossum on the beach south of the pier that quickly attracted several Turkey Vultures. After that, for the first time, we successfully worked the previously very shy two-chick crane family from my SUV. Next we got out of the car and sat on the grass to photograph the small crane colt at the north end of the lakeshore. We ended the morning with some good flight chances on the Ospreys at the natural nest by the tangerine house. I made one photo that thrilled me: one of the small crane chicks waiting to be fed by one of the parent birds.
One of the two Great Horned Owl chicks from the platform nest disappeared several days ago. Hoping that it had branched, we searched the woods near the nest without success. We were thinking that it might have been grabbed by a Bald Eagle. The smaller of the two fairly large chicks was in the nest on Friday morning. When we visited at 5pm we could not see it in the nest. After a few minutes of searching, eagle-eye Bob spotted it high in a pine tree more than 30 feet from the nest. We were puzzled as to how it got from atop the 60-foot tall nest pole to the 40 foot tall pine tree. Anyhoo, we had a relatively clear shot at the young owl. I created about 500 photos with the 600mm f/4 lens and was very happy with the sharpest one. I will share it with you here soon.
Today is Saturday 14 March 2026. Bob and I will be headed out as soon as it brightens up a bit to check on the branched baby owl and then head down to the lake. The excellent forecast is quite similar to yesterday’s: diminishing clouds with a decent wind from the ENE. Whatever you opt to do I hope that you too choose to have fun and enjoy life. Please remember that happiness is a choice — Byron Katie, The Work.Com
If an item — a Delkin flash card or reader, a Levered-clamp FlexShooter Pro, or a Wimberley lens plate or low foot — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match or beat any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedford by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Gear Questions and Advice
Too many folks attending BAA IPTs and dozens of photographers whom I see in the field and on BirdPhotographer’s.Net, are — out of ignorance — using the wrong gear, especially when it comes to tripods and more especially, tripod heads. And the same is true in spades when ordering new camera bodies or lenses. My advice will often save you some serious money and may help you avoid making a seriously bad choice. Please know that I am always glad to answer your gear questions via e-mail.. If you are desperate, you can try me on my cell at 863-221-2372. Please leave a message and shoot me a text if I do not pick up.
IPT Updates
I was thrilled to learn that multiple Homer IPT veteran Chris Loffredo will be joining the second 2027 San Diego IPT and that long-ago IPT veteran Jon Sostarich and multiple IPT veteran Mike De Rosa will be attending the first 2027 Homer IPT and both songbird days. See the complete details here.
San Diego IPT #1: 4 1/2 DAYS: WED 6 JAN thru the morning session on SUN 10 JAN 2027: $2699.00. Deposit: $699.00. Limit: 5 photographers.
San Diego IPT #2: 4 1/2 DAYS: TEUS 19 JAN thru the morning session on SAT 23 JAN 2027: $2699.00. Limit: 5 photographers/Openings: 4.
Anchor Point Songbird Days: WED 10 FEB & TUES 11 FEB 2027. Full day: $500/day.
Homer IPT #1: FRI 12 FEB 2027 through the full day on TUES 16 FEB 2027. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5900.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
Homer IPT #2: WED 17 FEB 2027 through the full day on SUN 21 FEB 2027. Five days/20 hours on the boat: $5900.00. Limit 5 photographers/Openings: 2
Dates for the three 2027 Stick Marsh IPTs will be announced here soon.
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B&H
Many folks have written recently stating that they purchased a Sony a1 from B&H and would like their free membership in the Sony 1 Info and Updates Group, a $150.00 value. But when I check my affiliate account, their orders have not been there. When I let them know that they get credit for B&H purchases only if they use one of the many B&H affiliate links on the blog or begin their searches with this link, they are always disappointed. If in doubt, please contact me via e-mail and request a BH link. I am always glad to help and to guide you to the right gear.
Bedfords Simplified
Click here to start your search. Choose standard shipping, and when you get to the payment page, enter BIRDSASART in the discount code box and hit apply. You will be upgraded to free second day air Fed-Ex and receive 3% cash back on your credit card once your stuff ships. Using either my affiliate links is greatly appreciated and will often earn you free guides or discounts. To receive a free guide or free entry into a Sony Set-up and Info Notes e-Mail group, you need to shoot me your receipt via e-mail. The B&H receipts need to include the order number.
Bedfords Amazing BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can always use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase when your product ships. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or prior purchases.
You can visit the Bedfords website here, shoot Steve Elkins an e-mail, or text him on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592.
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This image was created on 11 March 2026 by yours truly at Joe Overstreet Landing, Osceola County. Standing near the barbed wire pasture fence, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 1000: 1/160 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:44:23 am on a very foggy morning. Upper Left Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1: Burrowing Owl on fence post — version I |
Following Up on Shutter Speeds
Note that with a pretty much static subject, I was more than comfortable working handheld at 1/160 second at 300mm for this image. Going faster would have required a proportionately higher ISO. Excellent sharpness techniques combined with the lens’s superb Optical Stabilization System and the a-1 ii’s excellent in body image stabilization system (IBIS) made my job relatively easy.
If you missed the Shutter Speed Principles for Red and Drew and You: If You Fail to Master These Concepts, You are 100% Dead Meat! blog post here, it would behoove those of you who wish to become competent bird photographers you to visit, bookmark, and study this mega-educational missive. Not to mention the excellent YouTube video.
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This, the same image, was created on 11 March 2026 by yours truly at Joe Overstreet Landing, Osceola County. Standing near the barbed wire pasture fence, I used the handheld Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS Lens (Sony E) and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the Thumb Wheel. ISO 1000: 1/160 sec. at f/2.8 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB at 7:44:23 am on a very foggy morning. Upper Left Tracking: Spot XS/AF-C with Bird Eye/Face Detection enabled performed perfectly. Image #1A: Burrowing Owl on fence post — version II |
Which Image is Level (Square to the World)?
Which version of today’s featured image is square to the world? Why are you sure that you are right? I will share the correct answer with you in the next blog post. Note: Version I was my first effort.
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The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site GuideYou can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store. |
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by (the late) Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
Purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back and forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
- Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
- Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
- The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
- Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
- Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
- Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
- West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
- Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities. Please note that Gatorland no longer offers a Photographer’s Pass.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
I agree with Larry, the owls eyes appear to be level in image #2. For my tastes a square crop and taking out the bottom barbed wire, with a crop, keeps my eye on the owl. Thanks for sharing.
I agree with Larry, the second image is level.
In image #1 the fence post may appear square to the world but the owl seems a bit off kilter (the eyes are not level with each other). Image #2 looks more natural to me … I’ve seen more leaning fence posts than leaning owls, they usually perch square to the world!
Thanks for leaving a comment, Larry, and welcome.
Could be …
with love, artie