What’s Up?
After hustling to get to the airport early on Thursday amidst reports of TSA delays at Orlando, the TSA wait time was zero minutes. My flight to MCI, Kansas City, MO, however, was delayed more than five hours because of maintenance issues. I was glad that I made it.
My PhotoCon KC program on Friday morning, The Blessed Bird Photographer, was warmly received. I was further blessed to have sold every copy of the original The Art of Bird Photography that I had brought with me, most of the Art of Bird Photography II CDs, and several of The Avian Photography of Arthur Morris CDs as well. My suitcase will be a lot lighter on my return flight.
Today is Saturday 21 March 2026 and I hope that you too choose to have a happy and productive day. 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.
B&H Simplified
To ensure that I get credit for your B&H purchases, you can always click here. The tracking is invisible but using my affiliate links is greatly appreciated. And, with B&H, you can use your PayBoo card. You must use the website to order. You cannot get your free guides if you make a phone order. Once you have an item in your cart, you must complete the order within two hours. Huge thanks!
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 by yours truly on 15 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the front seat of my SUV (with Bob Eastman sitting behind me) I used the Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 2500. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:14:55am on sunny morning. Wide AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #1: Barred Owl getting mobbed by a Northern Mockingbird and a Fish Crow
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The Barred Owl on Bob’s North Perch Miracle
That we erected this perch on Friday the 13th and had a Barred Owl land atop it two days later was nothing short of a bird photography miracle. I started off handholding the 200-600 like Bob and made this image of the owl getting seriously bothered by the smaller birds.
Mobbing Behavior
Adapted from AI Overview
Small birds, such as kingbirds, blackbirds, and jays, commonly mob raptors like hawks and eagles and owls to protect nests from predators. This defensive tactic involves loud vocalizations and aggressive diving, exploiting the smaller birds’ superior aerial maneuverability. Though it is common in spring, this behavior can be seen at all seasons as it is an instinctual response. The goal is always the same: to force the larger raptors away by harassing them.
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This image was created by yours truly on 15 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the front seat of my SUV (with Bob Eastman sitting behind me) I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 2000: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:14:59am on sunny morning. Wide AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper and warmer high-res version. Image #2: Barred Owl on Bob’s North Perch looking coy |
Could Not Help Myself
I consider it somewhat of a weakness that I will almost always going for larger in the frame with more pixels on the subject than going for the action shot. That philosophy had had me grabbing the big lens with the 1.4X TC quite soon. In this image, the owl, looking quite coy, was actually ducking as it was being mobbed by several smaller birds. This one is a crop from the horizontal original.
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This image was also created by yours truly on 15 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates, FL. Seated in the front seat of my SUV (with Bob Eastman sitting behind me) I used the BLUBB-supported Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens with the Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter, and The Latest Greatest Sony Flagship Body, the a1 II Mirrorless Camera. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear dial. ISO 2000: 1/2500 sec. at f/5.6 (wide open). AWB at 8:15:06am on sunny morning. Wide AF-C with Bird-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the larger, inexplicably sharper and warmer high-res version. Image #3: Barred Owl on Bob’s North Perch leaning forward and raising its wings |
The Owl Has About Had It
Tired of being attacked by the smaller birds, the owl in this image is thinking about leaving the scene. My shutter speed was barely in the OK range for a takeoff but when it left the perch it was simply too big in the frame for me. I fired off a few frames but they all wound up in the trash. Bob on the other hand …
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This image was created on 15 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates by my good friend Bob Eastman sitting behind me in my SUV. He used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 444mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:15:27am on sunny morning. Tracking: Spot (XS) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #4: Barred Owl lifting off Bob’s North Perch
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Bobby on the Spot
When the owl took flight, Bob was the proverbial Johnny on the spot. His a-1 body performed flawlessly nailing the bird’s eyes and face. Bob started out a bit wide at 444mm so as not to clip the wings (Images #4 and 5) but his strategy paid off as he continued to track the owl and fire as the bird got larger and larger in the frame (Image #6).
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This image was created on 15 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates by my good friend Bob Eastman sitting behind me in my SUV. He used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 444mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:15:28am on sunny morning. Tracking: Spot (XS) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #5: Barred Owl in flight with wings raised
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Bob’s Eastman’s Trusty Sony 200-600 G Lens with the Sony a-1
It has become a standing joke. As I am deciding on which lens to use for a photo session, Bob will always chime in with, “I think I’ll take my two to six.” It is his only long telephoto lens and as you have seen here today and often, he consistently creates some fabulous images. More than ten years my junior, Mr. Bob is stronger, has faster reflexes, and better hand-eye coordination than me. Hi fast reflexes helped with the takeoff shot, Image #4 as the a-1 does not have Pre-Capture.
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This image was created on 15 March 2026 at Indian Lake Estates by my good friend Bob Eastman sitting behind me in my SUV. He used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 444mm) and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 800. 1/3200 second at f/6.3 (wide-open) in Manual Mode. AWB at 8:15:28am on sunny morning. Tracking: Spot (XS) AF-C with Bird Face/Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version. Image #6: Barred Owl in flight getting closer
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A Note on Exposure
I used to be on Bob constantly about underexposing but have given pretty much given up on that. To wit: when I was using the 2-6 (Image #1), I was at 1/3200, f/6.3 at ISO 2000. In the exact same situation Bob was at 1/3200, f/6.3 at an ISO of only 800. When examined in RawDigger, the raw file for Image #3 proved to be dead solid perfect. Thus, Bob three images were about 1/13 stops underexposed. Underexposing results in more noise as the image is lightened and in addition, may cause unwanted color shifts. Bob’s owl looks quite a bit redder than mine of the same bird.
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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.
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