Seeing nature through eyes of a 500mm lens

Thanks pell

Those Ring-neck Ducks sure are pretty!

Thanks Margarett, Huggergirl and Nanny.

The following photos are by far my most beloved to date. I had just received my new lens and promptly visited Conowingo Dam to see the Eagles and the following is what I got. It was a beautiful and clear blue sky day and the temperature in the mid 60s. He/she just caught a fish and perched right in front of me. I took quite a few photos as it sat there and had lunch but these are the ones that really caught my eye. Short story: A coworker brought his 2 sons to the job (I was on travel) and they saw a couple photos that I printed and hung at work. He said they could not believe anyone had seen, let alone, taken a photo of a real live Eagle in the wild so I made a print and gave each one for Xmas. They created really nice thank you cards for me...that was really cool. I just love making kids happy. I plan to make large prints of a few of these and frame them.







This message was edited Mar 12, 2010 2:01 PM

2nd Eagle photo

3rd photo

4th Eagle photo. In this shot he/she is looking at me very scarily as if I want the fish. I've seen videos and pictures where Golden Eagles attacked people so needless to say I was just a tad bit nervous about the stare.

This message was edited Mar 12, 2010 2:03 PM

5th Eagle photo

6th Eagle photo

Last photo

Hi Met. Those are beautiful Bald Eagle photos ... hard to beat. The first time I visited there I pulled into the parking lot and looked up and there one was sitting a short distance from my car and against a blue sky. I thought, boy, this is easy. Well it hasn't been always that easy but you just can't beat the overall photo opportunities that present themselves at Conowingo. A recent article listed Conowingo as the 18th best place on the east coast to view Bald Eagles. Cape May was 5th. That is a very poor representation of the Conowingo Dam. Someone needs to prove to me that it's not #1. Seeing them is one thing but getting close to them is another thing. I will be back there again starting in October. This Fall, I'll be using a 16GB card to store all of the photos I take.

Great shots, Met.

Oh wow...those would be my favorites too. I would have been nervous with those eyes looking at me!

Very nice of you to share your photos with the boys. :)

This message was edited Mar 12, 2010 3:54 PM

Outstanding shots Met!! I love #2 the best but they are all great!

Great photos, Met. Sharp as tacks. I have lens envy - and location envy. What a fantastic place Conowingo must be.

Totally awesome shots Met!! Hard to pick a favorite their all so good.

Absolutly outstanding, I have goose bumps,and I too have lens envy.

I see eagles frequently along the Okanogan river, a few miles from here, but since I don't good have a good camera and lenses, I don't try to take many pictures of them They will be leaving soon. I know where one nest is a few miles away so that pair will stay around.

Great pictures of eagles.

Donna

Great shots of the Eagle's!, nice and clean/crisp shots like all your photo's.

Thanks everyone for the kind words. Linthicum I have to agree with you seeing is one thing but getting up close and personal is another. On one of the forums I visit there's thread of nothing but Bald Eagle shots taken at a dam in Illinois...Linthicum you would love it as it has unobstructed views of the Eagles. Here's the thread (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=820444&highlight=eagles&page=21)...everyone pop in a check out the photos but beware the photos aretack sharp, 3-D and up close. I may have to make a trip there next winter.

Here are a few more photos but these are our lovely little song birds. Again thanks for stopping in.

First up is one of my favorites...the Northern Cardinal



This message was edited Mar 14, 2010 8:58 PM

Here's a few shots of my Chicadee. I was at Dykes March in VA and this little fella pop up in front of me with what appears to be a piece of bark.

2d photo

last shot of the Chicadee

Here's the Mockingbird

The Great Blue Heron. He would not let me get any closer...it's like they have ESP. He saw me a mile away.

Here's a few of the Swam Sparrow that I got at a local spot in VA...Huntley Meadows Park. Also a great place to get great photos of the Red-winged Blackbirds as they play in the Cattails.

2nd photo

last shot of the Swamp Sparrow

Last up is the White-breasted Nuthatch...a funny and comical bird that always has it's nose up at me.

last one

Met, All great shots, I love every one of them! It's good to see the Swamp Sparrow!

All superb shots, Al. II love the last one of the Swamp Sparrow with its feathers being blown in the breeze.

I had a look at the photos on the link for L&D#14. There are some amazing photos there. I'm not comfortable, however, with launching fish to obtain photographs.

Those eagle pictures ARE amazing. Lock and Dam 14 is in LeClaire Iowa, which seemed to have better numbers this year than #13 where I go.

But you look at all that equipment those guys use and realize that there is NO way I'd ever be able to get a picture with a hint of that clarity or closeness.

This is L/D 14

This message was edited Mar 15, 2010 7:43 AM

Met, thought you might also enjoy this guy's Flickr photos. Especially this first one.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/happy_peasant/4433731958/

Hey thanks for the link Mrs Ed...thanks Margarett, Pelletory.

I've been away for awhile but never for too long. During that time, I found a spot in VA (Sky Meadows Park) where there are colonies (that's what it's been called) of Red-head WPs. While there I also got photos of the Northern Flicker, Yellow-belling Sapsucker, Red-bellied WP, Bluebirds checking out nesting boxes and the Tree Swallows giving them a hard time. I finally saw and photo'd the Eastern Meadowlark. I have to go thru the photos but in the mean time here's a few photos of the male Cardinal in the backyard.

These photos were hand held shots on a cloudy day and I did not use the 1.4tc. I wanted to see what the lens could produce wide open at f4. I've had the 1.4 attached to the lens since I purchased it.









This message was edited Mar 30, 2010 10:32 PM

2nd photo of the Cardinal. They have gotten used to me

3rd photo of my buddy...his red is vibrant but I have seen some that looks like blood red

4th of the session

Here's the last photo

Well here's one more

Beautiful......

Excellent shots Met!