Woodpecker, Goldfinch and Titmouse Nikon D800 Videos

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Stephen L Tabone

On Friday, I was able to get my new Nikon D800 camera body, which was on preorder after Nikon announced it about two months ago.  Nikon released the D800 for sale on Thursday. It has been one of Nikon’s most anticipated cameras, which was delayed by the natural disasters last year in Japan and Thailand. Based on recent test reports, the D800 “out classes” all other DSLRs (Digital Single-lens Reflex) cameras.

I put my D800 to the test this weekend by photographing the spring Bluebell flowers at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and testing the video capabilities on some birds, and I cannot agree more with the test results, the camera is amazing. I have not processed the Bluebell images yet, but did view them on my iMac, and they look fantastic. I will posting a blog article containing them this week. However, I did process videos of three different birds: Red-bellied Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, and Tufted Titmouse, and uploaded them to Youtube. Each of the videos can be seen by clicking on the below images. Be sure to have your sound turned up, put the video in the full screen mode, and change the resolution to 1080p/HD. The goldfinch is molting, that is why he is not entirely yellow and has the white spots in the black patch on his head.

I am very excited about adding video to my Nature photography with this new camera body, as well as being able to capitalize on its many other new features, like having a 36 mega pixel sensor. Be sure to check back later in the week to see the Bluebell images. It was an overcast morning that provided even, filtered light, which was perfect for photographing them along the Cedar Run creek at Merrimac Farm WMA.

Early this afternoon, I am heading to the Washington DC Convention Center to explore the Photoshop World Conference expositions, where I learned from the owner of Image Wizards that they have one of my Blue Heron images printed large on aluminum and on display at the Expo. Image Wizards specializes in printing on aluminum, and their work is stunning. Last year, I used Image Wizards on a large photography project for a medical building. When I return this evening, I will continue to select images for printing and matting for a festival on April 15, where I was invited to exhibit my photography–more on that later.

Posted in Bird Photographs, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , | 16 Comments

White-tailed Squirrel

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Stephen L Tabone

There are a lot of squirrels living in the trees behind my house, and there is nothing unusual about that. However, within the last few months, I noticed a white-tailed squirrel in the trees and on the ground, and that is unusual. I had never seen a white-tailed squirrel here, or anywhere. This evening, just before dusk, I had my camera out with the speedlight (flash) attached, when I spotted the white-tailed squirrel, and so I grabbed the camera, adjusted its the settings, and captured an image of the squirrel across the yard (above image).

Then, as I was watching the squirrel, it climbed a tree and entered a hole in the tree that I had never noticed before. The tree is at least 75 feet away. In the above image, I photographed the squirrel’s white tail as it entered the hole in the tree, where it apparently lives.

After entering the hole in the tree, the squirrel turned and stared at me while I continued to photograph it.

When no longer interested in me, the squirrel turned and disappeared into the tree, although I was able to get a photo (below) of its white tail in the tree before it totally disappeared. The light from my speedlight made it appear as though the squirrel had its lights on in its nest for the evening, but actually the speedlight lit up the bare wood in the back of the hole.

I am excited to have been able to photograph this unusual squirrel, and also excited to see that its nest is directly facing my house. I will be watching it closely this summer, because if the squirrel is a female, it may raise its young in that nest, and I will be able to photograph them.

In case you are new to my blog, in December, I spent several days in Carrabelle, Florida, where I saw and photographed totally white squirrels, which are very rare except for a few locations around the country. I posted an article about Carrabelle, which contains photos of the white squirrels. The link to it is:  https://stevetabone.wordpress.com/2011/12/18/carrabelle-in-the-panhandle-of-florida/

Posted in Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , | 88 Comments

Spring Buds and Blooms

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Stephen L Tabone

On Sunday morning, I went to Leesylvania State Park in Prince William County with one objective in mind, to see and photograph up close the new emerging buds, blooms, and other early growth using my 105mm macro lens. It was overcast, so there was filtered light, which was good, since it was late morning. I also used my speedlight (flash), off camera.

As it turned out, it was a spectacular couple of hours. As I walked through Bushey Point toward the Potomac River, everywhere I looked there was new growth. It was windy along the river so movement was a bit of a problem, but I compensated with shutter speed and patience.

As I entered Leesylvania, I immediately noticed a few Eastern Redbud trees beginning to bloom, at the same location where they bloom each spring. I pulled over and shot the following images. You can see why I stopped. The trees were covered in colorful buds and blooms. Below, the tree’s old, ragged bark and its single set of colorful, new buds captured my attention.

Initially, I thought that it would be hard to beat the beauty of the Redbud trees, but I was wrong, because there was beauty even in the simplest, single tree bud (below).

As I approached the river at the end of one branch of Bushey Point trail, there were tiny yellow buds (below) bursting out of the ends of several of the trees and very small leaves beginning to sprout out of the branch tips.

As I was returning from the river, I noticed very small and colorful seed pod clusters (below) hanging from a tree. It was very interesting to see that one type of tree had already flowered and produced seeds, and it was only mid-March.

By the way, if any of you know the name of the above trees/plants, please provide them in a comment below. I do not know the names of many plants and trees, but I can appreciate their beauty.

On the way home, I passed many flowering trees, to include cherry trees that I just could not pass up, so I stopped and photographed a few. One is at the top of this article and the others are below.

Sunday, weather permitting, I am planning to photograph the Bluebells at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area. Bluebells only grow in shaded areas along creeks and only live about a month. They are the first plants to grow and bloom, and their colors are a brilliant contrast against the otherwise browns of early spring. Click on this link for an article and Bluebell images from last year. https://stevetabone.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/virginia-bluebells-at-merrimac-farm-wildlife-management-area/

Posted in Merrimac Farm Wildlife management Area, Nature, Spring Photographs | Tagged , | 8 Comments

White-throated Sparrow

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Stephen L Tabone

It’s been awhile since I added a new post to my blog and that is primarily because I was in Florida visiting family (without my camera gear). It was a quick trip and photography was not the purpose of the trip. However, I am back and anxious to get out again especially because spring is exploding here in northern Virginia.

After returning from Florida, I set up my Nikon D700 camera and 600mm lens to photograph a new visitor to the trees behind the house–a White-throated Sparrow.  I have seen many sparrows around the house, but this was the first time I saw a White-throated Sparrow.  As can be seen by the images, it is a pretty sparrow with very distinctive white and yellow markings.

White-throated Sparrows migrate to the mid-Atlantic and southern states from Canada and northeastern and northwestern states, where they spend the summer and breed. They eat mainly the seeds of grasses and weeds, including ragweed and buckwheat, as well as fruits of sumac, grape, cranberry, mountain ash, rose, blueberry, blackberry, and dogwood. In the summer, they eat large numbers of insects.

I enjoyed seeing and photographing this White-throated Sparrow and hope to see more around the house next winter.

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North American Beaver on Lake Montclair, Virginia

Posted on March 5, 2012 by Stephen L Tabone

Late Saturday afternoon, I heard the distinct calls of a pair of Barred Owls in a heavily wooded area across the lake from my home. I have been wanting to find and photograph the owls since I first heard them there in the fall.  I set up my camera (Nikon D700 and 80-400mm lens, set the ISO at 1600 since the light was poor, and mounted it on a ballhead and monopod) and headed around the cove leading to Powell’s Creek and the wooded area, where the owl calls come from. Since this was more an exploratory venture, I did not take a tripod and a more powerful lens. I also did not know how deep into the wooded area I would need to go or how wet the shoreline would be since we recently had a lot of rain and much of the area by Powell’s Creek is a marsh.

Unfortunately, I could not find the owls. Instead, as I approached where Powell’s Creek empties into Lake Montclair, I saw the North American Beaver (below) that lives in the creek, and I was able to photograph some of its interesting and entertaining behavior. The beaver was reacting to several noisy kayakers that were in its “territory.” Beavers use their tail to slap the water to warn other beavers of danger, to get the attention of an intruder, or to drive away a predator. It is an excellent warning sound, because it can be loud and heard above and below the surface.

I have seen the beaver’s  tail slapping many times before, when I have kayaked up Powell’s Creek, but yesterday’s display was the most aggressive with the biggest splashes I have ever seen. Although the beaver was far across the lake from where I was standing, you can clearly see this behavior. In the first photo (below), the beaver’s back is clearly visible as it dove below the surface, which the beaver does just before slapping its tail on the surface of the water.

In the next image, as the beaver continued its dive, you can see its webbed feet in the air.

Below is the splash made when its tail slapped the water as the beaver completed its dive.

Although the beaver was doing its best to ward off the intruders (the kayakers), they eventually paddled off when they were ready.

As I walked back around the lake, I noticed and photographed a tree that the beaver was apparently in the process of cutting down. It is amazing how powerful their jaws and teeth are, enabling them to cut into a tree as large as this one (about 10 inches in diameter).

As it turned out, I did not see the Barred Owls, most likely because of the rowdy kayakers, but I did get to see and photograph the beaver. I will have plenty of opportunities this spring, summer and fall to see and photograph the owls, since they have made the other side of the lake a permanent residence. I need to find where they are nesting, because it would fantastic to photograph their owlets.

In closing, I want to share that my blog was recognized and included in the March edition of the South x Southeast Photomagazine. See this link: http://www.sxsemagazine.com/current-issue/columns/blogs.html for the specific page in the magazine referring to my blog and the article I wrote on Roseate Spoonbills.

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