Flight
Learning to Fly: ISO 400, 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1000
This pair of Chipping Sparrows were fun to watch in our backyard. This was a parent and fledgling. The parent (on the left) was flying from fence post to fence post coaxing the little one to follow. Once the little one arrived, she was awarded with food from the parent.
On a Mission: ISO 640, 240mm, f/5.6, 1/800
It is a cold winter day here. So, it is a good day to go through my pictures on my computer and see what I have not shared.
This was taken before our move to Ontario. One of my last walks in Inglewood Bird Sanctuary in Calgary, Alberta. The bees were hard at work collecting pollen before the cold weather arrives.
Feeding Butterfly: ISO 320, 175mm, f/5, 1/1250
The butterflies were out at my Dad's backyard garden in Ontario two weeks ago.
This particular butterfly was floating around these purple flowers from one of his hanging baskets. You can see his long tongue seeking food.
02/05/13 Filed in: Spring
Playful Waxwing: ISO 400, 140mm, f/8, 1/4000
Air Brakes: ISO 400, 400mm, f/8, 1/1600
Crows: ISO 400, 110mm, f/6.3, 1/500
I believe that spring might finally have arrived in Red Deer, Alberta! The snow is almost gone and the temperatures are finally starting to rise. It was a nice sunny day yesterday but there was still a nip of cold that you needed a jacket.
My camera has been collecting dust the last few months. I felt I needed to take it out for a walk and shake the cobwebs from the camera and the creative side of my brain.
I thought the best place for it was the Kerry Wood Nature Centre which is just a few paces from our backyard. I knew some of the migrating waterfowl should be there for a rest or, in the case of the grebes, their final destination.
As the afternoon went on, I started practicing my panning skills. Panning is trying to freeze a subject by following it with your camera. As I was using a long telephoto zoom this turned out to be quite difficult. If you zoomed in too close it was card to keep the fast moving birds in sight. Also a long zoom lens tends to be quite big and heavy. Yesterday afternoon turned out to be a workout both mentally and physically.