The challenge of capturing birds in flight

I’ve had my new camera for a few weeks and I’m starting to get the hang of it. The burst rate for this mirrorless Canon R7 is super fast, and I’m adjusting not only to that but to the advanced autofocus capabilities of the camera. I have the camera set to focus on the eyesContinue reading “The challenge of capturing birds in flight”

A short walk for a big bird

Most days, I go out to the birds. Some days, they come to me. Today was a case in point. Once the sun came up, I noticed that the tube feeder outside our dining room windows was empty. A Northern cardinal perched there briefly and looked around, seemingly puzzled that his breakfast had not beenContinue reading “A short walk for a big bird”

Awesome: Harriers in aerial maneuvers by the setting sun

What inspired man to take flight? I had a flash of inspiration this afternoon while watching two Northern harriers joust in the golden light of the setting sun at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm. Watching two female Northern harriers playing on the steady breeze over the main fields brought to mind Icarus, who in GreekContinue reading “Awesome: Harriers in aerial maneuvers by the setting sun”

Eastern drought seems bad for birds

Although we had some rain overnight Sunday into Monday, we’ve had an extended drought here in the New York-Philadelphia region. Wildfires are burning here and there at a time of year when they shouldn’t be a concern. Not a puddle is to be had at the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm or many of my otherContinue reading “Eastern drought seems bad for birds”

On standard time, a five-sparrow day

It was time to “fall back” today as the United States reverted to standard time, giving us an extra hour of sleep or an extra hour to seize or squander. I have been looking forward to the switch, which gives me more time in the morning to bird ahead of work. I headed to theContinue reading “On standard time, a five-sparrow day”

Twitchers’ reward: a sandhill crane

Over the past several days, several birders have sighted a sandhill crane or two at the Miry Run area (a.k.a. Dam Site 21) that touches Hamilton, Robbinsville and West Windsor, New Jersey. The site is a 15-minute drive from home. When my friend Laura texted me that she was going to try to find theContinue reading “Twitchers’ reward: a sandhill crane”

A rare capture of a common bird: the Carolina wren

While I can almost always count on hearing a Carolina wren on my visits to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm, it’s a rare day when I see one and even rarer when I’m able to get a photo. I routinely hear and see these tubby little birds at home. I have several photos of themContinue reading “A rare capture of a common bird: the Carolina wren”

So close: a day of ‘almost’ shots

Take a look at the yellow-rumped warbler topping this post. The bird is in profile high up in a tree, eying a cluster of berries. A moment later, the bird would have one of those berries in its beak, but that shot was blurred. Another frame shows the bird with its beak plunged into theContinue reading “So close: a day of ‘almost’ shots”

Giving my new Canon R7 a workout

I took today off from work in anticipation of great fall weather to give my new Canon EOS R7 camera a second-day workout. I’d taken the camera out to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm on Thursday morning. With the high-speed auto advance blazing, I shot 162 frames — maybe 10 of which were in focus.Continue reading “Giving my new Canon R7 a workout”

A new Canon R7. Bring on the birds!

Well, it’s a start. The American robin topping this post was the first bird photo I was able to snap with my new Canon EOS R7 camera that arrived Monday. What followed was a series of unfortunate events. The first was that the adapter I need to mount my older-generation lenses was delayed a dayContinue reading “A new Canon R7. Bring on the birds!”