Wldlife of Edmonds, WA. 2014
- Thread starter Bill Anderson
- Start date
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Those snakes had better be careful or they will end up as meals for crows. The evil minions of the Dark Lord typically perch in the trees around the #3 viewing platform to guard their nests in the area.
I once tried cleaning a sensor myself and made a real mess of things. I chalk it up as a routine maintenance expense, much like an oil change.
That particular marsh wren spent quite some time out in the open, more so than usual.
Even with the self-cleaning sensors, mine need cleaning 2-4 times a year, depending on the camera. I once tried the wet solution + swabs and only made matters worse. That is why I have never tried to work on my motorcycles.
I do change lenses often. Additionally, the bellows effect of the 100-400L sliding zoom sucks in air and contaminants.
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Some bird photos from Memorial Day (5/26/14).
From the marsh:
Red-winged blackbird.
An osprey hovered over the marsh and the pond on the Unocal grounds, where it was immediately harassed by an evil minion of the Dark Lord.
Something really had the killdeer riled. I looked for the resident coyote, but did not see it.
Marsh wren cursing me.
It has been a year or two since I have seen the Pt. Edwards covey of California quail. It appears the local eagles, coyotes, and hawks have not diminished their number.
From the marsh:
Red-winged blackbird.
An osprey hovered over the marsh and the pond on the Unocal grounds, where it was immediately harassed by an evil minion of the Dark Lord.
Something really had the killdeer riled. I looked for the resident coyote, but did not see it.
Marsh wren cursing me.
It has been a year or two since I have seen the Pt. Edwards covey of California quail. It appears the local eagles, coyotes, and hawks have not diminished their number.
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Wednesday (5/28) afternoon four Caspian terns were hunting for fish off Sunset Ave.
Earlier in the day my son and I found three garter snakes sunning themselves off the marsh walkway beside the tennis courts.
All three are visible in this photo.
All three are visible in this photo.
Those snakes had better be careful or they will end up as meals for crows. The evil minions of the Dark Lord typically perch in the trees around the #3 viewing platform to guard their nests in the area.
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Friday (5/30) I left the 5DIII at the Camera Clinic for a badly needed sensor cleaning after picking up the 7D, which the Camera Clinic had brought back from the dead after moisture entered it during a rainy day photo outing. These photos were taken with the 7D + 100-400L telephoto zoom.
It was warm and sunny, which creates troubling heat waves at the marsh. Although the heat waves precluded close cropping of this photo of a marsh wren, the condition made for an interesting background when shooting at f/5.6.
Wesley, the Anna's hummer who guards the #1 viewing platform of the marsh, perched on the life boat training structure located behind the boardwalk. Although I "focused" solely on Wesley while taking the photos, I noticed the contrasting patterns in the foreground and background after I downloaded the photos.
Close-up of Wesley. He gets quite upset if he is not the center of my attention.
I had not been up to the Pt. Edwards walkway for quite some time. The male redwing blackbirds are staking out their territories at the retention pond at the end of the walkway.
It was warm and sunny, which creates troubling heat waves at the marsh. Although the heat waves precluded close cropping of this photo of a marsh wren, the condition made for an interesting background when shooting at f/5.6.
Wesley, the Anna's hummer who guards the #1 viewing platform of the marsh, perched on the life boat training structure located behind the boardwalk. Although I "focused" solely on Wesley while taking the photos, I noticed the contrasting patterns in the foreground and background after I downloaded the photos.
Close-up of Wesley. He gets quite upset if he is not the center of my attention.
I had not been up to the Pt. Edwards walkway for quite some time. The male redwing blackbirds are staking out their territories at the retention pond at the end of the walkway.
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you actually pay someone to clean your sensors??nice shots with the 7D, though... especially the marsh wren. they can be very tough to get...
I once tried cleaning a sensor myself and made a real mess of things. I chalk it up as a routine maintenance expense, much like an oil change.
That particular marsh wren spent quite some time out in the open, more so than usual.
yeah, some folks i've talked to just don't like to mess with it. but at $40-$60 a whack, that's an expense i'd just as soon avoid. i usually only need to clean mine once a year or so with the self-cleaning sensors, and when i do need to clean them manually, the wet method with solution and swabs usually works very well for me. takes about 15 minutes if the dust is being difficult, but sometimes i'm done in 5 ...
Even with the self-cleaning sensors, mine need cleaning 2-4 times a year, depending on the camera. I once tried the wet solution + swabs and only made matters worse. That is why I have never tried to work on my motorcycles.
LOL... i hear ya. i used to do most of the work on my cars, but after a while, i got tired of barking my knuckles and bending over fenders... now if something needs done, i just take it in. i wonder why your sensors need cleaning so often... do you change lenses outdoors a lot?
I do change lenses often. Additionally, the bellows effect of the 100-400L sliding zoom sucks in air and contaminants.
Saturday (5/31/14) I went down to the marsh for Parks & Rec's annual Edmonds Watershed Festival. In years past it has been held at Yost Park, but was moved to the marsh this year to coincide with the Waterfront Festival held at the nearby waterfront and marina.
While the marsh wrens have been particularly noisy the spring, this was the first one I have seen engaging in a nest building activity. I have seen other birds pulling out cattail fuzz while hunting for the larvae which live inside. This marsh wren was clearly gathering the fuzz to build a nest as it would pull out some fuzz, then fly away with it down into the cattail jungle.
While the marsh wrens have been particularly noisy the spring, this was the first one I have seen engaging in a nest building activity. I have seen other birds pulling out cattail fuzz while hunting for the larvae which live inside. This marsh wren was clearly gathering the fuzz to build a nest as it would pull out some fuzz, then fly away with it down into the cattail jungle.
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Monday (6/2/14) a local eagle (most likely one of the Pt. Edwards pair taking a break from nest sitting duty) was perched on the piling off the Senior Center near the ferry dock. I have been photographing these eagles for the past five years and have developed a pretty good sense of then whey will take off.
Taken with my 7D + 500L telephoto lens, tripod mounted. Shooting at -1 exposure compensation.
Taken with my 7D + 500L telephoto lens, tripod mounted. Shooting at -1 exposure compensation.
I picked up the action with my handheld 5DIII + 100-400L telephoto zoom + 1.4x teleconverter as the eagle flew north over the pedestrian walkway to the ferry,
then returned south over the marina.
then returned south over the marina.
Wednesday (6/4) afternoon Janine and I were busy at the #2 viewing platform of the marsh photographing a marsh wren gathering cattail fuzz for its nest. This activity went on for several hours. The wren was kind enough to announce its location with incessant chatter. We eventually found the location of the nest near the boardwalk, but the nest itself is hidden by the cattails.
Despite snapping hundreds of photos, this is the closest I came to the shot I was after of the wren in full flight with a mouth full of fuzz.
Despite snapping hundreds of photos, this is the closest I came to the shot I was after of the wren in full flight with a mouth full of fuzz.
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Snakes on a Path continued.
This week three garter snakes have been hanging around the marsh walkway by the tennis courts. Tuesday (6/3) my son Daren and I found the smallest of the three in the grass.
I asked Daren to point to the snake to indicate its size.
The snake let me know it did not like me taking its photo.
This week three garter snakes have been hanging around the marsh walkway by the tennis courts. Tuesday (6/3) my son Daren and I found the smallest of the three in the grass.
I asked Daren to point to the snake to indicate its size.
The snake let me know it did not like me taking its photo.
Thursday (6/4) two of the three were at their usual location. This one saw me and retreated to its hiding hole.
The second snake tries to go in as well.
No room, gotta leave.
Later the the first snake came out to bask in the sun.
The second snake tries to go in as well.
No room, gotta leave.
Later the the first snake came out to bask in the sun.
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