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Thursday (11/6/14) I was photographing birds from the fishing pier. The wind and waves picked up and at times it felt like the wind was going to knock me over.
Rhinocerous auklet.
Pigeon Guillemot in transition plumage. Their black breeding plumage is more commonly recognized.
Friday (11/7) was very sunny and in contrast to the day before, windless. Wesley and two of his hummer buddies were chasing each other around the #1 viewing platform of the marsh. Here are photos of one of them hunting bugs. A shutter speed of 1/2000 was not fast enough to completely freeze the wings.
Although I have lived in Edmonds over twenty years, I can drive around town all day and not see anyone I know. Friday was the exception as I ran into seven bird watchers/photographers I know at the marsh. I attribute that to Friday being the first nice day of the week.
The past couple of weeks have been just horrendous weather-wise here in Portland, the next few days look promising. I really need to get out and explore!
Even though Saturday was nice and sunny, I spent most of it at Kenmore Camera's annual photo expo in Lynnwood. Here are some photos from Friday of Bonaparte's gulls, one of my favorites, off the fishing pier in Edmonds. The gulls are such a bright white that I had to shoot at -1 exposure compensation to keep from blowing them out.
Rain and the Seahawks game kept me indoors Sunday (11/9), but I managed to take a few photos from my back deck.
Several red-breasted nuthatches were in my back yard. They were making quite a racket with their distinctive sounds.
Five Steller's jays live in the vicinity and will come to my back deck for peanuts. I suspect they are all members of one family.
The jays can fly away with two peanuts at a time by swallowing the first one. I have seen only one crow use this technique, which I suspect it learned from the jays.
I went down to the marsh at sunset. It was cold and windy, which reminded me of that famous scene from Derzu Uzala.
The low angle of the sun this time of year necessitates careful exposure compensation to prevent the herons' light colors from being completely blown out.
Bill, you, like most of the photographers on this site keep improving. When you started posting here I was hooked, you were taking some great pics, now it seems over the past several months you have jumped up a couple of notches in your fine photography. What are you doing differently??? Seems like you may have added something to your formula.
Bill, you, like most of the photographers on this site keep improving. When you started posting here I was hooked, you were taking some great pics, now it seems over the past several months you have jumped up a couple of notches in your fine photography. What are you doing differently??? Seems like you may have added something to your formula.
Chad
Thanks. Although I did not use it for any of Tuesday's photos, I acquired a Canon 500L telephoto lens to help with the long distance shots. I try to pay close attention to lighting and the use of exposure compensation to reproduce on the computer screen what my eyes see in the field.
I am an autumn and winter person, so perhaps I am more inspired to take photos in those seasons than in spring and summer. There are many more interesting birds in our area in the autumn, winter, and spring than in the summer
Wednesday afternoon (11/19) I ran into Janine at the marsh. Janine had spotted the resident coyote earlier in the week and saw it again as we were standing at the #2 viewing platform. Taken with the 7D + 500L telephoto + 1.4x teleconverter, tripod mounted.
The coyote made a run at a bird in the grass.
The coyote disappeared behind some plants. We walked east of the #3 viewing platform for some closer views.
The coyote disappeared into the cattails at the south side of the marsh. We walked to the #1 viewing platform where we found a dunlin and snipe in the mudflat closest to the viewing platform.
The only bird watching I did Sunday was in front of the TV as the Seahawks and Cardinals did battle. Saturday's (11/22) Cougar game started early, so I got in a short photo session at the fishing pier before sunset.
A small group of female goldeneye, a winter resident, was below the pier.
I had to use negative exposure compensation on individual birds due to the low, bright sunlight.
Western grebe. I have not seen many in Edmonds in past winters.
The surf scoters are becoming accustomed to humans and swim under the fishing pier to look for mussels imbedded in barnacles. Earlier a friend of mine had spotted a female white-winged scoter. It may have been in this group.
A Pacific loon continues to hang out off the fishing pier. Another bird that I have not seen spend significant time in Edmonds in past winters.
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