Wildlife Photography

Ever so often I travel north as spring progresses toward the far north. This last trip was focused on Ohio, Michigan(primarily the No.East and the UP) and southern Ontario. Please enjoy these photos of small neotropical migratory birds in their breeding areas and an occasional larger bird that wandered in front of my lens. Do not forget the slide show feature which allows easy quick automatic viewing and also the search feature allowing search for subjects in the entire web page.

In June I traveled to Alaska by air for bird photography. My first stop was Barrow,Ak.(northern most city in the USA). Here I met a small group of bird photographers from all over the USA. The trip was led by Brian Zwiebel and Matthew Studebaker. The group included published and experienced photographers(Arthur Morris,E.J.Peiker,Jim Urbach, Lana Hays, Judd Paterson and Jesus Flores) After a week in chilly,windy Barrow, Brian and I traveled from Anchorage by road to several locations. Our main stops for photography included the Denali Highway, Kachemak Bay near Homer,Ak. and areas around Anchorage,Ak. The images are in two sub-albums labeled Barrow and Lower Alaska.

Normally I travel a lot during spring chasing migratory birds from Ohio to the Alabama Gulf Shore. This year I decided to stay close to home($4.00 gallon gas helped the decision) and explore the swamps and adjacent land in my home county(Marion,SC). My main objective was to find and photograph the Swainson,s Warbler. I succeeded and learned a good bit about this bird's habitat and habits. I hosted several photographers who were interested in photographing this bird, including Brian Zwiebel(Ohio) and Jim Burns(Arizona). I also gave directions to Terence Bradshaw(Michigan)since he had only a few limited days. Apparently Terence also found birds. Enjoy the series of my local birds in a Spring setting. Do not forget the slide view feature which lets you see the whole series hands free !

Spring Migration Around Lake Erie

For the last ten years I have been following the spring migration of smaller neotropical migrants in the south during April and around Lake Erie in May with a camera. My schedule depended on work and other circumstances.

Gradually over the years I begin to favor the Lake Erie location for photography for a variety of reasons. Usually the birds would feed lower and the foliage was less. Also they would sing more often on the northern sites.

My first visit around Lake Erie was with Art Morris about ten years ago when I joined a group at Point Pelee, Ontario( a well known migrant trap). Art was fierce in his determination to get great shots. I credit him with my determination quotient being increased ,as I watched him. The main thing I can remember was that I was fascinated by the hunt and challenge of photographing the smaller birds. I begin to believe it was actually doable. This year was my first year I used all digital equipment using my Chinook as a base to work from allowing me to have mobile work space. It worked very well and the Mark II camera quickly became a favorite along with the 600mm IS lens. I never hesitated to put the 2X tele converter feeling that the loss of sharpness was there but not severe. Also I began to increase the ISO to get faster shutter speeds with the digital setup and this proved doable with good results.

For many years I would spend a week at Pt. Pelee and a week on the Ohio side at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (Crane Creek State Park). Eventually I got tired of the “ you should have been here last week story” ,so this year I spent two straight weeks in mid May at Magee Marsh. It worked well and had many good days interspersed with average and terrible days. By being in one place I could take advantage of every day without travel days. The gallery includes birds shot this year at Magee Marsh and area all in digital and I hope it encourages you to shoot the smaller birds. Frustration yes but when it works it is great.

Belize is a small country in Central America ,formerly known as British Honduras. Because of its British background English is the official language. This small country is located on the Caribbean Sea just below the Yucatan Penisula of Mexico. I traveled here in lateApril-early May with my two grown sons(Seton and Yan). Although the country is best known for its water activities(snorkeling and scuba diving) , it also has many eco lodges in the interior. We spent half of our time in the interior at Lamani Outpost Lodge located on the New River Lagoon adjacent to the Lamani Mayan Ruins. The second half was spent on the island Ambergris Caye, which to my surprise turned out to be a migration stop for wood warblers.