Osprey at Nelson's Beach

If you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, then you have a greater chance of getting interesting photos.  The kids and I went down to Plymouth today, first starting off at Jenney Pond, where the Black-crowned night-herons were visible and interacting.

Next, we tried the Harbor, but because of construction, there was not anything interesting going on there.  Next stop was Nelson's Park, where we met up with the friend of mine lender.  While the kids were traveling down along the beach photographing the gulls, and other action going on Linda and I was set up near the Osprey platform and nest.  Hunker down in the nest was one Osprey and way across the way, in a tree was the second Osprey.   Its mate was on the nest as we continue to watch the male, it suddenly took off and flew toward the nest carrying a portion of fish.  The Osprey landed on the nest and deposited the fish for its mate who grabbed a the fish and then flew off to enjoy the meal.  The Osprey, who landed took over the brooding of the eggs that are in the nest.  This interaction gave a great sequence of photos, which were right on, focused.  I utilize my Nikon D 500+ a Nikon 200 to 500 at 500 mm F/5.6, 1/1250 and auto ISO.

As I said we were there at the right time and in the right place, and thankfully the wind was blowing toward us, and so the Osprey came in facing us to the nest.  If the wind were in the opposite direction, We would have needed to be on the other side of the nest.  The other item that was good that it was mainly cloudy and we did not have to worry about the direction of the sun.

What makes Nelson Beach a great place to photograph Osprey is the location of the nest and the Osprey are use to people.

 Remember birds will land into the wind and also will take off into the wind and with the clouds,  We did not have to worry about sun angle.  Remember when you are photographing sun, and wind direction is imperative into way you place yourself to photograph birds in flight

Florida Workshop

Osprey

Despite the mosquitoes, I had a great time in Florida on the workshop organized by Jason Odell. There was a great group of participants and Jason was a great leader.  In the midday hours, we had a lecture and teaching us so we can improve our work.  This was beside all the teaching that we had out in the field.  I learned a number of new ways of shooting and post processing.

Normally when I write a blog about a trip I take it from the beginning and finished the blogs up at the last.  This time, I will start at the end and travels to the beginning.  On the last day of the workshop, we went down to the Flamingo visitor center and spent the morning photographing thing a pair of ospreys on their nest.  I have created a video slideshow of the ospreys activity which can be seen on my Facebook Photo Bee 1 page: https://www.facebook.com/myer.photobee1/

I also captured Turkey, great Egret, and white Ibis is in flight.

Great Egret

White Ibis

Turkey Vulture 

The Morning at Plymouth

Killdeer

Waking up to a thunderstorm this morning, I checked the weather forecast and found that Plymouth would not have any rain until about 11 AM.  The gang piled into the car and we went to Plymouth's starting at Nelson's Beach.  The tide was out and there were many shorebirds running around.  We were able to photograph semipalmated plovers, semipalmated sandpipers, greater yellowlegs, plus seeing and photographing herring gull, Ring-billed gull, laughing gull and great black-backed gull.  Most of the semipalmated sandpipers that we saw were this year's hatching, since their colors and feathers were so bright.

Least Sandpiper

Ring-Billed Gull

Laughing Gull

Semipalmated Plovers in Flight

Also, on the Osprey nest was one Osprey which finally took off and flew around and then came back and landed on the nest, giving us some good flight pictures.  I second Osprey came in and circled around and then went back out into Plymouth Bay.

Osprey Landing on Nest

After finishing up at Nelson's.  We traveled over to Jenny pond and besides the usual docs, we photographed Great Blue Heron, and Black-capped Night-Heron.  Standing on the bridge, first hoping that the belted Kingfisher would come back so we did get some photographs.  We turned our attention beneath us, and there were a number of painted turtles swimming in the pond.  Although we photographed the painted turtles without a polarizer, In LightRoom by utilizing the dehaze filter.  We were able to take away the reflections on the top of the water.

Great Blue Heron

Juvenile Black-Crowd Night Heron in Flight

Painted Turtles Swimming Underwater

We then stopped at the Lobster Pound to pick up some lobster bisque and I searched the rocks for birds, there were double-crested Cormorants, herring gulls, great black back gulls, common loon, tree swallows, but swallows northern rough-winged swallows and cliff swallows.  Leaving Manomet Point, we started to hit some rain and headed home having a great morning.

New information: On Tuesday, August 25th Topaz will be releasing Topaz ReMask 5, an updated version of their masking software, complete with new features. As always, there update is free to anyone who already owns ReMask. And for those who don't own it, ReMask 5 will be on sale ($20 off) from August 25th – September 18th.  The coupon code "GetReMask5" so you can take advantage of the discounted price of $49.99 (regularly $69.99).

You can link directly to the ReMask product page with this URL: http://www.topazlabs.com/aff/idevaffiliate.php?id=850&url=http://www.topazlabs.com/remask

Revisiting Nelson Park, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Osprey Family in Nest

This morning, before the sun broke through the clouds and even though it was humid, we traveled down again to Nelson's Beach in Plymouth to observe the ospreys had to see what else there was along the shore.  The tide was out, all the usual gulls were either resting on the beach or swimming around.  When we arrived all five of the ospreys were in the nest and then the adults Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton took off and flew around.  Lady Hamilton flew when and landed on the nest, where she started to feed one of the Osprey youngsters.  Lord Nelson flew around and finally landed on the top of a tree.  In the meantime, a great blue Heron was in the water and then took off flew around and came back in and landed a couple of times.  A number of shorebirds flew when and and by getting low to the ground were able to capture images of both semipalmated plovers and semipalmated sandpipers.  I was hoping that we would get other shorebirds, but nothing showed up or could be found on searching the shoreline.

Osprey Feeding a Young Osprey

Osprey in Flight

Osprey Coming in for a Landing

Great Blue Heron Coming in for a Landing

Semipalmated Sandpipers, Feeding

Semipalmated Plover Eating a Warm

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Plymouth's Nelson Park Ospreys.

Ospreys in the Nest

Nelson Park is located in Plymouth and on the beach for a number of years there has been an Osprey nest.  The adult ospreys are named Lord Nelson and Lady Hamilton.  This year they have hatched four chicks.  The chicks are fully feathered and at least one has fledged and knows how to fly.  One of the other chicks is flap in its wings and trying to fly.  On Sunday morning.  We arrived around 8 o'clock starting to observe and photograph the Osprey chicks.  I met a friend who was leaving who had arrived at 6 o'clock and did see one of the chicks fly.  While we watched the nest two of the chicks were up and around and performing activities such as looking, calling preening and one of the chicks was trying out its wings.  Across the marsh, on a pole, the first Osprey chick was sitting.  We were hoping to see it fly back to the nest, but, it remained on the pole had only preened and flapped its wings.  One of the interesting facts is because of the nest location, the Osprey a very used to people, and are not really bothered by them.  In fact, when we left at 9:40 AM the beach was filling up with people sunbathing.  In fact, the parking lot was completely full, and there were a line of cars waiting for us to leave.

Osprey Flapping Its Wings

Osprey Calling

Osprey Trying out Its Wings

Osprey fledgling On the Post

If you are in the Plymouth area and you want to observe the Osprey's the best time is probably early in the morning before all the crowds show up.

A Morning at Plymouth, Massachusetts

Finally, God out photographing, after a few days with a cold.  Travel down to Plymouth early in the morning to be the rain.  First stop was Nelson's Beach, at low tide, where we photographed the Osprey pair.  The male was hanging out on a post, and then flew around carrying what was left of of fish that he was eating.  He flew to the nest that I thought he was going to land, but he continue flying and went into the trees in the background.  I was hoping for some shorebirds, however, there were a few people walking the dogs on the beach, and even the gulls were few and far between.

We then checked out the parking lot behind East Bay Grill, where we found the first laughing gull of the year.

We finished the day at Jenney Pond, where there was the usual subjects, plus black-crowned night-herons and double-crested cormorants.  I spent most of the time watching a Canada goose adjusting the material on what I consider to be her nest and the interesting part, it is located just off the shore at a location where it is very visible to visitors.

An American black duck entertained us with preening.  As the weather gods started spitting at us.  We call the morning quits, packed up and headed home.  But the day photographing is better than any work.

Using the coupon code mborn you will receive a 15% discount on any or all of the Topaz plug-ins.



Help Support my blog by purchasing from Amazon. Clicking on this link and utilizing the link does not cost you anything.
BUY FROM AMAZON

Pictures of the Month.

This month, I decided to choose my pictures early in the month instead of waiting to almost the end of the month to pick them.

July, 2012 photo is of an Osprey hovering over us as the crew from Allens Pond were banding the chicks.

June, 2013 photo was a hard pick.  Either it was of the piping plover chicks or the humpback whales.  I  chose the humpback whale looking down its throat.  Of all the years that I've been photographing whales, this is the first one, looking down its throat.

Pontook Reservoir Berlin New Hampshire

Bald Eagle sitting on ice

Although my recent trip to New Hampshire was for mainly to capture landscapes, we did photograph some wildlife, a few birds, moose, and a red fox.  However, I did find a location that should be excellent for wildlife.  One of the days while we were in Crawford Notch and stopped to do some for photography, we met a couple who told us about a location that had Osprey, Eagles and other species of ducks.  North of Berlin New Hampshire on route 16, there is a Hydroelectric dam and behind it is reservoir, plus marshlands on both sides of the road.  We decided the next day to explore this area and agree it is a good place, both for landscape photography and for wildlife.  There were a number of species of ducks, common mergansers and wood ducks -we were only able to get pictures of the wood duck because the mergansers took off when an Eagle flew overhead.  We observed the Osprey fishing and then sorry bald Eagle, chasing an Osprey to try to get the fish that the Osprey had in its claws.

Wood Ducks

Reflections

Reflections

Bald Eagle

Osprey

I plan again to return next spring and what my idea is to arrive by dawn, pick a location overlooking the marsh on the left side of the road (looking as you would be headed north) and set up a small stool, my tripod, camera and lens, coffee and sit and and wait and observe and hopefully capture the photographs of the various creatures that abound in the area.  The reason to be on the left side is that the sun will be over your shoulder.  If you are up in the White Mountains, this is definitely worth a trip.

Map