Thank You

I wish to thank everybody that has been reading my blogs.  And again to wish everybody a happy holiday season, no matter what your belief is.  This is the season that everybody should become friends with everybody else.  If we all work together, we would have a much happier world to live in.

I have been reviewing my stats for my blog and have noticed some interesting activity in regards to my audience.  Of course United States has been leading in the countries that view my blog, but in the past, number two was Canada followed by the United Kingdom.  Over the past couple months, that has changed with Russian now in second place, followed by the United Kingdom.

New England Owls

Eastern Screech Owl photographed at Mount Auburn Cemetery

New England has had a total of 12 different species of owls reported.  Of those twelve,  I have photographed six  of the species and have heard one other in New England.  Of the very rarest owl reported - Burrowing Owl, I photographed the burrowing owl in Florida and in California.  I am hoping to observe and photograph the remaining species.


Great Horned Owl  (Bubo virginianus)

Great-horned Owl photograph that Mount Auburn Cemetery

Great-horned Owl, juvenile, photographed at Great Neck Audubon Sanctuary

Barred Owl  (Strix varia)

Barred Owl photographed at the Boston Public Gardens

Eastern Screech Owl  (Megascops asio)

Eastern Screech Owl photographed at an owl prowl at the Stone Barn, Allens Pond Audubon Sanctuary

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus)

Snowy Owl photographed at Duxbury Beach

Snowy Owl photographed at Duxbury Beach

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)

Short-eared Owl photographed at Sachuest National Wildlife Refuge

Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)

Northern Hawk Owl photographed at Palmyra Maine

Northern Hawk Owl photographed at Palmyra Maine

I have only heard the Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) during a bird-a-thon

For the remaining owls: Barn Owl (I have photographed a captive Barn Owl), Long-eared Owl, Boreal Owl, Great Gray Owl; I keep looking at the e- bird news for any information on these owls, so I could plan a trip to try to observe and photograph them.

By the way, here is a photograph of a Burrowing Owl, which I photographed in California and really don't expect to photograph here in New England

Burrowing Owl

Meteor Shower Report

Meteor near the Horizon

On Thursday, December 13 and running into the morning of December 14, eight hardy souls gathered at the Stone Barn to attend my workshop on photographing meteors and to enjoy the event.

When we arrived, the sky was clear as a bell with stars in the Milky Way twinkling above the stone barn and the surrounding environment.  I arrived early with my son and grandson to set up everything for the lecture part of the evening, and to prepare fresh hot Costa Rican coffee for everyone to enjoy.  After the lecture and setting everyone's camera up so that they would be able to try to capture the meteors, we all went outside with cheers and set up the tripod's in the cameras and started taking pictures.  We also were enjoying the spectacular show that was occurring.  They were meteors to the right of us, to the left of us, in front of us, behind us, and over us.

The question early was all the meteors we were seeing part of the Geminid meteor shower or where they, especially those that were in the extreme west part of the new meteor shower.  But, did it really matter.  The show was spectacular, we had at times double meteors in the sky.

The only thing bad that occurred was starting at around 12:30 AM, clouds started moving in from the north and finally obscured the sky right at the time when the highest peak of meteors was supposed to occur.  Oh well, we still saw a spectacular show.  Weather permitting, I will have a another workshop and viewing event in January 3, 4 - Quadrantids Meteor Shower. The Quadrantids are an above average shower, with up to 40 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower usually peaks on January 3 & 4, but some meteors can be visible from January 1 - 5. The near last quarter moon will hide many of the fainter meteors with its glare. Best viewing will be from a dark location after midnight. Look for meteors radiating from the constellation Bootes.  More information to follow, hope to see you.

Meteor in the clouds and fog

Geminid Meteor

Geminid Meteor

Meteor Showers

Well, I am putting together everything into my car to take to my workshop on photographing the Geminids meteor shower tonight.  The Geminid meteor shower is scheduled to peak late tonight into tomorrow morning.

However, I have also gotten information of a second meteor shower that can occur earlier tonight.  This meteor shower, if it occurs, is from the  Comet Wirtanen.  The radiant point of this shower will be in the constellation Pisces, which is up when darkness is falling and will be setting in the West as Gemini is ascending in the East.

So if you can get into a dark area without a lot of city lights had starts watching the sky, starting at between 8 and 9 PM and continuing into early morning you should be able to enjoy a beautiful show in the sky.

Airport 4-Sight Four-Wheeled Roller Temporary Price Reduction!

Our friends at Think Tank Photo just announced that their new Airport 4-Sight four-wheel roller is available in limited quantities at a temporary price reduction to $249.75. This is a $50 savings over the regular price

When I fly, the Airport 4-Sight four-wheel roller is my travel bag.  It will hold my Nikon 500 mm F/4 lens without any difficulty, most of my other equipment.  What doesn't fit into the roller.  I fit into Think Tank Photo's Shape-Shifter bag, which will also hold my 17 inch laptop.  The Airport 4-Sight bag will also fit in the overhead compartment on some of the regional jets, so you do not have to place it into the baggage compartment.

With the Airport 4-Sight’s four swiveling wheels, you are free to move about the airline cabin like never before. Unlike traditional two wheeled rolling bags, the 4-Sight can be rolled along side you, reducing fatigue while hauling gear around town or through crowded airports.

As airlines continue to tighten down weight restrictions, it is more important than ever to have a lightweight bag that offers sufficient space for your gear. The Airport 4-Sight is one of the lightest rollers to meet domestic and international carry-on standards. The 4-Sight comfortably carries up to two standard DSLR bodies with lenses attached and an additional three to five standard lenses. If you use a battery grip or pro bodies with a vertical grip, the 4-Sight offers a number of potential configurations for your gear as well.

Free Gift and Free Shipping With Your Order

As one of my friends, in addition to saving $50 on your order of the Airport 4-Sight you will receive free gear with your order and receive free FedEx Ground shipping!  The free gear and free shipping are good on all of your orders of all gear from Think Tank through December 31, 2012.

Questions?

Email Think Tank at customerservice@thinktankphoto.com or give them a call at (866)558-4465 ext 1 and they will be happy to help you find the right gear for the job.  All of their customer service members are experienced photographers with a vast knowledge of camera support solutions.  It is helpful to note that they don’t work on commission, so you can be assured that they are simply trying to help you find the right gear for your needs.  Be sure to mention my special code, which is WS-542

Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle)

Black Guillemot

Late fall into winter is a great time to observe birds that are not commonly in the local area.  Many of the Alcids will travel down into the Massachusetts area for the winter in my birding so far this fall, have observed, Razorbills, Dovekie's and the Black Guillemot.  I am sorry to say of those three the only species that I have been able to photograph so far is the Black Guillemot.

Black Guillemots in breeding plumage are a medium-size alcid, who are completely black, except for a snowy white oval upper wing patch.  When they fly the under surface of their wings is white.  In the winter.  Their appearance completely changes and are predominantly white with black markings.  They have red legs and feet.  They breed on rocky shores, cliffs and islands on the north Atlantic Coast as far south as Maine and in Europe as far south as Ireland.

One has been present near the boat launching ramp at Salisbury Beach State Reservation, Salisbury, Massachusetts.  This is the one that I have photographed.

Black Guillemot

Black Guillemot

Black Guillemot

Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)

Ordered Merganser – male

Hooded Merganser –  female

It is early winter and this is the time when the Hooded Mergansers start pairing up for the for the coming year's mating season.  The mergansers can be found in winter on freshwater ponds and streams, marshes and protected saltwater bays.  The males will court  the females by rising up the water spreading their white crests and making low groaning sounds.

Hooded Merganser - mating display

Just like wood ducks, hooded mergansers nest in tree cavities and will be even use wood duck boxes, if they are not occupied.

They feed by diving for fish, crayfish, and other food which they will grab in their serrated bills.

Hooded Merganser, female with fish

A great location to view and photograph the Hooded Mergansers is Town Brook Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts, site of The Jenney Grist Mill, where Jenney Pond (Ams House Pond) is located.  You are able to see the mergansers feeding and displaying.

A Birthday and Holiday Greetings

On Saturday, December 8, my great-granddaughter Abby turned five years old.  One of my sons, her father and I picked her up and for her birthday took her rollerskating with a couple of her friends.  An enjoyable day was had by all.

Afterwards, we travel to Cape Neddick Light, otherwise known as Nubble Light in York, Maine to photograph the lighthouse, as it is lit up for the holiday season, and to use as a greeting card.

Irruption

An irruption is not an irruption, it has to do with a specialized bird migration.

Pair of Red Crossbill

Last year we had a irruption of snowy owls, so far this year, it has been winter finches (Pine Grosbeak, Red Crossbill, White-winged Crossbill, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll, and Evening Grosbeak) and I have observed all but the Evening Grosbeak.

An irruption is a dramatic, irregular migration of large numbers of birds to areas where they aren’t typically found, possibly at a great distance from their normal ranges.  While a few vagrant birds of northern species can appear at Southern feeders and in the year, what characterizes an irruption is the large number of unexpected birds.  Irruptions can occur in cycles ranging from 2 to 10 years or they can be completely unpredictable.  One of the major reasons for an irruption is a lack of food in the bird's normal wintering ground.  This causes the birds to seek areas with more plentiful habitat and they will continue to stay until everything in their normal area returns in the spring.

I had discussed in a previous blog about observing red crossbills in the inability to photograph them along with photographs of white-winged crossbills.  Thursdays birding trip allowed me to see the Pine Grosbeak's, but no photograph.  At Salisbury beach state reservation, they were many more crossbills present, including both red crossbills and white-winged crossbills, allowing good photo opportunities, in fact, I was able to obtain a picture of both a male red crossbill, and a white-winged crossbill on the same pine cone.

Male Red Crossbill, and a Male White-winged Crossbill

Red Crossbill

White-winged Crossbill

Juvenile White-winged Crossbill

Also, I had the first of the year Common Redpoll, which was hanging out with the crossbills.

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

Common Redpoll

So, put out the bird seed and watch what shows up at your feeders, it should be an interesting winter.

New Outdoor Backpack

MindShift Gear Launches “rotation180° professional” Kickstarter Campaign

Santa Rosa, California. – MindShift Gear, the new outdoor backpack company co-founded by Think Tank Photo and conservation photographer Daniel Beltrá announces it has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund its rotation180° professional backpack.  The rotation180° professional backpiack brings camera access to a new level.  Its rotating waist pack allows nature and adventure photographers to maintain creative momentum by offering immediate access to primary photo equipment in even the most precarious situations without having to take off the pack, sling it over one shoulder, or even stop hiking.

Through Kickstarter.com’s online pledge system for funding creative projects, MindShift seeks to generate revenue to help pay for production of the First Edition of the new backpack.   To view MindShift’s Kickstarter project go to http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/134466492/rotation180-photo-backpack

The rotation180° professional’s integrated belt pack will be able to hold a pro sized DSLR and two lenses, or the 70-200mm f2.8 attached to a body. Additional photo equipment, such as a spare body, flash, and up to five lenses, can be stored in the upper compartment’s removable camera insert. For minimalist excursions the insert can be removed and the pack filled with other outdoor gear. An internal aluminum frame supports and stabilizes heavy loads and the side pocket holds up to a three-quart optional hydration bladder.

Optional accessories for the rotation180° professional include a detachable top lid pocket, modular lens case, waterproof ground sheet, additional gear attachment straps, and a unique tripod support system for effortless hands free roaming with the camera and tripod are comfortably suspended from the shoulder harness.

“Our goal was to build a technical day pack that provides unprecedented access to one’s gear, protection, and plenty of room for other outdoor essentials,” said MindShift co-founder Doug Murdoch. Research and development of the rotation180º professional is complete and the Kickstarter funds will enable us to place an order for the first production run.”

rotation180° professional Capacity:

The rotation180° professional has two customizable gear carrying compartments, a lower rotating belt pack and upper pack which is accessed from either the top or back panels. Some packing examples:

·        Belt pack: Pro size DSLR with 70-200mm f2.8 lens attached, or Pro dSLR with smaller lens attached and one additional lens, plus filters, binoculars, or other small accessories.

·        Backpack: DSLR with 300mm f2.8 lens attached, flash, and two to four additional lenses. Or, remove the insert and use the space for extra personal gear.

rotation180° professional Features:

·        Large front pocket holds bulky items like a down jacket.

·        Four tripod carrying options

·        Removable tripod cup accessory holds large variety of tripod sizes or can be used to carry a snow shovel, helmet or other items.

·        Waterproof rain cover allows full functionality of rotating belt pack.

·        Side pocket holds up to a three-quart hydration bladder (not included).