Backyard in Bellevue

I would like to photograph bears in Alaska and rhinos in Africa.  I may have that opportunity someday.  If I travel there, I'll find that Africa and Alaska are huge places and I'll only see them for a few hours.  With luck and a good guide I would end up with a photo of a bear or rhino.  The best photos of Africa and Alaska are taken by people who live there and see it over and over again in all sorts of weather and times of year.  They  take wonderful photos of bears or rhinos because they live in their backyard.  

 

Bears don't live in my backyard.  They lived in Nebraska a couple hundred years ago.  If more than a couple return, Nebraska would "manage" them by creating a hunting season for them just like the way they recently welcomed the return of elk and mountain lions.  

I photographed birds in my backyard on March 19th.  This Tufted Titmouse dropped by for a few seconds.  I was able to get a photo of him sitting on one of my deck chairs.  I would have liked to photograph it in a more natural habitat.  My photo is sharp and perfectly exposed.  If I spend enough time, I'll be able to get a good photo of it on a more natural perch.

This Blue Jay was looking for a peanut.  It is sharp, perfectly exposed and the perch is natural.  The composition could be better - the Blue Jay is centered and the branch is horizontal.

 I photographed this American Robin sitting on a branch.  My timing was great. It has its tail fanned out in an unusual and attractive display  and it is looking directly at me.  It is exceptionally sharp and perfectly exposed.  I like the natural branch and it's diagonal slant.  It may be too perfectly centered, but I like it the way it is cropped.

When I photograph backyard wildlife I practice composition, timing, focus and exposure.  I constantly critique my work and look for ways to improve.  The more I practice, the better I become or at least I remain proficient.

If I have the opportunity to photography wildlife in Alaska or Africa, I'll be limited to a few very expensive days.  My backyard skills for composition, timing, focus and exposure will travel with me.  While my fellow travelers are fumbling with their cameras and trying to remember how to use them, I'll be taking photos that are correctly exposed, in focus and with good composition.  My backyard skills will travel with me.

The Robins Have Arrived

Robins are a sure sign of spring in Nebraska.  I've seen them around for several weeks outside of my yard.   It was perched on a log with a small amount of light snow.  The early bird may get the worm but it's hard to pull a worm out of frozen ground.  My bird feeder was an attractive alternative so I was able to photograph this one in my backyard today (March 16). 

This curious House Sparrow is showing off its gray feather covered head as it decided when to hop down for a drink.  In freezing weather, unfrozen water is a welcome treat.

Blue Jays are attracted to the peanuts I provide.  They quickly fly away with every nut I put out.  This one is checking the floor of my deck in hopes of finding another fallen peanut.

A Pair of Hawks

The cries of a Blue Jay alerted me to a problem in the back yard.  A hawk had been spotted.  All of the small birds around the bird feeders were gone.  I saw flapping wings and a red tail as the hawk spotted me nearing my kitchen window.  The hawk settled into a tree on the other side of the second hole of the Fontenelle Hills golf course.  He intended to wait for me to leave.

It didn't take long to set up my tripod, attach my camera and focus on the hawk.  Never underestimate the value of preparation and practice when fast action is required.  The hawk was still there.  In fact, it had been joined by another.

My kitchen window wasn't sparkling clean, but I took a few shots anyway.  I knew that the hawks would leave if they sensed any danger.  Even with over 100 yards of distance and over 30 vertical feet of loess canyon between us, they would remain cautious.

I knew I could do better without the window glass, so with several shots on the card, I decided to risk disturbing the hawks.  I set the camera up by my patio door and had my wife slowly open it until I had a view that was completely free of glass.  To my surprise, the hawks remained.  Unfortunately, the 20 degree outside air rushed in and the 70 degree air in the room rushed out,  The distortion caused by the differences in heat were worse than dirty glass.

I decided to risk moving outside.  My sun porch is next to the kitchen.   It is unheated and has a view of the backyard.  With considerable stealth I moved out to the porch and secured the screen door open.  One hawk flew away.  The other remained for a few more seconds before leaving as well.

I used a Canon 1D Mark IV with an 800mm lens for this photo.  The image above is cropped - its about 10% of the frame.