Photos of Aerial Feeding by Tricolored Herons

/

Aerial feeding by Snowy Egrets has been observed by many people. Among the various forms that have been described are: hovering to retrieve surface food, agitating the water with one or both feet while hovering (hovering-stirring), capturing prey from the water while continuing in direct flight (dipping), and dragging one or both feet in the water while catching prey during direct flight (foot-dragging). I have observed Snowy Egrets engaged in foot-dragging feeding many times and have quite a few photos of the behavior. An example is shown below.

On a recent trip to the eastern coast of central Florida I saw and photographed Tricolored Herons engaged in the foot-dragging feeding behavior. Photos of the behavior are below. This was the first time I had observed Tricolored Herons feeding in this manner.

The bird is dragging the feet and leaving a disturbance of the water that marks the flight/drag path. Presumably, based on the head position, the bird has spotted a potential prey off to the right.

That (my interpretation) initiated a short hop in which the feet leave the water and …..

the bird lands a short distance away (note the distance beween the location of the feet in this photo and the flight/drag path behind the bird.

The bird lifts the wings to positions that create a shadow. Some ornithologists speculate that the shadow area may be perceived by minnows as a place to hide.

The foot-dragging episode ends with the heron striking in an attempt to capture the prey, ….

an attempt that is successful.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Wilson's Snipe and their reflections

/

The photos were taken on January 25 and 26, 2025 at Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island NWR, FL.

Olympus OM-1 camera and 150-400 f4.5 tc lens

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

The Wood Stork as a model for staying in sync with your mate

/

A slide show of photos taken Jan. 26, 2025 on the Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island NWR - click on the arrow to advance.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Green Heron & Reflection Compared

/

While visiting Merritt Island NWR in Florida, I have been amazed by the detail preserved in the reflection of birds when the water is still. Actually, I seem to have become addicted to including the reflection in the photos of my subjects. Evidence of my addiction is found below.

Photo of the Green Heron

Photo of the reflection of the bird

The reflections of the birds are a bit darker than the image of the bird. It should be noted that during post processing, I adjusted the exposure slider to try to remove that difference in order to enable comparison of the detail in the image of the bird and that of the reflection.

The photo of the reflection of the bird has been flipped vertically.

Image of the bird on the left and the flipped version of the reflection on the right

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Snowy Egrets engaged in foot-dragging feeding behavior

/

I had many opportunities to view and photograph the foot-dragging feeding behavior of Snowy Egrets while spending December, 2024 and January, 2025 in Titusville, Florida. Eight photos of successful behavior in which the catch can be seen in the beak of the bird are shown below. The last photo captured an occasion in which success may have been thwarted because a tern reached the prey first.

Both birds in the photo above have minnows in their beaks. It was when I saw pools of water with multiple birds simultaneouly engaged in the foot-dragging behavior that I was motivated to photograph the action. Thus, my efforts to photograph the foot-dragging behavior almost never yielded a photo of a single bird in the frame. The photos showing a single bird are cropped versions of the original.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Who Gives A Hoot

/
 

Who gives a hoot

about the feet

of a Coot,

 

even if for fun

across the water

you might run.

 
 

But, finding your lover

might be difficult

in the midst of a cover*.

*The collective noun for coots is a cover.

 

Photo of a cover of American Coots taken in January 2016 at Merritt Island NWR in Florida

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Book: Compilation of Blog Entries V2

/

Just finished. A pdf version can be seen using the link below.

BlogCompilation_V3 Pages - white-compressed.pdf

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Photos of Pied-billed Grebes, some taken recently in North Dakota

/

"Part bird, part submarine, the Pied-billed Grebe is common across much of North America." This is the first sentence in the CornellLab All About Birds overview of Pied-billed Grebe. In this blog post, I show photos that illustrate a few other statements selected from All About Birds description of the bird and its behavior.

“Like other grebes, the Pied-billed Grebe creates an open bowl nest on a platform of floating vegetation. “

Olympus E-M1X camera with M.150-400mm F4.5 TC + 1.4x tc (263mm)
1/2500 sec at f/8, ISO 1600
July 2, 2021, North Dakota

“Like other grebes, the Pied-billed Grebe creates an open bowl nest on a platform of floating vegetation. “

Olympus OM-1 camera with M.150-400mm F4.5 TC lens (375mm)
1/2000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 400
June 15, 2024, North Dakota

“The Latin genus name for grebe, "podylimbus," means “feet at the buttocks”—an apt descriptor for these birds, whose feet are indeed located near their rear ends.”

Olympus OM-1 camera with M.150-400mm F4.5 TC lens (500mm)
1/1600 sec at f/5.6, ISO 2000
November 23, 2022, St. Marks NWR, FL

“They use their chunky bills to kill and eat large crustaceans along with a great variety of fish, amphibians, insects, and other invertebrates.”

Olympus E-M1X camera with M.150-400mm F4.5 TC (406mm)
1250 sec at f/5.6, ISO 1000
November 06, 2021, Anahuac NWR, TX

“Juveniles have striped faces.”

Nikon D4 camera with 500mm f/4 lens + 2x teleconverter (1000mm)
1/1600 sec at f/9, ISO 1000
October 01, 2014, Anahuac NWR, TX

“Juveniles accompany adults for several weeks.”

Olympus OM-1 camera with M.150-400mm F4.5 TC lens (459mm)
1/1600 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
June 15, 2024, North Dakota

“Juveniles accompany adults for several weeks.”

Olympus OM-1 camera with M.150-400mm F4.5 TC lens (459mm)
1/1600 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
June 15, 2024, North Dakota

“Juveniles accompany adults for several weeks.”

Olympus OM-1 camera with M.150-400mm F4.5 TC lens (406mm)
1/1600 sec at f/5.6, ISO 800
June 15, 2024, North Dakota

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Photos from a tour of Glacier National Park in Montana - July, 2024

/

The tour was led by led by Chuck Haney (https://portfolios.chuckhaney.com/). Chuck lives in Montana and has been hiking, biking, and photographing Glacier for more than 30 years. I enjoyed the interactions with him and the seven other photographers on the tour.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Aerial feeding of a Young Black Tern near Chase Lake NWR in North Dakota - June, 2024

/

This photo sequence was taken with an OM-1 camera with a 150-400mm f4.5 tc lens @ 207mm; Settings were 1/2500 sec at f/4.5, ISO 500.

Click on each image to see a larger version.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Photos of Reddish Egrets - Bolivar Peninsula, TX - April 26, 2024 - Capturing, Part 1

/

This is another addition to the blog featuring photos of Reddish Egrets taken during a recent visit to the Bolivar Peninsula. I sorted the photos of the birds feeding activity into three categories: chasing, capturing, and consuming. This entry is Capturing - Part 1.

The photos are of a Reddish Egret feeding on the Bolivar Flats Beach on a very windy and cloudy day. All photos were taken with an Olympus OM-1 camera with Olympus 150-400mm lens with built in 1.25x teleconverter set at 500 mm. Other settings were 1/2500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 500.

A slightly larger version of each photo can be seen by clicking on the image.

Reddish Egret - Bolivar Peninsula - Capturing, Part 1-1.jpg

Reddish Egret - Bolivar Peninsula - Capturing, Part 1-2.jpg

Reddish Egret - Bolivar Peninsula - Capturing, Part 1-3.jpg

Reddish Egret - Bolivar Peninsula - Capturing, Part 1-4.jpg

Reddish Egret - Bolivar Peninsula - Capturing, Part 1-5.jpg

Reddish Egret - Bolivar Peninsula - Capturing, Part 1-6.jpg

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Photos of Reddish Egrets - Bolivar Peninsula, TX - April 18 - May 4, 2024 - Chasing, Part 2

/

This is second addition to the blog featuring photos of Reddish Egrets taken during a recent visit to the Bolivar Peninsula. I sorted the photos of the birds feeding activity into three categories: chasing, capturing, and consuming. This entry is Chasing - Part 2.

The photos are of a Reddish Egret feeding on the Bolivar Flats Beach on a very windy and cloudy day. All photos were taken with an Olympus OM-1 camera with Olympus 150-400mm lens with built in 1.25x teleconverter set at 500 mm. Other settings were 1/2500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 500.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Photos of Reddish Egrets - Bolivar Peninsula, TX - April 18 - May 4, 2024 - Chasing, Part 1

/

This is the first of a few additions to my blog with photos of Reddish Egrets taken during my recent visit to the Bolivar Peninsula. I have sorted the photos of the birds feeding activity into three categories: chasing, capturing, and consuming. This entry is Chasing - Part 1.

The photos are of a Reddish Egret feeding in the Bolivar Flats Audubon Sanctuary adjacent to Rettilion (no litter spelled backwards) Road in Port Bolivar, TX. All photos were taken with an Olympus OM-1 camera with Olympus 150-400mm lens. Settings were f4.5 @ 400mm 1/4000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 500.

Click on an image to see a slightly larger view.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

The North Jetty on Bolivar Peninsula, TX

/

The North Jetty, on the southern end of the Bolivar Peninsula, is one of the two jetties which guard the entrance to Galveston Bay and the ship channel. The jetty was built of huge granite blocks in the 1890's by the Army Corp of Engineers and extends over five miles into the Gulf of Mexico.

This photo of American Avocets was taken while I was standing on the jetty and illustrates that is an excellent place for birding when the tide is low.

Many people use it for fishing.

It is also a good place to view the variety of ships and boats that use the protected channel to the Port of Galveston, Port of Texas City and The Port of Houston.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Orcas

/

Orcas (Orcinus area) are toothed whales of the suborder Odontoceti which includes dolphins and porpoises and other species of whales with a single blowhole on the top of the head and, in adults, teeth. The orca, also known as a killer whale, is the largest member of the dolphin family. Orcas have a large black body, large dorsal fins, a white underside, and a white patch above and behind the eye.

Adult orcas are about 27-33 feet long and weigh 8,000 to 12,000 pounds. The male orca is larger than the female. Orcas, highly social animals, travel in groups (pods) usually consisting of 5 - 30 individuals led by females. They hunt together using echolocation (reflection of sound to find the location of fish).

Several innovative, cooperative hunting techniques have been described including attacks on even very large prey.

On August 12,201O a pod of orcas killed and ate a minke whale near Witless Bay, Newfoundland. This was a rare event and articles about the sighting appeared in several local papers. I was partici­pating in a photography workshop hosted by Ray Barlow with two other photographers. We had arranged to rent one of Eco-tours 22' Zodiacs (with captain) to visit an island with Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds. Instead we photographed action associated with the orca/minke interaction.

Quotes from August 19, 201 newspaper (Globe and Mail)

"Orcas are being sighted in increasing numbers off the coast of Newfoundland this month, and experienced whale watchers have been shocked on three occasions to see the carnivorous predators killing the local minke whales."

"Bob Bartlett, of Trinity Eco-Tours in Trinity Bay, has been observing the local waters for more than two decades as a recreational and commercial diver and tour operator. On Tuesday, he and a boatful of whale watchers filmed a pod of six orcas surrounding and devouring a minke, a much more common species. It's rare for them to be here, its rare to catch an attack on film or even see one ... everything is just so rare, it's unbelievable, Mr. Bartlett said. In 25 years, he's never seen orcas before."

Orca, near Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010

Orca, near Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010

Orca, near Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010. Male orcas are larger than females and have a tall dorsal fin - up to six feet in height.

Orca and minke (center) whales near Witless Bay (Newfoundland, August 2010). The minke is out of focus. I did not know the minke was in the frame until viewing the photos later. I was trying to focus on the male on the right.

Orcas passing between our Zodiac and fishermen leaving Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010.

Orca, near Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010

Orca, near Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010

Orca, near Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010

Orca, near Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010

Eight to twelve thousand pound Orca swimming toward the boat Molly Bawn. Witless Bay, Newfoundland - August 2010. Does the captain look concerned?

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Northern Gannets

/

In 2010 I spent August 10-17 in Newfoundland on a photo tour organized by Raymond Barlow. A few photos taken on that trip have appeared in Facebook but during a recent review of the topics covered in my blog, I was surprised to discover that there are no entries devoted to the trip. This entry is the first part of an effort to correct this omission by presenting several photos of Northern Gannets taken at the Cape St. Mary's Ecological Reserve. I found notes indicating Cape St. Mary's has 11,000+ nesting pairs of Northern Gannets, 10,000+ nesting pairs of Common Murre, 10,000+ nesting pairs of Black-legged Kittiwakes, 150+ nesting pairs of Razorbills, 60+ nesting pairs of Black Guillemot, and 1,000+ nesting pairs of Thick-billed Murre.

Nikon D300 with 500mm f/4 lens
1/3200 sec at f/4, ISO 250

The Northern Gannet, the largest member of the gannet family, usually spots prey when they are 20-30 meters above sea level. The wings are used as rudders during their high speed dive to control dive direction. The wings are closed just before they hit the water and their velocity carries them deep into the water and they can then swim even deeper to catch fish at depths not accessible to most other birds.

Nikon D300 with 500mm f/4 lens
1/3200 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

Northern Gannets are mostly white, but have a yellow head, a long, pointed bill, and brown or black wingtips,

Juvenile Northern Gannet

Nikon D300 with 500mm f/4 lens and 1.7x teleconverter
1/2000 sec at f/5, ISO 200

Nikon D300 with 300mm f/4 lens and 1.4 x teleconverter
1/1000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 200

Nikon D300 with 300mm f/4 lens and 1.4 x teleconverter
1/1000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 200

Nikon D300 with 300mm f/4 lens
1/1250 sec at f/5.0, ISO 200

Nikon D300 with 500mm f/4 lens
1/5000 sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

Nikon D300 with 500mm f/4 lens
1/500 sec at f/5.0, ISO 200

The white specs are birds. Use this photo to interpret the next two.
Nikon D300 with 300mm f/4 lens
1/400 sec at f/11, ISO 200

Nikon D300 with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 18mm
1/160 sec at f/11, ISO 200

Nikon D300 with 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 lens @ 65 mm
1/320 sec at f/11, ISO 200

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Two more photos of Sandhill Cranes - Monte Vista NWR, CO - March 11-12, 2024

/

Click on each image to see a slightly larger view.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Sandhill Cranes - Monte Vista NWR, CO - March 11-12, 2024

/

Click on each image to see a slightly larger version.

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

Jumping Sandhill Cranes: Monte Vista NWR, CO - March 2024

/

Ten photos of courting Sandhill Cranes. Click on the link below to learn more about the courtship dance and to listen to the calls of the cranes.

https://www.birdnote.org/.../shows/leaping-sandhill-cranes

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit. 

March 24, 2024 - A Good Day

/

One of my daughter-in-laws and I had an early lunch in downtown Denver before attending a lecture about Mozart's Requiem and the concert featuring the Requiem.

Boettcher Concert Hall at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. Photo taken during the lecture (click on the image for a larger view). Mozart's Requiem was performed by the Colorado Symphony with Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian, the Colorado Symphony Chorus directed by Duain Wolfe, and featured artists Yulia Van Doren (soprano), Diana Moore (alto), Isaiah Bell (tenor), and Andrew Garland (baritone).

/ /

David Sparks

I retired in 2005 after 40 years of research and teaching at the University of Alabama in Birmingham (24 years), the University of Pennsylvania (8 years) and the Baylor College of Medicine (8 years). Photography is my retirement hobby.

Nature photography, especially bird photography, combines a number of things that I really enjoy: bird-watching, being outdoors, photography, travel, messing about with computers, and learning new skills and concepts.  I now spend much of my time engaged in these activities.

David Sibley in the preface to The Sibley Guide to Birds wrote "Birds are beautiful, in spectacular as well as subtle ways; their colors, shapes, actions, and sounds are among the most aesthetically pleasing in nature."  My goal is to acquire images that capture the beauty and uniqueness of selected species as well as images that highlight the engaging behaviors the birds exhibit.