Assorted 2018 "Keepers"
/Seven shots from the first half of 2018 that have, for various reason, been designated as "keepers".
Click on images to see a larger version.
Northern Harrier, Jan. 2018, Bosque del Alpache NWR, NM
Nikon D500, 500mm f/4 + 1.4x tc
1/2000 sec at f/6.3, ISO 1400
I usually see several Northern Harriers on my visits to Bosque but, until last January, have never been able to get their images to be very large in the view finder. This shot taken in nice late afternoon light was an exception and went into the Keeper bin.
Double-crested Cormorant, April 2018, Sterne Park, Littleton, CO
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 IS Pro lens + 1.4x tc
1/3200 sec t f/5.6, ISO 2500
Double-crested Cormorants are common birds along the Gulf coast where most of my bird photos were acquired before moving to Colorado, but only rarely have I actually seen the crests which are only present during the breeding season. The visibility of both droopy, snow-moistened crests rescued this image from the recycle bin.
Double-crested Cormorant, April 2018, Sterne Park, Littleton, CO
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 IS Pro lens + 1.4x tc
1/3200 sec t f/5.6, ISO 500
I like the take-off posture with the uplifted wings captured in this image.
Double-crested Cormorant, April 2018, Sterne Park, Littleton, CO
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 IS Pro lens + 1.4x tc
1/3200 sec t f/5.6, ISO 3200
The contrast between the black bird and the reflection of the flowering crabapple tree is what appeals to me about this one.
Great Horned Owl fledgling, May 2018, Crow Valley Campground, Pawnee National Grassland, CO
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera, 300mm f/4 IS Pro lens + 1.4x tc
1/1250 sec at f/6.3, ISO 800, handheld
Only a few Great Horned Owl images are in my folders and I saw fledglings of this species for the first time on this visit to the Pawnee National Grassland. When I first spotted this bird shortly after sunrise, it was entirely in the shadows. But the cooperative bird moved a bit and the cooperative sun continued to rise until the head and neck were in sunlight. The bird flew before the entire bird was in sunlight.