Mather Lake 2-hr birding ... some lifers

[Teddy Regpala]

For what it's worth, I decided to fine tune the focus of my AFS 300/4 with the TCs.
Bare, the 300/4 never needed any fine tuning. But since I'm not really happy with my results with the TC (I thought it's the nature of TCs to be softer than without), I went ahead and fine tuned the focus.
With the 1.4x TC, it needed +18 (been front-focusing! gggrrr!)
With the 1.7x TC, only +4.
(thank goodness for the D300's AF fine tuning feature)

So off I went to Mather Lake for testing (excused myself for a couple of hours from a family gathering at my bro-in-law's house after breakfast).

All were taken with Nikon D300, AFS 300 f/4 with 1.7x TC, Tripod mounted with 393 Manfrotto Gimbal. (shooting details to follow later)

First off, my (almost) lifers:

Northern Flicker


Pie-Billed Grebe (not sure yet)


Not great, but still a lifer, Mute Swans. An introduced specie in North America, originally this is Eurasian.


One of my favorites to shoot, Canada Goose


And my (failed) attempt at BIF ... wrong SS settings though.


Turkey Vulture, to remind me not to rest. The power line destroyed the image.


Some Geese, not sure the specific species.




Black Phoebe, not the best from the sortie, but this is a 100% crop.


An unknown Sparrow, care to ID? It may not even be a sparrow.


An itchy Great Egret, an almost 100% crop. I NEED more reach ...


A sick bird, no ID yet.


And some running Coots.


C&C welcome.

[allylaurente]

Like the geese with a black bill. First time to see this kind of species.

Ally

[Bob Kaufman]

Good harvest, Ted.
Pied-billed is correct.
Your geese are Graylag - Anser anser (with the orange bill) and Swan Goose - Anser cygnoides (with the knob) both semi-domesticated, you see them in parks everywhere.
Your swan is possibly Tundra. Mutes usually have a bright orange beak like this:

The sparrow is a Savannah -Passerculus sandwichensis (note the yellow on the area in front of the eye). here's a sample:

the sick bird is a Northern Mockingbird- Mimus polyglottus

[Teddy Regpala]

Thanks Bob.

Oct 14, 2008 15:57:12 GMT Bob Kaufman said:

Your swan is possibly Tundra. Mutes usually have a bright orange beak like this ...

A Tundra That's even a better lifer. But, isn't it that Tundras have black bills? The swans I saw have yellowish. I know, it's hard to see from my captures. But my position in relation to the sun was not ideal. I really don't have a good vantage point, and after a while the swans were out of sight.
The eastern part f the lake is like a marshland, there are islands of tall grasses like a maze.

Oct 14, 2008 15:57:12 GMT Bob Kaufman said:

The sparrow is a Savannah -Passerculus sandwichensis (note the yellow on the area in front of the eye).

Thanks, will take note of that.

Oct 14, 2008 15:57:12 GMT Bob Kaufman said:

the sick bird is a Northern Mockingbird- Mimus polyglottus

I knew it! I knew that I've encountered these bird before.
If it flew, I could have noticed the underwing patterns.

I came late, before noon. I've planned to go much earlier, but family gatherings are unpredictable. The lake is just a 5 minute drive away though.

I really wanted to stay longer, as I want to take BIFs of egret, and the geese. I even saw a GBH (Great Blue Heron), but it flew away to the maze of tall mars vegetation.
I even saw a hawk, not just once, but about three or four times.
Unfortunately I'm not prepared as I was shooting something else.

This lake is really cool this time around, as migratories are having their pit stop. I didn't hear any killdeers and not much blackbirds this time though (brewer's, red-winged, and some say even yellow-headed can be seen too).
This is not a pretty lake though. It's just a pool that's preserved at the end of a golf course which the Air Force officers used to play on. The former airbase is now a commercial airport. Developments can now be seen around the area, and the new public park was developed next to the lake.

Good birding site, especially if you have a floating blind (or even an inflatable raft will do) so you can follow the birds to the unknown.

[Romy Ocon]

What a harvest, Ted!

Fine shots too, Bob.

[raymondjbarlow]

good shooting Ted., those are mute swan juveniles, their beaks will be orange soon., cool to see your focus tuning worked out... maybe I should check my rig our sometime., is is worth it to do that on a zoom?

[Teddy Regpala]

Oct 16, 2008 1:59:24 GMT raymondjbarlow said:

good shooting Ted., those are mute swan juveniles, their beaks will be orange soon., cool to see your focus tuning worked out... maybe I should check my rig our sometime., is is worth it to do that on a zoom?

Hi Ray, nice to see you posting again. Must be busy with the workshops eh?
I haven't been really birding recently, am really busy. Just stealing time whenever possible. Backyard birds are not that many either, volume-wise.

Not sure about fine-tuning a zoom, like your 200-400, as it's a compromise with either the short or the long end. If you're going to fine-tune yours, do it in the focal length you use most.

Not sure if you need it though, your images are excellent! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. ;D

[Teddy Regpala]

Oct 16, 2008 1:09:43 GMT Romy Ocon said:

What a harvest, Ted!

Fine shots too, Bob.

Thanks Romy. I wish my captures are as nice. I still have a lot of learning to do. ;D

[Mark Itol]

That's a bountiful harvest, Ted.

[Jun Gregorio]

great job Ted *thumbs UP* X 2