I just posted a series of photos I took this morning of a bald eagle pair mating
in a tree behind the MNWR visitor center. The male (on the right) is banded. I
couldn't see a band on the female. This is my first posting. The name of my
album is John Fox.

-Please change my email address to b28j02@....

Barbara Harper

Saw this fairly large beetle climbing on my wife flowers.  Does anyone know what
it is?
Picture is posted Montezuma Flicker group site.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jack-portbay/

Thanks

--- In montezumaphotography@yahoogroups.com, "fransampson56" <fransampson56@...>
wrote:
>
> Hello,
> I just got home from a visit to the Montrezuma Refuge area. I THINK I saw from
6-8, maybe more Golden Eagles. Is this possible? I have some pictures using a MF
lens that is 800mm with a 2x attachment. The wind was so srong today, and Im an
amature. Some came out ok. Anyone want to help me with this?
> Fran
>
Fran:
   I suspect that you may have seen either immature bald eagles( it takes them
about 5 years to get their white head and tail) or it could have been turkey
vultures.  Please post the pictures.  Vultures tend to fly with their wings tips
slightly up in a v shape where eagles have their wings out flat.
Jack

Hello everyone,

I'm writing just to let you know that I've created a flickr group for Montezuma
photography.

Please feel free to take a look, or to join and add your own photos of the
wetlands!

The url is: http://www.flickr.com/groups/1014650@N25/

Hope to see you there!
Cheers,
Erin

Hi Everyone,   Today was a Snowy Day,  SNOWY OWLS that is.  I found 3
today. The first was at the intersection of Center Road and County Rd.
129 SE of Ovid. This bird tends to hang around the house on the SE
corner of the intersection.
   The second Owl was on Kuneytown Road,  NE of Fayette. That bird was on
the west side of the brick house ( the only house on the north side of
the road ). It was hiding behind a cattle troth.
   The 3rd Snowy was on Shortcut Road near Meridian. Take Rt 34 North of
Weedsport, after about 3 miles turn right on Shortcut and go 2 miles to
the farm on the left. The bird has been reliably perching on a pole
right along the road.

Fred Bertram

Hi Everyone,

  Julie and I drove through Seneca County today looking for the SNOWY
OWLS. We quickly found one at the corner of Kuneytown and Seybolt Roads.
It was about 300 feet on the west side of Seyblot. We continued on and
turned around at Center Road and county Road 129 without finding any
other owls. On the way back we stopped to see if the first Snowy had
moved. It did, but unfortunately we found it dead  about 40 feet from
Kuneytown Road. I knocked on the doors of the 2 farm houses to get
permission to retrieve the owl but no one answered the door.  I ducked
under the electric fence ( with hopes that there was not another wire
buried in the snow). I picked up the owl and place it in a large plastic
bag. This was a mere 40 minutes after we had seen the bird and its body
was still very warm.
  A minute later we ran into Jane Graves and her friend. I handed the owl
to them and asked if it could be dropped off at the Lab of O.. We left
and further down the road ran into Tom McDonald (AKA The Owl Man ). Tom
has banded nearly 500 Snowys. We turned the bird over to him. He will
forward it to Ward Stone. The bird was a 7 month old female with healthy
fat reserves. Tom said that it appeared to have run into a car. Snowys
are one of my all time favorite birds and it was difficult to see this.
By the way this was not the bird that had a bloodied face, so there is
hope that that bird is still around.

Fred Bertram

Hi, I have put a photo of the Snowy Owl in Seneca Falls up on the
Yahoo site ( Fred Bertram). Take a look at it. Is it injured? The Owl
looked active and alert tonight. I would think if the Owl captured
prey that was big enough to bloody its face, he would also have blood
on the feet/talons.???

Fred Bertram

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26537sm\
all.jpg
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26537.j\
pg

South of Carncross
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26542sm\
all.jpg
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26542me\
dium.jpg

Carncross Salt Marsh east of Howland Island
Whole photo
small
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26541sm\
all.jpg
medium 1200 dpi
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26541me\
dium.jpg

Detail of Carncross Salt Marsh
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26541ca\
rncross_small.jpg
800 DPI
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26541ca\
rncross_800dpi.jpg
2400 DPI
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26541ca\
rncross.jpg

Howland Island
Small
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26539sm\
all.jpg
Medium
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26539me\
dium.jpg
Here is the same image with many features numbered
Medium
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26539nu\
mbered_medium.jpg
Large
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~springport/pictures265/26539nu\
mbered.jpg
Postcard of CCC camp
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/%7Espringport/pictures_5/00000558.jpg

Awesome shot John! What a sight.

Fred Bertram

John Dougherty wrote:
>
> I opened an album and posted a photo of the RWBB flock taken on East
> Road in November after the soybeans were harvested.
> Various ISO and shutter speeded were tried. ISO 800 F/7.1 at
> 1/800th produced the best reds.
>
> John Dougherty
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.2/1873 - Release Date: 1/3/2009 2:14
PM
>
>

I opened an album and posted a photo of the RWBB flock taken on East
Road in November after the soybeans were harvested.
    Various ISO and shutter speeded were tried.  ISO 800 F/7.1 at
1/800th produced the best reds.

John Dougherty

I posted the first incarnation of my Photo Instruction & Information Websites file in spreadsheet.pdf  form.  Go to the group site and click on files.

I also posted the second edition of my Photographers' Websites.  If you'd like your site added to the 3rd edition, please contact me.

If the Nov. 16th workshop fills, I will repeat it this winter.  Smaller groups permit more individualized attention.

Revisions to my 14-page "Nature Photography" teaching outline are underway.  Members can get a free draft e-copy by contacting me at northeastnaturalist@...  (Please ignore formatting inconsistencies.)  The "Composition" file on this group's site was taken from this outline.  I have yet to add illustrative photos.

Best Wishes,

Dave

Hi All, Thanks to Cheri for giving us the heads up regarding the Bald
Eagles at Montezuma. I had to go to Auburn this morning, and on the
way back to Geneva (10:45) I got several nice shots of an adult
sitting right next to the drive. I put one in my yahoo folder.

Fred Nertram

I just posted some eagle shots from Tuesday.

Cheri Sassman

I arrived later than usual at 'Zuma Tuesday because I stopped to vote
first.  At 8:30 I pulled into the Nature Center parking lot only to
find high drama taking place.  Five adult bald eagles were sending
the ducks and geese in flight near and far.

As usual, by the time I could grab my equipment the best hunting
shots were gone.  Oh, well--the price of good citizenship!

However, a pair of adults were persistent and eventually came in for
a landing right in front of me as I stood in the parking lot on the
south side of the building.  I was joined by a couple of other
photographers as we watched the pair land and act as though they were
hoping for an unwary bird to drop its guard.  Nothing like that
happened but we had a good 10 minutes of shooting opportunities.

I think that's a good hunting spot for them there since the water is
shallow.  Where it's deeper the birds can submerge to evade them.

Nothing as dramatic happened the rest of the day but it was a grand
time to be out on a great Indian summer day.

Cheri Sassman

[i]I'd also like to discuss sources of free photography information.
Does anyone subscribe to relevant magazines that could be passed
along to others at the workshops?[/i]

One of my primary sources of photograpy information is
dpchallenge.com.  They have weekly photo contests and a forum where
you can discuss, or ask questions, of anything related to
photography.  This group might have liked last weeks contest.  The
theme was wildlife.  Membership is free, but to enter in the
advanced contests you need to pay $25 a year.  A bargin IMO.  I hope
this helps.

Rick



--- In montezumaphotography@yahoogroups.com, Dave Spier
<northeastnaturalist@...> wrote:
>
> Good question.  I'm still "planning" it, but I'd like to start
with a give-and-take session on what makes a good photograph and how
can we use that to improve our own photography.  That's why I want
people to bring examples of photos they really love, regardless of
the source.  I expect to get a variety of opinions and personal
preferences.  The emphasis will probably be on lighting and
composition after we "guess" what lens was used to take each photo. 
I'd also like to discuss sources of free photography information.
> Does anyone subscribe to relevant magazines that could be passed
along to others at the workshops?
> I'm also open to suggestions for the workshop.
> Dave
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: flahertygamecalls <tom@...>
> To: montezumaphotography@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, October 27, 2008 4:34:45 AM
> Subject: [montezumaphotography] photo work shop
>
>
> Dave,
> What will be the subject matter for the photo work shop on the
16th.
>

I'm glad we went Monday.  I wonder how many of those fall colors will
still be on the trees after the weather that moved in.

After checking some of my shots, I noticed that there were a few
Gadwalls hanging around the Coots, too.  I don't know if they were
sharing in the feast or not but they stayed in among the group while
we were there.

--- In montezumaphotography@yahoogroups.com, Julie Horton
<jhorton8@...> wrote:
>
> Nice Shots! I like the fall colors behind the snow geese. I too,
have
> noticed the interaction between Coot and Widgeons.
>
> Fred Bertram
>
> cesassman wrote:
> >
> > I've uploaded a few pictures from my trip yesterday to the Refuge.
> >
> > At the pool, a flock of about 1,000 snow geese landed to join
the "duck
> > soup".
> >
> > Have you ever noticed that American Widgeons always seem to be
among
> > flocks of feeding Coots? I've been observing this for quite a few
> > years--it seems to be almost a symbiotic relationship. The Coots
dive
> > for food and the Widgeons move in for part of the feast. The Coots
> > seem to be resigned to the situation. I've posted a shot of a
Widgeon
> > moving in on a feeding Coot--the Coot dropped his snack and it was
> > snatched right up. I've seen this happening in other locations
besides
> > Montezuma so it must be a common relationship.
> >
> > Coot muggings--what is the world coming to?
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------------
------
> >
> >
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> > Version: 8.0.173 / Virus Database: 270.8.2/1737 - Release Date:
10/21/2008 9:10 AM
> >
> >
>

Yes, I was shooting across the pool with a 600mm lens with a 1.4
teleconverter so I was pulling them in from quite a distance.  These
birds flew in and landed while we were there.  For all we know, they
might have been a different group than was reported earlier.

You think you're bummed out--we drove all over trying to find the
Sandhill Cranes.  Then we find out the day afterward that they were at
Armitage Rd.--the only place we didn't hit--along with a flock of
Trumpeter Swans.  Life is just not fair!

--- In montezumaphotography@yahoogroups.com, "Sally Campagnone"
<CowsRcute@...> wrote:
>
>  Nice photo but I am bummed out!  We read in the paper about the snow
> geese and  we went last Thursday and didn't see a single one!  We saw
> some egrets but they were too far away to photograph.  We saw Canadian
> geese, some ducks, coots and a couple of blue herons.  That was it!
> Were we looking in the wrong places?  It looks like the snow geese
> picture you posted was taken on the drive around the big pond where
> most of the Canadian geese and ducks were when we were there.
>

Nice Shots! I like the fall colors behind the snow geese. I too, have
noticed the interaction between Coot and Widgeons.

Fred Bertram

cesassman wrote:
>
> I've uploaded a few pictures from my trip yesterday to the Refuge.
>
> At the pool, a flock of about 1,000 snow geese landed to join the "duck
> soup".
>
> Have you ever noticed that American Widgeons always seem to be among
> flocks of feeding Coots? I've been observing this for quite a few
> years--it seems to be almost a symbiotic relationship. The Coots dive
> for food and the Widgeons move in for part of the feast. The Coots
> seem to be resigned to the situation. I've posted a shot of a Widgeon
> moving in on a feeding Coot--the Coot dropped his snack and it was
> snatched right up. I've seen this happening in other locations besides
> Montezuma so it must be a common relationship.
>
> Coot muggings--what is the world coming to?
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com
> Version: 8.0.173 / Virus Database: 270.8.2/1737 - Release Date: 10/21/2008
9:10 AM
>
>

I've uploaded a few pictures from my trip yesterday to the Refuge.

At the pool, a flock of about 1,000 snow geese landed to join the "duck
soup".

Have you ever noticed that American Widgeons always seem to be among
flocks of feeding Coots?  I've been observing this for quite a few
years--it seems to be almost a symbiotic relationship.  The Coots dive
for food and the Widgeons move in for part of the feast.  The Coots
seem to be resigned to the situation.  I've posted a shot of a Widgeon
moving in on a feeding Coot--the Coot dropped his snack and it was
snatched right up.  I've seen this happening in other locations besides
Montezuma so it must be a common relationship.

Coot muggings--what is the world coming to?

Want to see what other photographers are doing?  I've uploaded a new
file listing various photographers and their websites.  I haven't had
time to check them all, so a few might be out of date.  If you have a
photo website not in this list, send me a link (on- or off-group) and
I'll add it to the next edition.

For the bird & wildlife photographers in the group, check out Jeff
Nadler's website.  He works in the Adirondacks.

Enjoy,

Dave

There's a good article on using long lenses for landscape photography in the latest issue of Outdoor Photographer magazine.  Here's a link to a free web version of the article: http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/how-to/shooting/long-lens-landscapes.html

Enjoy.

Dave

I was playing around this morning with black raspberry leaves
catching the early morning sun. The 100mm macro lens (with the camera
on a tripod) was originally intended for finding insects.  The
results are posted in a new "raspberry" album (go to Photos).  This
is a follow-up to the "Composition" File added several days ago.
Feel free to discuss the issue.

D049958: Wet raspberry leaves catch my attention just after sunrise,
but there's dead grass in back at right. (1/45, f/8, ISO 400)

D049959: The dead grass is removed from right rear, but the leaf at
upper left in back is distracting. (1/45, f/5.6, ISO 200)

D049960: The camera is set to short self-timer (using mirror lock-up)
and use my hand to shade the background leaf at left rear. (1/45,
f/5.6, ISO 200)

D049961: The camera is moved in closer, but the radial leaf pattern
is centered and there's a dark void unbalancing the upper right
corner. (1/60, f/4.5, ISO 200)

D049962: The camera is reaimed to move the bright, young leaves (the
center of the radial pattern) off center; it's now looking promising.
(1/30, f/6.7, ISO 200)

D049963: The "rule of thirds" is applied to the center of the new
growth and the bright, young leaves. (1/45, f/8, ISO 400)

D049964: I increase the shadowing of the lower background.  Less haze
and brighter sun provides higher contrast.
(1/20, f/11, ISO 400)

D049965a: Too much playing around -- a dark hole at lower right
unbalances the composition and dead grass reappears at upper right
(distracting and competing for attention). (1/45, f/9.5, ISO 400,
digital exposure compensation +0.5 stop)

D049966: aim a bit higher-left to reduce the black hole at lower
right... (1/20, f/11, ISO 400)

D049967a: similar composition, but with the rule of thirds again
applied... (1/30, f/13, ISO 400, digital exposure compensation
adjusted +0.5 stop)

D049967a3: RAW image reprocessed again to increase contrast +2
(digital exposure compensation reduced to +0.1 stop)

To create a photo album, go to the group website photo page:
http://tech.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/montezumaphotography/photos and
look toward the right side for "Add Photo / Create Album" (it's in two
places, one toward upper right and one may be below the screen on the
right) and click on "Create Album." Give the album a name and optional
descrition, and I would click on "Personal" below that and then
"Continue." Click on "Add Photos" if necessary, browse your hard-drive
and open the photo to be uploaded and follow the remaining instructions,
as I recall.