The Photographer Quarterly

With all the "Year in Review" material about to flood the media I thought I would share some of my favorite bird photos from 2017. The year of 2017 brought a significant step up in my photography equipment with the addition of a Sigma 500mm prime telephoto lens. The f4 aperture provides more light than the zooms and enables a clarity in the photo that can't be matched. Some pictures if handled right almost come out in 3-D-like quality revealing a wonderful presence. A bit of luck doesn't hurt either.

Highlights of the year started with a trip to Florida to see Jennifer in January with a stop at the well known Merrill Island Wildlife Refuge. Later at home in the Spring the migratory birds arrived in our county and morning boat rides on clear days provided some beautiful photos including a pair of visiting loons on their way north. Our Lake Monticello eagle and osprey family were also cooperative in the early mornings. June brought a trip on the James river east of Richmond to see the eagles of the James. A trip up to Cape Cod provided some lovely moments in the marsh and an invitation to a beautiful wedding on the eastern shore of Maryland provided more material

One of my favorite shoots of 2017 was the result from our lake friends calling one morning and proclaiming "the Goldfinches are in the Red Bed Trees'" I quickly gathered my kit and headed to their deck where I spent a delightful hour capturing these little birds in their Spring best contrasted in the beautiful red buds. The picture below later went on to take first place in the Monticello Bird Club Photo contest.

A back injury put a cramp on my travel for the remainder of the year however the birds of my backyard and the lake did not disappoint. A trip to Montana in the Fall gave us some wonderful wildlife shots but for now - these favorites are for the birds!

American Goldfinch

Osprey on a rainy day

Common Loon visiting our lake on his migration north

Bald Eagle making his morning lake visit

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker - Female

Red Wing Blackbird - the harbinger of Spring

Northern Cardinal

White Throated Sparrow

Brown Thrasher - Quite Upset

Little Green Heron

Spoonbill - Merritt Island Florida

Mourning Dove

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Ruby Throated Hummingbird - Juvenile

Osprey

Northern Cardinal - Female

Eastern Bluebird

Great Egret

Northern Cardinal

White Breasted Nuthatch

Eastern Meadowlark

Common Yellow Throat Warbler

Indigo Bunting

Tree Swallow

Red Breasted Grosbeak Female

White Throated Sparrow

Northern Cardinal Male

Northern Cardinal Female

Mourning Dove

Carolina Wren

Prothonotary Warbler

House Finches drinking at waters edge

The Yellow-bellied-sapsucker Male

Osprey in for the kill

Great Crested FlyCatcher

Tree Swallow making claim to my Communal Birdhouse

Eastern Phoebe

Grey Catbird

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow Breasted Chat

White eyed Vireo

Canada Goose

Northern Flicker

Common Grackle in Breeding Plumage

American Crow "Police" chasing away an immature Red-Tailed Hawk

Song Sparrow

Eastern Bluebird

Little Green Heron

Willet - in the Marsh

Bluejays

Tufted Titmouse

Tree Swallow

Mom & Dad Northern Flickers

teaching junior to hunt bugs.

Song Sparrow

Carolina Wren

Bluejay

Northern Cardinal

Great Blue Heron

PL Duncan Trucking of Columbia Virginia resides on a multi-acre plot complete with office, repair shop and acres of abandoned trucks of all vintages and makes. Nestled at a cross-road near the James River, Mr. Duncan assembled his collection of rust, rubber and machines over his 80 year lifetime. Mr Duncan passed away earlier this year and his sons now must contemplate what to do with the 100's of vintage vehicles.

Where I grew up in the North this would be called a "Junk Yard" but scattered across these Autumn fields, it's more like a gallery of industrial art waiting for the enthusiastic photographer to capture. The scene reminded me - what a wonderful site this would be for an episode of "American Pickers". As my friend Peter Freeman and I walked through the grassy fields the front faces of the trucks seemed to call out, "take my picture", "no mine, take mine".

Our outing was put together by the Charlottesville Camera Club. For my Photo Friends I shot today with my Nikon D750 and 24-70 f2.8 Nikon Lens. Aperture Priority - Most shot at F16 to capture depth of field, ISO 400, 9 focus points. Enough said - here's the best I could produce for the afternoon. Enjoy!