Ospreys

[SMB2]

I have followed this Osprey pair for three years now, dubbed the Urban Ospreys. This nest is on the Potomac river just a few miles from downtown DC and in the flight path of Reagan Nat. Airport.
They will spend some time sprucing up the nest. A little afternoon delight, with the female showing that "not again" expression. Hopefully some eggs in the next week or two. Then follow the progress thru July.


http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac196/LongLure/13Osprey04012014_Bysshe_12554-Version2wtmk_zps1a448ab6.jpg


http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac196/LongLure/13Osprey04012014_Bysshe_12434-Version2wtmk_zpsf2b08691.jpg

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac196/LongLure/13Osprey04012014_Bysshe_12673-Version2wtmk_zpsf8e35be5.jpg

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac196/LongLure/13Osprey04012014_Bysshe_12688-Version2wtmk_zpsf63345b8.jpg

[we4wieners]

Beautiful! Have them all around my town. We have a relatively large influx of Snowy owls this winter. A family of four moved into the dunes on the beach and another family was recently found in the marshes a few towns over. I love these predatory birds.

[Nick Klimkowski]

Beautiful, the pics are stunning.

[lewisck]

Very pretty pictures.
Thanks

[sgchick]

Beautiful pics!

[Rudustin]

Gorgeous!!!! We have them here in Florida as well! They come to Biscayne Bay to fish sometimes. Beautiful pictures.

[SMB2]

We have a relatively large influx of Snowy owls this winter. A family of four moved into the dunes on the beach and another family was recently found in the marshes a few towns over. I love these predatory birds.
Are they still there?

I can remember in the 60s and 70s on the Eastern Shore of MD, when Ospreys were rare indeed. They have made a remarkable comeback and thrive along the Potomac because it is so easy to find fish. The nesting birds here are incredibly tolerant to city noise.

[rickztahone]

Very nice photos. My favorite is the second shot because the sky has a much more appealing setting. The blown out highlights in the others is a bit distracting, but the poses are still great. Were you in the 400mm range?

[we4wieners]

Are they still there?

I can remember in the 60s and 70s on the Eastern Shore of MD, when Ospreys were rare indeed. They have made a remarkable comeback and thrive along the Potomac because it is so easy to find fish. The nesting birds here are incredibly tolerant to city noise.
The Owls are everywhere. Very protected, but very open. Especially in Brigantine Beach, NJ.

[SMB2]

My favorite is the second shot because the sky has a much more appealing setting. The blown out highlights in the others is a bit distracting, but the poses are still great. Were you in the 400mm range?
Funny, I am just the opposite. I love the white on white. Any way not much of a choice. These late afternoon/sunset shots have to be overexposed otherwise the birds are to dark. Rarely I might get a pink sky. This nest is on a piling about ten yards from a dock, the nest is also about head high so you can't see the chicks until they are standing.
Shot with a 70-200mm 2.8 lens with a 1.4 TC (FX sensor.). When the chicks are bigger I use a 400mm(+) to get in closer.
I can darken the background some!

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac196/LongLure/Osprey04012014__zps8266bdc4.jpg




The Owls are everywhere. Very protected, but very open. Especially in Brigantine Beach, NJ.
Are there still sightings now?

[rickztahone]

Funny, I am just the opposite. I love the white on white. Any way not much of a choice. These late afternoon/sunset shots have to be overexposed otherwise the birds are to dark. Rarely I might get a pink sky. This nest is on a piling about ten yards from a dock, the nest is also about head high so you can't see the chicks until they are standing.
Shot with a 70-200mm 2.8 lens with a 1.4 TC (FX sensor.). When the chicks are bigger I use a 400mm(+) to get in closer.
I can darken the background some!

http://i899.photobucket.com/albums/ac196/LongLure/Osprey04012014__zps8266bdc4.jpg




Are there still sightings now?

Not bad, the highlight recovery helps a bit. You must be pretty close to use a FF sensor w/ a 70-200 w/ TC. I've tried it myself and I just couldn't see myself using it for real long stuff, even with my Kenko 1.4 TC which allows AF. I just recently sold my 70-400 as well, it was one of the best lenses in my stable. I thought I was going to purchase a 135 1.8 with the funds from that but ended up spending most of the money, lol. Back to saving now.

Anyways, when I start chatting photography I tend to ramble on. Good to see a fellow photographer. Great subjects, and very well captured.

P.S., do you do a lot of post work on your captures?

[SMB2]

Ricardo,
I do very little post work. Haven't used PS in 8 years. I am one of those rare Aperture users and I supplement that from time to time with NIK software.
Here are some shots from previous years. http://sbysshe.smugmug.com/Avian/The-Ospreys-of-Old-Town/

The fact that the nest is so close and the parents so calm is why I go back several times a week (and it is 5 minutes from my house). Great practice for shooting birds in flight.
I have a 200-400 for longer shots and often rent a 500 or 600 for special sites. Getting to old to carry those any length of time.

[YSS]

Great shots, Stan. Looking forward to following the pair through your eyes/lens. Thanks for sharing.

[SMB2]

Yun, come to Old Town some evening and bring a camera. I can show you the nest.

[Sandy Clay]

Awesome pictures!

[treemanone2003]

Thanks for sharing your pics here. They are just simply awesome !!!! I've always had the photography bug in me. After seeing yours, I grabbed my divorce present (from me, to me) when I realized there was a nesting pair close to my work. They too are in the flight path of a small local (Sikorsky) airport, and the only day without the camera (of course) one had flown directly overhead with dinner in it's grasp.

I would like to ask if you would mind if I shared my pics on your thread also ? I don't know much about editing them so far but my gf has some kind of program to help and is willing to teach me. What I can tell you is it's with a Nikon d5100, 55-200mm, (some) in the fast running guy mode and a few in the "pet portrait" mode.

Thanks in advance. -George.

[rickztahone]

Thanks for sharing your pics here. They are just simply awesome !!!! I've always had the photography bug in me. After seeing yours, I grabbed my divorce present (from me, to me) when I realized there was a nesting pair close to my work. They too are in the flight path of a small local (Sikorsky) airport, and the only day without the camera (of course) one had flown directly overhead with dinner in it's grasp.

I would like to ask if you would mind if I shared my pics on your thread also ? I don't know much about editing them so far but my gf has some kind of program to help and is willing to teach me. What I can tell you is it's with a Nikon d5100, 55-200mm, (some) in the fast running guy mode and a few in the "pet portrait" mode.

Thanks in advance. -George.
Fast running guy mode would be higher shutter speeds. Being outdoors allows to use higher shutter speeds as well as a smaller aperture which allows more things to be in focus. You can do these things from the M mode.

[SMB2]

George, that would be fine.

I shoot most of my BIF (birds in flight) shots on A (aperture priority) and I don't worry to much about depth of field. With longer lenses it is not much of an issue. Also when there is a cluttered background, I just as soon have it out of focus.
Depending on the light I just open up the aperture (smaller numbers) until I get a shutter speed greater than 1/1000 or there abouts. If I still need more speed I increase the ISO. With your camera you might be able to get the iso up to 1800 or more with out much noise, grain, in the shot.
So post some shots!

[treemanone2003]

George, that would be fine.

I shoot most of my BIF (birds in flight) shots on A (aperture priority) and I don't worry to much about depth of field. With longer lenses it is not much of an issue. Also when there is a cluttered background, I just as soon have it out of focus.
Depending on the light I just open up the aperture (smaller numbers) until I get a shutter speed greater than 1/1000 or there abouts. If I still need more speed I increase the ISO. With your camera you might be able to get the iso up to 1800 or more with out much noise, grain, in the shot.
So post some shots!


Thanks for all the info. Truly appreciated !! I will look that stuff up and play around with it this weekend in hopes of fine tuning. As for the photos, I will poke my girl this weekend to show me how to find them and get them posted. Thank you for letting me share.

[treemanone2003]

Fast running guy mode would be higher shutter speeds. Being outdoors allows to use higher shutter speeds as well as a smaller aperture which allows more things to be in focus. You can do these things from the M mode.

Thank you and I will look into this also. That must have something to do with all the funny numbers on the screen that I've just recently realized "LV" means live view. Now I can see when the picture actually happens.