Cream-colored female Mallard
Mallard Ducks are often found as one of the strains in hybrids, probably more than any other species of bird. Indeed it has been known to hybridize with at least 50 other species, including crossing into other genus.
However the bird in the above image is probably a pure Mallard female which has a lack of pigment in its plumage, a condition known as leucism.
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Laysan Duck Pair
Description:
Few species has come closer to extinction than the Laysan Duck (Anas laysanensis), which at one time had dropped to just 7 adults and 5 juveniles. They had been known on a number of Hawaiian Islands but persisted on only its namesake, Laysan Island. With an excellent recovery program in place, this population has grown to over 500 birds. A second population has been introduced to Midway Atoll as an additional protective measure and their are reasonable numbers breeding in captivity.
The plumage is similar to female mallard except for distinct white patch of variable size around the eye. Males have a grayish bill while females are tinged with orange.
Range:
Laysan Island and introduced population on Midway Atoll
Status:
Birdlife International list this species as Critically Endangered because “its population exhibits extreme fluctuations within its extremely small range. Conservation action is seeking to remove existing threats or increase the species’s resilience to them, and the population is currently increasing. Following the successful reintroduction of birds to Midway Atoll, this species will warrant downlisting after five years if both populations are still self-sustaining as the species now lies above the population thresholds for listing as Critically Endangered and occurs at multiple locations; but in the meantime it retains this classification as a precautionary measure.”
Laysan Duck
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A few years ago, I was driving one of my winter birding routes which takes me along the shore of Lake Ontario. It was deep in winter, the ice had begun to pile up in great chunks, and spray had formed wondrous ice sculpture. Suddenly from the midst of this bleak scene, I saw a pair of eyes watching me, a cat. Then I saw that there were others.
On later days I used to look for them there and often saw them. I had thought they might not survive but they seem to thrive. They are gorgeous creatures and I look forward to passing their way and seeing them again.
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Bald Eagle-Juvenile
A pair of adult Bald Eagles from Nanticoke, Ontario. This is the site of a large coal burning power plant which discharges warm water into Lake Ontario. Due to this discharge, it doesn’t freeze over and attracts wintering Bald Eagles.
As well as these adults, there was also a pair of first winter birds.
Bald Eagles in Winter from Harold Stiver on Vimeo.
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Station Covered Bridge, Vermont
When Built: About 1872
Builders: Builder Unknown.
Description: The Station Covered Bridge is an 137 foot span over the Dog River. It is located on Cox Brook Road off of Route 12 in Northfield Falls. It is part of a three bridge group which includes Second Bridge and Third Bridge.
This is part of a series on Vermont’s Covered Bridges. You can find an index here.
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Webster’s Falls, Ontario, Canada from Harold Stiver on Vimeo.
I have loved the Canon 5D, and when I saw the specs for the Mark II version, I decided it was the upgrade I was looking for. I was especially interested in the ability to make video, and to use my lens lineup doing so.
The video above is a series of clips from the Canon 5D Mark II. I used Canon 24-70mm and 17-24mm lens. I wanted to try some basic zooms, pans, etc. The lack of smoothness is from the user and the tripod head rather than the camera operation. The initial test shot I took showed the results would have a heavy blue cast, not unexpected with shots of snow. I preset the White Balance at 6000Deg.K and this turned out to be a good choice. I set the exposure at +2/3 by eying it in on Liveview.
Webster’s Falls is Ontario’s second largest waterfall, after Niagara. It is a gem and worth a visit in any season.
Waterfalls can be dangerous places, especially in winter. Be careful!
American Black Duck from Harold Stiver on Vimeo.
This video of American Black Ducks is the earliest of my efforts, with the 500mm lens on a tripod with a Sidekick mount. I found that the heavy lens made moving with the subject less smooth than I would like. Hopefully this will improve. I had been concerned about the ease of moving back and forth from video to still, but, once the video had been enabled, it turned out to be a simple manner. After going to Liveview by pressing the otherwise useless Direct Print button, it was just a matter of pressing the Set button to start or stop recording. At any time I could fully press the shutter if I wished to take a still image. I feel the focus needs improving, certainly user error.
Common Goldeneye pair from Harold Stiver on Vimeo.
The last video is of a pair of Common Goldeneye and was shot with the 500mm and a 1.4 TC. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it stood up. The first of the two clips shows a pair in display and a couple of times another female approaches them. Due to the light conditions, I set the exposure at plus1+ 1/3. The exposure adjustments are easy in Liveview.
The videos come out of camera in the MOV format and had a jerkiness when played that was unacceptable. Happily this disappeared when I converted them to WMV format.
Check back as I will post some impressions on other aspects of the 5D Mark II shortly.
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