Cinnamon Bittern in flight
I got this Cinnamon Bittern as it was flying with a slightly upward trajectory over Candaba’s ricefields in 2009.
The 5D MII’s AF using the center point with surrounding assist works very well for flight shots, even with a 1.4x TC on the 500 f4 IS. The camera actually has the same reach as my old 20D in terms of pixel density. What’s deficient in the 5D MII for BIFs is the slow 3.9 fps frame rate. I was just extremely lucky to get a good wing position in this shot despite the anemic fps.
- Shooting Info – Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, Philippines, January 29, 2009, Canon 5D MII + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/7.1, ISO 320, 1/1600, manual exposure in available light, 475B/3421 support.
Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus , resident)
Habitat: Ricefields, marshes and mangroves.
A Yellow Bittern’s decisive moment
Lighting and shooting angle were pretty bad on this one, but it’s not often that I get the chance to catch extreme action like this – just milliseconds after the Bittern’s bill has speared the gourami fish.
The spearing motion was so quick that 1/800 sec wasn’t fast enough to fully freeze the bird’s head and neck, though quite good enough to stop the wriggling fish and the water droplets.
The clear plastic-like dome at the lower right was actually the frozen splash of the luckier second gourami which jumped and dove back to the safety of the water, while its schoolmate was destined for lunch.
- Shooting Info – Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, Philippines, Canon 5D MII + EF 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/7.1, ISO 400, 1/800 sec, manual exposure, 475B/3421 support.
Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis, resident)
Habitat – Freshwater wetlands.
Philippine Cuckoo-Dove
This colorful endemic dove was captured in the foothills of Antipolo mountains in 2009. A birdshooter friend ( Ding C.) informed me that these birds were frequenting a certain fruiting tree beside his house. I immediately convinced Ding to “invite” me to his abode. He did just that and I “accepted” the invitation pronto.
The challenge in capturing decent photos of this species in-habitat is how to find a fruiting tree they feed on. Once the feeding area is known, it becomes a pretty easy job – just go to the spot before sunrise and wait for the doves to come in and feed in the early morning golden light.
Many thanks to Ding for the hospitality, the sumptuous breakfast and the exciting birding tales. Ding’s very nice house is situated at a hillside, surrounded by bird-laden vegetation and trees, and overlooking Metro Manila.
- Shooting Info – Antipolo City, Philippines, February 4, 2009, Canon 5D MII + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, f/8, ISO 320, 1/500 sec, 475B/3421 support, manual exposure in available light.
Philippine Cuckoo-Dove (Macropygia tenuirostris, a Philippine endemic)
Habitat – Lowland forest to montane mossy forest.
The skulking Red-crested Malkoha
Shyness.
Preference to skulk in the dense foliage of the forest understory.
Low light that precludes the use of motion-stopping fast shutter speeds.
Dark plumage contrasting with the bright bill.
All prime ingredients for a classic tough bird shot.
In-habitat wild bird photography in our islands, sans the use of calls and baits (such technique won’t work on this species anyway), is probably among the most difficult in the world. This is a well known fact among local birdnuts. And maybe known as well to many visiting foreign photographers who try (often unsuccessfully) to get good captures of the most number of species in a limited period.
The key to getting decent captures of tough-to-shoot local birds is simply to go out in as many sorties as possible. Sooner or later, a birdnut breaks through the tough technicals imposed by the difficult conditions, and be able to grab a decent shot. It’s simply beating the odds by doing many, many attempts.
Such is my case with this species. I’ve seen it a lot of times in Mt. Makiling and other places, but it was at Subic rainforest in 2005 when I was finally able to get a useable image. The fine feather detail was reasonably sharp even with the slow shutter speed of 1/60 sec. It might not be as aesthetically pleasing as I wish for especially if we go by tame birds or set-up standards, but this image knocked the Red-crested Malkoha many notches down my most wanted list. 🙂
- Shooting Info – Subic rainforest, Bataan, Philippines, August 22, 2005, Canon 20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), 648 mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/60 sec, 475B/3421 support, near full frame, available light .
Red-crested Malkoha (Phaenicophaeus superciliosus, a Philippine endemic)
Habitat – Lowland forest, edge and second growth.
Luzon Hornbill
This male Luzon Hornbill was hopping from branch to branch, feeding on the fruits of a balete tree (local fig tree) at Mt. Makiling in 2007.
I was following it through the Canon 20D’s viewfinder (my camera was in portrait orientation), wishing that it pauses for a moment. My shutter speed was at 1/80 sec because I wanted to use a maximum of ISO 400 for better processability of the RAW files later. But this shutter speed was way too slow for an active subject…. the bird better stop moving otherwise I wouldn’t get a chance. Even bumping the ISO to 800 and opening the aperture to f/5.6 from f/6.3 would only yield 1/200 sec – still slowish to stop subject motion.
The birding gods must have heard my wish.
For a couple of seconds, the hornbill stopped hopping and feeding and briefly stared at me. That was enough window of opportunity to get a shot that I like – with strong eye contact, good detail even with the slow shutter and a “well groomed” branch/foliage surrounding the subject.
Shooting info – Mt. Makiling, Laguna, Philippines, Canon 20D + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/6.3, ISO 400, manual exposure in available light, near full frame, 475B/3421 support.
Luzon Hornbill (Penelopides manillae, a Philippine endemic, male)
Habitat – Forest and edge up to 1500 m.
Smallest RORO craft in the world?
This watercraft …..er…..random arrangement of wooden planks was inching towards our side of the mighty Cagayan river to fetch our two-car convoy for a birding sortie at Malasi Lake a few kilometers beyond. This place is over 500 km north of Manila.
Supported by two wooden boats each with its own 4-cylinder diesel engine, the platform of the raft can carry 3 small cars or tricycles. I initially hesitated to risk the crossing, but when I looked at the faces of drivers that crossed before us, it looked like doing so is the most ordinary thing in the world. Well, the prospect of bagging quite a few lifers swayed me to go for it.
Shooting Info - along the banks of Cagayan River, Cabagan, Isabela, Philippines, January 20, 2007, Canon 1D MII + EF 100-400 IS, 235 mm, f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/500 sec, hand held, manual exposure in available light, near full frame.
Whew…. we made it across the river.
My brother Jeff (driving the lead car) and I heave a sigh of relief as our vehicles make it across the Cagayan River, and he was just too happy to drive to terra firma. I couldn’t imagine the nightmare of the raft capsizing and God forbid, losing my Sigmonster, 500 f4 IS and other gear stowed in the vehicle.
Oh…. the things we do for love! 🙂
Shooting Info - along the banks of Cagayan River, Cabagan, Isabela, Philippines, January 20, 2007, Canon 1D MII + EF 100-400 IS, 100 mm, f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/640 sec, hand held, manual exposure in available light, uncropped full frame.
Green on green: Grasshopper in habitat
Although this young grasshopper stayed motionless atop a leaf, my hand holding was introducing some camera movement and that was messing with the precise placement of focus for one-shot AF.
I switch to spot AI servo for this shooting condition to mitigate my hand holding movement. The Canon 7D’s ISO 800 RAW files clean up pretty well while retaining good detail when converted with the latest ACR .
Shooting Info - Paranaque City, Philippines, July 24, 2010, Canon 7D + EF 100 2.8 USM macro, f/7.1, 1/200 sec, ISO 800, hand held, manual exposure in available light, spot AI servo, uncropped full frame.
A banking Black-crowned Night-Heron
Once considered uncommon as listed in the Kennedy Guide, these Night-Herons have increased their numbers impressively and are now almost everywhere, even in urban areas. The same book lists this species as migrant, but it has been documented that it’s now breeding locally. This is a medium sized waterbird, with a length of 0.56 m and a wingspan of about 1.12 m.
I was tracking this flying bird at Manila Bay’s Coastal Lagoon through my 1D MIV’s viewfinder when it suddenly executed an abrupt banking maneuver. I immediately fired a short burst to catch the flight surfaces in a photogenic full spread.
The camera’s AF and 10 fps frame rate didn’t disappoint.
- Shooting Info – Coastal Lagoon, Manila Bay, Philippines, September 13, 2010, Canon 1D MIV + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/6.3, ISO 400, 1/2000 sec, manual exposure in available light, 475B/3421 support.
Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax, resident/migrant)
Habitat – Variety of wetlands from ricefields to mangroves.
A breeding Pheasant-tailed Jacana in flight
In some places, jacanas are called the “Jesus bird” because they can walk seemingly on water. In reality however, their overly long toes can spread their weight over a large area and this allows them to walk on floating or emergent vegetation near the water surface. This gives the illusion of walking on water.
When in breeding plumage, the Pheasant-tailed Jacana sports an elongated tail and the nape turns from pale yellow to golden yellow. Such adornment makes this bird an ornately beautiful subject to photograph, particularly when it’s in the air where the long tail, thin feathertips of the wings and very long toes are very visible.
It’s a shy customer though, so it’s not easy to approach and capture well. I’ve been wanting to photograph it in flight each time I visit Candaba wetlands, but luck wasn’t on my side always.
My fortune changed for the better on July 2008. I saw this particular individual making numerous trips between its presumed nesting site in the middle of the pond and an area in the adjoining ricefield. An earth dike ran in between the two places.
As soon as I saw it land in the ricefield, I immediately hid myself on the earth dike and waited in an ambush position along the expected flight path back to the pond. Sure enough, the bird rose above the rice plants after a few minutes and headed my way. My 1D MII had no trouble locking focus on the contrasty target, given a plain sky as background. I probably filled my RAW buffer to capacity, and this particular shot was my pick because of the good wing position and eye contact.
- Shooting Info – Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, Philippines, July 22, 2009, Canon 1D MII + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, f/7.1, ISO 320, 1/2000 sec, 475B/3421 support, manual exposure in available light.
Pheasant-Tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus, resident, breeding plumage)
Habitat – In wetlands with floating or emergent vegetation.
Philippine Duck in flight
I have many captures of the endemic Philippine Duck in flight, but this one should be my favorite. I just like the way the wings were frozen in the full downstroke position, and the angle of light was just right to show the iridescence of the speculum * well.
(* colorful patch on the wing)
That herons and egrets can fly is not too impressive to me – their large wing area and light slender bodies allow them to soar even in the slightest wind. Duck flight is a different matter though. Beneath the streamlined curves of the duck’s body, there are hints of powerful flight muscles that enable this relatively heavy bird to get to the air even with stubby wings.
Quackers fly by sheer muscle power, and when they come in to land on the pond water (belly-flop, actually), they drop almost like a rock as soon as their wingbeats slow down.
This frame came from the middle of a burst of over half a dozen shots, most in good focus and each shows a different wing position. The background was out-of-focus pond water with some vegetation. Amazing what modern autofocus technology and fast frame rates can do at birds-in-flight photography.
Shooting Info - Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, Philippines, April 3, 2007, Canon 1D MII + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, f/7.1, ISO 320, 1/1600 sec, 475B/3421 support, near full frame, manual exposure in available light.
Philippine Duck (Anas luzonica, a Philippine endemic)
Habitat – Freshwater marshes, shallow lakes and ricefields.
Plain Bush-Hen strutting in golden light
This medium large bird (12 inches total length) is found only in the Philippines. It is shy and more often heard than seen.
Based on my previous observations at Candaba wetlands, it appears to stay in one general territory. So I thought the key in capturing it well is to stake out a known spot where the bird is seen often and wait patiently for an appearance.
And this I did way back in 2005.
I fully retracted the legs of my tripod and mounted my camera low for a more pleasing shooting angle. I waited and puffed on numerous sticks of lung-busters and waited more. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, a couple of these birds started crossing the wetlands trail back and forth. On one such crossings, a downy young even joined the parents!
I got several sharp photos of the family bathed in the late afternoon golden light. This is my favorite of the set because of the bird’s cocky strut.
- Shooting Info – Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, Philippines, April 18, 2005, Canon 300D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), 687 mm, f/8, /1800 sec, ISO 200, jpeg capture, 475B/3421 support.
Plain Bush-Hen (Amaurornis olivaceus, a Philippine endemic)
Habitat – Drier grasslands and scrub, nests on wetter areas.
Brahminy Kites of Binmaley
A business trip to La Union on April 2010 brought me within striking distance of this interesting town of Pangasinan province, where a restaurant built over a fishpond serves the best grilled catfish I’ve tasted so far.
The bigger reason though for my visit wasn’t the tasty catfish, nor the little fat crabs and juicy oysters.
I’ve discovered a few years back that this is one spot where a few Brahminy Kites linger for hours feeding on the contents of the fishponds. Of the 5 or 6 times that I’ve been there, the raptors always showed themselves. I talked to the local folks and they confimed the daily visit by the Kites.
So, in between bites of good food, I shot bursts at the fish-eating raptors in flight.
Shooting Info - Binmaley, Pangasinan, Philippines, April 22, 2010, Canon 7D + EF 400 2.8 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 560 mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/2500 sec, 475B/3421 support, manual exposure in available light, near full frame.
Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus, resident)
Habitat – Open areas often near water, and also in mountains to 1500 m.
Moonshooting with birding lenses
Birding lenses are by nature very long to allow the photographer to get close to their normally shy feathered subjects. Interestingly, such long focal lengths are also good for other things – larger astro bodies like the moon.
Moonshooting with birding lenses is fun. It likewise enhances the long lens technique of a bird photographer, particularly shake control and manual focus proficiency. I have regulary trained my birding lenses at the moon, mostly shooting from my backyard in urban Metro Manila. When the atmospheric conditions are good, decent lunar detail that approaches the output of small astro scopes can be captured .
Here’s one such moonshot.
MANILA MOON - MARCH 7, 2010. Observed from Paranaque City, Philippines, on March 7, 2010 (04:57:54 local time), Canon 7D + 400 2.8 L IS + stacked Canon 2x and Sigma 2x TCs,1600 mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/25 sec, contrast detect focus in Live View, 475B/3421 support, remote switch, rotated to portrait orientation.
Click here for the 3000×2000 pixel version in landscape orientation.
And here’s a closer look at the detail captured using the Canon 7D’s tiny pixels + Canon’s sharpest lens the 400 2.8 IS and 4x worth of teleconverters:
Pixel level view (aka 100% crop).
I’ve been asked in many photo forums how to capture the moon well using long DSLR lenses, so here’s sharing my shooting workflow.
My Top 10 Tips on Moonshooting with Long DSLR Lenses
1. Use the longest glass you can get your hands on, on a good tripod and head.
2. Use a DSLR with the tiniest pixels available for maximum reach.
3. Teleconverters increase the level of detail captured. Most Canon long L glass improve detail capture with TCs up to a focal length corresponding to an f/11 Av (ex. 400 5.6L + 2x, 500 f4 + 2.8x or 400 2.8 + 4x TC).
4. Shoot at the sweet Av of your glass (could be 1 stop from wide open with TCs).
5. Use ISO 100-200 for least noise and maximum sharpening flexibility.
6. Shoot RAW and expose to the right, till the highlights are almost blown, this will allow you more PP flexibility later.
7. Use Live View contrast detect AF (most newer EOS bodies can AF in this mode till f/11 or even f/16). Trigger the shutter with a remote switch after the moon on the LCD stabilizes. Turn off IS if so equipped. For DSLRs with strong shutter vibrations (ex. 1D MIV), you should still use LV contrast detect AF if the combo is f/11 or darker. However, once focus locks in contrast detect, turn off LV and shoot using MLU and a remote switch.
8. With good long lens technique, a Tv of 1/25 sec is fast enough for a 7D + 1600 mm. You can increase the shutter speed by about a stop for a bigger factor of safety if you wish. Any faster Tv in excess of that is wasteful and should instead be converted to lower ISO to mitigate noise.
9. Do test shots for exposure on the onset, review histogram, then shoot many, many shots using the optimized ISO, TV and Av values. Shooting tons of photos increases the chances of “getting through” when the wave-like atmospheric distortion is least. It’s easy to select the sharpest shots later in your computer. As long as ISO, Tv and Av are constant, the RAW files with the largest sizes are the sharpest.
10. Each frame should be individually focused to minimize focus errors.
Going home aboard a metallic bird
After a brief sortie during my early birding years, I was walking on the tarmac of Bacolod City airport to board my flight to Manila when an amazing display unfolded before my eyes.
The sunset was breathtaking.
I couldn’t resist opening my carry-on bag, bringing out my 300D + kit lens and taking some snapshots of the spectacle. The couple on the right are my friend William and his wife, who walked ahead of this birdnut. A maintenance guy ran in front of the plane to do some task.
Sometimes, the shooting gear doesn’t matter much. It seems to me any bird, whether metallic or feathered, can look good under such sweet light.
Bacolod City Airport, Philippines, April 26, 2004, Canon 300D + EF-S 18-55, 18 mm, f/13, 1/125 sec, ISO 100, hand held, jpeg capture, near full frame.
Brown Shrike
Here’s a simple portrait of a Brown Shrike, a common and widespread migrant, showing the delicate feather detail of its back. This one was a male (the female has barring on breast and flank).
It would’ve been more exotic sounding to say that I saw this in a remote location after travelling and hiking many hours, but I actually captured this photo in my garden.
The bird’s habit of perching at a conspicuous spot for extended periods was perfect for a fully manual focusing and exposure technique, a necessary workflow when shooting 1120 mm with AF not workable. The subject was in the shade, while the out-of-focus grasses in the background were illuminated by an overcast sky. With a total length of 7-1/2 inches, the bird is slightly larger than lifesize when viewed with 96 dpi screens. The Sigmonster’s image quality impresses, even with a 1.4x TC!
- Shooting Info – Paranaque City, Philippines, September 27, 2007, Canon 40D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG) + Sigma 1.4x TC, 1120 mm, f/13, 1/50 sec, ISO 640, manual focus via Live View, manual exposure, 475B/3421 support, remote switch.
Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus, migrant, male)
Habitat – Common in all habitats at all elevations.
Spotted Dove in full speed flight
This medium sized dove (total length of 12 inches) ranges in all major Philippine islands. The black collar with white spots at its nape is probably the source of its name. It actually reminds me of a bar code…. maybe these birds scan the collar to recognize one another?
I was shooting water birds at Manila Bay when I noticed this bird flying very fast in a straight trajectory towards my position. I fired a long 10 fps burst, and one frame caught the bird’s wings in a photogenic downstroke pose, showing the overwing patterns and diagnostic spotted collar pretty well.
- Shooting Info – Coastal Lagoon, Manila Bay, Philippines, September 27, 2010, Canon 1D MIV + EF 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/7.1, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec, manual exposure in available light, 475B/3421 support.
Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis, resident)
Habitat – Open country and agricultural areas, forages on the ground.
A worm too long
A common migratory bird, this Greater Sand-Plover had just snagged a long worm at a dried up fishpond in Tagburos, Puerto Princesa, when I snapped the photograph.
I always use AI servo AF for active birds on the ground, treating them similarly as I shoot birds in flight. The fast shutter speed freezes the action, AI servo assures correct placement of focus even when the subject moves, and M mode keeps the exposure of the bird optimized regardless of the changing background which can easily fool the meter.
The worm was too long to be ingested whole. Using its beak and some head jerking, the bird cut the invertebrate into shorter manageable pieces before swallowing. I reckon this bird hit the jackpot for the day as far as a juicy meal was concerned.
- Shooting Info – Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines, February 11, 2007, Canon 1D MII + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/7.1, ISO 320, 1/100 sec, A328/3421 support, manual exposure in available light.
Greater Sand-Plover (Charadrius leschenaultii , migrant)
Habitat – Along the coast on exposed mud, sand and coral flats.
Wagging a tail against the current
Like what its name implies, the Grey Wagtail continuously wags its rear as it forages along streams or on the ground.
This wagtail was walking against the current of a mini-dam’s spillway in Quezon province in March 2006. The bird’s almost non-stop motion presented a difficult shooting challenge – I needed a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the subject’s movement, but at the same time should be slow enough to blur the current and come out with a more dynamic-looking environment.
I settled for 1/100 sec and timed the shutter press when the bird momentarily paused every few steps. I got one shot sharp after many tries, and I’m glad there was strong eye contact plus a catchlight.
With its throat turning blackish, this individual was molting into breeding plumage. When breeding, a large area of the throat becomes black. The same throat area is white during non-breeding season.
- Shooting Info – Tiaong, Quezon, Philippines, March 25, 2006, Canon 20D + Sigmonster (Sigma 300-800 DG), 687 mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/100 sec, 475B/3421 support, near full frame, manual exposure in available light, pushed +1 stop in RAW conversion.
Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea, migrant)
Habitat – Streams and forest roads at all elevations.
A wingspan of nearly six feet
I’m always amazed at the size of the Grey Heron. When I see a flock of these birds in the air, they look like a squadron of small planes flying in formation. These migratory waterbirds have the largest wingspan (1.78 m) of all the feathered subjects I’ve photographed so far.
Among Philippine birds recorded in the past and at present, the only ones with a larger wingspan are the Sarus Crane (2.20 m), Spot-billed Pelican (2.13 m), Great-billed Heron (1.90 m), and our national bird the Philippine Eagle (1.88 m) – all these behemoths I have yet to see afield.
- Shooting Info – San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, February 12, 2010, Canon 7D + EF 400 2.8 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 475B/3421 support, 560 mm, f/5.6, ISO 250, 1/2000 sec, manual exposure in available light, near full frame.
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea, migrant)
Habitat – Uncommon in wetlands.
Little Egret wingspread
When I get the itch to bird and can’t embark on an out of town sortie, I go to nearby Coastal Lagoon to get my fix.
There, less than an hour drive from where I live, common water birds abound and I try to catch them in action to make the photos a bit more exciting.
This Little Egret obliged me on one such quickie birding.
- Shooting Info – Coastal Lagoon, Manila Bay, Philippines, September 17, 2010, Canon 1D MIV + EF 500 f4 L IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/7.1, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec, manual exposure in available light, 475B/3421 support.
Little Egret (Egretta garzetta, migrant)
Habitat: Coastal marsh and tidal flats to ricefields.
Grass-Owl in flight
I’ve been to Candaba wetlands dozens of times, and I usually stay in the area from dawn until well after sunset. But I’ve gotten near this night hunter in daylight only twice – both cases under the same lighting circumstances and similar time of day.
The late afternoon sun was covered by heavy clouds, making it appear that nightfall was coming in ealier than it should. Perhaps seeing that it was already dusk, the owl came out to hunt, flying low and silently over the grassy areas of the wetlands. Just before the sun disappeared in the western horizon, the clouds thinned somewhat, allowing some light to illuminate the place. This made it possible to get a fast enough shutter speed to freeze the bird in the air.
This raptor acted like it was curious – it circled around and looked straight at me while I was trying to acquire focus in the low light. The out of focus grasses in the distance provided a pleasing creamy background to the nocturnal bird of prey.
Many of the shots were misfocused, probably because the dim light was straining the AF system or maybe because I was trembling with excitement as I was tracking the subject. Whatever the reason why I missed many frames, I wouldn’t know for sure. But I got at least one photo sharp, and this made me do the “dance of joy” once I confirmed the keeper in the 1D MII’s LCD.
- Shooting Info – Candaba wetlands, Pampanga, Philippines, May 27, 2008, Canon 1D MII + EF 500 f4 IS, f/4, ISO 800, 1/500 sec, 475B/3421 support, near full frame, manual exposure in available light, pushed +2/3 stop in RAW conversion.
Australasian Grass-Owl (Tyto longimembris, resident)
Habitat – Grasslands and canefields.
The microscopic Pygmy Flowerpecker
How I wish I had a 1.4x teleconverter mounted!
I was shooting birds in flight at a mangrove area in San Juan, Batangas, way back in July 2009. Light was low and I needed the brightest aperture I can come out with, so I mounted the bare 500 f4 IS on the 5D MII.
Certainly not my intended subject, this bird flew in and started foraging among the foliage near my position. It was very active in nature, hence I had to shoot right away with whatever gear I have set up, no time to add a TC.
Philippine flowerpeckers are quite very small, with the largest just around four inches in total length. In this lilliputian family, the tiniest is the Pygmy Flowerpecker at circa 3 inches total length.
Despite the deficient focal length used, there’s still enough detail left after massive cropping for a decent-sized web display, or for small prints. As posted here, the bird should appear a bit larger than lifesize on a 96-dpi display.
Shooting Info - Pinagbayanan, San Juan, Batangas, Philippines, July 14, 2009, Canon 5D MII + EF 500 f4 IS, 500 mm, f/4, ISO 800, 1/800 sec, 475B/3421 support, manual exposure in available light, major crop.
Pygmy Flowerpecker (Dicaeum pygmaeum, a Philippine endemic)
Habitat – Forest, edge and second growth.
And here’s the full frame (resized to 800×533) from which the version above was cropped, showing the extreme detail gathering capability of the 5D MII’s 21 MP sensor.
Uncropped full frame, resized to 800x533.
Little Heron coming at me
I was set up well for shooting birds in flight along the shore of the Coastal Lagoon last year when this Little Heron flew straight towards me. I remained motionless so as not to scare the bird, and apparently this worked – the bird continued with its flight path till it was very close.
I shot several long bursts at the incoming bird, and most of these are in good focus. Head-on flight shots are among the toughest AF job for any camera, and the 1D MIV worked beautifully even with a 1.4x TC on the 500 f4 IS. The critical focus plane was right on the head/shoulder area. At 700 mm, f/6.3 and 50 feet distance, there simply wasn’t enough DOF to keep the tail and feet sharp.
- Shooting info – Coastal Lagoon, Manila Bay, Philippines, July 6, 2010, Canon 1D4 + 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, /6.3, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec, manual exposure in available light, 475B/3421 support, 15.3 m shooting distance, background is out-of-focus seawater.
Little Heron (Butorides striatus, resident)
Habitat – Exposed coral reefs, tidal flats, mangroves, fishponds and streams.
Flying without wings
When our feathered friends are scarce, one way to save a trip is to take advantage of the capabilities of one’s bird-in-flight gear and shoot other subjects in motion.
Well, this fledgling can also soar in the air even without wings.
From afar, he looked like he was scarcely 5 feet tall and he must have weighed a bit south of a hundred pounds.
But oh boy, saying this kid can surf is like saying Michael Jordan knows how to play basketball!
Shooting Info - San Juan, La Union, Philippines, February 19, 2011, Canon 1D MIV + EF 500 f4 IS + Canon 1.4x TC II, 700 mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 400, manual exposure, 475B/516 support.
Here are some footage of the young fellow playing with the waves in my native La Union.
Romy Ocon's Wild Birds of the Philippines 