GoPro for Wildlife

I'm testing my daughter's GoPro  for wildlife.  Despite its small size these feeder birds and squirrel definitely were aware of its presence. If I were serious I would put the housing in the area to allow the animals to get adjusted to it and then put the camera in. I don't know the minimum focusing distance and these shots may have been inside that limit. I think the wildlife focus is a little soft. On the other hand maybe the lens was a little cloudy from humidity in the case in the -10 degree weather.  More testing will be done in warmer weather.

Technical: camera controlled with iPhone app. Edited with iMovie

Under the Feeder

This guy was very nervous and ran off or up the tree several times for no apparent reason as I was recording it from the kitchen table.  Being at the bottom of the food change would make me nervous too.  The boreal owl was found on the other side of the cabin, only feet from the vole and birds.  Technical: The color of the snow was corrected for consistency.  ISO in the 2000 range.

Action High and Low

Sometimes the action below our feeder is entertaining.  A pair of voles have been enjoying winter with the cast off food from chickadees feeding above them.  The chickadees search for their favorite morsels, tossing the rest on the ground, much to the delight of the voles.  They are incredibly sensitive to camera sounds, auto focus and shutter sounds send them under the snow in less than a quarter second.

Art?

So what's with all this blurry photography?   As hard as I try the Monticello feeding station is an auditory nightmare for me.  I can rarely recognize a melody and can't carry a beat so there is something else going on.  I recently watched a video that recommended capturing emotion instead of information.  Another quote talks about an image reflecting the person behind the lens.  Each is a good explanation for the recent posts.   A fantastic video that talks about capturing emotion in photography is: : The Art Of Travel Photography .  It's about 45 minutes long but one of the best nature photographylectures I've seen in a long time.

Grosbeaks at Feeder

Back to the feeders for some action.  This feeder on Blue Spruce Road, east of Meadowlands, is a prime viewing spot for both evening and pine grosbeaks.  Photography is a little tough for the purist in nature photography with the birds either being on the feeders or high in the surrounding spruce trees.

Thirsty

This pine grosbeak was busy in the tree appearing to be eating snow.  Technical: photographed standing in the bed of the pickup to reduce angle, cropped.  Photogrpahed at the Blue Spruce feeders, Sax Zim.

Nervous

This hairy woodpecker is very nervous and is finally convinced the red squirrel's warnings might be important than eating.   As photographers we concentrate on the visual elements but recording video brings in the importance of sound.  Sometimes I just close my eyes and listen at the feeders. Technical: action at 75% normal speed, sound cleaned with Audacity.

Common Redpolls in Motion

This video gives a much better story of redpolls in winter.  Birds are limited in the amount of fat they can store, too much weight would make them unable to fly, so eating is the answer to a cold winter day.  Yesterday's bird ID has been corrected.

Common Redpolls

Common Redpoll

January is a great month for photography of birds at feeders.  The challenge is finding a natural setting and getting them to hold still for a fraction of a second.  Currently in New Ulm the environment could be March except for the cold temperature.  This was taken last January.

Downy at the Feeder

I always have trouble determining whether I'm watching a downy or hairy woodpecker at the feeders.  If you are in the same quandary here are a couple hints learned during my most recent review of Sibley.  Downies are smaller (Diminutive). Downies have a small (Diminutive) beak compared to their head.  Downies Devour feeders.  They are very common at most feeders.  Hairy woodpeckers on the other hand are larger, have a large beak relative to their head size and are less common at feeders.  If you see a diminutive woodpecker with a diminutive beak devouring the feed it is probably a downy woodpecker.