Taking Flight (slow motion experiment)

 

This is an experiment in time as much as capturing the geese in flight. Except for the last clip everything was slowed to either half or quarter speed. In most cases the eye accepts half speed as real but quarter speed has very limited uses if the illusion of reality is to be maintained.

August Monarchs

 

I spent a few mornings watching monarch butterflies earlier this month. In the past I have always felt the third week of August was peak migration in southern Minnesota. This year it was the end of the first week. I don't know if I just happened to be there or if the change is real. The good news is that I saw more butterflies than I have seen in years.

Blast Off!

 

I spent a day with snow geese and put this together. It started in the fog well before sunrise and ended at sunset.  I could still hear them singing when I went to bed that night. Their singing will either drive you nuts or make you forget the world for awhile. Multiple cameras and lenses were used with two cameras simultaneously recording in the fog sequence.

Lining up for landing

These geese appear to have coordinated their landing plans. However, the best of plans falls apart when they try to find a spot to touch down.

 

Loess Bluffs NWR

I spent the last couple days recording snow geese as they await better conditions for continuing their migration. Loess Bluffs (formally known as Squaw Creek) is an undiscovered secret and there were locals watching the birds but only a couple other photographers. I had a chance to play with still photography techniques during the midday. Birds arrived over 5 hours and eventually were within 20 yards of the dike.

October Sky

I missed the fluorescent pink and red dawn clouds but arrived in time to see hundreds of blackbirds flying from one feeding site to another. I am awestruck by the apparent ease these huge numbers of birds fly in tight formation. Another question, "Who decides when the flock should take flight?"

Heading South

The monarch migration has moved on. This morning there were about a dozen butterflies on the prairie where there were 3-4 dozen yesterday morning. 

Technical: Shot against a cloudy sky, White slider at 100 on Lightroom.

Dead or Alive?

When I saw this monarch I wondered if it had been caught in a web or the web was built around it. A leg moved for a second and my question was answered. The chilly nights bring these butterflies to a standstill and make for great photo opportunities before they warm up in the morning sun.

Technical: Canon 7D and 100 mm macro.

Monarch Migration

The monarch butterflies are moving through southern Minnesota. It has been a few years since I have seen the numbers floating in the air like this year. This is a completely unscientific observation which may be due to me being on the prairie at the perfect time. Yesterday's morning fog and dew made it for prairie photography. Why am I using black and white instead of traditional color image? This rendition seems more "historical"  given the current plight of the monarch butterfly as a species.

Technical: frame from Canon 7D video, Infrared filter used in Lightroom 6

Spring Sky

There may be snow on the ground but spring is here! This flight was over Squaw Creek a couple weeks ago. This weekend sandhill cranes were calling in the north Metro skies and Canada geese are everywhere. Owlets are almost ready to fledge. This image was taken while I was doing a time lapse of the clouds in the dawn light.

Migration Motion

I've shown frozen flight, resting birds, and now the real thing. The constant motion of birds was impressive to watch and record. Changing the focal length to mix up the point of view was fun. The bright sky and neutral foreground made exposure a challenge but exposure was balanced out in iMovie.

Taking a Break

Even migrating birds need to rest every now and then.  The challenge in this shot was creating a composition making the most of the lines in the trees using the 70-200 lens.

Migration in B & W

During a walk yesterday we were under a million blackbirds, not necessarily an exaggeration, and took some time to photograph and film them. Sometimes you just can't fight the light. The stark trees and blackbirds with an overcast sky are a case in point so I converted to black and white. 

Monarch Migration

The monarch butterflies have been migrating for the last week. In a totally unscientific observation there seem to be larger numbers this year than I have seen for many recent years. Good news since the population was decimated by weather in Mexico last year.
Technical: Recorded in the dark with off camera flash, ISO 6400

A Little Variety

Yellow Warbler

After spending so much time sitting or standing waiting for action it was time for a change of pace. The warblers were constantly on the move and in the branches this morning.

Technical: manual focus, 500 mm lens, cropped

The Sky is Full

My wife has been telling me about the number of birds in the fields she sees on the way to work. This weekend I had a chance to see them and take a couple shots. I am amazed at the organization of flocks.  Who leads? Who gives the fly and land signals? 

Technical: 200 mm focal length on Canon 7D, cloudy white balance. Image chosen from several because corners of frame were filled more than other choices.

American Redstart

Another first image, what a spring!  Redstarts have been everywhere and highly visible because of their orange wing bars and constant flashing of their tail as they flutter from branch to branch.  According to the Cornell Bird website this behavior is used to flush insect prey off branches and leaves so it can be eaten, seems like a lot of work.

Bay Breasted Warbler

Another in the series of warblers from last week.  Spring woodlands have been more brown than green so the colorful birds have been very welcome subjects. Another image shot hand held with the 100-400 lens, image stabilizer on. Since starting shooting Canon video it has become my favorite lens for both wildlife stills and video.  With the 7D crop factor it is a 640 mm lens, remember when a 600 mm lens was financially out of reach.

Warbler Week

Warblers have been moving through Burnett Co. this week, ranging from the common yellow warbler to some  that are only seen on an occasional basis. Technical: cropped vertical, 400 mm handheld.

Snow Geese Feeding

Snow Geese Feeding at Squaw Creek NWR from Dale Bohlke on Vimeo.
With hundreds of thousands of snow geese in the middle of the refuge it was nice of this group to be near shore for photographers.  The temperature was 62 degrees, I wonder when we'll have our first 60 degree day. Technical: Splashing water audio added in post production using Foley technique.