8/15/2009: For at least a month this first summer (one year old) Black-crowned Night-Heron had been frequenting the "Gold Star" flats at North Park Lake in northern Allegheny County. On the evening of the 15th, I was finally able to make some decent photos of the bird. Interesting was a second b.c. night-heron that flew over the first while I was photographing it! These photos were made in very low light, and the slow shutter speeds shown were only made possible by a calm and cooperative subject.

 

 

8/14/2009: The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds that frequent my backyard have taken a liking to a small snag about 25 feet outside of my window, so it didn't take long to turn the house into a makeshift blind, and for me to start wishing for a 600-mm lens (or a camera that can autofocus at f/8, i.e., with a 500 f/4 + 2x extender). After all even at short range hummingbirds are really small... but I guess that's what the crop function in Photoshop is for. This is one case where I really like the over-the-top 15 megapixels of the 50D, since it yields a lot of data to work with if you can control the noise.

 

7/26/2009: This adult Prairie Warbler was feeding its fledgling accomodatingly close to the road at Bald Knob in Allegheny County, turning a 3 minute stop in the area into an hour long session of waiting quietly in the car for the right moment...

 

7/25/2009: The Imperial Grasslands' 31st shorebird was this Willet which stayed for four days and was seen by many. Thirty-one shorebirds at that tiny little pond... amazing.

 

5/25/2009: So, is this downtown Pittsburgh or Bombay Hook?

 

I may be mistaken, but I think this might be the first Ruddy Turnstone documented by photograph in Allegheny County. Please email me at pomarine@earthlink.net if you know otherwise.

 

5/25/2009: Named after the official title held by Vatican notaries that wear a bright yellow robe, the Prothonotary Warbler is certainly one of Pennsylvania's most visually striking birds. When word was announced of a pair attempting to nest at the relatively close and convenient Shenango Reservoir, I couldn't resist the chance to try for some photos. It was supposed to be a cloudy morning, but as you can see, it was not. When I was a kid we used to call the prothonotary a "little ball of sunshine", and that description seemed apt this day.