Things are starting to pick up at our weekly banding site in Covington, LA. We're having a rainy weekend forecast and that usually brings birds in to the feeders. 24 birds were captured and banded, only one was a recapture from last week, which illustrates the fact that these birds aren't going to linger; they're on the move. With some photographic tips from our host, a monopod courtesy of Kevin and a cooperative young Ruby-throated hummer, I got a few decent pics.






Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan--

These latest pics are really great work!

Kevin


Kevin Morgan
Baton Rouge LA

Oh my gosh Joan, Those pictures of that little guy are terrific!! And on that beautiful Calliandra... I only wish I were on the road with y'all too! Nice job.



Carol
Milford, CT
Zone 6

Beautiful shots Joan. I sure hope that this is a very successful season for y'all. Like Carol, I loved those shots with the calliandra.

Penny
Niagara Falls, NY
USDA zone 6a/6b
Heat zone 4
Sunset zone 39

Thanks guys. Kevin, that monopod is wonderful! I know I'll be looking at purchasing one soon. Carol and Penny, don't you just love that calliandra. It's the Baja 'Fairy Duster' I believe. I actually have a little visitor since yesterday. It rained hard and he was using a feeder mainly, but this morning he's checking out the flowers. I'll try and get some pictures but it's 70% rain chances today. I can't complain, we need it.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Great shots, Joan! My home-made 'monopod' that my hubby made for me, has made it easier for me right now, as the camera plus lens seems much heavier than they used to be...

Nice shots,Joan,

That is really something that only one was caught a second time.I often wonder if mine are on the move or just hanging around.Sure would be exciting to be part of your team.

Thanks,Fran

Patricia, the monopod really helped me. I guess it depends on what you have the camera set on also....So much to learn.

Fran, the birds we are seeing now are not residents. "Our" residents have already left for the most part. Usually in September birds we band one weekend are not seen the next weekend, they've already moved on.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan,

It seems your pictures are getting better each week. And whats a Monopod?

Pam NJ 6B

Thanks Pam. Looks like I didn't log out last night...Ooops! A monopod is a one-legged attachment instead of a tripod so you can get some stability but can move it around better. I used it sitting down and was able to rock it up and down as well as scan left and right. I'm sold!

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan this is what my husband made. A lot less expensive than the only one we saw in Canada last year that was over $100. On the 'net in the USA obviously one can buy one, much cheaper.

My husband has an old tripod somewhere around here so I guess I could use it. But I can get a new Canon monopod for $33 so might just do that.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan,

I want to say that the one you borrowed, Jonathan paid only about $15 for, plus shipping. Obviously it's not high-end, but for a monopod, which only provides support and a little extra stability (your hands provide the rest), you're not looking for rock-solid durability.

I learned the hard way with a tripod, though - buy the best, sturdiest one you can find, especially if you're using a long lens or a scope.

Kevin


Kevin Morgan
Baton Rouge, LA

Thanks for the input everyone. I need to do some research.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan,

The third shot is fantastic. You must have been pretty close to take it.

Suchie

Great images, Joan! Care to share your key learnings from the day? I have both a tripod and a monopod, but seldom use them for hummingbirds. Personally, I like the ability to move about freely when trying to get images of hb's at different blooms. I have always found a way to use whatever is close by for stabilzation... window sill, tree trunk, deck railing. In good sunlight, fast shutter speeds eliminate most camera shake issues. My Pentax has a very nice in-body stabilization system that has saved more than a few potentially blurry shots.

When I decided to get a monopod, which I use frequently for macro stuff, I did quite a bit of research and settled on the Manfrotto 685B... it's more expensive than many and you'll need a swivel head (I have the Manfrotto 234RC) to go with it, but it's so easy to use and I'm guessing that I'll never need to purchase another one. With monopds and tripods, it seems that you get what you pay for... The 685B has a pistol grip that allows you to quickly raise and lower your camera and it's also extremely sturdy and durable, fairly lightweight and very compact. If you have a camera store near you, I recommend that you take your camera in and check out the different monopod models to see which is most comfortable for how you'll be using it. You can often find some good deals on used euipment in stores and on ebay.

Here's a link to some info on the 685B monopod, if you're interested:

http://tinyurl.com/nqy3q8


Bud
Southwest Ohio
USDA Plant Zone 6a

Camera: Pentax K20D
Lens: Pentax DA*300 f/4, Sigma 180 f/3.5 Macro
There's 1 or 2 more hummingbird / butterfly pics located here...
http://www.pbase.com/budohio

Suchie, I was so close to that hummer! We were at the banding site and the host sat me down in front of that plant and said in 10 minutes a hummer will be on it and he was right!

Bud, the host is a great photographer and made me start using manual settings instead of auto settings (sport and low-light with no flash were what I was using.) I've been looking at histograms and know I have so much to learn but I think I'm taking a step in the right direction. My problem is I only have a couple of hours once a week to take pictures where I know I'll see hummingbirds. I'm starting to see a few coming into my yard so now I'll have more opportunity to practice. The other problem is where I usually see birds is in the back yard and I'm sitting under the patio which is very dark and you typically have the most action in the morning when it's low light so I think the monopod will help. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your advice on the monopod and will look into the one you mentioned. The pistol grip sounds like just the thing I need for more mobility.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9

Joan, I especially like the 4th picture, with that little dot of red on him...looks like a little jewel! Hummer "bling!"
Beautiful shots--love the clarity.

Emily

Joan is that a Mimosa Tree ? Those are all excellent photos ! Thanks

Zone 6b New Jersey

visit my hummer photos athttp://www.flickr.com/photos/38829896@N00/

Stephen, the plant is Calliandra californica [aka Baja Fairy Duster]. It is more or less a desert plant from the Baja Peninsula of Mexico. It is apparently a popular landscape plant in southern California. Because we have a relatively high water table, I grow them in containers above ground. None I've tried in the ground has survived long.

The nectar is not especially sweet nor plentiful, but this is a very popular plant here at Casa Colibrí. My 7-year old plant produces a lot of seed that must be sown when it is very fresh. I think the plant in the images is one of the first batch I started. It is in a large container and it is protected from winter cold by a tent system developed by our host. They are in zone 8b, north of Lake Pontchartrain whereas I live in zone 9a, south of the lake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

Emily, I like that one too. It's a hint of things to come. Stephen, it's a calliandra. It does look like a mimosa, but this particular plant is only 3 feet tall.

Joan Garvey - Metairie, LA Zone 9