photoartflightOsprey Nests On Platforms @ 1200mm
Posted on July 27, 2019
A series of Osprey Platforms with nest images from the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR in Oceanville, NJ. I was using a Tamron 150-600mm lens with a 2X teleconverter to get closer to the Osprey Platforms. Then cropped in a little for a tighter composition. You can see the nests are not the neatest or cleanest when you are looking that close, but are still interesting. Also it is interesting when an Osprey sees you photographing them they really stare you down! The Canon R, even with a 2X teleconverter on a Tamron 150-600mm auto focuses quite quickly and right on focus. The Canon R will autofocus even with stacked 2x & 1.4X (or 1.7x) teleconverters. Did not try stacking 2X Teleconverters. I have also found that when stacking teleconverters I usually stop down a little more to help with sharpness.
Panoramas of Osprey Platform – Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
Posted on June 25, 2019
We went to the Brigantine Division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville, NJ to see what we could find to photograph. We usually like the wide variety of birds, but there were not as many shore birds as usual. And many birds were way far out in the distance. Lots of Swans, Some Black Skimmers, Terns, Great Blue Herons, Egrets, etc. Mostly the usual subjects. But all of the Osprey platforms had active nests with visible chicks. We usually concentrate on the platforms further down the Wildlife Drive, mainly because they are closer to the Drive, but you also do not get the Atlantic City skyline in the background. The Ospreys were not flying much, but it was still fun to photograph the nest activity. The featured image is a 4 image panorama shot with an Olympus m43 camera @84mm. I wanted an image to portray the nest platform in the landscape. All the reat were taken with a 150-600mm Tamron lens. I was quite impressed with Tamron 150-600mm on the Canon R. I had taken it on our trip to Florida and was amazed at the fine feather detail of breeding plumage birds. It auto-focuses nicely, was quite sharp. And the details were amazing. Even pushing the limits by adding a 2X teleconverter, I was impressed. It also kept up with skimming Black Skimmers working in the channels. On this day the clouds were also amazing.
3 img pano – shot @ 1200mm, Canon R Tamron 150-600mm lens, 2X teleconverter
shot @ 1200mm, cropped a little, Canon R, Tamron 150-600mm lens, 2X teleconverter
shot @ 1200mm, Canon R, Tamron 150-600mm lens, 2X teleconverter
Overall landscape, Olympus m43 Camera, 14mm
Blackwater Osprey Platforms
Posted on August 15, 2018
Along the Wildlife Drive there are a few Osprey Platforms close enough to photograph. If you are patient and have a long lens, you can usually get some good flight images as they fly in and out of the nests there. Usually in the morning or later in the afternoon. On this day they seemed content to just hang out there or fly away from where I was on the Wildlife Drive. The Ospreys in the platform closest to the entrance were busy fishing before the sun came up but it was too dark to photograph them. But it was nice to hear them screeching as they were flying around the Little Blackwater River area where I was waiting for the sunrise.
Two Ospreys – Tree Toppers
Posted on August 7, 2018
Towards the end of the Wildlife Drive at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, there is a large strip of trees jutting out into the water, parallel to the end of the Wildlife Drive. Some of the trees are dead trees which act as very tall snags for the birds to roost. You can usually find a few Eagle nests near the top of some of the trees with leaves. Also Eagles seem to like roosting there. But on this day Ospreys seemed to like the tall trees. There are a few Osprey nests behind these trees plus one Osprey Platform in the water to the left of the trees.
The featured image is made from 5 horizontal images, stacked vertically, handheld, assembled in Photoshop, taken with a Canon 400mm f/4 DO lens with a Canon Series III teleconverter.
Osprey Platform in water to the left of the line of trees.
One lonely Osprey on treetop. again 400mm w/ 1.4x teleconverter, 5 shots handheld.
Osprey Flying Towards Nest
Posted on May 19, 2018
From a previous visit to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, I photographed this Osprey heading for it’s nest, coming in for a landing. There are lots of Ospreys flying around the Refuge, plus many Osprey platforms with nests that are along the Wildlife Drive. If you wait by one of the platforms along the Drive you can get good images of Ospreys flying in or flying out. Plus bringing fish to feed the young Ospreys.
Osprey With Meal
Posted on March 9, 2018
Ospreys are one of my favorite birds to photograph. It is fun to see them diving into water to get a meal. Plus to see them defending their nests against other Ospreys or birds of prey. They also seem to really stare at you as you are photographing them as in this photo. They are very agile in flight which gives you some interesting photo opportunities.
Osprey Out Our Window
Posted on March 5, 2018
When we were in Florida last fall we stayed at a condo in Captiva Island. Which is just a very small bridge away from Sanibel Island and the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, where we like to photograph the Wildlife and Landscapes. We were on the third floor and not too far away towards the beach, high in a Palm Tree, was an Osprey nest. The pair of Ospreys were quite busy and frequently in the Palm trees by us. It was also fun to hear them squawking during the day. Unfortunately there was screening on the windows so I had to go down by the beach & pool to photograph them.
Osprey Nest – center of frame. Osprey on branch, palm tree far right @ 24mm.
Ospreys On Nest
Posted on June 1, 2017
I saw this pair of Ospreys was working on the nest, rearranging sticks in the nest. As I was photographing them I was surprised that they started to mate. Then the male flew off and landed in the grasses near the nest. It is interesting to see them working on the nest, rearranging sticks and bringing more sticks to the nest. On other nests being built, sometimes you see plastic bags, food wrappers all kinds of garbage they bring to build the nest. This one was very clean looking, but it was early in the building of the nest. These were taken at the Brigantine Division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville NJ. This area is great for photographing the nests from the Wildlife Drive. The road is higher, then the sides along the road slopes down gradually to the water or channels, so you are looking almost directly across at the Osprey Platforms, instead of looking up. Most are somewhat close so if you are patient you can get quite a variety of photos of the Ospreys building the nest, flying to & from the nest, flying around the nest, etc. Sometimes they bring a fish and feed the young or just eat it themselves at the nest. Being patient helps, but you can always drive along the Wildlife Drive which is basically a loop, getting other interesting shots and come back to the nests to see if anything is happening. Also often you see them defending the nest from Gulls, hawks or other predators. At Blackwater NWR, in Maryland, you see Bald Eagles going after Ospreys to steal their catch. They also have a few Osprey platforms but are much farther out in the water
Female Osprey arranging sticks in the nest
Ospreys mating
Male Osprey flying off, leaving the nest
Wider view of the nest
Osprey FlyBy
Posted on July 22, 2016
On our last visit to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Brigantine Division in Oceanville NJ, there were a lot of Ospreys.They were on Osprey Platforms, on posts, on trees, on the ground and busy fishing so it gave quite a few opportunities for photography. This male Osprey flew close by when I was photographing another one on the ground in the grasses.
Osprey Landing At Nest
Posted on June 23, 2016
My favorite birds to photograph are raptors. And then tightening the list are Eagles and Ospreys. Mostly because they are fun and have more action to photograph. Plus they are bigger subjects. Ospreys are easier for me to get to, plus there is lots of action around the many Osprey Nests/Platforms. These were taken at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Brigantine Division in Oceanville, NJ. Along the Wildlife Drive there are many Osprey Platforms. At this time of year there are still young Ospreys that have not fledged yet, so there is quite a bit of activity around the nests. Sometimes they are bringing food to the young Ospreys, or just hanging around the nests watching over them. They even come by with more sticks for the nest so there are lots of photo opportunities. Soon the young Ospreys will be flying around also giving lots of subjects to photograph.
These were taken with a Canon f/4 400mm DO lens, with a 1.4X Series III Teleconverter on a Canon 7D giving a full frame equivalent of 896mm, handheld.
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