I finally posted a bird image for 2012….wow

I hadn’t been out since early December and it showed….lololol….I tried to adjust the focus point on the camera and had to look in the owners manual. 

I had wanted to go see this adult plumage King Eider, which was overwintering in the Welland Canal, near St. Catharines.  It was first reported back in December, I prayed it would stay put until I could get there.  I left Sunday and drove the 5 1/2 hours to St. Catharines, stopping along the way to visit some friends, I hadn’t seen in far too long.

Next morning I got up early, had breakfast and went in search of the Eider but I had forgotten, it was a long weekend.  Lots of people everywhere, with dogs, with kids, a few with binoculars and scopes, all walking along the trail.  Unfortunately this forced the birds to the other shoreline.  I knew without a telescope, the chance’s of finding the Eider, were going to be slim.

Luckily I met Ron Ridout (an avid birder photographer), whom I had met another time and we walked along scanning for the Eider…..Thanks Ron.  We found the Eider almost near the parking lot and spent the next 1/2 hour of so looking at this beauty, through the scope.

I took the image below using my D7000,new 300mm/F4 lens and a 1.4 teleconverter.   Extreme distance of at least 2-300 yards, maybe more….the bird was a speck but I managed to get very good detail…this is a sweet lens/camera combination.

My image won’t win any awards but a photo I did get….Bird 629 in the books