H.J. Ruiz – Avian101

Images from Hummer House Nature Retreat and Other Locations

I am still going through old images whenever I have extra time.  Today I came across a few more from a trip in May 2010 to the Hummer House Nature Retreat, at Christoval, Texas.  Here are a couple of those gems. I should have entered this in Karma’s Rainbow colored Photo hunt.

The Painted Bunting is truly a hand-painted masterpiece from the “Man” himself

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• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon 500mm IS lens with 1.4 tele-converter
• 1/640 sec. @ f9 – minus 2/3 EV adjustment
• ISO 250
• Lens focal distance – 700mm
• Metering – partial
• Aperture priority

It is amazing that I have never posted a photo of an Eastern Phoebebefore this.  It could be that they are hard to get close to, and I have usually seen them only from a distance. For both of these shots, I was inside an air-conditioned observation room and photographing through a plate glass window.

Eastern Phoebe

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon 500mm IS lens with 1.4 tele-converter
• 1/400 sec. @ f7.1
• ISO 500
• Lens focal distance – 700mm
• Metering – partial
• Aperture priority

The Vermilion Flycatcher, ( Pyrocephalus rubinus) is one of my favorites of the species.  It is such a vivid red.  It also is a difficult bird to photograph, because it is very flighty and very tiny.  For those reasons, I feel very lucky to have gotten up close and personal on a recent visit to Middle Concho Park.  It also helped to have my big lens and a Puffin’ Pad window support, as I wouldn’t have had time to set up my tripod.

Vermillion Flycatcher

• Canon EOS 7D
• Canon 500mm IS lens with 1.4 tele-converter
• 1/2000 sec. @ f6.3 – minus 1/3 EV adjustment
• Lens focal distance  – 700m
• ISO 500
• Metering – partial
• Shutter priority

Here is one, about the dove species that can be found in West Texas.  Inca Dove – Colombina inca).  Smallest of the doves found locally.  Very secretive little bird.  Small, deep-bellied, long-tailed dove with a short neck, small head, and short bill.  Pale gray to sandy colored overall.  All feathers brown-tipped to give a scaled look.  To me, this bird is the cutest of the species.

Inca Dove

• Canon EOS 40D
• Canon 500mm IS lens with 1.4 -tele-converter
• 1/800 sec. @ f5.6 – ISO 800
• Lens focal distance – 700mm
• Metering – pattern
• Aperture priority

Text and Photographs are © Bob Zeller – Texan Tweeties