Dan Pancamo

Blogging to Google+

2011-12-14T10:36:00.000-06:00

Blogger posting are now integrated into Google+. This post was created in blogger.com and automagically synced with my G+ account... In theory... Let's see how google+ handles HTML and multiple inline images of my newly yellow-rumped warblers...

Blogging is Obsolete?

2011-09-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

Since #GooglePlus arrived in late July, blogging seems somewhat obsolete. I have been averaging about 100 unique visitors on this blog weekly and 200 views to each posting. Now I have 3100 followers on Google plus in only 2 months! Each post on google plus has been resulting in 40-50 +1's and 10-20 comments which is amazing.

For those who follow my blog, please join me on #GooglePlus for even more birding (and other) activity

First Kayak Bird Trip

2011-07-03T18:15:00.000-05:00

Took my first kayak adventure on Horsepen Bayou out of Bay Area Park with my 300mm tightly stowed in a waterproof bag.

After launching the new Kayak, I headed towards the back waters of Horsepen Bayou which turned out to be about a 20 minute paddle. As the shoreline narrowed, so did the critter activity with gators, and large alligator gars splashing up the water. Tri-colors and Great White herons were actively feeding on passing shad. Deer were busy walking with their fawns along the dense shoreline. A magical place so close to home.

I managed to slowly pull within 20 feet of this tri-colored heron for about 30 minutes. He was busy feeding and the shad, taking one ever minute or so. Keeping still, several other Herons landed all around and fought for the best feeding positions among the fallen branches and stumps.

Welcome to 2011. Dentist have all the cool tools.

2011-06-16T18:22:00.000-05:00

I walked in to the orthodontist this morning to get a braces xray evaluation for my daughter.

I totally expected the usual black and white xray of the mouth, the one that you have a hard time making out one tooth from the other.

However....

My jaw literally hit the floor when the assistant fired up the xray viewing application within minutes after taking the xray.   3D images like I've never seen before on a 42 inch screen were the coolest images I have every seen.   And then assistant starting moving my daughters images in three dimensions including zooming in and out all at the tough of a mouse.

The assistant let us view the images for awhile and I quickly snapped several pics using my g2x's phone camera which turned out much better than the ones they emailed me...

The Dr came in an did a 5 minute eval and 5 minutes later I had a 20 month and $5k estimate to look at... After insurance, I was looking at only $1800 which seemed like a bargain from the stories that I have heard

The 3D Xray sold their product, no doubt!   So much so I decided to signup to get MY MUG xrayed next week for a braces eval.

We live is some interesting times!   Welcome to the future, Wecome to 2011!

120 Miles Early Bird Late

2011-06-11T14:21:00.000-05:00

As the sun rises, black skimmers are very active feeding in the shallow water runs in Quintana. After about 30 minutes, the show is all but over except for a few stragglers. Dang if I wasn't late this morning and only got about 5 minutes of activity before the day and light ended. After driving 120 miles round trip I was expecting the day to be a waste, but to my surprise a few shots hit their target.

Also found my first Immature Little Blue Heron along the Quintana levy. Bonus!

Black Skimmers of Quintana Texas

2011-06-08T10:47:00.000-05:00

During sunrise and just before sunset, Black Skimmers can be seen skimming for mullet in the the shallow waters of Quintana. While photographing these skimmers, I took several breaks from the camera just watch them as they float effortlessly above the still waters many times banking back and forth corralling their prey.

Black Skimmers have a light graceful flight, with steady beats of their long wings. They feed usually in large flocks, flying low over the water surface with the lower mandible skimming the water for small fish, caught by touch by day or especially at night. They spend much time loafing gregariously on sandbars in the rivers, coasts and lagoons they frequent.

Quintana Waters and Drought and WILD Life

2011-06-06T22:46:00.000-05:00

The drought of 2011 is having a major affect on waterbirds in Quintana, Tx. This weekend almost all the shallow inland lakes that were full of water last year are now completely dry and the shorebirds have left the area.

The canal that run along both sides of the end of Hwy 288 in Quintana is now only a shallow mud pit, however several waterbirds are still skimming the shallow water for small fish.

If you are looking for an amazing place to photograph black skimmers, this is the place to do it just after sunrise. The skimmers are spending a few hours after sunrise skimming the area which is only 20 yards wide and about a mile long.   Photographing skimmers is sport like no other bird. They will glide without a flap for several hundred feed one inch above the water with just there lower beak skimming. Getting a great shot takes a fast frame DSLR and fast focus lens and the right light.   This location should be perfect for a few more weeks.

After spending an hour and 800 frames on skimmers(stay tuned for the black-skimmer pics), I turned to some other local shorebirds including this Tri-colored heron that allow me to photograph him feeding on mullet for 20 minutes at a distance of about 20 feet.   In order to get these shots I literally had lay my sholders in the mud with my feed 3 feet above resting on a large dainage culvert. As I was shooting in the high grass, I noticed small crocodile pop his head out of the water about 60 feet away. Not a great feeling when you have your head inches from the mud line.

I was reminded of the story that a fellow bird photographer(with one leg) told about how he was photographing birds in Brazil. While he was framing a bird next to a river, a gator snapped him up and drug him into the river. His guides were able to pull him out, but not after loosing his leg.

While photographing this tri-colored, I kept smelling what smelled like rotting animal...   Well after getting up from the shoot I looked over across to the other side of the large culvert, and there lay a large crock almost complete decomposed.

I also took this coyote shot in the same location that I was photographing just an hour before.

Tri-colored Heron Feeding

IPAD flipboad square @pancamo to follow me

American Avocet

Tri-colored Heron with breakfest

Lone Coyote feeding

Black-necked Stilt

Austin Bat Bridge

2011-05-17T17:33:00.001-05:00

Not much time to get out this week due to a work event in Austin last weekend, but the nightly Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bat Bridge is always sure bet for bats during the summer months. There is a large grassy area on the south side of the bridge which is a great viewing location. Also several people rent canoes and other watercraft to view the event.

On the way home, I stopped by Lockhart State Park and found a few Hummingbirds and Barn Swallows next to the entry. The fish is from the Embassy Suites Hotel tank which has been there for years.

Also stopped by the Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge which is home of the Attwater's Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) and is highly endangered subspecies of the Greater Prairie Chicken that is native to coastal Texas and Louisiana Didn't see one :(

Late night Baskin Robbins and a fast lens

2011-05-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

Haven't been able to get out to the birds this week, so family shots for now.

One of the benefits of having a "fast lens" like the canon 50mm f1.4 is the ability to take photos at night or low light without flash. This gives the photographer a way to capture the moment without disturbing the subjects with a bright light.

Warblers Gone, Shorebird Time

2011-05-07T22:57:00.001-05:00

Except for a sole Yellow Warbler, Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary was silent this afternoon. So it's that time to turn to the increasing number of shorebirds.

American Avocet

Semiplated Sandpiper

Black-necked Stilt

Stilt Sandpiper

American Avocet

Long-billed Dowitcher

Wilson's Phalarope

Bay-breasted Warbler in Quintana Texas

2011-05-05T20:46:00.000-05:00

The Bay-breasted Warbler was the main event on Tuesday. Several of these warblers filled the trees in the Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary the day after the front passed over the island.

A few other shots of a Magnolia Warbler, but the afternoon was mainly spent trying to get a clear shot of the fast moving Bay-breasted Warbler.

Bay-breasted Warbler

Hummingbird Preene

2011-05-05T19:06:00.003-05:00

While searching for warblers in the Quintana sanctuary, a hummingbird landed just a few feet away in full afternoon sunlight. It took many shots just to get the exposure correct, but luckily this guy didn't mind a closeup shot. After what seemed like several minutes, an American redstart spooked him off..

Via Flickr:
Photo By Dan Pancamo @pancamo

Great Afternoon in Quintana... Many more to come...

North Wind Blows. Painted Bunting

2011-04-28T00:25:00.000-05:00

Migrant fallout out today on the coast after the front came in... Finally got a chance at a Painted Bunting... Now I can sleep :)

Quintana Shore Birds are BACK! Done chasing pavements!

2011-04-24T21:31:00.000-05:00

OK, enough with the little birds (my first year), warbler season may be over and it's time to put a ~~chicken~~ steak on to BBQ and get back to some real birds.

It's been interesting chasing itty-bitty birds with 600mm of lens, not knowing exactly what the mini mouse sized bird looks like until after the shot, and tip toeing on pins an needles around birders crowds. But now that the shore birds are back in town, it's time to stretch out and get back to the big birds for the next 9 months.

I wasn't expecting it to be so difficult to even get a view of a warbler, much less get a shot under the right conditions. Hats off to small bird photographers, it much harder and lots more work than the larger birds.   Guess I'm going to need to take a week off during next migration, because if you blink and you'll miss the passover.

As I was leaving Quintana after spending the day chasing ONE warbler in the no shade Quintana Sanctuary, I drove past what seemed like an ocean of birds feeding in the shallow waters.

After seeing a small girl wade in the inch deep waters and pass only feet away from 100's of Skimmers skimming, Avocets, and Reddish Egrets feeding, Plovers and Sanderlings, I jumped out, took my shoes off and waded with my airbed into the middle of the once filled lagoon.

Shot wildly for the few minutes of light left.

Give me a pair of waders, and acres of open wetlands with not a sole in sight!

But I did get my 1st look and shot at the red eyed bronzed cowbird yesterday!

Done chasing pavements! (Well at least until the next warbler fallout :)

American Avocet

Black Skimmer

Yellow Warbler

Great-tailed Grackle

Bronzed Cowbird

Indigo Bunting (female)

Reddish Egret

Black-bellied Plover

Semipalmated Plover

Pretty in Pink

2011-04-24T11:23:00.000-05:00

If you haven't been to High Island Rookery to see the Roseate Spoonbills, this is the time to go! Not only are the spoonbills stitting on eggs, the Great Egrets eggs have hatched and the chicks are amazing to see...

Texas Spring 2011 Migration Bird Fallout

2011-04-17T22:28:00.003-05:00

This being my first year knowing about the annual bird migration fallout, I was beginning to doubt that this event was real.

For several weeks now is has been real slow and lots of work to even find a warbler to shoot.   Well the skies opened up on Friday afternoon and provided a slew of migrants across the Texas coast. Still not the fallout that I was expecting, however it's getting close.

I choose to spend most of my time in a small and not very well developed sanctuary on the far west end of Galveston call Dos Vacas Muertas Bird Sanctuary   It's probably not the best location for bird watchers given that other sancturaties in the area have better amminities, however this quiet less traveled location is great for a few protographers.

I added over 27 new photographed species to my list of birds taking me to over 142 this week! Not bad for a rookie if I say so myself.

The rose-breasted Grosbeak shot ended a great start to Spring 2011 Migration.

The following were taken this weekend....

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Indigo Bunting

Painted Bunting

Black-and-white Warbler

Western wood-pewee?

Lincoln's Sparrow

Yellow-throated Vireo

Grey Catbird

American Redsart

White-throated Sparrow

ID Needed

Baltimore Oriole

Warbling Vireo ?

Western Kingbird

Common Yellowthroat

Prairie Warbler

Worm-eating Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Palm Warbler

Red-winged Blackbird

Whiet-eyed Vireo

Green Heron

Blue-winged Warbler

Orchard Oriole

Baltimore Oriole

Orchard Oriole

Summer Tanager

Hooded Warbler

Yellow-throated Viero

Kentucky Warbler

Northern Parula

Dos Dos Vacas

2011-04-12T23:47:00.000-05:00

Still working on most of the shots from Galvestons Dos Vacas. Hoping for a warbler fallout this weekend... Guess where I plan to be! Added the Green Heron and Orchard Oriole shots to Wikipedia from this set :)

Green Heron

Orchard Oriole

Green Hair On

Indigo Bunting

Female Orchard Oriole

Northern Parula

Dos Vacas Muertas (two dead cows) Bird Sanctuary on Galveston Island

2011-04-09T08:16:00.002-05:00

I discovered yet another small Bird Sanctuary called Dos Vacas Muertas Bird Sanctuary on the far west of Galveston Island located at beach access road 26 on seabird drive just before Sea Isle. Several Herons and Egrets in the trees. I also found an American Redstart that fed just a few feet away for 20 minutes. The Sanctuary hasn't fully recovered from IKE, but the birds don't seem to mind. A drip is now active with bench seating and a path has been mowed recently.

Lafitte's Cove Nature Preserve is starting to show more activity. I finally got a shot at a Hooded warbler and my my first Indigo Bunting and Also added my first species shots of a Yellow-throated Vireo and a long distance shot of a Summer Tanager. A Northern Paula also came to the drip and took a quick bath. Several other birds in the cove including a Lincoln's Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and Gray Catbird

Follow my Bird Photostream Here

Yellow-throated Vireo

Hooded Warbler

Lincoln's Sparrow

American Redstart

Directions Take I-45 South to Galveston’s 61st St exit. Turn right onto 61st and proceed to Seawall Blvd. Turn right on Seawall and go approximately 15.6 miles to a dirt road at Beach Access #26 named Seabird Drive

High Island Boy Scout Woods Sanctuary

2011-04-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

Here's a few more from last weekends trip to High Island Boy Scout Woods. The Kentucky Warbler wasn't on the seen list for the day until this one came to the drip blind. I was hoping to get a shot at the Hooded warbler, but the Kentucky almost make up for it.

Kentucky warbler

Blue-headed Vireo

White-throated Sparrow

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Brown Thrasher

Taste of Warbler

2011-04-03T21:09:00.001-05:00

A year ago a fellow photographer asked if I was ready for Warbler season. I though he said War Bird (the plane) season and I spent the rest of the year not knowing about this yearly event. A year later and a little more knowledge, I'm just about ready.

Let the show begin with the Northern Parula...

It's still early and takes some patience to see the small birds. So if you plan a trip down to High Island in the next month, the Roseate Spoonbills, Great Egrets and several other birds are nesting and you can at least get a front seat to this yearly event in Smith Oaks Rookery

More Parula Shots Here

Migration Practice

2011-03-31T23:24:00.000-05:00

They are on their way!

House Sparrows, which are about the same size of a bunting, make great target practice. Hopefully the weather holds to make some great shots on this my first year.

The map below is the migration status of the painted bunting, and as you can see, there is not much time to get a shot as they pass our area in a few weeks.

Keep a look outside, your bird baths full and maybe a few will pass your way.

Canon 1.4xii + Kenko 1.4x PRO 300 Stacking tip for 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8

2011-03-29T19:24:00.003-05:00

My new Kenko 1.4x Pro 300 toy arrived today.

The Canon 2.0xii TC is slightly slow to focus on birds in flight, and Canon 1.4xii is a little too short. You can turn IS and Focus search off to help with the 2.x, but it's still not as fast has the 1.4x and I miss those features

Thanks to a fellow photog Mike Argo for the Kinko 1.4x stacking tip that allows you to stack a Canon 1.4xii and a Kenko 1.4x together for 588mm f4 without any loss in focus speed!! I didn't do the "tape" trick to get it to register as f4, so metering is -1EV off, so you need to remember to compensate when using this combo.

My Carolina Chickadee was nice enough to stop by for the 1st combo photo. After running several tripod test, IQ looks as good or better than the 2.xii!

A winning combination!

Signs of Bird Migration and a new Bird Blind in Quintana

2011-03-27T21:05:00.000-05:00

A Cat Bird and Brown Thrasher came to the yard today. First time I have seen them this year...

Took a quick trip down to Quintana, and while it's still very slow, there was a little more activity, but not much...   The Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary has a new bird blind and I was able to catch a Lincoln's Sparrow bathing.   Should be a great place during warbler season.

Also stopped by Lafitte's Cove Nature Preserve (on galvestons west end) on the way to Quintana, and it's also slow.   A few Blue-winged teals are in the pond with a few other shore birds.

Gray Catbird

Brown Thrasher

Orange-crowned Warbler

Lincoln's Sparrow

One Foot Laughing Gull

Northern Cardnal

Blue-winged Teal

New Bird Blind in Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary

Baytown Bald Eagles 2011 Update

2011-03-25T14:12:00.000-05:00

This years Baytown Bald Eagles are doing great with one chick that is about to fledge. Nest building and food delivery continues with some new branches and even a rare opossum catch.

Quaker Parrots in San Leon Texas

2011-03-22T23:18:00.001-05:00

Took a quick scouting trip down to San Leon this afternoon to find the Monk Parakeets, or also know as quaker parrots. I was able to find them at the spillway - Bayshore Park. There are at least 20 of them with 2-3 nest built into the utility poles in front of the park.

The Quakers spent most of the time flying between the two nests and a third nest a little north of the park. Just before dark they fed on the grass in the park and didn't mind me taking shots at 20 yards away.

Planning to get some better shots this week if the weather holds.

Tern of the Super Moon

2011-03-20T08:46:00.000-05:00

Got my butt out of bed and onto the roof at 6am this morning to catch the last "Tern" of the Super Moon

THE MOON CAME CLOSER to the Earth last night than it has been in almost 20 years, appearing 14 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than more frequent full moons. The last full Moon of this magnitude occurred in March 1993.

Royal Terns on the NEW Texas City Dike

2011-03-16T11:10:00.000-05:00

I was hoping to find some Black-Bellied Plovers on Texas City Dike, however I had to settle for Royal Terns. Since terns are not that interesting to most folks, I decided to spice up the background with some Avocets that I shot a few months back in Quintana.

But the real story is the Texas City Dike.  Hurricane IKE destroyed the dike road, all the bait houses and piers and has been closed since the storm in 2008.

Texas City received $2.6 million from the federal government to help fund repairs in early 2010 and the City foot the bill for the rest of the 4 million project.   Dike reopened on Sept. 11, 2010 (2 years to the day) and has been completely cleaned of Ike.

The dike has a complete new look with all the "trashy" buildings and telephone poles gone, a new road, and boad ramps.

Five miles of beachfront created on one side, and fishing on the other from the tumbled granate bolders make this a special hidden gem on the Texas coast.    If you haven't been awhile, Texas City Dike should be on your list to see.

A $5 Fee will be charged 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. More information can be found in the Galveston Daily News blog

Texas City Dike road destroyed in Hurricane Ike

The $4 million Dike repairs started in 2010

Spring Break Break and the Carolina Wren

2011-03-13T11:46:00.000-05:00

The boy is still recovering from the flu he had last week, so he and I have been in the back yard with our ipads enjoying the weather and taking a break from spring break. We were able to get a descent shot of a Carolina Wren which was good enough for wikipedia, its a slow start, but spring break break has begun.

First Fish Published!

2011-03-08T10:53:00.000-06:00

1st Place in FeatherFest 2011 Photo Contest!

2011-03-04T19:30:00.001-06:00

Update: Galveston Daily News Link Here

I was just notified today that my First Fish Least Tern took 1st place in the 9th Annual FeatherFest 2011 Photo Contest So I'm just a little "stoked" since this is my 1st photo contest to enter and the shot that I spend the most time getting actually won.

While photographing in Quintana, TX, I stumbled on this Least Tern nest with two eggs. An hour later I returned to discover an egg missing! At first I thought I just counted wrong, but within a few minutes I saw what I thought was a rock move but it was this little guy. I spent several hours in a small camo popup tent 10 feet from the nest photographing their behavior. I'm pretty sure this is the 1st fish that was brought by the adult and offered to the chick.

The photo is scheduled to be published in the next Tuesday, 3/8/11 in the Galveston County Daily News, so keep your eyes out for me...

Many More Shots Here

These shots can also bee seen on the Wikipedia Least Tern Page

"First Fish" Least Tern Feeding in Quintana, TX

The Photo Contest is presented by The Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council in partnership with The Galveston County Daily News and the Bay Area Photo Club. Photo club members will judge the entries, drawing on their photography and competition expertise.

Galveston is one of the top locations for birding in the nation, and the Galveston FeatherFest festival is held during the avian spring migration – the best time to visit world-renowned birding hot spots like Bolivar Flats and High Island.

There will be something for everyone at FeatherFest 2011, whether you’re a novice or experienced outdoor lover. Excursions by bus, boat or kayak will visit a variety of habitats, from beaches to bays, bay marshes to wetlands, and coastal prairies to upland wood mottes.

Laughing Gulls

2011-02-26T19:05:00.000-06:00

As a last resort, shoot gulls.

It's hard to believe that in just over a month, the gulf coast will be filled with migratory birds because at the moment it's very slow. Spent the morning in High Island, and other than a few gators, Black Vultures, and several hundred Roseate Spoonbills the place was void. Ran into Joanne Kamo on the way out, and she too was having a slow morning in Boy Scout Woods

Spring Bird Migration Approaches

2011-02-24T19:19:00.000-06:00

Not really being into bird photography last year and having very few contacts, this will be my first real year shooting the spring bird migration. Currently I have taken at least 115 species of more birds that I even knew existed 12 months ago, and this year I'm hoping to at least double that number now that I sorta know how to shoot birds.

My Wikipedia bird contributions are up to 27 and growing. With February being a slow month, I've been going back and finding some nice shots in LR3 like the following Sanderling.

Great Backyard Bird Count 2011

2011-02-21T14:05:00.000-06:00

The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.

The 2011 GBBC will take place Friday, February 18, through Monday, February 21.

Brazos Bend - Pine Warbler and the Kinglets

2011-02-13T10:19:00.001-06:00

February must be the month where all the birds take a vacation from all the photogs and head down south. Brazos Bend was void of birds except a few Kinglets and Pine Warblers, and the normal Morhens.

Continued down to Quintana hoping for more action, however for the first time didn't see any birds other than a few gulls. Picked up a lone Spoonbill on the way home along the Freeport levee, but for the most part, the day was the slowest in a year.

Ohh well, April migration will soon be here..

More on my Bird PhotoStream

Pine Warbler

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Roseate Spoonbill

Hermann Park Ring-necked Ducks

2011-02-11T23:54:00.000-06:00

Stopped by Herman Park to look for some wood ducks, but had to settle for these male and female ring-necked ducks.

Crested Caracara in Clearlake

2011-02-08T21:44:00.000-06:00

This Crested Caracara flew over me on my way home (hwy45@fm2351) and landed on the nearby by powerline where he meet up with a 2nd Caracara. Lucky to get a few takeoffs while walking up on them.

Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks

2011-02-06T22:49:00.002-06:00

After trying to get a shot at these two Red-shouldered Hawks for months now, today I found them both perched on my neighborhood wall which is only 7ft tall about 30ft from the road. I was able to full frame the hawk @600mm in vertical position. I pulled up and started shooting and then after I had my fill, I was even able to take off the 2x tc and go with the 300mm and walk up within 15ft before they flew.

Guess where I'll be tomorrow!

Galveston State Park Birds

2011-02-06T11:11:00.015-06:00

Tried finding the Fork-tailed Flycatcher in Galveston State Park, however it appears that she has moved on. I haven't spend much time in the area, so I decided to spend the day scouting. I finally found Lafitte's Cove Nature Preserve which is going to be a great place this spring.

This Loggerhead Shrike was busy stalking insects and after several smaller insects, he hit the motherload grasshopper and proudly displayed him on top of a post.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglets are always a challenge to catch. Dang they are small and never sit still...

The Ruby-throated hummingbird made it though the freeze...

I rellay need to spend more time with the Northern Harrier. Mayby its time to focus a month on them.

Loggerhead Shrike

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Northern Harrier

Osprey Showers and The Kingfisher

2011-01-30T19:49:00.000-06:00

Horsepen Bayou next to BayArea Park.

This is the first time I've witnessed this showering behavor with the Osprey. He would fly fast and low over the water and drag is feet in the water followed by his beak. He had just completed eating a fish, so I suspect that he was using the water like a shower to clean himself. His did this about three times, landed on a low stump, then did it again two more times. Counted 5 osprey this afternoon and one Belted Kingfisher

Osprey Respect

2011-01-29T19:10:00.000-06:00

It's not often the Osprey will let you get close to him and when you do they chirp out telling you to back off...

I chased the osprey with the fish down the levee, too bad he was on the wrong side of the light.

Quintana Winters

2011-01-24T00:07:00.013-06:00

A few more shots from Saturdays trip down to Quintana. Here are the other shots of the Osprey vs the Bald Eagle

Royal Tern

Long-billed Curlew

White-tailed Kite

Black Skimmer

Juvenile Bald Eagle

White-faced Ibis

Ring-billed Gull

Willet

Sanderling

Osprey vs Bald Eagle

2011-01-23T10:22:00.005-06:00

This Osprey was feeding in the nearby Oyster Creek Bayou and after dropping a fish that was too large to carry this Juvenile Bald Eagle swooped down to try and take the Ospreys catch. The Osprey wanted no part of it and chased the Junenile Bald Eagle feveral hundred feet into the air and continued to attack the him until he gave up and flew away. More photos HERE from the Oyster Creek Event

Smith Point Texas

2011-01-16T16:20:00.000-06:00

Smith point is one of those places that you tell yourself that someday your going to visit but never do. Yesterday I visited one of those places. Smith Point has always been on my list of local places to checkout, however it wasn't until yesterday that I actually ended up in the remote country community.

At the very tip of Smith Point I ran into this osprey with lunch in claw. After a brief stay on the point I drove through Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge which is yet another places I heard about but never visited. The weather was turning bad, and I only picked a few hawks and this Northern Harrier.

Rio Grande Valley Birds

2011-01-12T21:11:00.005-06:00

Mom lives in a Harlingen retirement community that has a bird refuge inside the community. How cool is that! A thirty minute drive in any direction will put you into several birding locations including Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge which is a great place to catch many species of birds during the morning feeding. Don't be late, the birds don't eat like birds.

Its finally getting back to normal this year after the trip down to see mom in Harlingen Texas. I picked up several new species of birds down in the Rio Grande Valley, many more than expected. Here are a few from the trip.

Click on the Birds Name for additional images...

Black-crested Titmouse

Buff-Bellied Hummingbird

Vermillion Flycatcher

Long-billed Thrasher

Chachalaca

Great Kiskadee

Juvenile Vermillion Flycatcher

Roku with hulu and Netflix

2011-01-12T19:32:00.000-06:00

Originally submitted at Roku

The new HD, with built-in wireless, delivers top value in high-definition streaming.

More content needed

By Dan p from houston,tx on 1/12/2011

Pros: Reliability, Built in Wi-Fi, Compact, Cheap, Easy to use, Easy to set up

Cons: No ratings, Lacks content, NO SEARCH, No community, Want more video choices

Best Uses: Bedroom

Describe Yourself: Power User, Early adopter, Netflix fan

Just needs more content. Local channels integration And guide

(legalese)

Black-legged Kittiwake in Galveston

2011-01-09T09:38:00.000-06:00

My brother Dave alerted to me to a bunch of large camera lens next to Bolivar/Galveston ferry yesterday... He said something about a "kittyhawk". Took a quick trip down to see what was going on and it turns out that Black-legged Kittiwake was spotted a few days ago and has brought out several local birders and photographers on the news.

This gull is a north Pacific and Atlantic oceans bird, and everyone was down hoping for a shot at it. Also a Sabine's Gull was photographed by Greg Lavaty at the same location.

I didn't get a chance to see it, but I did pick up a common Red-breasted Merganser which I didn't have.

Kelley Sampeck's Black-legged Kittiwake

Greg Lavaty's Sabine's Gull

Red-breasted Merganser by Dan Pancamo, on Flickr

I fought the fog, and the fog won.

2010-12-22T20:14:00.000-06:00

Wanted another shot at the Sandhill Cranes before they left, so I took a chance trip down to the coast in the fog. Fog won. Had a hard time shooting a cow 20 yards away it was so foggy much less the Sandhills walking behind them.

I thought had a focusing issue with my camera since most all my shots were out of focus and even took some gulls 10ft away which looks oof,. Then ran several several test when I got home... It was the fog...

As bad as the fog was today, it sure beats xmas shopping.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

2010-12-21T20:01:00.000-06:00

Took it easy today with the local Yellow-rumped Warblers.

Sandhill Cranes in the shade.

2010-12-20T23:14:00.000-06:00

Took a trip down south to find the Sandhill Cranes I've been hearing about.    I was hoping for some a break in the clouds, however I had to settle for high ISO (noisy) shots of them while feeding with the cows.

A tripod was really needed to today in the low light, however since this is my first time with them, I didn't know how much time I had before they flew off and decided to go hand held. They didn't mind too much, however they slowly walked across the field out of range.   Hopefully we will get some sunshine before they leave the area.

Spotted my first Mississippi Kite across a salt grass field and decided to take a chance at a shot. Almost ended up Rattle Snake food as we walked up on one in the grass... Not going there anytime soon.    I don't like Spiders and Snakes, cause that's not what it takes :)

Worked on the BIF technique some more with the local Royal Terns and Ring-billed gulls.

Not the best of days, but I did manage to add two new species to my list.

Sandhill Crane talkin to us

Sandhill Cranes

Sandhill Crane

Royan Tern

Ring-billed Gull

Chickn' Lickn' Good

How bout those apples

2010-12-19T22:43:00.000-06:00

Newton's law of universal gravitation states that every massive particle in the universe attracts every other massive particle with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.

My boy made a dent in the universe today. :)

Flipboard adds newspaper style reading to google reader. Awesome

2010-12-16T18:17:00.005-06:00

Was alerted to a new Flipboard update today... Wow, I guess the pressure was on after being named app of the year by Apple, because they delivered with an amazing google reader interface.

Shot my first House Finch in the backyard this afternoon... First time I've seen one too...

December Satuday Afternoon on the Coast

2010-12-12T08:54:00.001-06:00

Some new first images today with the Caracara in flight and the Northern Harrier. Both are hard to find and every harder to capture. The Northern Harrier had just make a kill, and he didn't care much about me bothering him.

After many attempts at shooting the Northern Shoveler in flight with the right light, I was finally able to get a few to cooperate and take off after moving into position.

The Osprey continue to feed in Quintana with 5 sighting today, and I also finally got a descent shot at a Red-tailed hawk. The Tri-colorod heron is always a fun to try and bring out the amazing blue colors

Blue-winged Teal

Osprey

Caracara

Northern Harrier

Caracara

Red-tailed Hawk

Tri-colored Heron

Opsrey

Blue-winged Teal

Osprey

Duck Hunting

2010-12-05T00:09:00.000-06:00

Shoot and Release... What a concept.

My Birds on Wikipedia

2010-11-29T22:18:00.001-06:00

Thought I would add a few of my shots to Wikipedia... Seems to be a lack of great photos of birds on the 4th most popular Internet site for some unknown reason. So I decided add a few of my shots to the Wikipedia pages for each of the following species. A very cheap way to get published...

Click on the photos below to see them as they appear on the wikipedia site.

Wikipedia (pronounced /ˌwɪkɨˈpiːdi.ə/ WIK-i-PEE-dee-ə) is a multilingual, web-based, free-content encyclopedia project based on an openly editable model. The name "Wikipedia" is a portmanteau of the words wiki (a technology for creating collaborative websites, from the Hawaiian word wiki, meaning "quick") and encyclopedia. Wikipedia's articles provide links to guide the user to related pages with additional information

Least Tern on Wikipedia

American Coot on Wikipedia

American Avocet on Wikipedia

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet on Wikipedia

American Avocet Winter Plumage on Wikipedia

Osprey with Mullet on Wikipedia

Small Birds of Quintana

2010-11-27T22:45:00.000-06:00

Tried my hand at some smaller birds today in Quintana's Neotropical Bird Sanctuary. Lots of work getting these fast moving birds, but worth the effort.

Anna Hummingbird, Yellow-Crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Dark-eyed Junko, and IDK.

Eastern Phoebe

2010-11-26T22:02:00.000-06:00

A few minutes after I took this shot, I saw a hawk swoop across the back yard just above the fence at full speed... Haven't seen this little guy since .(

The Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is a small passerine bird. This tyrant flycatcher breeds in eastern North America, although its normal range does not include the southeastern coastal USA.

The Eastern Phoebe is migratory, wintering in the southernmost USA and Central America. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe. This is one of the first birds to return to the breeding grounds in spring and one of the last to leave in the fall. They arrive for breeding in mid-late March, but they return to winter quarters around the same time when other migrant songbirds do, in September and early October; migration times have stayed the same in the last 100 years.

Pelican Request?

2010-11-24T21:58:00.000-06:00

Someone was asking for pelican photos... Can't remember who, but here you go...

Only a few moments of sun today in Quintana and a few pelicans were diving in front of us...

Birds in Flight: Canon 7D + Canon 300mm f2.8 IS + Canon 2x II

2010-11-24T09:34:00.001-06:00

The overcast skys finally broke in the afternoon, so I took a quick trip to the local park to work on my birds in flight(BIF) technique and new camera settings for specifically for BIF on my 7D.

Photographing birds in flight is a sport that requires several key factors to come together all at the same time to get a great shot.   Much more important than just a close flying bird, the light, camera and exposure settings must right.  Tracking the bird with a 600mm lens is much like dove hunting with a scope on a gun. Then finally waiting for the right background to appear in the birds path, sun location, pushing the shutter button, and focusing all while tracking the flight path...

Much more to learn...

Here's my latest Canon 7D Birds In Flight setting using the Canon 300m f2.8/tc2x

Focus Mode:    AI Servo                 # Tracks and continously keep focus on the bird

Quality:             RAW
Review Time:     3 sec
ALO:                Disable
Picture Style:     Neutral
Sient shooting:   Disable
Highlight alert:    Enable
AF point disp     Enable
C.FnIII
              1          -1         # a little slower
              3          1          # Continous AF track priority
              4          1          # Focus Search OFF  (300mm only)
              5          2          # -7 adjust for my 300mm lens.
              6          all         # Enable/Register all the modes
              7          1          # Continous
              12        1         # Select different AF points

Canon 300mm f2.8 Lens TC2x settings
         Disable IS - this helps the TC2x focus faster with C.FnIII-4 Focus Search OFF

         Great tip for those with the Canon 300mm f2.8

Quintana Backroads

2010-11-22T23:32:00.000-06:00

Some additional images from the week.

Quintana RAW vs JPEG

2010-11-20T10:57:00.000-06:00

Met a Greg Lavaty and Dennis Sweetman Birding Photographers in Quintana yesterday while hunting for Ospreys; both very accomplished bird photographers AND still using old school pbase.com.

Today I tried out some new 7D camera setting today and switched to 19pt autofocus for BIF shots and JPEG instead of RAW. The 19pt autofocus seems to work fine for BIF, but you need to play with the focus sensitivity depending on your liking. I also seemed to be missing focus more on shots where the Osprey hit the water. I may need to change my focus sensitivity and/or change my "pumping" technique

Switching to JPEG allows for almost continuous shooting where RAW is limited to about 20 RAW shots before the buffer will flush to CF. When the 7D fills the buffer in 2 seconds and you miss the BIF shot, JPEG is very tempting to use. JPEGs are much smaller, however there's a trade off with what can be done with the image in processing. RAW allows for finer exposure changes afer the shot. I instantly noticed this when processing the JPEG images in Lightroom3. The JPEG images also have somewhat of a different look to them which can actually "look" better in some cases than RAW default setting, however RAW seems to capture the actual image closer to reality than JPEG. The JPEG shots also seemed to be overexposed a little when compared to RAW using the LCD. My JPEG images appear to be much sharper than RAW. After seeing the sharpness and IQ from Mike Argo's 7d/Canon 300mm f2.8 lens I was beginning to wonder why my images didn't appear as sharp, but it appears that JPEG is the difference. So I'm guessing that there must be a different way to process my RAW images for sharper quality.

I plan to go out again today and I'm going to shoot RAW+JPEG at the same time to help me better this differences.

On Osprey Time

2010-11-12T01:42:00.000-06:00

The Osprey hunts during the day and feeds almost exclusively on live fish that they catch from inland lakes and gulf waters all along the Texas Gulf Coast. They are mostly sole hunters which pace back and forth shallow waters flying 30 feet over the water scattering mullet any other fish that fear of being the Ospreys next meal.

Once they decide to strike, it only take a moment for the Osprey to go into a full dive, swooping and then diving into the water going completely out of site underwater. Seconds later the Osprey will emerge with it's catch taking several large flaps of the wings in a magical effort to regain it's flight ability. After a few seconds of flight, the Osprey will shake like a dog removing the excess water from it's body then fly off to eat on a nearby pole or secluded ground.

Incredibly, my hunt for the Osprey started on Jan 1st 2010 while driving down a nature preserve near Harlingen with my Mom. We drove up on an Osprey and I got out and took my photo shoot. I was hooked.

I look forward to many seasons shooting the Osprey and documenting the unique life that they live.

Mystical birds that can be seen on local shores by those who wait: On Osprey Time.

Halloween Kids 2001 / 2010

2010-10-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

Bandon is off with his friends this year, so no pic for now. Ten years, Ten more to go.

Quintana Osprey and the Reddish Egret

2010-10-31T12:46:00.000-05:00

Just had to take advantage of this perfect weather while it lasts with a quick trip down to Quintana, Tx. Paid off with some shots of a Ospreys and Reddish Egrets feeding along the shore.

Wings Over Houston Airshow 2010

2010-10-25T10:01:00.000-05:00

Wings Over Houston Airshow from the rooftop again this year... This years the show featured the Airforce Thunderbirds . The United States Air Force Thunderbirds roll in to their 57th season representing the pride, precision and professionalism of the nearly 70,000 active duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve and civilian Airmen serving around the world

Wings of Blue and Gold

2010-10-22T00:12:00.000-05:00

If you live on the gulf coast, most likely you pass the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron daily. They live in the ditches and other bayou waterways and can be found in abundance in Brazos Bend.

Sunset on another week

2010-10-17T20:14:00.000-05:00

End to a great week.

Little Blues of Brazos Bend

2010-10-17T16:29:00.000-05:00

Little Blue Herons can seen on the back shore of Elm lake hunting for frogs. Once they spot a frog they will pounce on it in seconds. After the catch, the Little Blues will wash off the frog in the water which removes much of the grass and then they swallow whole.

The Yellow-Crowned Herons can be seen hinting for crawfish along the lake shoreline. You can almost pet them in this location due to all the park people traffic which they have become acustom to passing by.

Baytown Bald Eagles Fall 2010

2010-10-12T21:10:00.000-05:00

Given the weather this afternoon, I thought I'de swing down to Baytown to see if Elvis and Priscilla made it back down to Baytown yet... As turns out, Elvis and I arrived back in town on the same day. I hear from the locals that Priscilla was sighted on Oct 1st.

1st day out and it's already a winner with some High Pirch Mating...

Looks like is going to be a great season!

Brazos Bend State Park Afternoons

2010-10-11T22:53:00.000-05:00

A short 40 minute drive south on 288 and you step into a swampland with gators and swamp birds. Great hiking trails.

Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge

2010-10-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

As I entered the refuge I realized that I drove through here last summer. Silly me. Not much going on at this location yet this year, so I picked up and headed back to Brazos Bend for the sunset which has always produced. Finally got a clear shot of the American Kestrel with dinner. Fall is here, and its time to take advanage colors...

San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge

2010-10-04T10:59:00.000-05:00

The plan was to go check out Brazoria Wildlife Refuge, however I somehow ended up at San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge which turned out to be just a large field with a creek running through it. Tried walking one trail, however the mosquitos ran me off. Did get my first Caracara, so I guess the trip was worth it. On the way back I headed down to end of the San Bernard and found a Osprey eating his lunch. Ended up in Quintana and walked up on a Bobcat.

Brazos Bend Photo Walk

2010-10-02T22:52:00.000-05:00

Decided to try out the Monthly Brazos Bend photo walk with Laszlo Perlaky. Photographing Birds as a group normally doesn't work out, but this time it did. A little blue heron didn't mind us all crowding around for about an hour. I was also able to catch my first Kestrel and he was toting a dragonfly for dinner. As a bonus, a buck crossed the back road as I was driving into the park and he even looked both directions before crossing the road :)

Quintana Sunsets

2010-10-01T23:52:00.000-05:00

Couldn't pass up this weather. Made a quick drive down to Quintana for the sunset. Discovered an Osprey along the way that didn't mine me following him around for a few miles.

Secret Quintana

2010-09-28T20:44:00.000-05:00

Quintana is a little known beach located just east of Freeport. It's a small island with only a handful on local residents. The back bays across the dunes are perfect for hunting waterfowl given the shallow water level and active fish population.

Quintana Beach

2010-09-27T10:37:00.000-05:00

Went down to see if any fall activity has started. Tracked a few Ospreys fishing in the surf, however I didn't get setup in time to get a clear shot of their fish grabs. I arrived too late in the morning and was too tired to start for sunset, so most shots where full on sun.

Casper, The Friendly Egret

2010-09-25T14:12:00.000-05:00

Guess who was back today at Bay Area Bark Pond. Casper!

This is the friendliest egret I've ever seen. He doesn't mind you walking up to him, and if you sit, he will walk right past you. All that he's interested in the mullet and minnows in the pond. The kids feed the crabs and ducks in the pond, and the fish come to eat the leftovers. When they do, Snowy stomps down on them and almost every time comes up with a catch.

Second Day in a row he's been fishing here!

Eye on the Egret

2010-09-24T01:22:00.000-05:00

While at the daughters softball practice in Bay Area Park, I met up with this fellow that didn't mind me sitting with him while he fished. Finally he jumped on one, woofed it down and flew home.

Hummingbird Duels

2010-09-22T20:55:00.000-05:00

Starting to zone in on my barkyard hummers and understand their movements. They have accepted me as part of a backyard ornament and they will even buzz a few inches around my balding head.

After stitting in the nearby trees for several minutes, they start their chirping and all at once they will buzz over to the feeders. They then will play tag with each other and even butt chests. The winner gets first drinking rights.

Now I need to learn how to hand feed them like this guy.

Humming at 600mm Full Frame

2010-09-21T22:37:00.001-05:00

Gave my 2x converter a workout attached to the 300mm f2.8 for a 600mm focal length. Worked on getting a full frame non cropped image of these little flying devils, and after 100 frames, I finally nailed a few. Im amazed on just how these Ruby's don't mind me walking with them. At one point I had at at least 6 swarming around my head like mosquitos.

I also tried using flash, but didn't really like the results. I need to get going a little earlier to catch some better light.

Hummingbirds by the Dozen

2010-09-20T21:49:00.000-05:00

Yesterday two at most, and today at least six hummingbirds zooming about the back yard chasing each other without any reservations of me being six feet away from their feeders. It was almost as the wished to thank me for their new found source of drink. Best viewed in the slideshow fullsize (click on the full screen button at the lower left once started)

Humming for Dinner ISO 3200

2010-09-19T20:04:00.000-05:00

Just before dark tonight this little one came looking for a drink, however I haven't seen any hummingbirds since April, so the fountain was dry. Quickly filled the cups and she came a drinking. Ended up shooting at ISO 3200 just to get the shutter above 200.

Missed the Light. Again.

2010-09-18T17:05:00.000-05:00

Actually got my butt up at 7am and took off for Brazos Bend State Park this morning. The morning light looked great all the way there, however as I drove up on Elm Lake, a cloud rolled in and I was left with shade. And to top it off, an hour into hunting the rain started. What the heck, dooh... should have checked the radar app...

Was planning to focus on Little Blue Herons today, but ended up with Night Herons. Ooh well. Maybe I'll try again tomorrow.

hOt morning in Brazos Bend

2010-09-12T15:28:00.003-05:00

My body is still radiating heat from yesterdays walk around Brazos Bend's Elm lake. Dang I can't wait until our one day of fall weather. The Yellow-Crested Night-Heron however was loving the sunshine.

Kite Boarding in Texas City

2010-09-05T09:56:00.000-05:00

Somehow forgot to blog about my Texas City Kite Boarding trip... Anyway, I met Hammerly out last weekend as he was leaving for the afternoon and decided to stay for awhile to get some shots.

Brazos Bend State Park

2010-09-05T00:20:00.002-05:00

I decided to try to make it down to a photo walk in Brazos Bend State Park this afternoon, however shortly after arriving it started to drizzle then rain. I spend a few hours walking around between showers and managed to snag a few high ISO shots.

Lightroom 3 does a great job at noise reduction, so high ISO is great for these extreeme overcast conditions.

I never did meet up with the photo walkers, but I did notice a few guys in the distance just before dark and I suspect that was them, however I was trying my best to get in a few more shots before dark.

The gaters in these shots were only a foot long, and they were floating about 10 feet from shore. You really had to look for them in their green camouflage...

The Night Herons are all over the place, and can be found along the bank eating crawfish.

Moments of Light

2010-09-02T00:21:00.002-05:00

In a moment captured by light, a lifetime of expression for all to see...

What You Talking About Willet

2010-09-01T01:11:00.010-05:00

Willets comb the shoreline looking for crabs. This guy almost walked past my location in the sand, so close that I had to switch my 300mm f2.8 lens to the 6m focus setting. Amazing bird that attracts little attention...

Numerology of Man

2010-08-28T21:48:00.004-05:00

Numerology is any of many systems, traditions or beliefs in a mystical or esoteric relationship between numbers and physical objects or living things

To those we pass

2010-08-27T21:42:00.000-05:00

Each morning I pass this one man and wave. Tomorrow I will do more.

Local Star Is Born

2010-08-21T12:46:00.000-05:00

A smile is a curve that sets everything straight

Jr High Oh My

2010-08-21T08:24:00.000-05:00

Ava is starting Jr High next week. Where did the last 12 years go?

Kyle is TEN today!

2010-08-14T21:40:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick look back over the past ten years.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BOY!

Sylvan Beach in La Porte is Back!

2010-08-13T21:32:00.001-05:00

During the early 1900s, particularly the 1920s and 1930s, La Porte's Sylvan Beach became a nationally known tourist destination attracting some of the nation's most well-known entertainers. As a result of changing economics in the Houston area and beach erosion the tourist business declined while industrial development in the area grew

After hurricane IKE, Sylvan beach was rebuilt and now has some really nice clean sandy beachfront with an awesome swim area and a new fishing pier.

View Larger Map

Those we pass

2010-08-07T22:28:00.001-05:00

Ordinary people living ordinary lives.

The Streets Have No Name

2010-08-04T21:27:00.001-05:00

The unknown go about their daily lives in our shadows. This month photography is about the life of the unknown as seen from the shadows.

Project Unknown

2010-08-01T17:55:00.002-05:00

This month I plan to try my luck at street photography. Specifically going to try for shoots where the subject is completely unaware of the photographer.

Street photography is a type of documentary photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places such as streets, parks, beaches, malls, political conventions and other settings.

Faces of friends

2010-07-29T01:07:00.007-05:00

Summer Fun
Originally uploaded by Dan Pancamo

The flickr comments are dwindling, so it must be time for some new stuff...

Kyles friends have been having fun all week playing hide and seek...

Lr3 opens a whole new low light opportunity with the new noise reduction feature. Heavy cropped shots can now be turned into workable images!

Last of the Grand Canyon Trip Pics

2010-07-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

Thought I would catch up on the blog while I wait for adobe to update all of it's apps. It was a great trip out west, and I can't wait for next years summer vacation! Time to start planning now... I'm thinking maybe... Well who knows...

Cardinal Shake

2010-07-22T22:48:00.001-05:00

Cardinal Shake
Originally uploaded by Dan Pancamo

Rainy day out back this afternoon, but the cardinal family of 5 was happy to ignore the back door open and me snapping away.

ISO 2000 is no longer an issue with the new lightroom 3 noise reduction features. A whole new low light door is now open, and this is just a beginning...

Grand Canyon Vacation - Day Seven

2010-06-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

Today we headed two hours north of Sedona to visit Sunset Crater Volcano Monument and on the way we visited Wupatki National Monument. The goal for today was to make it back to Sedona's Red Rock State Park for a sunset view of Cathedral Rock. We made it just in time and also met Kate from down under Australia. Kate was on a two week vacation to Hawaii and Sedona