Snowy Owl In Flight Glance

I was photographing this Snowy Owl out the window of my car while scouting for my Winter Owl Workshops last week when a snowplow scared it off the fence post it was perched on. Although I followed it as it took flight, I hadn’t pressed the trigger because it wasn’t looking at me. I would have missed this, as it glanced back for a fraction of a second, but the pre-capture function in my camera saved me.

Snowy Owl In Flight Glance (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @8400mm ISO 3,200, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

American Coot in Golden Light

This is an American Coot from December 8, during my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico. I am so grateful we had some marvellous light and windless mornings at the duck pond—smile!

American coots are known for their unmelodic medleys of cackles, grunts, and croaks. The ducklike water birds are slaty gray with a white bill, red eyes, and lobed toes that facilitate swimming and walking on muddy shores. Coots take flight awkwardly, spattering water as they run across the surface while trying to lift off. Feeding on aquatic plants, insects, worms, and snails, coots often gather in dense flocks on open water. The young have a remarkable means of escaping danger: at the first warning from an adult, chicks dive underwater and grasp a plant stem in their bill, anchoring themselves to the bottom until the threat has passed.

American Coot (Fulica americana, Foulque d'Amérique AMCO) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Wood Duck Vertical in Golden Light

During my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico, we had fun with numerous wood ducks in golden light on windless mornings. It is hard to get a perfectly straight head-on image of a duck! I used the pre-capture functionality of my Sony a9 III at 120fps to ensure that I got a picture with both eyes visible and a more or less symmetrical composition.

Wood Duck Vertical in Golden Light (Aix sponsa, Canard branchu, WODU) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Cooper’s Hawk with White-crowned Sparrow prey in flight

Here is another Cooper’s Hawk with a White-crowned Sparrow from a sequence I made after photographing the White-Crowned Sparrow in flight during my recent Better than Bosque Workshop. see related posts here:

White-crowned Sparrow flying (dorsal view)

Cooper's Hawk with prey

Cooper’s Hawk with White-crowned Sparrow prey in flight (Accipiter cooperii, Épervier de Cooper, COHA) from November 28, 2024, while scouting for my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 3,200, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

High-key Snowy Owl

Here is a simple, high-key image of a Snowy Owl after being harassed by a raven while scouting for my upcoming owl workshops. I hadn’t noticed the owl because I was on the other side of the snow mound (a snow-covered pile of manure) that hid the owl. The constant dive-bombing alerted me to the concealed owl, as is often the case.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Ontario, Canada, while scouting for my Winter Owl Workshops. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 10,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Happy New Year Dancing Snowy Owl

Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year filled with peace, hope, love and light.

This Dancing Snowy Owl was photographed from my car window a few days ago while scouting for my upcoming Winter Snowy Owl Workshops. A few spots remain for the February 17-21 Winter Snowy Owls Workshop. Click the image to learn more.

Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus, Harfang des neiges, SNOW) Ontario, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 10,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Sandhill Crane flying in golden light

A Sandhill Crane landing at dusk against the golden backdrop of blurred Cottonwood trees during my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico.

This year, we were fortunate to enjoy golden light and ideal wind direction for most of my Better than Bosque workshop. The Cottonwoods displayed their autumn foliage, creating stunning backgrounds when the light became perfect - smile.

Sandhill Crane flying in golden light (Grus canadenis, Grue du Canada, SACR) from my recently concluded Better than Bosque workshop. Bernardo Wildlife Area (Ladd S. Gordon Waterfowl Complex), Bernardo, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 8,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

American Wigeon in Flight

An American Wigeon flies over the duck pond during my recent Better than Bosque workshop in New Mexico.

American Wigeons consume more plant matter than any dabbling duck, thanks to their short, goose-like bill. The shortness of their bill allows them to exert more force at the tip, enabling them to easily pluck vegetation from fields and lawns.

American Wigeon (Anas americana, Canard d'Amérique, AMWI) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 800, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Wood Duck in flight

Another Wood Duck from my recent Better than Bosque workshop in New Mexico. There was no shortage of Wood Ducks this year, and the wind and light were favourable for photographing them in flight. It is hard not to point your lens at them when they fly past!

Wood Duck in flight (Aix sponsa, Canard branchu, WODU) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm ISO 1,250, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Wood Duck Basking in Golden Morning Light

Here is another Wood Duck from the coldest morning of my recent Better than Bosque Workshop. The fog over the water was so thick that it made capturing great images difficult when we first set up, but it quickly transformed into epic photography as the sun rose and began to burn it off. The still water was perfect for low-angle views, with magical autumn colours framing the ornamental Wood Duck.

Wood Duck Golden Pond (Aix sponsa, Canard branchu, WODU) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Near Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 3,200, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Hooded (Hoodie) Merganser in flight

A Hooded Merganser in flight over the duck ponds from my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico.

Slim and swift on the wing, mergansers are unique among ducks in that they have slender, saw-toothed bills to grab fish and other prey in underwater dives. The most petite and elegant of the three merganser species is the Hooded Merganser, which has a fan-shaped white crest bordered with black (tucked back in this flight image). Unlike the other mergansers, “hoodies” rarely gather in flocks and usually winter on small ponds.

Hooded Merganser In Flight (Lophodytes cucullatus, Harle couronné, HOME) from my Better than Bosque workshop . Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Northern Shoveler in flight in golden light

A hen (hen = female) Northern Shoveler prepares to land over golden corn fields while bathed in golden morning light during my Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico earlier this month.

As the sun rose, the wind raged in the wrong direction as we drove the North loop in Bosque del Apache NWR. We came upon a mixed flock of ducks and decided to stop and see if any were banking around and posing at a light angle that worked. A few obliged the determined photographer.

Northern Shoveler (hen = female) in flight in golden light (Spatula clypeata, Canard souchet, NSHO) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Western Meadowlark in flight head on

On our first afternoon at Bernardo Wildlife Area during my Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico, there were impressive numbers of Western Meadowlarks flying back and forth along the road over the corn fields. Most were high, with the occasional bird flying past at eye level. I watched this individual head straight at me and was thrilled with my results - but I must admit two things:

  1. The auto-focus of the Sony a9 Mark III is mind-blowing. You still have to “drive” the camera, but it won’t fail you when things line up!

  2. Shooting at 120fps meant having the best possible wing positions and not settling for a mistimed image.

Western Meadowlark in flight head-on(Sturnella neglecta, Sturnelle de l'Ouest, WEME) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bernardo Wildlife Area, Bernardo, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. 95% full-frame image.

Northern Shoveler Reflection

This Northern Shoveler was photographed during my recent Better than Bosque Workshop in New Mexico. Shovelers spend so much time “shovelling” that getting an image with their bills out of the water is challenging!

When photographing ducks in a pond, I start as low as possible to capture the sweetest low-contrast golden light. As the light becomes more contrasty, I work at higher angles to capture fuller reflections and eliminate bright distractions in the background.

Many of the dabbling ducks use their flat bills to strain food items from the water, but the big spatulate bill of the Northern Shoveler is adapted to take this habit to the extreme. Flocks of shovelers often swim along with their big bills barely submerged in front of them, straining food from the muddy soup of shallow waters.

Northern Shoveler (Spatula clypeata, Canard souchet, NSHO) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Full frame image. Manual exposure.

Belted Kingfisher in flight against amber autumn foliage

This is another Belted Kingfisher (female) image from my recently concluded Better than Bosque Workshop. There were great opportunities over the duck pond as they flew back & forth from a garbage can to a signpost.

Belted Kingfisher Flying (Megaceryle alcyon, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique, BEKI) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha Alpha 9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Northern Harrier in flight

There were plenty of Northern Harriers during my Better than Bosque Workshop this year. This image was made on the first day of the workshop while we were stopped and “focused” on hundreds of ducks landing in the ditch along the road.

Northern Harrier in flight (Circus hudsonius, busard Saint-Martin, NOHA) from the first day of my Better than Bosque workshop (Dec. 5, 2024) Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 6,400, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Ring-necked Duck Drake in Golden Light

An ethereal fog covered the duck ponds during the coldest morning of my recent Better than Bosque Workshop. The fog thinned as the sun rose, and the warm light on the windless morning made for some great images.

Ring-necked Duck Drake in Golden Light (Aythya collaris, Fuligule à collier, RNDU) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha Alpha 9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 5,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Belted Kingfisher in flight against autumn colors

This female Belted Kingfisher put on quite a show during my recently concluded Better than Bosque Workshop. (Females are blue-gray with a chestnut belly band and flanks.) This image is courtesy of the Sony a9 III pre-capture feature. I was tracking her as she flew away from me, and she suddenly banked and landed on a sign over a garbage can.

Belted Kingfisher Flying Head On (Megaceryle alcyon, Martin-pêcheur d'Amérique, BEKI) from my Better than Bosque workshop. Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha Alpha 9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 16,000, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure.

Hooded Merganser Top-side flight

It seemed like this Hooded Merganser came out of nowhere and flip-flopped to lose altitude quickly right before me. I was lucky to get a few frames, and I especially love this one with the autumn colours in the background courtesy of the cottonwood tree.

Hooded Merganser Top-side Flight (Lophodytes cucullatus, Harle couronné, HOME) from my Better than Bosque workshop . Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 2,500, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual exposure. Full frame image.