Birds from the first Tobico Marsh walk

Yesterday's walk through Tobico Marsh didn't yield any big birds.  No Eagles, young or old.  No Osprey.  But there weren't many people out either, which makes me think I'm early for the big bird season.

That's OK.  I'm getting better at sneaking up on, or having the patience for, smaller flying objects.

At Shiawassee I got to the point where I can spot and Eagle far off.  For a while, I know where they would transit.  For smaller birds, walking through the paths between the roads I could never sneak up on them.  Thus, very few small bird shots.

At Tobico, I had a bit better luck.  Or the smaller birds tolerate the tourists much better.  In each case for the following, I stayed in place for about two to three minutes before the little flying objects returned.

This first shot is far from perfect.  It is about three inches from being the best small bird shot I have.  Anyway, this is more than a miss on the tail end, hah, of the bird in flight.  Truth is, I was focused on the stationary bird and didn't see this until I got home.  I can almost see the stationary bird smile.

Swallow on the Rail

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/NIKON 80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

600 mm, 1/1000 sec, f/5.6 ISO 800 (Auto)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

This next one was in the same area where the walkway was at the end of the flooded marsh.  About 15 yards off the walkway was a small clump of grass.  And in the grass, a hiding Canadian Goose.  I tried a number of shots, but could never get the eye clear of the grass stalks.  This was as close to framing the eye that I could get.  You would think if I could move the the right just two inches....

Canadian Goose in Hiding

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/NIKON 80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

600 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6 ISO 640 (Auto)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size DX

This is a Red-bellied Woodpecker.  I've verified it with the Merlin application on my phone.  Merlin never lies.  Anyway, I snuck up on it while it was feeding on the ground.  it was one of those situations where I was looking in the trees and almost stepped....  Well not sure who scared who.  Anyway the bird took to flight.  Only to be caught when I got to the top of the observation deck.

Red-bellied Woodpecker at Home

NIKON D500 Ver.1.31/NIKON 80.0-400.0 mm f/4.5-5.6

600 mm, 1/1250 sec, f/5.6 ISO 800 (Auto)

EV +1, MANUAL Mode, Size DX