The last two posts, I’ve shared sunrises from Bolsa Chica Bay and wetlands near Huntington Beach.  Although I didn’t plan it this way, yesterday morning my friend Mark and I went out there to see if any birds were active.  We arrived before dawn, and were able to photograph a pretty sunrise before walking out on the bridge to photograph passing birds.  I think it has been just about a year since I’ve visited Bolsa Chica, and at least that long since I’ve made an outing to just photograph birds.  It felt a little awkward, but good, to be “back in the saddle again.”

I’m still in the process of editing images, but here are a couple of my favorites from yesterday.  The Kestrel was taken with Mark’s 800/5.6 + 2x converter; with the 1.6x crop factor on my 30D, that’s 2560 mm focal length!  I don’t know if it will blow up for a big print, but I am happy to have been able to add a Kestrel to my portfolio.

American Kestrel, Falco sparverius, December 2009

Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, December 2009