I have spent some considerable time the last week and a half returning to several Osprey nests that are atop telephone polls all along the Hamptons on Long Island. The biggest challenge for me is to bring the image close enough to the viewer to grab their attention. One difficulty, trying to capture birds with a 200-400 mm lens. Clearly this is a job for a 600 mm but alas I haven’t made that investment yet! So I tried to use my 200-400 with the 1.7 TC and use DX crop mode for extra reach. The captures were better but still not what I would like them to be.

I also used my time at the beach to do some more work on the Egret population that inhabits the mud flats and marshes of Dune Rd. I thought this was a very interesting effect created by getting down low to the ground and shooting through the grass, using it as a diffuser.

We had a great Mistretta family weekend out at the beach for the 4th of July. In addition to saying thanks for all that we have and in particular our freedom, it was great to have all 16 of us back together again. The weather and the food were spectacular. I even had time to do some shooting! First I was able to take some pictures of an Osprey nest, one of many supported by the Town of Westhampton Beach. Unfortunately I did not come away with the shot, the distance was just too far. However I did have a chance to work a few marshes where Great Egrets were foraging for food all weekend.

I will take one more crack at the Osprey nest on my way home, I have a few ideas on how I might be able to get the shot this time. I might even take another crack at the Great Egrets. I will post the results tomorrow.