Tag Archives: MN North: Amity

Super Monopod!

Year 9,

This winter I grappled with a dilemma. How might I improve my photography when photographing nests without stressing the birds? It was an absolute that using a drone to get a higher perspective was out (read Audubon’s view on this subject). One afternoon while the extreme northern Minnesota weather kept me housebound a possible solution dawned upon me … Super Monopod! I started my research to determine whether I would be able to safely mount my Sony A6300 and its 70-350 mm lens (105-525mm equivalent). I hoped that my lightweight mirrorless camera setup would insure my success.

Here are my first results from yesterday afternoon’s photoshoot! Jackpot! I did not stress the owls at either nest, and Super Monopod worked very well. Full details are provided after the photographs … all taken via my new setup. My camera was 11 feet above me and controlled by a Sony remote control smartphone app. Eventually I will test at longer / higher extensions (20 feet possible).

Super Monopod actually lets me hoist my camera to an elevation of 20 feet, but I am learning and testing at lesser pole extensions. At the highest extension I start to run into some “pendulum effect” … only a few inches but makes focusing very difficult.

Equipment:

Post update: The ball head solved a problem that I often needed to tilt my Super Monopod which caused the camera to sway like a pendulum at the top of the extended poles. I now may use the ball head to tilt the camera rather than the monopod. (update ends)

One vote of approval came this morning when I happened to meet out in the field the head ranger for Catalina Ponds Regional Park. I explained what I was doing, and how I was avoiding the use of drones … he approved of my setup wholeheartedly! (this assumes I do not get too close to my subject owls … which I don’t).

Some closing comments …

  • I first tested my setup at home in northeastern Minnesota. I quickly learned that trying to hold a smartphone and a monopod at the same time was a horrible idea. I needed to use the camera remote control app on my phone. Thus, I quickly found a clamp that would hold my phone securely to the pole.
  • My lightweight system of a Sony A6300 and lens works well. I suspect a larger DSLR and big lens would be a disaster … major weight up high … possibly crashing down.
  • I have found pointing my Super Monopod at the base of the tree … and then moving the point of focus slowly upwards works the best. My Sony keeps up and refocuses.
  • I am using burst mode for taking images.

Rich with Super Monopod at my Oro Valley AirBnB

InBound, OutBound and In Transit!

Year 9,

The birds are moving! For the last five days my yard on the edge of Amity Creek has been a wild place as flocks and flocks of Common Redpolls, Pine Siskins, and Goldfinches descend upon my six bird feeders. Each wave tends to be in the “hundreds of birds” … always coming from the southwest and moving off to the northeast. In addition, my yard is now filled with the songs of robins, and first of year grackles (not quite a pretty). Some of these two bird species will stay local as others move further north.

Yesterday morning I went in search of open water. Check out open water, particularly slack water in streams. These Common Mergansers yesterday were right near the boat launch at the old Interstate Bridge in the Duluth harbor. It will be a while till area lakes go ice free.

Finally the perfect evening of calm winds, clear skies and mild temperatures brought two Snowy Owls out last night in the Duluth area. These owls are a harder find right now as they are taking short trips around the region to strengthen their flight muscles for the return migration north, but there are still a few around. I suspect this bird is a young, non breeding female and not in any hurry to get north to the Arctic. The photo was taken 10 minutes before sundown, and the owl still had not moved an inch 20 minutes after sunset when I left.

Winter’s Last Gasps – Fluff Watch

Year 9,

This morning I am awaiting a new winter storm which will dominate our region for the next two days … rain, sleet, snow and ice plus 40+ mph winds. Yesterday afternoon when it was just plain windy (32 mph winds), I hiked over to visit Amy, the Great Horned Owl Mom. Each year, I start my official “fluff watch” on March 23rd. The owlets may have already hatched, but for the first seven plus days the youngsters will be under mom 100% of the time. Here are a few seconds of windblown Mom (video link for email subscribers)

I did stop and watch The Deeps waterfall on Amity Creek during my afternoon hike. It lost much of its ice cap yesterday (video link for email subscriber). The footbridge seen in the video is 225 yards from the end of my driveway.

Meanwhile about 800 yards down at the lakeshore, the blow was apparent. I was very surprised to see three trumpeter swans fighting their way north into the wind. Getting to breeding grounds first and choosing a choice territory is a powerful incentive for the male birds. In the fall, one would never see migrating birds fightings such strong winds.