Prothonotary Warbler

Magee Marsh, Ohio

This is the presentation I made to the USFWS on my October 17, 2020 sighting and video capture of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker.  I presented this evidence on July 18, 2022.  Follow the link below:

https://vimeo.com/731802817?fbclid=IwAR0NUWe2ZPRnpfrdNECbCdx9HWNqD3cp8MpaqIZ7heenVoymEG3xeIZ8SdA

 

This mornings partial lunar eclipse with the Seven Sisters (The Pleiades). It was cold this morning. At 2:00AM the temperature dropped to 29ºF. While taking photos of the eclipse my fingers became so numb I could barely press the shutter release. But the cold was worth every numb finger. The eclipse was exceptional! It may have been the darkest lunar eclipse I have ever seen. While not total, the moon was obscured 99.1% by the earths shadow, and certainly lived up to the name of "Blood Moon."

Nikon D800, Nikkor 80-200mm f2.8 EDIF @ 200mm

The Pleidaes: 6 seconds @ f/5 ISO 800

The Moon: 1/2 second @ f/5

 Test

 Test BB

CBS Sunday Morning segment

CBS Sunday Morning, March 21, 2021

'The Return of "Extinct" Species'

Here are links to the (Ivory-billed Woodpecker) segment on CBS Sunday Morning. The piece features my good friend Tim Gallagher and myself. The piece was filmed in February 2020.

https://youtu.be/-17TIVjVuTY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-17TIVjVuTY

7:47The return of "extinct" speciesYouTube · CBS Sunday Morning1 week ago

 "The Stalk"

Great Egret, Ardea Alba

Outback Key, Fort De Soto State Park

St. Petersburg, FL

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/1600 @ f/16

Pic of the Day

Here is a photo of the (12/21/2020) conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. The image was shot near Horse Cove, in North Alabama. My three grandsons were with me to enjoy this once in my life time event. Hopefully they will see the next close one like this on March 15, 2080. My oldest grandson will be 67 for the next one.  

My son-in-law shot this image of the four of us so I can be with them in 2080. Well, at least in picture form.

Conjunction Photo

Nikon D800, 500mm f/4 with 1.4 teleconverter

Exposure: Multiple, then combined.

Photo taken at. 7:34PM, CST 12/21/2020

Moons of Jupiter (L to R): Callsito, Io, Ganymede, Europa

Pic of the Day

Snowy Egret, Egretta hula

Outback Key, Fort Desoto State Park, FL

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/2000 sec. @ f/11

Pic Of The Day

 Love Birds?

Sanderling, Calidris Alba

Causeway from Titusville, Florida to Merritt Island

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/4000 @ f/10

Comet NEOWISE over Keel Mountain as seen 

from Horse Cove near Gurley, AL

4:39 A.M. CDT, July 11, 2020

500mm f/4; 3 seconds @ f/4 ISO800

Pic of the Day

Comet NEOWISE this morning at 4:47 A.M., CDT.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 2 Seconds @ f/4 ISO 640

Comet NEOWISE, this morning at 4:47 A.M., CDT. 

This photo is a cropped version of top photo. In this

cropped version, the split in the tail is more easily seen.

     I was up again this morning to photograph Comet NEOWISE.  A cloud in the northeast obscured the comet until about 4:45, but once it moved out the comet was fantastic!  It is best seen with binoculars.  Here in North Alabama it is but a faint smudge, however the coma is seen as quite star like.  The top photo, full frame by the way, shows the comet over Horse Cove, near Gurley, Alabama.  The split in the tail was more noticeable this morning. This morning was overall better viewing conditions and less humidity in the air than on the morning of the 8^thwhen I photographed the comet.  

The bottom photo is the same one, but it has been cropped.  I included the cropped photo so the split in the tail can be more easily seen.  Just behind the coma, the tail splits into two parts from our angle of view.  While comet NEOWISE is current visible in the northeastern morning sky, by July 14^thyou should be able to see it about an hour after sundown in the northwestern sky.

The comet is currently .91AU’s* (85,128, 736 miles) from Earth.  On July 24 it will be .69 AU’s (64,436,192 miles) from earth.

The following website has good information on viewing the comet.

https://skyandtelescope.org/press-releases/new-bright-visitor-comet-neowise/

* AU is an Astronomical Unit, approx.. 93 million miles.  The distance of the Earth from the Sun.  https://www.britannica.com/science/astronomical-unit)

Comet NEOWISE

This comet bears the name of the satellite that discovered it on March 27th: NEOWISE, an acronym for Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, used to assist NASA’s efforts to identify and characterize the population of near-Earth objects, such as asteroids. And occasionally, as in this case, it also can discover a comet.    https://www.farmersalmanac.com/comet-neowise-july-2020-131179

Pic of the Day

Comet NEOWISE, July 8, 2020; 4:40 A.M., CDT

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4; 4 seconds @ f/4, ISO1600

Comet NEOWISE, July 8, 2020; 4:46 A.M., CDT

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4; 3 seconds @ f/4, ISO1600

    I was up at 2:55 A.M. to photograph Comet NEOWISE this morning. The sky was very thick with humidity and as the clocked ticked toward 4:00 A.M. the fog was so thick I could not even see stars.  With the loss of visibility I packed up and headed home.  About a mile from the house I drove out of the fog to a partly cloudy sky, and with binoculars I found the tail of the comet poking out from behind one of the clouds.  The comet was by my estimation about 7 or 8 degrees below the colorful star Capella.  I stopped on the road, and as the clouds rolled along the comet became visible, off and on.  These two images were taken with the comet just above Horse Cove, near Gurley, Alabama.

This is the brightest comet I have seen in quite a long time.  It should be visible for another week, maybe two, to the naked eye from what I have read.  It has an orbital period of 10,127 years.  I really don't expect to be around to take photos when it returns so I am happy to have taken these photos.

A shout-out to Stan Burman who posted a beautiful photo of this comet on his facebook page yesterday.  His post alerted me to the comet.  Thank you Stan Burman.  You can see his photo on his Ffacebook page.  I have also shared it on my facebook page (Bobby Harrison) as well.

Pic of the Day

Louisiana Waterthrush, Parkesia motacilla

Horse cove; Madison County, Alabama

    These beautiful warblers, a member oft family Parulidae, nest around my home in North Alabama.  I constantly see them along the creek bed, but some times they fly up the hill to the house and glean around my feeders.  With a dense population nesting along the creek, their beautiful song is a constant reminder of their presence.  I was so fortunate to get this shot, because they are usually hidden in the darkest parts of the forest.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/5
1/200 sec. @ f/8

Pic of the Day

Eastern Wood Pewee, Contopus Virens

Horse Cove; Madison County, Alabama

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/60 sec. @ f/7.1: ISO 1250

Pic of the Day

Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas

Marshall County, Alabama; USA

just North of Guntersville Dam

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/320 sec. @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Yellow-breasted Cha, Icteria virens

Marshall County, Alabama

Just North of Guntersville Dam

    The Yellow-breasted Chat is our largest warbler at 7.2 inches in length.  It is larger than other warblers, and has a repertoire of songs that sound more like the Mockingbird.  It also has anatomical differences from New World warblers.
     While traditionally  it has always been classed with the New World warblers, it is not a Parulidae.  In 2017 the American Ornithological Society move it to its own family, the Icteridae, of which it is the only member.  The question is.  Is the Yellow-breasted Chat a warbler?  The bottom line, ornithologist really don't know.
     For me, it goes on my trip list as a warbler.  The biggest of all the warblers!

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4
1/250 sec. @ f/8

Pic of the Day

Northern Cardinal, Cardinalis cardinals

Marshall County, Alabama; USA

Just North of Guntersville Dam

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/640 sec. @f/8

Pic of the Day

Summer Tanager, Piranga rubra

Marshall County, Alabama

Just North of Guntersville Dam

     While photographing a Prairie Warbler a week ago or so, this fellow alighted right beside me, allowing me to grab a couple of shots.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/640 sec. @ f/11

Pic of the Day

Indigo Bunting, Passerina Cyanea

Marshall County, AL

just north of Guntersville Dam

When the blue of the day, meets the gold of the evening light.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/320 sec. @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea

Marshall County, Alabama; USA

Just North of Guntersville Dam

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/250 sec. @ f/10, ISO1250

Pic of the Day

Prairie Warbler, Setophaga discolor

Marshall County, Alabama

Just North of Guntersville Dam

Another Prairie Warbler, and my favorite pose thus far from last weekends shoot.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm  f/4

1/200 sec. @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerine

Marshall County, Alabama

Just North of Guntersville Dam

     I was back in Marshall County, just north of Guntersville Dam chasing down a singing Chipping Sparrow yesterday.  I did not get a photo of this little fellow singing, but did a brief burst of images as it land on a branch in front of me.  I’m very happy to have gotten a few shots of this fellow.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/200 sec. @ f/13

Pic of the Day

Prairie Warbler, Setophaga discolor

Marshall Co., Alabama

Prairie Warbler singing his hear out in Marshall County, Alabama last weekend.  This image was taken just north of Guntersville Dam.  Prairie Warblers nest here in North Alabama, but it has been years since I have seen one.  This bird was not shy at all, and seemed to be responding to the songs of Indigo Buntings,  and Blue Grosbeaks that were singing nearby.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/320 sec. @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea; Marshall County, AL; USA, Near Guntersville Dam

    I found this Indigo Bunting  along the tree line at the edge of a field this afternoon.  Thought not in prime breeding plumage it gave me the opportunity to shoot lots of images.  this is my favorite of the day.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/t

1/250 sec @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas

Magee Marsh, Ohio; USA

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm

1/200 sec @ f/8

Pic of the Day

Sanderling, Calidris alba

   I captured this sanderling, Calidris albaworking the ebbing waves for morsels to fuel its journey North. This was photographed at the causeway to Merritt Island on March 1, 2020.  That seems like an eternity ago.  I had plans to return to Merritt Island this week.  We all know that those plans are the only thing going South.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4,  1/4000 sec. @ f/10

Merritt Island, Florida; USA

Pic of the Day

Grasshopper Sparrow, Ammoramus savannarum

Winfred Thomas Agricultural Research Station 

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500 f/4, 1/1000 sec. @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Black-throated Blue Warbler, female; Setophaga caerulescens: Magee Marsh, Ohio

     This female Black-throated Blue Warbler was photographed from the boardwalk at Magee Marsh, Ohio last spring.  Magee is one of my favorite locations to photograph warblers and other neotropical migrant.  Though, it is not even Thanksgiving I am looking forward to spring and the wonderful birds that will once again wing north.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4
1/250 second @ f/7.1

Pic of the Day

Scarlet Tanager, Piranga olivacea

Magee Marsh, Ohio; May 2019

Pic of the Day

Chipping Sparrow, Spizella passerine; Magee Marsh Bird Center, Ohio

     I just finished watching a great DVD called, Watching Sparrows, by Michael Male and Judy Fieth.  Can't wait to get out and photograph some more sparrows.  They are spectacular birds.  Here is a Chipping Sparrow from Magee Marsh.  I photographed this bird from the parking lot at the Magee Marsh Bird Center.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/250 second @ f/7.1; using my van as a blind

Magee Marsh

 Kirtland's Warbler, Setophaga Kirtlandii:  Magee Marsh, Estuary Trail

Bay-breasted Warbler, Setophaga castanet:  Magee Marsh, Estuary Trail

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Polioptila cerulean:  Magee Marsh, Magee Marsh Bird Center

      I spent ten days at Magee Marsh earlier this Month photographing spring migrants.  This was not the best year for Magee migrants, but I was able to get a few good images.  Northeasterly winds hindered migration, and most days were cold and rainy. While birds were less numerous I did see 114 different species, about ten less than last year, but I did get a Kirtland’s Warbler!

Kirtland's Warbler - Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/320 second @ f/7.1

Bay-breasted Warbler - Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/800 second @ f/7.1

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/400 @ f/7.1

Pic of the Day

Great Egret, Area alba displaying on nest.

Saint Augustine Heron Rookery

Saint Augustine, Florida

     Well, I guess I can say this is a very special post for me, number 1000.  I can't believe that I have made 1000 post on this blog.  Over the last couple of years I have not posted as often as I did in the past.  It seems that people these days are spending more time on Facebook and less time going to blogs.  I will continue to post here and will try to post more frequently than I have over the past few years.

     This photo was taken a couple of weeks ago at the heron rookery at the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm in Florida.  The nest was quite picturesque and I Spent a lot of time photographing this egret.  Here, the egret is in the middle of its nuptial dance.  The egret put on a spectacular show and I was fortunate to get many good shots.  I hope you enjoy the image and will visit my blog often.

     I started his blog back on March 13, 2010 and do appreciate all of you who have taken the time to look at my work through the years.  If you would care to, you can follow me on Facebook at, Bobby Harrison Photography.

     Thank you for taking the time to stop in, and please do check-in often for new additions.  Bobby

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/640th second @ f/8

Pic of the Day

Great Egret, Ardea alba

Saint Augustine Alligator Farm

Heron Rookery

     Just got home from three days of photography at the Saint Augustine Alligator Farm heron rookery. I pulled this image off the first SD card I looked at.  Not much work on this image, just some slight cropping and exposure adjustment.  This Great Egret was in the middle of its nuptial dance when I snapped the shot.  Looking forward to seeing all the images, but not tonight.  Just exhausted after a morning of shooting and a ten-hour drive home.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/500 second @ f8

Pic of the Day

Great Egret, Area alba

Saint Augustine Alligator Farm

Saint Augustine, FL

     The Chase is On!  This photo was captured after a Great Egret landed near another who was displeased by the approach.  A chase ensued leaving the interloper looking for a new perch.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4 lens, 1/3200 second @ f/10

Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea ajaja

Viera Wetlands; Viera, Florida

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/2500 second @ f/71

Osprey, Pandion Haliaetus

Viera Wetlands, Viera Florida

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/1000 sec. @ f/11

Great White Heron, Ardea Herodias occidentalis

     The Great White Heron is a species unique to south Florida and the Florida Keys.  It nest throughout the year, though the peak nesting season for the species is between November and February.  Once thought to be a color morph of the Great Blue Heron, recent studies suggest that it is at least a subspecies of the GBH.  Some evidence indicates that it may actually be a completely different species.  I photographed this bird on Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park.  It was stealthily hunting prey along Taylor Slough.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/1600 second @ f/7.1

Purple Gallinule, Porphyrio martinis

     Numerous Purple Gallinules were feeding among the Spatterdock, (Cow Lily), on Taylor Slough last week when I visited Anhinga Trail.  The birds were out in the open providing some great photo opportunities.  This image was shot about a half hour before sunset, thus providing warm lingo to illuminate the spectacular colors of this beautiful bird.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm, f/4, 1/800 second @ f/9

Burrowing Owl, Athene cunicularia

Cape Coral, Florida, USA

     This image was taken earlier this week while visiting Cape Coral, Florida. Burrowing Owls are one of my favorite birds to photograph and Cape Coral has many different sites to shoot. This year I saw more active burrows than I have seen in many years. Cape Coral is growing rapidly, but hopefully these owls will continue maintain their population.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/1600 second @ f/9

Pic of the Day

Green-backed Heron, Butorides virescens

      Over New Years I was at Merritt Island NWR.  I arrived on the refuge before sunrise and drove along Black Point Wildlife Drive looking for birds to photograph.  I found this Green-backed Heron perched on a shrub.  With the sun still below the horizon I increased the ISO on my camera to 3200.  This allowed me to increase my shutter speed to 1/250 of a second.  As I photographed the heron it turned its head, raised its crest, and stretched its neck into a perfect pose.  A wonderful start to the day.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/250 second @ f/8, ISO 3200

Pic of the Day

 Alignment of Moon, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury
January 1st, 2019

                                         Alignment of Moon, Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury

                                                      identified with Mercury magnified

                                                 (both images best viewed when enlarged)

     Mercury is always hard to spot.  Especially where I live, here in North Alabama.  But on January 1^st, 2019, I was on the causeway between Titusville, Florida and Merritt Island NWR awaiting the rising sun.  The sky was dark, the waning moon shown bright, but so did two bright planets.  I assumed the planets to be Venus, and Jupiter and when I checked the positions of the two planets I discovered I was correct.  But, I also saw from the chart that Mercury was in the morning sky, below Jupiter and very low to the horizon (as always).   Sure enough, I found it just above the horizon in the glow of dawn. I used binoculars to find Mercury, but once found I could easily see it with the naked eye.

     I was so excited!  The last time I remember seeing Mercury was at least 50, maybe 52 years ago.  An exception of course was the Mercury transit on November 10, 1973.  Mercury was easy to see as it crossed the face of the Sun. (with filters of course).  

     I quickly set up my tripod to take a photo of the event.  I did a number of exposures and settled on this one to post.  The first image shows the moon and all three planets, but mercury is hard to see in the wide-angle shot as it is much dimmer than Venus and Jupiter.  If you can view the image full screen you can see Mercury half way between the left side of the image and the middle of the image in line with the clouds on the horizon. In the second image I have enlarged Mercury, and named each of the planets and moon.  Mercury is inside the white circle.

What a great way to start the New Year.  I hope its not another 50 years before I see Mercury again!  By the way, Florida has a great horizon line for seeing Mercury. Lucky Floridians.

     If you’re interest, Mercury will transit the Sun on November 11, 2019.  The entire transit will be visible from the eastern half of the United States and most of it visible from the entire continent. The transit will last over 5 hours, very long for a transit.

     If I am lucky enough to see this transit it will be my last.  Though there are two more transits, one on November 13, 2032 and another on November 7, 2039 neither will be visible from the North America.  The next transit visible from North American that will be, May 7, 2049. 

Camera: Nikon D800, Lens: Nikkor 16-80mm, f/2.8-4   set at 16mm
Exposure:  2 seconds @ f/5.6,  on tripod