Photo sharing and discussion

Re: Crested Caracaras

lyceel — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:08:04 GMT

Well, the short answer is because I was lazy

The longer explanation goes like this... I always shoot in matrix metering, and I use exposure compensation to try and balance the scene and bring out the subject as much as possible. If the subject has a lot of white, I'll bring down the exposure a bit to keep the highlights in check. If the subject is dark, I might bring it up some, even though this might cause some overexposed highlights elsewhere in the scene. A Snowy Egret usually needs about -1.0 (up to -2.0 in direct sunlight), while a Red-Winged Blackbird might need a little boost of +0.33 or +0.67, for example.

After doing this for a while, I've kind of noticed that -0.67 is a good "safe" setting to start with. It's usually enough to keep any highlights in check, but not so extreme that you lose much detail. Unfortunately, I sometimes fall into a rut where I just leave it there and stop analyzing the scene when I go to shoot. You might think the photos above are a bit underexposed, and you'd be right. The sky was fairly overcast that day, and there weren't any harsh highlights to worry about, so -0.67 was a bit too much (I probably could have shot them with no bias and been fine). With a subject as patient as a Caracara, there really isn't any excuse for it either. Like I said, I just got lazy.

On the plus side, this is pretty easy to fix with a little RAW processing.

Re: Crested Caracaras

Matt — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:53:54 GMT

lyceel:
(300mm, f/2.8, 1/800", ISO 200 (-0.67 EV) )

Can you explain why you used a -0.67 EV setting? What were the conditions and what was your thought process?

Re: Crested Caracaras

Curlybird — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:18:14 GMT

These are awesome! I haven't even found an owl, let alone get a great shot like that!

Re: Crested Caracaras

lyceel — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:04:44 GMT

Incidentally, I was also lucky enough to get another shot of this guy (I'd seen him before in February)...

(300mm, f/2.8, 1/800", ISO 200 (-0.67 EV) )

Re: Crested Caracaras

lyceel — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:00:11 GMT

I didn't get a chance to post these earlier. Last weekend (July 5), I got a chance to go back to Orlando Wetlands Park, and I was able to take the rental lens I had gotten for my North Carolina trip (a Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 AF-S VR, and a TC-17EII 1.7x teleconverter). I was fortunate enough that the Caracara family had decided to stick around for a while. Here are a few more shots of them.

500mm, f/6.3, 1/800", ISO 200 (-0.67 EV), cropped, no edit

Foreground could be better in this shot, but I love how he's got his crest up. It makes him look tough, I think

500mm, f/6.3, 1/500", ISO 200 (-0.67 EV), cropped, no edit

This one finally got out in the open, so I didn't have to crop this shot (though I probably could have composed it a bit better)...

500mm, f/6.3, 1/1000", ISO 200 (-0.67 EV), no crop, no edit

I also got to see their little one again...

500mm, f/6.3, 1/640", ISO 200 (-0.67 EV), cropped, no edit

Re: Crested Caracaras

cairnstone — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 01:36:47 GMT

Somehow I missed this thread until now. Great pics lyceel.

Re: Crested Caracaras

Seattle — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:18:15 GMT

I would like to thank who ever sent the crested caracara up to the Seattle area this past weekend! It was seen by several local birders at a park. I hope it hangs around for a few days so I can get a picture. As far as I know there has not been a report of a captured one missing. This is pretty exciting stuff around here!

Re: Crested Caracaras

lyceel — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:23:58 GMT

Cool story and nice picture!

It's definitely a Caracara. I'm not sure if it's a juvenile or not, but that would be my guess as well. From what I've read, their face color can vary at all ages, but the juveniles I've seen seem to typically be more pale than the adults.

Re: Crested Caracaras

Tuggy — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:21:47 GMT

WOW! This bird will get quite big. You are not that far from where I saw the one sitting on the Walmart fence. That was at I-10 and Fry Road. As the "Eagle" flys, that is close. The thing I am having hard time with is that they like prairie. Your area is quite heavily wooded. (except for all the concrete) Maybe the young one just got lost. His nest may have been inside the resovoir area. This is amazing.

Re: Crested Caracaras

PollyTX — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 01:59:42 GMT

I'm new here--but it looks like my guess was correct? We were reading our Birds of North America book to try to find out what this bird is:

Sorry it's so dark--my little Canon Power Shot couldn't make up its mind as it was dusk outside.

Is this a juvenile caracara, do you think? This was walking around in our condo complex! We are just directly west of the Sam Houston Tollway near Memorial Drive. It was the strangest thing we'd seen since the peacocks showed up a few years back. According to my book (c. 1966) caracaras do live year round along the gulf coast but I have to agree with Tuggy that they must be pushing further northeast, because I have lived here my whole life and frankly, I have never seen anything like this! LOL! Just amazing. He/she was sooo calm, we were wondering if he may have been hurt as he let us get awfully close as you can see. He did not try to fly away in any way. Just went on about his business trying to find food. It was pretty cool!

Re: Crested Caracaras

Tuggy — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:30:10 GMT

I know this thread is old but I was at Walmart today and there was a juvenile C. Caracara sitting on the fence at Walmart. This is the second "urban" C. Caracara I have seen this year. Another was in a schoolyard nearby (maybe the same bird?). I bring this up because we discussed the possibility of range expansion in Arizona and Florida as well as Texas. I am certainly no scholar on such matters but it seems to me that this is a bird not well suited for urban life. If this bird decides to have lunch in one's backyard it will surely scare the children. Has anyone else noticed these birds in other than rural environments? Or is this a fluke?

Re: Crested Caracaras

lonestranger — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:09:01 GMT

Beautiful pictures, lyceel.

Re: Crested Caracaras

jmmoon — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:29:16 GMT

I think Caracaras are the coolest looking birds! Interesting that they are being seen further north in other parts of the country---here in AZ as well. The one time I had great views of a pair, they were on top of two saguaro cacti, and as I watched, the one closest to me flew over to perch on an arm of the same cactus the other was on. I noticed the flight being vulture-like as well---very slow and deep strokes.

Of course, no camera... Someday I'll go back to the same area, camera ready.

Re: Crested Caracaras

Tuggy — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:28:04 GMT

They have become a favorite bird of mine. I usually scare my wife when I see one while driving along and hit the breaks to go check it out. I suspect the drought in South Texas is, at least, partly responsible for their movement. They may also be increasing in numbers. In any case your pictures are great. Watch for them in winter and see if they follow the geese.

Re: Crested Caracaras

lyceel — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 02:37:51 GMT

Tuggy:
The one observation I have made in recent years is the expansion, or movement, of their range further northeast than a few years ago. I have noted this before in other threads. I see them regularly now just west of Houston. I used to drive near Victoria, 50 miles or so, to spot them.

The most recent bird list (it's several years old) for Orlando Wetlands Park has the Caracara listed as an accidental species. This is the second time I've seen them here this year, though.

They're known to be common around Lake Okeechobee, which is a good bit south of here, so I'd guess their range has been expanding north here as well.