Wil Hershberger

2010-11-24T09:18:00.002-05:00

BEST IN SHOW

Well, I couldn't believe it. The Easton Waterfowl Festival is hailed as one of the premier nature oriented art shows in the US. This was the 40th anniversary of the show and it was amazingly well attended.
The photography exhibit is nestled in the Historical Society building, a re-purposed church. This year there were 12 photographers displaying their work. On the first day of the show the photographers chose three of their images for the other photographers to vote on for "Best in Show."
Saturday morning the votes were tallied and the results were revealed. An image that I had just taken 5 weeks prior to the show was awarded Best in Show.

We were just in the Grand Tetons National Park in September. After three mornings arriving at this location for the sunrise and alpine glow we were rewarded with the most spectacular sunrise I have seen in some time. The forecast was for partly cloudy skies so we headed out to be at this specific spot early. From this one location I could place the top of Mount Moran in the notch in the vegetation in the foreground.
As the sun came up the colors were unbelievable. Everyone was in awe of the amazing spectacle unfolding in front of use. Looking east, there wasn't a cloud in the sky except for one large cloud that was directly over where the sun would be coming up. This cloud was turning orange-gold just like the fall colored aspen leaves we were seeing all over the park.
I printed the image with the light as it was that morning and it looked contrived. I had to add a little blue back into the image to offset the orange-gold from the cloud to make the scene believable. The arrangement of the clouds almost made Mt. Moran look like a volcano.
I was so pleased that this image was chosen by my peers to receive the honor of Best in Show for the 2010 Easton Waterfowl Festival.
Thank you very much.

2010-04-20T07:41:00.000-04:00

Exciting News!

Lang Elliott, myself and a small group of talented field recordists, photographers or videographers have launched a new website/blog filled with prose and multimedia content.
Please visit The Music of Nature

2009-10-28T18:38:00.002-04:00

Another Wonderful Nature Photography Workshop

This past weekend we had another successful Nature Photography Workshop. Held at Cacapon State Park in Morgan County, WV the fall colors were in full intensity.

Despite the rain on Friday and Saturday morning the group explored the marvels of manual exposure mode and the realization that the photographer is smarter than the camera.
A combination of classroom work and field work help to strengthen the students understanding of shooting in manual mode, setting f-stops for the situation at hand, setting a shutter speed to freeze the action or to allow time to accumulate on the film/sensor to render the preconceived image. With digital photography the students were made aware that they can change the ISO between ever shot if they want to (I can't imagine wanting to but you can). This allows the photographer to capture the desired image using the f-stop and shutter speed that they want. To render the image the way that they want by changing the ISO to achieve the correct balance between these three key elements to a proper exposure.
It is so rewarding to see the light bulbs click on over their heads when they finally get it. When all of the elements of this manual mode come together and gel - they can do it! Manual Exposure - it's not as hard and you think.

Donna and I are so pleased to have had to opportunity to share our passion for nature and nature photography with passionate people that are willing to learn and experiment. The rewards are priceless.
We are already working on next years workshop schedule. Stay tuned for a link to the 2010 Nature Photography Workshop Schedule.

2009-09-10T21:38:00.003-04:00

Cicada Feeding

I found a female dog-day cicada (Tibicen canicularis) on the wall of the local Dairy Queen the other night. I must have been a sight going after this thing with a net in town on a busy road. It only took a second and the cicada was in the bag. I instantly knew that it was a female as it didn't squeak when I was handling it. Males will make sounds while being handled supposedly to scare off predators.
Once I got her home I provided a nice fresh twig from a red oak that was placed in water to keep it hydrated. Within minutes she was on the twig and feeding. Cicadas are homopterans and eat by inserting the stylet of their beak into the phloem layer of the bark of tree branches and sucking the nutrient ladened sap through the straw-like mouth parts.

The stylet is between her "elbows" and inserted into the branch. After drinking for 45 minutes she was very active. I released her in the morning when she could see to fly and off she went.

To make this image I took 7 images at f/16 focusing from near to far through the cicada and then used Helicon Focus filter to make the depth of focus composite. The resulting image is probably equivalent to f/128 or more.

2009-09-09T18:31:00.002-04:00

Odd Color Form of Round-tipped Conehead

During a recent trip to Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio, I found a small colony of round-tipped conehead katydids there were "army drab green." I have never seen this color form in any katydid. They look like and sound like the round-tipped but the color is like nothing I have seen or seen reported.

With all of the blogging about the pink katydids that have been found in Ohio recently I thought it fitting to include this less flamboyant color form in the mix.

So, there you have it, an army drab green katydid able to blend in with its environment like no other. Their only down fall was that they were singing incessantly during the middle to the day. Not the best technique if one wants to remain hidden from view.

2009-08-23T17:52:00.000-04:00

Long-tailed Salamander

While looking for meadow katydids after dark I found this long-tailed salamander hunting alone the surface of wood ferns. It was fascinating to be able to see him up close and to get some video of this handsome fellow.

http://www.natureimagesandsounds.com/assets/long-tailed salamander_50.mov

2009-08-22T15:05:00.003-04:00

Stauffer’s Marsh

June 15, 2009 by Wil Hershberger

As dawn proceeds across the valley of Back Creek, West Virginia, the residents of Stauffer’s Marsh begin to stir. As the easter sky brightens the birds begin the ancient ritual of the dawn chorus. Green frogs, bull frogs and northern cricket frogs ad a basso accompaniment to the ever changing performance.

Once the dawn chorus has settled down and birds return to defending territories and attracting mates they sing more slowly. This virtuoso Song Sparrow was recorded in stereo. Listen for the Yellow warbler and Common yellowthroat in the background. This particular male Song Sparrow has a beautiful, clear voice. He will sing 10 or so songs of one type and then change to another song in his repertoire of 10 or more songs.

The dawn chorus was recorded in binaural using a SASS and MKH 20 mics to a Sound Devices 702.

The Song Sparrow was recorded with a Telinga Pro 7 Stereo DAT mic to the SD 702.

2009-08-22T15:05:00.001-04:00

Ovenbird Flight Song

May 27, 2009 by Wil Hershberger

Most birders know the song of the ovenbird as “teacher-TEacher-TEACher-TEACHER!” This very loud and emphatic song rings out through the woods from dawn till dusk. Click here to listen to the diurnal song of the ovenbird.

Enterprising birders that are out in the woods at first light and last light might be treated to the wonderful and complex flight song of the ovenbird. Flying in a straight line above the trees or through an opening in the forest understory, the male ovenbirds delivers a splendid song that has to be heard to be believed.
Click here to listen to the ovenbirds flight song. This song could actually be classified as warbling. This rich and elusive song is, as you can imagine, very hard to record. Trying to follow an ovenbird with a parabola in hopes of being on the bird when he does this flight song is an exercise in futility. The best method is to setup a stereo microphone system in an area where you have heard flight song, start the recorder and wait. With solid state digital recorders there is no tape cost to worry about so you can record for very long periods and try to catch this crepuscular warbling.

This specialized song seems to be extremely territorial in nature. Playing back flight song to an ovenbird causes that male to nearly go into convulsions. He becomes extremely agitated and searches endlessly for the intruder. It is highly recommended that flight song never be played back to this species.

Next time you are heading for the woods to listen for and look for birds, get there early or go and stay late and listen for this magical flight song of the ovenbird.

2009-08-22T15:04:00.002-04:00

Downy Woodpecker Nest

May 15, 2009 by Wil Hershberger

I have found a downy woodpecker nest on our property. It appears that the male was in the last stages of excavating the hole when I found it a few days ago. I carefully walked in with my camera and took some photos.

It took a few minutes for the male to return. When he did he appeared to be checking out the entrance then the interior. The female showed up shortly after he entered the nest. She too appeared to be checking it out. It now appears that we have a pair of downys that are ready to start raising a family.

Regarding the photography – The nest is well under the canopy of expanding leaves. There is very little natural light on the nest entrance. Using flash as the main light and setting the ambient exposure to -1 made for pleasing images. Since I was using a 500mm lens I was also using the Better Beamer flash attachment to concentrate the light from the flash onto the area covered by the long focal length lens. Using flash allowed for faster shutter speeds that helped to freeze the motion and the flash filled in any shadows that would have been there with natural light at this time of day.

For more photos (be sure to read the captions) see Downy Woodpecker Nest.

Wil

2009-08-22T15:04:00.001-04:00

Scarlet Tanager

May 11, 2009 by Wil Hershberger

We have a pair of scarlet tanagers nesting on our property. I am not certain where the nest is yet but, the male is singing everyday from the same area. It is great to hear their song again this year. A Cornell study of woodland birds indicated that Scarlet tanagers are particularly sensitive to forest fragmentation. Perhaps as the wooded areas in eastern NA mature this species will make a come back. It is important that existing forests remain intact with a minimum of road construction and linked as much as possible with other nearby wooded areas. If large woodland corridors can be developed and maintain we might just see a resurgence of these woodland species.

2009-08-22T14:56:00.000-04:00

Flycatchers Returning

May 11, 2009 by Wil Hershberger

Saturday morning I was treated to the song of a Least flycatcher at a wildlife preserve in Frederick County, MD. This little guy was singing his heart out while looking for food. He was certainly a migrant no doubt headed for upstate NY. Least flycatchers are perhaps the easiest of the flycatchers to hear during migration as they sing constantly and the harsh “Che’bek!” is easily learned.

Also present was a male Wilson’s warbler. This species is very elusive in central MD and it was great to hear him singing from the brushy pond edge.

2009-05-15T13:25:00.001-04:00

Moving to Wordpress

I am trying the blogging at WordPress. Please follow this link to the new site for my blog.

2009-05-05T19:27:00.005-04:00

Bobolink Song Slowed Down

After a lecture on bird song appreciation containing some time spectrum analysis of bird song there was a request for an example of Bobolink song slowed down.

Here is a sonogram of normal bobolink song. I am pretty certain that this is one male.

Here is a sonogram of bobolink song slowed down to 1/3rd normal speed.

2009-05-05T09:05:00.011-04:00

New River Birding Festival

It seems impossible for the week to be over already. Wasn't it just yesterday that we got there and started the fantastic voyage known as the New River Birding Festival in Fayetteville, WV?
This year saw a sharp increase in the number of participants. Their spirit and infectious enthusiasm for birds and nature was contagious. There is nothing like the look on someones face when they get a terrific look at a life bird. A bird that they have never seen before. The record for life birds had been 46 for the festival. This year that record was blasted out of the water with a stunning 70 species recorded as life birds for one participant that was a brand spanking new birder. Congratulations!

Among that wonderful destinations that we lead birders to is Cranberry Glades. This high elevation bog is a magical place, "a piece of Canada gone astray." The group that I was leading was the last to visit the glades. Our Saturday morning trip was meet with moderate rain that soon turned to broken sunshine. As the weather moderated the bird activity spiked. We were witness to Northern waterthrushes (a type of warbler) singing from the very top of several red spruce trees that dominate the wooded edge of the bog. Blackburnian warblers were a real hit found singing from the barley budding deciduous trees in the area of the parking lot. Wonderful views of a Hermit thrush were a delight as well.

However, the fellow that stole the show was a male Canada warbler that was a lifer for a number of the birders there that morning. He came right in to view in a rhododendron at the edge of the road and remained there singing for a very long time. It was impossible to think that we were walking away from a singing male Canada warbler in plain view - but we did. Other birds were calling to us and we had to move on.

Click here to hear song

Certainly the most sought after bird in this area is the Swainson's warbler. This denizen of dark rhododendron thickets is easy to hear but not at all easy to see. The birds in this area have a distinctive song that is loud, emphatic and ringing.

There were a number of people that were interested in botony as well as birds. Perhaps that best find was the rare yellow form of the red trillium.

By are the most sought after bird i

Well, I will have to add more to this later. I hope to include the song of the Swainson's warbler and a few more pictures and comments about the week.
Thanks,
Wil

2009-04-06T19:02:00.007-04:00

Sky Meadows Birds

Joe Mikus reported finding a colony of Red-headed woodpeckers at Sky Meadows State Park, VA. He had been feeding birds in this area for sometime. Once we got there it appeared that the birds recognized Joe and were looking for food. Once the suet and seeds were in place there was lots of activity.

There was also an inquisitive White-breasted nuthatch that clean out most of the seeds.

Also present was a Carolina wren that was not happy with all of the commotion.

To see more photos from this shoot please see this link: Sky Meadows

2007-12-15T09:39:00.001-05:00

Carolina Chickadees

Trying to photograph chickadees on a dried teasel was more of a challenge that I had envisioned. They seemed to prefer to perch on the steel of the C-clamp making images that were not quite so natural looking.

But, eventually they did perch where I had hoped they would in the first place.

2007-09-03T14:10:00.001-04:00

XM Radio Interview with Bob Edwards

Well the interview finally aired. We had a great time with Bob and you can listen to our segment of the show here:
Interview

Thanks for listening,
Wil

2007-08-01T06:51:00.000-04:00

Finally - some photos of a Chipmunk

After a long stretch of bad luck finding a cooperative chipmunk I was able to capture some nice images of Chippy at my friend Craig Muck's house. Craig's observations lead him to believe that Chippy has stored about 20 pound of sunflower seeds somewhere! As you can see in image number 21 at the link below he can certainly carry off a big load of seeds at one time.
Images here Wil

2007-06-07T06:32:00.000-04:00

NEW - Songs of Insects Blog

We have a new blog as part of our web site for our book "The Songs of Insects."
Check it out and let us know what you think.
Thanks,
Wil

2007-04-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

Birding 101 - April 26

We are looking forward to seeing you all this Thursday evening at the class. We are in 134IE this week.
We will be covering swallow and swifts, flycatchers and vireos. Study these sections in your field guides and be sure to bring your field guide(s) to class.

See you there,
Wil

2007-04-18T22:40:00.000-04:00

Birding 101 for April 19th, 2007

Please remember that there is no classroom session this evening. We will see you next week at the regular time on Thursday.
This coming Saturday, April 21, Potomac Valley Audubon is having a Wildflower Festival.
See the PVAS web site for more information and the schedule.
There are lots of birds to be seen on the wildflower walks too.

Wil

2007-04-15T06:02:00.000-04:00

Altona Marsh Birding Report

Sounds like a great time was had by all at the marsh. Isn't Altona a wonderful place!
Here are the bird highlights from Saturday morning:
American Black Duck 2
Blue-winged Teal 3
Virginia Rail 2
Wilson's Snipe 1
Great Horned Owl 1
Barn Swallow 1
Brown Thrasher 1
Swamp Sparrow 3
Eastern Meadowlark 1

The complete list of birds can be found here.

2007-04-08T13:32:00.000-04:00

Wow, what a great day of birding.

The 20th class of Birding 101/201 explored the Shenandoah River and Shannondale Lake in Jefferson County this past Saturday April 7, 2007.
Highlights were:
Bonaparte's gull
Bald eagle
Palm warbler (western race)
Yellow-throated warbler

These are great birds for beginning birders to add to their list!

Here is a pdf of the entire list of birds that were seen or heard:
http://natureimagesandsounds.com/articles/Birding101_4-7-07.PDF

2007-04-05T13:58:00.000-04:00

Birding 101

20th Annivserary!

Tonight marks the first session for the 20th year of the Birding 101/201 class offered by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society.

This year I will keep our students up to date using this blog. Students can post questions and comments to this post and subsequent posts related to the Birding Class or any other posts that they find interesting.
This promises to be a landmark year from Birding 101!

Wil

Electronic Handouts:
ABA Birding Code of Ethics
Optics Buying Guide
WV-Birds Listserv Archive
Brooks Bird Club
WV Birder.com Matt Orsie
Migration timing of birds in the panhandle

2007-04-01T18:22:00.000-04:00

Getting There

Well, we are getting there with the Songs of Insects web site.
In fact, after a great deal of effort one of the learning pages is complete.
http://www.musicofnature.com/songsofinsects/iframes/twentyspecies.html
Check it out and see if it works for you and I would love to hear you comments.
Wil

2007-03-20T12:20:00.000-04:00

Coding, coding...

www.songsofinsects.com, the support web site for our book, "The Songs of Insects" is getting closer to being ready.
It would be wonderful if my readers would venture over there and have a look around and let me know what you think. There are several pages and links that do not work yet. However, there are some cool features that we would like to know what you think and if they work for you on your computer.
Check out the online guide main page, the click here for help on the page and the allard's ground cricket on the ground crickets page from the "by families" link on the online guide main page.
Thanks a lot,
Wil

2007-03-14T18:26:00.000-04:00

Salamanders It is that time of year again already. Spring is upon us all of the sudden with unbelievable temperatures and the chance of a nice "warm" rain. This is the catalyst for the salamanders to migrate from their winter homes to vernal and permanent pools of water to breed. Spotted salamanders are perhaps the most sought after as they are only active in a breeding phase for a few days then they move back to the woods to burrow in the ground again until next year. If you see any spotted salamander, they are black bodied with two rows of yellow to orange strips down their backs, please let me know as soon as possible. I would very much like to photograph as many species of salamanders as possible this season. The photo below is a long-tailed salamander. I think that he is quite handsome, don't you?
Wil

2007-03-14T18:18:00.000-04:00

Craig Muck Photography Color Management Services

I have always found color management a necessary evil aspect of digital photography. Getting the monitor to match the print is always an ideal rather than a reality.
I had Craig Muck out to the house to try his hand at color managing my setup using his awesome Eye-1 instrument.
Well, all I can say is wow! The whole process took an hour or so and went without a hitch. Craig's professionalism and attention to detail were very pleasing to see and the results were the best I have ever had. Using the calibration equipment without expertise will result in a real nightmare. Craig's knowledge and acumen were well up to the task and it showed.
I am very pleased with my newly managed and finally accurate system.
Thanks Craig for an excellent job. I highly recommend Craig to anyone looking for a color managed system from monitor to print.
You can check out Craig's web site here.

Wil

2007-03-13T06:22:00.000-04:00

Lecture March 29, 2007 at 7 PM

The Songs of Insects

I will be presenting a lecture and multimedia presentation about "The Songs of Insects" at the National Conservation Training Center near Shepherdstown, WV. The lecture starts at 7 PM on Thursday March 29 with a book signing following the lecture.
I hope to see you there,
Wil

2007-02-13T05:54:00.000-05:00

Almost here...

The book is almost here. Houghton-MIfflin is sending me some copies of the book as soon as they get the audio CDs from the duplicator. Lang Elliott and I are scheduled to give a talk to the Museum of Natural History in Boston on March 1, 2007 and to an Audubon group on March 2, 2007. I can't wait. The book has been in the making ever since the audio CD was published in 1998 by Steve Rannels and myself. Lang called me in 2000 to inquire about doing a full length book. We have been working hard on this project ever since. Looking back the only thing that we did wrong was not taking pictures of our hotels and field locations and us in action for use in talks. We were too focused on the wonderful insects that we now call friends. We hope that you will enjoy the book as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to you.

Link to Amazon.com

2007-02-13T05:50:00.000-05:00

A Successful Workshop

My wife and I conducted another wonderfuly successful nature photography workshop this past weekend. We were at the Willow Run Farm in Back Creek Valley, WV.
Everyone had a great time and it is so rewarding to see the light bulbs go off when the students get the concepts of exposure and composition.
There were lots of subjects to shoot and everyone loved the old barn.
Sunrise on Sunday over Stauffer's marsh was beautiful.
We are looking forward to our next class.

2006-12-26T07:14:00.000-05:00

Enhanced Podcast Test

This is a test to see if an enhanced podcast will work from within Blogger.
Test Podcast

Thanks,
Wil

2006-12-13T05:43:00.000-05:00

The Songs of Insects

Well, the book is finally finished and at the publishers. We just finished the audio CD this weekend. What a job getting all of the announcements right and spliced into place, setting levels and listening again and again for even the slightest glitch.
Houghton-Mifflin, Co. said that the book should be available in late April '07.

2006-12-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

Adobe Lightroom

I can honestly say that lightroom will make my image editing and organization a much more enjoyable task. The interface is a delight for the eyes and very easy to operate. The RAW conversions seem to be on par with the likes of Capture One and RAW shooter essentials.
The added functionality with the slide show and web page generator is terrific.
I was amazed to see that you could tweak other file types as well. Not on;ly RAW files but, jpg, tiff, png and others can be adjusted to your liking and added to a web page or slide show. Very nice.
I can't wait to see what they do to this already marvelous program when it is ready for release.
Stay tuned

2006-11-30T17:29:00.000-05:00

Macbook Pro 17"

Wow, what a machine. It appears that Apple has a winner here. Not only is it a gorgeous peace of engineering it is fast, quiet and the display is beautiful. I purchased the glossy screen version with some reservations. However, I can say with out hesitation that the glossy screen is awesome. The clarity and colors are something that you have to see to believe. I am now using FireFox browser and blogger dashboard is working perfectly now. Weird how some browsers don't support the beta version of blogger dashboard. I guess they will eventually.

That's all for now

2006-11-29T17:24:00.000-05:00

This is a test

Well, I have changed platforms, I am now a Mac user. Yes, that is correct. After years of touting the wonders of windows I have had it. What a mess windows machine can become. Mac is the way to go. The ease of setting up, adding software, the quality of the products and the software won me over. After years of watching other migrate to Mac and wondering what the heck they were thinking I now see the light.
It appears that this Macbook pro would run circles around my old Dell :)
I can't wait to get to work with this machine.
Wil

2006-11-27T12:06:00.000-05:00

Sound file post test

Eastern wood-pewee dawn song

2006-11-21T11:45:00.000-05:00

PVNP Field Trip to Bombay Hook NWR, DE

In attendance were Darla and Ronald Cook, Donna Hershberger and myself.

Saturday morning was cool and breezy. The numbers of snow geese were way down from last year. I could not see any obvious reason for this as there was plenty of water in all of the ponds.
The sunrise on Saturday was beautiful but never really produced the kind of light that you want from flight shots of the geese. There were some images to be made none the less. After all of the geese had left the ponds we started to drive around looking for other targets with the lens and camera ready to go at a moments notice. This certainly paid off when a juvenile peregrine falcon landed in a dead snag right next to the road. Carefully approaching in the truck the falcon didn't seem to mind that we were there. It sat in the snag and preened for several minutes. The light at this time of the morning could have been very harsh. However, with the somewhat thin overcast the light was soft yet with some definition. Shadows were open but not absent.
I think that the images of this falcon were the best of the weekend.

Saturday evening the sunset was rather subdued. There were just too many clouds to get a spectacular image. There were however, some interesting reflection images to be made using the reeds and grasses that were growing up through the water of the ponds.

Sunday morning the light was even worse than yesterday. The geese put on a much better show this morning as you would suspect. There were a few flight shoots that turned out OK.

All too soon it was time to same good bye and head back west toward home.

2006-11-16T08:03:00.000-05:00

Art Wolfe Coming to PVNP !

The following is from the newsletter of the Potomac Valley Nature Photographers.

World renowned photographer Art Wolfe will be conducting a weekend seminar for PVNP February 24-25, 2007. Art will be talking about finding your inspiration as a photographer
and how to pre-visualize an image to mention just a few of the topics that he will discuss.
Art Wolfe has been capturing images of the natural world and remote cultures for more than 30
years. His work has appeared in all of the major publications in the US and many others across the globe. His internationally acclaimed and award winning books have garnered praise from his peers for many years. Years of capturing the beauty of our natural world have instilled in him
a deep respect for the environment and a burning need to do whatever he can to preserve this fragile balance. His tireless efforts in this regard have earned him great respect and admiration from conservationists the world over.
PVNP is proud and honored to be able to offer this outstanding opportunity to peek into the mind of
one of our greatest photographers and most passionate environmentalists. We are also pleased to announce that Art and his creative partners will be providing incentives for early registrants. Additional information regarding these incentives will be disclosed as we learn more of the details. Some of these incentives may include one of Art’s prints, equipment or supplies from Canon, Epson, Gitzo, Lexmark and/or others.
We will keep you informed as soon as we know the complete package. This will hopefully be before our December 1 meeting. Also presenting during this not to be missed seminar will be Rick Holt, a nationally acclaimed teacher and photographer. He will be talking about tips and tricks for processing images in PhotoShop as well as an in-depth discussion on Adobe’s new Lightroom. Lightroom is a brand new development from Adobe that combines an image previewer, organizer,
metadata editor, RAW developer, B&W conversion tool and many, many other applications all
into one powerful program that will save any photographer an enormous amount of time dealing with digital images and that dreaded “digital asset management.”
Early registration is advised as this seminar will certainly sell out quickly.
We are limited to 250 people.
Fees:
For both days of the seminar with registration in advance $199
For both days of the seminar at the door $249
For one day of the seminar with registration in advance $139
For one day of the seminar at the door $189
Proceeds from this seminar will be used to further PVNP’s activities in outreach, education and conservation.

2006-11-14T10:57:00.000-05:00

Environmental Photography Invitational, EPI

Wow, the EPI is now open to all photographers in the US and Canada. This is the first year that it is open to non-Washington State residents.
Art Wolfe initiated this competition in 2006.Winning images will be displayed in his new, state of the art, gallery in Seattle, WA.
Now to find some images to submit. Entries will be accepted online starting Dec. 1, 2006.
See their webite for details.

2006-11-12T20:14:00.000-05:00

2006-11-12T17:59:00.000-05:00

Image Comparison

Well, I was able to get some shooting in on Friday and I have finally gotten the images processed. While the birds didn't cooperate as well as I had hoped the weather did. With bright unfiltered sunlight, like I had when the chickadee image was made, this female goldfinch landed on the bird bath rather than the feeder log that I had set up. The images here are 50% enlargements of the finished images ready to be printed at 8x10, 360 dpi.
It appears to me that the images show very similar levels of detail. The goldfinch was shot with the EOS 1D IIN and the chickadee with the EOS 1Ds, both were taken using the Canon 500mm f/4 IS with 12mm of extension at f/8, ISO 200, and around 1/320 second with fill flash at -1.67 Ev.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Wil

©Wil Hershberger, Nature Images and Sounds, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Click on the image to see a larger version.

2006-11-10T12:11:00.000-05:00

Lecture Review

Well, it was a lot of material, in fact, it would have been 3+ hours of lecture in my regular workshops. However, I think that they did come away with some good information and tips that they can start using right away. After showing them the RAW conversion techniques that I use and the virtues of one software over the others one of the fellows scolded me in that it was going to cost him $600 to get the software :)
Everyone was very pleased and complementary and I had a great time as well.

2006-11-09T13:58:00.000-05:00

Unseasonable Weather

I cannot believe this weather. The first week of November and it is 70F outside.
Tomorrow is a day off and I hope to get some shooting in. The birds are coming into the feeders pretty regularly now. I guess that they have exhausted most of the natural foods in the area.
The weather should cooperate too. This will be a good test of the Canon EOS 1D IIN with the 500mm f/4 lens at close focus with extension. The EOS 1Ds produced some amazing details with this setup and at this range. I guess that I will have to see what I can get. I will post a few images when I can to compare the two cameras with this setup.

I am giving a talk this evening to the Antietam Photographic Society on "Getting the Proper Exposure with Digital Cameras." There is a lot of material to cover and I hope that I can teach them a few things that will help. Should be a lot of fun.

2006-11-07T20:31:00.000-05:00

Black-chinned Hummingbird

I thought that I would post this photo of a male BCHU that was taken at the Sonoran Desert Museum hummingbird aviary. He seemed to be posing for me.

©Wil Hershberger, Nature Images and Sounds, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

2006-11-07T20:08:00.000-05:00

Customizing my blog

Well, I have tried to add an image to the banner of my blog. It appears to have worked.
If the banner is not a photo of a killdeer, but is just blue please let me know. Also, include the browser that you are using.
Thanks,

2006-11-07T08:13:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Samantha!
Samantha Walker was chosen as the Emerging Artist at the Potomac Arts Festival for 2006.

2006-11-05T09:28:00.000-05:00

Shenandoah Photographic Society, Winchester, VA
The annual banquet of the SPS was Friday November 3rd. We were not able to attend as we were at the Potomac Arts Festival.
I was awarded the Photographer of the Year in Class A Color Prints. An award that is based on the number of winning images that the photographer has had during the monthly competitions throughout the previous year. I was very pleased and honored to receive this award.
Several of my images that were submitted for the year end competitions also received ribbons for second and third place. The judge this year was Keron Psillas and very talented photographer, writer and speaker who is on staff with Art Wolfe Inc. We were told that she provided in-depth critiques of the winning images after the judging and that the members of the club were very appreciative of this feedback. It sounds like it was a wonderful learning experience for everyone there.
A big thank you to Keron for sharing her time and talents with SPS.

2006-11-05T08:19:00.000-05:00

The Potomac Arts Festival
November 3-5, 2006
Last years inaugural show was terrific. This year the festival was moved to the gymnasium where all of the vendors would be in the same space and visitor traffic would be more concentrated in one area rather than through several buildings.
The organizers did a wonderful job getting the gym set up and getting the vendors in place and set up.
The quality of work on display was amazing. Many visitors were commenting on the this very fact.
The Friday evening preview party was well attended and there were lots of buyer; at least at our booth.
Saturday started with a flurry of activity which ebbed when the film festival began. When the first series of movies let out there was a large number of visitors. By the end of Saturday's show we had done nearly as well as we had done in the entire weekend last year.
All of the artists that we had the opportunity to speak with were very nice and helpful.
We are looking forward to a wonderfully busy Sunday :)

2006-11-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2006 Competition

I was very pleased and honored to learn that I was awarded a highly commended for an image of a black-legged meadow katydid that I submitted to the BBC WPOTY competition.
They received over 18,000 images from photographers all over the world. This is acclaimed as the most prestigious nature photography competition in the world.
You can see the image and the notes here.

©Wil Hershberger Nature Images and Sounds, LLC
All Rights Reserved

2006-11-02T10:09:00.000-05:00

Southern Wildlife Festival

Donna and I were juried into the Southern Wildlife Festival in Decatur Alabama. This was the 25th anniversary of this show and everyones hopes were high.
The drive down from WV took 15 hours through rain and wind. The fall colors in Tennessee were magnificent.
After setting up the camper at Mallard Point campground we rushed over to Calhoun College to setup our booth. There were many other artists there already and setting up well before the advertised 11 AM start time. We found our space, brought in all of the supplies and setup. The hosts and other artists were extremely congenial, wonderful people. It was a pleasure to meet them all and to work with them.
Friday evening was the preview party which was well attended. Saturday and Sunday were beautiful and breezy. Even though there were live birds at the show courtesy of the McDowell Environmental Center there were very few visitors to the show. On Saturday we were competing with the local football games so that was understandable. Sunday showed a "flurry" of visitors after church let out but there were very few buyers. All of the artists were lamenting the lack of buyers this year. It appeared to be somewhat of a fluke. There was talk from the artists that it might be a good idea to move the show to Huntsville were there are more people with disposable income. As the festival has been able to get the gym at the college free of charge all these years the prospects of moving the show seemed slim.
Despite the lack of sales it was a real pleasure to meet the other artists and the organizers of the show. My portrait of a male pileated woodpecker won 2nd place in the vendors competition.
We are looking forward to the Potomac Arts Festival this coming weekend,in our own backyard, with fingers crossed that there will be buyers.

2006-11-02T09:45:00.000-05:00

Black-chinned Hummingbird, HY female

Lynne Wiseman emailed me the morning of Wednesday October 25, 2006 with an account of an unusual hummingbird that was still visiting her feeders. She was pretty certain that it was a Black-chinned hummingbird - this would be a state record.
I grabbed the photo gear and arrived at her location at 4PM. Within minutes of setting up the hummer was there. I was able to capture a nice series of images of this lovely bird that evening. These images and a report of my observations can be seen here.
This is certainly a real treat for the eastern panhandle of WV and a very exciting find and ID for Lynne. Lynne is a past student of the PVAS Birding class - I guess that we are better teachers than we thought :)
Wil

2005-10-18T12:40:00.000-04:00

Joe and Mary Ann McDonald's Wildlife Photography Workshop

I just attended the McDonald's Complete Digital Nature Photography Workshop held at their lab in Pennsylvania. What a terrific learning experience. The McDonald's are very professional and at the same time congenial. Joe and Mary Ann's depth of knowledge on the subject seems limitless. Their facility is very well laid out and top notch with each student having their own computer to work on. The advertised syllabus was very accurate and the amount of material covered was just right to keep you on your toes and not too much that people got hopelessly lost.
I can whole heartedly recommend the McDonald's for your nature photography workshop needs. You will not be disappointed.
For details on their workshops and photo tours see their web site:
Hoot Hollow

2005-09-14T11:08:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a vision can become a reality. I was pre-visualizing an image of a katydid on a grass stem with the rising sun behind it. Having found a cooperative agile meadow katydid, Orchelimum agile, I setup this shot. I was very pleased with the results.

2005-08-31T10:26:00.000-04:00

Fiddlers of the Fields
Be sure to visit this page for fun facts about katydids:

It is really a shame

2005-08-31T10:20:00.000-04:00

It is really a shame to hear that the current administration is trying to underhandedly undermine the meager protections that are in place for clean air. It is also a shame to hear that the same administration is trying to eliminate the soundscape protection initiative for the national parks. We must protect the few wild places left before there is nothing left to save. If we, as a people, cannot respect the need for wilderness and human free soundscapes then we are severely limiting our time on this planet.

NPR Story on Soundscapes in the National Parks
NY Times story on NP management plan revision proposal
NPR story on cutting power plant pollution guidelines

2005-08-31T09:53:00.000-04:00

It has been too long since I have posted to this blog. I will have to try to use this as a vehicle to share thoughts and feelings of the every changing world of nature sounds recording and wildlife photography.
Stay tuned...

2002-05-10T10:57:00.000-04:00

Yesterday morning I heard a bird singing from the trees in front of the house. I wasn't paying attention but the song tugged at my conscience... What is that?! As I became conscience of the song I recognized it as a Bay-breasted warbler. He was singing from the top of a Virginia pine and keeping well hidden from my gaze. He then flew off toward the north. If only I had had the recording gear with me at that moment I could have gotten a great Bay-breasted warbler song on tape. It will certainly live on in my memory for years.

2002-05-10T10:56:00.000-04:00

There were at least two Whip-poor-wills calling from the woods within
the development on Friday evening 4-19-2002. This is the north end of
Backcreek valley, Berkeley Co., WV

2002-05-10T10:55:00.000-04:00

The birding class from Potomac Valley Audubon Society had a great day on
Saturday in Berkeley County WV. There were many that added life birds
to there lists. There were 52 species seen.
Wil Hershberger
Hedgesville, WV

DUCKS, SWANS, GEESE
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
HERONS, EGRETS AND BITTERNS
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
NEW WORLD VULTURES
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
OSPREY
Osprey
HAWKS, EAGLES AND KITES
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
PIGEONS AND DOVES
Rock Dove
Mourning Dove
SWIFTS
Chimney Swift
WOODPECKERS
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
TYRANT FLYCATCHERS
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
CROWS AND JAYS
Blue Jay
American Crow
Fish Crow
VIREOS AND ALLIES
Warbling Vireo
THRUSHES
Eastern Bluebird
American Robin
MOCKINGBIRDS AND THRASHERS
Gray Catbird
WRENS
Carolina Wren
GNATCATCHERS
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
SWALLOWS
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
CHICKADEES, TITS
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
SISKINS, CROSSBILLS AND ALLIES
American Goldfinch
House Finch
NEW WORLD WARBLERS
Northern Parula
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Yellow-throated Warbler
Prairie Warbler
American Redstart
Louisiana Waterthrush
BUNTINGS, SPARROWS, TANAGERS, ALLIES
Song Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Northern Cardinal
BLACKBIRDS, GRACKLES, ORIOLES
Baltimore Oriole
Orchard Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird

2002-04-16T11:30:00.000-04:00

This morning there were several Grasshopper sparrows singing from the orchards along National Fruit Rd off of Goldmiller Rd in Berkeley Co., WV. In addition there were many Vesper, Field and a few Savannah sparrows. A lone Northern Bob-white was calling from the top of the ridge.
This is great habitat for grassland birds. However, they were spraying the heck out of it this morning. It is depressing to see these rapidly declining species tied to a habitat that "requires" so much "management." I have to wonder what their chances are of raising reproductively viable offspring.

2002-04-08T07:22:00.000-04:00

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society's Birding 201 field trip this week was wonderful. There was a wonderful turnout of students and the birds were somewhat cooperative as well. The weather on the other hand was not as amiable. The cold temperature and the biting winds caused us to keep moving especially when heading back from the eastern edge of the marsh. I was totally surprised to see that it was only a little after 10 AM when we got back to the cars. The highlights of the day were singing Brown thrashers that greeted us as we arrived. Putting on a show as if previously choreographed, they were a great crowd pleaser. On the way out, heading into the mid-twenty wind chills, I noticed a bird way up on a hillside to the north of the tracks. I tried to hold the binoculars as steady as possible and wasn't certain, but it looked like... but could it be. It has been 12 or so years since one was seen here... could it be. Do I dare to announce what I think I see. "There's a Loggerhead shrike on the the hillside to the right of the large multiflora rose bush!" There I said it, now I'll have to see if they agree with this long distance ID. They concurred! I could see the smiles as they realized that they were seeing a Loggerhead shrike, one of the rarest breeding birds in the panhandle of WV. What a way to end a field trip. How am I going to top this next week???
Birding 201 Altona Marsh Field Trip
Jefferson Co., WV
4-06-2002
Clear to mostly cloudy, 39 F and windy.
Canada Goose
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Black Vulture
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Common Snipe
Mourning Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Blue Jay
Loggerhead Shrike
American Robin
Northern Mockingbird
Brown Thrasher
European Starling
Carolina Wren
Barn Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
American Goldfinch
House Finch
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Rusty Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird

Species seen - 33

2002-04-08T07:10:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, April 3, was a sad day. The last of the more than 65 orthopterans, that I had captive for work on a book, died. He was a short-winged meadow katydid, Conocephalus brevipennis, and had been singing in his cage since August. His longevity is remarkable. Most of the others lasted until January. One, a female round-tipped conehead katydid, Neoconocephalus retusis, lived until early March. I will miss the soft purring and ticking of this little brevipennis and I look forward to late summer when I will be able to hear the orthopteran chorus again.

2002-04-02T10:46:00.000-05:00

Today the chipping sparrow that nests in the parking lot of where I work is back. He must have arrived last night as he was not here yesterday. It is so amazing to see this little bird return from such an amazing journy. It is a miracle that any of them survive.
With all of the changes that have occured in the last century from human over population, clear cutting and strip mining it is a wonder to me that any of these birds can find their way back to their breeding grounds. The risks from predators and man-made obstacles must be many fold higher than they were a few hundered years ago. Little chipping sparrow, you amaze me!

2002-04-01T08:31:00.000-05:00

The Potomac Valley Audubon Society Birding 201 class
to Shannondale Springs today found the following on our short walk before
heading to the Bloomery area of the Shenandoah:
Eastern phoebe
Carolina chickadee
Red-bellied woodpecker
Downy woodpecker
Northern flicker
Tufted titmouse
Yellow-bellied sapsucker (pair interacting close by for the class)
White-breasted nuthatch
Brown creeper
Yellow-rumped warbler
Hermit thrush (singing)
Black vulture
Turkey vulture
Red-tailed hawk
Common raven
American crow
Am. robin
Am. goldfinch
Mourning dove
Common grackle
House finch

Plus some nice stations of putty root orchid with at least 10 persisting
flower stalks from last year. Not enough snow this winter to knock them
over. Another two weeks and our lists from there should be much more
substantial. Bob Dean and I saw shrikes at the same place on Rt. 9 while
traveling. Also Bonaparte's gulls near the Rt. 9 bridge over the river, and
Louisiana waterthrush, horned grebe, ruddy duck, wigeon, and others north of
Rt. 9 along the river.
The weather was just perfect.

2002-03-29T13:51:00.000-05:00

Spring seems to be in full swing. Titmice and chickadees are getting the ball rolling and the woodpeckers are drumming away everywhere I go. Soon the woods will be full of song as the neotropical migrants return on their way north to their breeding grounds. Frog choruses are evident everywhere on warm days and their egg masses are easily found in any pool of water. I can't wait to see the springs' perfusion of wildflowers and the recent rains may give us a really nice show this year. Along the C&O canal there is already spring beauty is bloom.
Get out and enjoy the wild side.
Wil