I'm with you on dodging the crowds! Those are great areas and I'm sure you get lots of great birds and waterfowl out that way. I love being out at sunrise as well. So much more peaceful.

Thanks a bunch! Life's been good to me so far 😉 Hope you've been having a great year as well!

Hello and my pleasure!

You bet and congrats for picking up on it naturally!

Thank you and glad you found it useful!

Thank you! And yes, the goal is definitely to have more fun!

National parks don't interfere with nature. Planting food and altering the landscape would go against the whole mission of national parks. In terms of wildlife, they use many encounters, such as with 399, to educate the public on how to coexist with all forms of wildlife.

My pleasure!

I don't know if worship is the right word in this case. Maybe admiration?

Excellent point and wish I thought to include that! It's very true that trying to compare our work to others can be a big deterring factor from even trying. It's good to look for inspiration, but not at the expense of your own work.

@@FreeRoamingPhoto it was nothing against what you suggested though! All of these tips are the same tips I would give as well!

I appreciate knowing that, and I thought you made an excellent point.

Can't believe I left that one off! 😅

My pleasure and congrats on an exciting capture!

Great tip! I've definitely experimented with manual and auto ISO but never fully adjusted to it. But I'm sure it's a great setting once you're comfortable with it!

That's interesting you don't see them much up there. Here in Wyoming, at a much lower latitude, I've seen them as much as once per month during solar maximums. Obviously much less during solar minimums. Do you check any kinds of forecasts? I have good luck checking them each night.

Thank you! They fascinating animals no matter how much you see them.

That's definitely a trickier situation. With lots of clouds and little sun you'll have to push the ISO up. Keep practicing and you'll find that sweet spot!

It was still a little chilly outside and I didn't bother to take it off 😅

@@FreeRoamingPhoto Next you'll be wearing shorts out n about known full well it's pishing doon .

@@colintraveller I've been known to do worse!

My pleasure!

Fantastic! Way to take advantage of a great opportunity! They probably made you a much better photographer and you didn't even have to use any gas 😅

@@FreeRoamingPhoto put the box up 15 feet from the living room window so didn’t have to leave the sofa let alone get in the car 😉 certainly has improved my photography and have already put what I have learned into practice out in the field 👍 highly recommend giving it a go

Couldn't agree more! I put a few different ones out over the winter and had some great practice with some birds in the snow! Had a blast photographing all the migrants and residents.

That's great advice! Unfortunately I haven't gotten to know flycatchers as well as I'd like since they're only here for a few months. But now that they're back I'll look for that behavior. Thanks for the great addition!

Some flycatchers do not fly back to the same perch and that behavior often is the best identifier. But, you are right, most do fly back to the same perch and so do hummers and dragonflies. Good comment.

You bet!

Great point! Thanks for mentioning that!

Thank you!

Thank you! It's quite the addictive fun 😄

@@FreeRoamingPhoto Hmmm... i'm not at that (addicted) point, yet - very much a part-timer when it comes to birds. I think that they're not just a different set of techniques, but a different and specific mind-set too. The tech is also a consideration, as is managing the trauma of having so many dud shots!

@@luzr6613 Absolutely! The technology has made it much easier, but that certainly doesn't eliminate an excess of failed shots, unfortunately. Regardless, I certainly got bit by the birding bug pretty bad.

Thanks! In terms of the lens, I shoot Canon, so I'm not completely qualified to answer, however I am a bit familiar with their system. From what I understand G lenses are a bit newer and designed around DSLRs, whereas the D lenses have more manual control, such as an aperture ring, to have compatibility with older film cameras. You can probably save some money by going with a D lens, but the G will be better suited for a more modern camera.

@@FreeRoamingPhoto Go H friend, manual focus is fine for less time sensitive imaging; a D will lead to frustration but on a positive note it will give you lots of time to ponder.

@@flightographist Great tip! Thanks for the clarification!

My pleasure!

It is true that denoise apps do a great job, but it's always better to not rely on them. And yes, an extender on a crop sensor would be quite a compromise!

That's a really great question! There's a few ways. First is that she frequents certain areas along roadsides, particularly in certain times of the year. When she does, she usually has her cub(s) in tow, so people assume from that that it's her. When she doesn't have cubs with her, she tends to disappear into the wilderness. More specifically though, she's occasionally "tagged" by the Grizzly Bear Interagency Committee for research (as are many other bears in the area), at which point, she'll be given ear tags for identification. If those are present, those are a pretty good indicator as well. However those usually only last about a year or two. Lastly she has features specific to her. In addition to a dark brown coat, she also has a small scar on the left side of her snout from a fight many years ago. All those, combined with her patterns and behavior are what conclude people who follow her around regularly to safely conclude that it's her and not another random bear. Once you've seen multiple grizzlies regularly, you can begin to distinguish one from another through physical features and behavior.

@@FreeRoamingPhoto that’s unbelievable! Thanks for that reply. Hopefully we can keep helping these amazing animals stay wild and safe!

@@markbenn1907 Very hopeful!

It's obvious you have a lot of pain in your life. Hang in there. It'll get better.

She has been out this year, but only briefly.

Thank you for the kind words! I agree - small birds are definitely a fun challenge.

Thank you! Glad you found it helpful.

Thanks a bunch! And congrats on getting to see her so regularly! She's certainly a special bear.

@@FreeRoamingPhoto Yeah. I’ve been lucky. Fingers crossed this year we will see her again.

Likewise!

Thank you!

Totally agree! I personally feel like Bosque del Apache deserves national park status given its significance to wildlife and migratory birds.

Thank you! I love seeing them as well.

Exactly why I'm there! 😅

@@FreeRoamingPhoto I met you at Oxbow Bend last fall for a brief time.Hope all is well,enjoying your videos,those bird shots are awesome.

@@chipsrafferty8362 I remember meeting you. Thanks a bunch for the kind words and hope you're doing well also! Hope you make it out this way again soon.

Thank you! They're incredible animals.

Thank you!

He definitely wasn't a small beaver!