Silvermine Nest Check
Earlier this month, I stopped by Silvermine Lake in Harriman State Park to check on the Barn swallows which nest on the eaves of the rustic buildings found on site. There were several older nests there, but no sign of any recent activity. And so, it was with eager anticipation that I revisited the site in the hopes of finding renewed nest-building taking place. Threre was at least one new nest, but alas no other nesting activity whatsoever.
A few Barn swallows were skimming over the lake picking off small insects mid-air, but the numbers were lower than I expected. The one seen here was perched in the shadows under the roof of the picnic pavilion. After checking my photo files from the past several years, I now realize that I may be looking for the nests too early. Apparently, the birds have not nested until Late June/early July in the past. I’ll continue to check in the upcoming weeks.
Silvermine has always been a great spot for viewing swallow activity, and not just Barn swallows. This little Northern rough-winged swallow was perched on a wire near the buidlings. I am sure that there will be many more to come as the season progresses.
I’ve found in the past that swallows are not the only game in town during the late spring/early summer months here at Silvermine. The woodlands surrounding the lake are very active with warblers, vireos, and flycatchers. I often hike the trail that parallels the water’s edge out to the outlet of the lake or simply park the “portable blind” (aka RAV4) along the brush found at the west end of the parking lot. Today, as soon as I arrived there, I saw flash of yellow fly by and disappear into the bushes. I checked Merlin (the song Id App) which indicated it heard a Golden-winged warbler among quite a few other species. The Golden-wing is always a much sought after bird in this part of New York, so I grabbed the camera in the hopes of catching a glimpse of this special subject. Eventually, I heard the call which heightened my anticipation and eventually saw it emerge and perch out in the open…..Blue-winged warbler! Blue-wings are known to sing the song of the Golden-winged fairly often, so I was not surprised but was a bit disappointed. In any regards, the bird is gorgeous and was just begging to be photographed. I captured numerous images before it alighted and gave me my favorite image of the day.
Blue-winged warbler Nikon Z9 with 180-600 mm lens @ 280mm. 1/800 sec, f/7.1, ISO 1800
Tech Tip - Lenses….zoom or prime? Just a quick thought from my experience using both Prime lenses and Zoom lenses. Prime lenses, which feature a fixed focal length, are valued for their simplicity and optical quality. Unlike zoom lenses, prime lenses have fewer moving parts and glass elements, allowing for sharper images with less distortion. This characteristic makes them particularly appealing for nature photography, where capturing fine details is essential. A major advantage of prime lenses is their typically wider maximum aperture. This feature enables greater light intake, which is beneficial for shooting in low-light conditions or achieving a shallow depth of field. This allows photographers to create striking backgrounds with a beautifully blurred effect, isolating their subject against a soft, out-of-focus landscape.
In addition to optical benefits, using prime lenses can encourage photographers to engage more with their composition. Since they lack the versatility of zooming in and out, photographers must move around and physically reposition themselves to frame their shots effectively. This practice can lead to a deeper understanding of perspectives and angles.
Zoom lenses are versatile tools in photography that allow users to easily change their framing without needing to switch out lenses. These lenses come with a variable focal length, enabling the photographer to capture a wide range of scenes, from expansive landscapes to detailed close-ups, all while maintaining high image quality. With the ability to zoom in or out, they provide flexibility in various shooting situations, making them ideal for everything from travel photography to portrait sessions. Additionally, many zoom lenses offer image stabilization features, further enhancing their usability in challenging environments or low-light conditions.
I personally own and use both Prime and Zoom lenses. My preference? If I could only have one or the other in my bag, the zoom would be my lens of choice. Newer zoom lenses offer superb image quality and tend to be much less expensive than good primes. The image quality of the prime vs the new zooms is pretty much negligible for the type of photography I do. If I was producing huge prints where quality of the image was paramount, I would probably always use the prime. But, if I only had the prime with me today, I would have missed the shot of the warbler in today’s post. I was simply too close for my 500mm to focus and the image would not have fit into the frame. With my zoom lens, I was able to quickly dial it back to 280 mm, fill the frame and achieve sharp focus. The image is plenty sharp enough to display here on your phone or laptop. If I was printing a huge print for museum quality display, I may not be happy with the results. But for this application, the zoom works great.
