Move around your subject, if you can. Be mindful of the background. Point and shoot cameras have such a deep depth of field that you may not be able to blur the background to minimize it. Depth of field refers to the area in focus in front of and behind the subject. Shallow depth of field blurs foreground and background to emphasize the subject and minimize distractions. (Although some people find the blur distracting. You can’t please everyone.) With deep depth of field, everything is in focus. However, try moving away and using zoom, and moving in close and using macro – both of these change the depth of field and the area of the background.

A skilled photo editor can do a lot in post production. I prefer to focus on taking photos. Look. See. Move. Take lots of pictures. Show only your best.

When taking photos, move around your subject … is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Plus mute swans and more:
» Birding near Alameda, New Mexico by mark justice hinton (a photoblog)
bit.ly/13zf8mW

note the shadow and the reflection is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

www.edgewiseblog.com/mjh/photos/the-cycle-of-the-niche/

the alignment of the niche is nigh is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Merri notes, “After reading Judy Liddell’s bird report for the Estancia Basin, we headed to Clements Road just south of I-40 and just outside of Estancia. Wide-open ranches dominate the landscape out there. Driving and walking down dirt roads, we saw more than TWENTY ferruginous hawks, 4 rough-legged hawks, 2 red-tails, 2 golden eagles, some kestrels, a merlin, 2 shrikes, tons of horned lark, and 30+ antelope. We walked across ranch land and down a country road.”

		Birding in the Estancia Valley, New Mexico VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

I’ll add that we had never knowingly seen ferruginous nor rough-legged hawks, making these lifers for us both. In fact, we saw so many of each in so many poses that it was a field-lesson. It made for a beautiful day trip.

After seeing all those hawks on our main walks of the day, we looked for Cienega Draw on Willow Lake Rd, which seem to me imaginative, not descriptive, in this oh-so dry landscape. That detour did take us past the Thunder Chicken Ranch, a great name for an ostrich farm.

We drove farther south toward the two large-ish lakes that appear on the map south of the correctional facility. One lake was full of snow — surprising with the temp above 50 — but no liquid. Before we got to the second lake, a Cadillac Esplanade pulled up next to us. The woman driving asked if we were lost. No, I said, we’re bird-watching and thought the lakes might have something. She seemed surprised, then said sometimes they see cranes. I said I thought this was a public road and she said, yes, a little farther until the gate to the Wrye Ranch, which we saw the northern edge of at Clements Rd — quite a large spread. She drove on and immediately after her Mr Wrye stopped in his truck, "You need help?" he asked and I said, no, we’re just out for a drive. They were polite and offering help is neighborly but they were likely suspicious of strangers on "their" road. After they passed, we went on to the gate and turned around. If there is a second lake, it is behind a very high berm on the south side of the road.

Returning to pavement, we stopped where cottonwoods bordered what may have once been a house, now just some rubble. Mer saw a bird land. She got out and took photos of a merlin, yet another bird of prey to end our day. peace, mjh

PS- I recommend Judy Liddell’s blog, It’s a Bird Thing…, as well as her book, Birding Hot Spots of Central New Mexico. If you can’t join her on a weekly birding trip, you can walk in her footsteps, as we have several times.

PPS- Real birders or twitchers (in Great Britain) keep lots of lists, including at least one Life List. I’m a bird watcher, not a birder. My Life List only includes birds I’ve photographed.

You want to see hawks? Get thee to Estancia Basin pronto. is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

www.ahwilderness.com/photos/spike-the-roadrunner-is-calling/

Spike calling from the roof is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Spike has recently started calling, a sound we’ve never heard before. We’re familiar with the roadrunner call that sounds much like a mourning dove only more mournful. This call is a loud whoop. You can hear it in the first short video. I took the second video immediately after the call.

It’s warm and rainy in Albuquerque today – to call that unusual is tragic understatement. Spike has hunkered down on his rock in the front yard in a pose that reminds me of green herons or black-crowned night herons – no neck.

Spike the roadrunner is calling is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

I wish this picture were sharper, but I have to show it as is. www.edgewiseblog.com/mjh/photos/sometimes-youre-the-preda…

merlin kills white-winged dove is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

The next time I fed Spike, he dropped the mouse and walked away – something he has never done. He came back after a minute. He’s learned it’s a jungle out there, even in the desert.

This occurred three days after we watched a merlin take a white-winged dove around the corner from us. 

my Flickr photos of merlins

Sometimes you’re the predator, sometimes you’re the prey is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Links to two videos, some text, and more photos: www.ahwilderness.com/photos/spike-the-movie/

Spike eats a mouse (the end of the tale) is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh

Let’s begin at the end of the tale: Don’t watch these short movies if you live in Disneyland. The first one is shorter (40 sec) with more behavioral displays – pause to see the riot of feathers. The second one is longer (2 min) with more tenderizing (and traffic noise).

Spike’s continuing story:

• http://www.ahwilderness.com/photos/spike-the-roadrunner/
• http://www.ahwilderness.com/photos/spike-the-roadrunner-an-update/
• All photos and videos

Spike: the Movie is a post from: mjh's blog. Thank you for subscribing. Let me know what you think. peace, mjh