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Laguna Tams. The grove of tamarisk trees along Laguna Road in Camarillo, California. For both my wife and I this place stands as a significant historical landmark. It was here back in October 2004 that my bird photography hobby was born. My then brand new bride (we were married the month before) encouraged me to take up birding once again after a long hiatus. I just learned that the Laguna Tams is an excellent place to visit during the fall migration. Indeed it was, for warblers and vireos were everywhere. Out of impulse, I decided to bring my son's Canon film camera with a 70-200 zoom lens attached to it. One of the birders there who was also taking pictures noticed the camera I was using. "Time to go digital", he said and went on extolling the virtues of digital photography, even showing me the gorgeous shots of a warbler he had taken just a few minutes earlier. A week later I purchased my very first digital SLR, a Canon 300D.
After the 300D I had gotten a 20D, a much faster, more technically advanced camera. Which was then eventually replaced by the 30D in September, 2006. On our 2nd wedding anniversary, Cynthia and I once again visited the Tams. I wanted to take my spanking brand new 30D with the 500mm telephoto lens for a field test there. I told my wife that if she wanted to, she can use my "old" 20D with the 300mm lens. She said, "Why not?" and the rest, they say, is history.
Whenever we go on our bird photography trips, we have an agreement: If there are plenty of birds around, we usually shoot at different subjects to get the most number of species. If we are shooting at the same subject, especially if it is a rare species or a lifer, we usually shoot at different angles to get as much coverage of the subject as possible. It has never been a competition between us, rather we compliment each other to get the utmost in our bird photography experiences. In a number of occasions, however, my wife had gotten better shots than I did. Which is quite interesting, as I am the more "technical" shooter, fussing over ambient lighting and shutter speeds and f-stops and all that photography gobbledygook. She is more of a "point-and-shooter". But more patient and has steadier arms, I suppose.
And that was the case again this morning at our beloved Laguna Tams. The weather was really crappy - dark clouds with the threat of rain. The birds were few and far between. Thankfully, there were a handful of Townsends Warblers that gave some brief photo ops. Cynthia and I were about 50 feet apart from each other shooting at two different Townsends. After I uploaded the pictures when we got back home, the results were resoundingly in her favor.
Mine:
Hers:
and even posed again facing the opposite way!
What is even more intriguing was that I was shooting at ISO-1600 (really bad lighting, remember?) using a 40D with a 300mm prime lens and a 1.4 extender while she was at ISO-400 with a 30D and 100-400 zoom!
Ain't my wife grand?
My short hiatus from birding was over! I finally announced to my bosses at work that I am accepting the "voluntary severance program". Officially, I will be out of work by Oct. 16. Inasmuch as that onus was now out of my system, I can focus (pun intended) on the activities that are near and dear to my heart: birding and bird photography!
It had been established as some sort of tradition (by quite a few birders, I presume) to visit the tamarisk trees lining Laguna Road in Camarillo (commonly referred to as Laguna Tams) during fall migration. Despite its small area - about 50 trees along the road, it has been known to harbor vast quantities and quite a diversity in species of warblers. A rarity or two had been known to visit these pine-like trees from time-to-time.
So that was our destination Saturday morning. Sure enough, as soon as we got there, warblers of various kinds were popping in and out of the needle-like leaves. There were Townsends, tons of Wilsons, Black-throated Grays, and Orange-crowned (including the gray-headed subspecies). Warbling Vireos were also represented in great numbers. We didn't see the Blackburnian Warbler that was reported a week ago though.
For me and my wife, deprived of good birding photo ops for a forthnight, experiencing this bonanza was a thrill touched with a little frustration. The birds, of course, were constantly in motion, oftentimes in the darker parts of the trees making photography a little difficult. Sometimes, they would be too close for our big lenses to focus on! Then again, stalking flitting warblers and at the same time keeping a wary eye on oncoming vehicles hurtling at 70 mph a few inches from where we were was an exercise in sheer, heart-pounding adventure.
Noonish, bird activity quieted down somewhat. Reluctantly we left the Tams and had lunch at Wendy's - that was after obliging to my wife's wishes to shop at nearby Target (for household items she assured me).
After lunch we decided to go to Ballona Creek to try for the Buff-breasted Sandpiper reported seen the day before. We dipped on that, but still had a great time shooting Surfbirds, both species of Turnstones and a few peeps.
At the end of the day, Cynthia and I were both happy at the results of our return-to-birding jaunt. Portent of days to come? We hope so.
It was bound to happen. Put a camera in her hands and she'll produce wonders. I have just gotten my new Canon 30D and wanted to give it a test run. So I attached it to my workhorse lens - the 500mm monster plus the 1.4 extender. To my old Canon 20D I attached the 300mm (another formidable glass). The latter I handed to Cynthia for her to practice on, it being lighter and can be handheld quite easily by a lady of her stature.
We first visited the tamarisk trees at Camarillo for the migrating warblers. The tamarisk trees line up alongside a farm road and is a "migrant trap" (a place where migrating birds stop over during their southerly journey). The farm road sees only a few traffic but the vehicles that pass through usually do so at speeds that are only witnessed at NASCAR sites. While I was straining my neck to locate these energetic small birds, Cynthia decided to pursue the Yellowthroats darting back and forth across the small creek nearby. I lucked out (not without really trying - but the odds of getting flattened by a vehicle rushing at 60 miles an hour are greater than getting a shot at the tiny, flitting birds, skulking behind the dense pine-like leaves of the tamarisks), but Cynthia's persistence paid off. She got the yellowthroat!
We then moved on to Playa del Rey where the shorebirds are a lot friendlier. Cynthia got shot after shot of the bird population of the playa while I struggled handholding my almost 10-lb gear. I can't use my tripod because the jetty where the birds are are too narrow for it. And the birds are too close for my huge lens that almost all my shots were portraits.
When we got home and after I have uploaded our pictures to the computer, lo and behold, Cynthia had some really great killer shots! She enjoyed it so much she already staked her claim to the 20D/300mm combo as "her" camera. I have created a monster.
