Tag Archives: new jersey
First day out with the Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 lens
Yesterday was my first spin out with Tamron USA’s updated G2 version of the acclaimed 150-600mm super telephoto lens. Though I purchased the optional Tap-in Console for lens updating and fine tuning, I did not have time to initialize the device yet. Hence, I unboxed the new birding lens, mounted it on my compact yet powerful Canon SL2 digital rebel, and took a drive to a nearby nature area, Great Swamp NWR.
Interestingly, I do not recall photographing a Gull of any sort before at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in the past. I have been doing bird photography there for years… go figure. Anyhow this handsome Ring-billed Gull was photographed from my car yesterday. I shut off the engine to take the shot (too many vibrations and who needs the extra CO2 emissions anyhow). In the caption for the photograph I have included specific camera settings.

Ring-billed Gull photographed with the Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 super telephoto lens + Canon SL2. 600mm, 1/640 f/6.3 ISO 200. Great Swamp NWR in New Jersey.
Below is a 100% crop from the above image.

100% crop of Ring-billed Gull Photograph. Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 + Canon SL2
Here is a Flickr link to view the full sized original 24 megapixel image of the Ring-billed Gull.
I find the results to be very good for keeping the aperture wide-open at F/6.3. I find that most lenses get sharper when stopped down a couple of stops. We might even see a bit more fine detail if I had taken this Gull image at F/8.0 versus F/6.3. Below is a look at the G2 lens, I shot this in my home studio.

Tamron SP 150-600mm VC G2 Super Telephoto Lens which replaces my trusty G1 version which I have happily toted around for a few years.
Any questions or comments on the article? Leave them on WordPress or email me at dave@daveblinder.com
Interested in spoiling yourself with this new lens?
Purchasing any of the equipment below through my Amazon Affiliate Links will help support my blog.
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
Canon EOS Rebel SL2 Digital SLR Camera Body – WiFi Enabled
Winter Hiking at Former Greystone Psychiatric Park / Central Park of Morris
I felt ambitious in today’s 8°F temperatures and took a short drive in search of winter birds and outdoors adventure. After some internal debate, I settled on the Central Park of Morris County vicinity as I thought the diversity of trees and grounds might yield cold weather wildlife sightings.

Upland meadow in Winter. Former Greystone Pyschiatric Park now incorporated into Central Park of Morris and falling under the jurisdiction of Morris County Park Commission. 1/6/2018 photo by Dave Blinder.
The last time I visited this area, the final remnants of the Kirkbride building of the former Greystone Psychiatric Park was still being cleared away. No public access had been possible due to safety precautions. Ironically I had been subdued by local police for illegal “urban decay exploration” a couple of years back, which I find humorous because all of my time is spent photographing and studying solely nature. This incident is story for another time.

Meadow and Wetlands in Winter. Former Greystone Pyschiatric Park now incorporated into Central Park of Morris and falling under the jurisdiction of Morris County Park Commission. 1/6/2018 photo by Dave Blinder.
As you can see from my mobile photographs, the former “No Trespassing” and “Keep Out” signage has been removed from the Kirkbride grounds as well as most adjacent lands. I did observe newly posted signs by the Morris County Park Commission alerting hunters that hunting is by explicit permit only.

Pileated Woodpecker cavities. Former Greystone Pyschiatric Park now incorporated into Central Park of Morris and falling under the jurisdiction of Morris County Park Commission. 1/6/2018 photo by Dave Blinder.
I only encountered a few species of wildlife on my walk which is fine with me. Pursuing wildlife is mostly just a vehicle I drive to get me outdoors. Today’s sightings included: Red-tailed Hawk, Dark-eyed Junco, Song Sparrow, Gray Squirrel, White-tailed Deer (big bucks). I also saw a good deal of Red Fox and Cotton-tailed Rabbit tracks dotting the frozen landscapes.

Uphill meadow in Winter. Former Greystone Pyschiatric Park now incorporated into Central Park of Morris and falling under the jurisdiction of Morris County Park Commission. 1/6/2018 photo by Dave Blinder.
The former Greystone grounds could use some help combatting invasive plants such as Multiflora Rose and Barberry. However, the wildlife habitat still looked very good to me with mature trees including Pines, Cedar, Spruce, Oaks, and other trees which I have to study up on. Conifers in particular are of high value in our area as they make for great shelter for various hawks and owls. Fox and deer also find good shelter and bedding at the bases of some Conifers.
In my home area, central Morris County, we do not have much acreage of intact forest due to housing developments and extensive highways. Hence, we should conserve each remaining stand of trees and acreage of meadow to provide homes for our native New Jersey wildlife.

Cross-country Ski Trail in Winter. Former Greystone Pyschiatric Park now incorporated into Central Park of Morris and falling under the jurisdiction of Morris County Park Commission. 1/6/2018 photo by Dave Blinder.
After doing a bit of internet research, I found this 2017 press release by the Morris County Government.
“The (Morris County) Freeholders, in June 2016, subsequently approved a long-term management and use agreement with the state to manage the additional 126 Greystone acres for passive recreational, conservation, historic preservation or farmland use by the Park Commission…..”
“Under terms of the management and use agreement, the state would deliver the property to the county in suitable condition for passive public outdoor recreation, such as walking, hiking, picnicking, nature watching, or for conservation purposes. The county could add active recreation uses in the future.”
Active recreation most often means organized sports or playgrounds. Ballfields and playgrounds mean the removal of wildlife habitat and potentially degrading nearby natural lands by way of herbicides, pesticides, and erosion. For those of us who find great value, beauty, and of course the diverse health benefits of natural area it is important that we express our opinions to our voted representatives.
Local governments have tough shoes to fill as they must balance the needs of large populations. However, in the most respectful way possible, nature lovers should “remain voices for the voiceless” and speak up for our trees, waterways, wildlife, and health concerns. It can never hurt to send your local elected officials an email on topics of concern. I plan on forwarding this article to both the park commission and freeholders to congratulate them on the public opening of this land and to speak of the high value of wildlife habitat conservation. Don’t be shy, speak up.

Watnong Brook in Winter. Former Greystone Psychiatric Park now incorporated into Central Park of Morris and falling under the jurisdiction of Morris County Park Commission. 1/6/2018 photo by Dave Blinder.
If you would like to stretch your legs and walk these peaceful trails you use Google Maps to navigate to the nearest parking area.
For any comments or questions on the photographs or concepts in my article please contact dave@daveblinder.com
New Jersey Wildlife Photography: White-tailed Deer in Meadow
Purchasing any of the equipment below through my Amazon Affiliate Links will help support my blog.
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
Canon EOS Rebel SL2 Digital SLR Camera Body – WiFi Enabled
Any questions or feedback on the image? Leave a comment below.
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD Full Resolution Macro
September in New Jersey can be a great time of year for photographing many type of caterpillars. Monarch Caterpillars have especially nice patterning to them and I always look forward to capturing frames of them. The cooperative caterpillar below provided a great opportunity to test the close-focusing ability of the Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD All-In-One lens.

Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD All-In-One sample picture
The 18-400mm has a minimum focusing distance of 17.75″ (45cm) and a 1:2.9 maximum reproduction ration. Translation = you can fill the well with small subject matter on this Tamron. Download the full resolution straight out of camera (sooc) jpeg off my Canon Rebel SL2 from my Google Drive account
– https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwfEzS2JEk2ESEFoaml2UXlNTlk/view?usp=sharing
Camera settings for this picture:
Tamron 18-400mm handheld and wide open aperture at 400mm + Canon SL2
1/1000 F/6.3 ISO 400, Vibration Compenation (VC) On
Looking to order this lens? Buy it now from my Amazon Affiliate links and help support my blog.
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD for Canon DSLRs – http://amzn.to/2xvjzbX
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 DI-II VC HLD for Nikon DSLRs – http://amzn.to/2xPqXj9
Do you have questions, comments, or feedback on this post? Let me know!
Hawk Watch with Pete Dunne
Hawk Watch with Pete Dunne at New Jersey Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary. September 16, 2017.
I stopped over in Bernardsville on Saturday morning for a couple of hours to join in on the festivities. Hawkwatching is always a great reason to get outside, but having New Jersey’s most accomplished birding author Pete Dunne around is also a recipe for a good time.
Thanks also to Eric Stiles, Mike Anderson, Susan Garretson Friedman, and the other New Jersey Audubon staff behind the scenes who made all visitors feel welcome to this great free event. Click on the thumbnails below to view larger photographs.
- Pete Dunne instructs on the finer points of binocular usage
- Red-tailed Hawk flyover at the Scherman Hoffman Hawk Watch
- View of the Crowd at Scherman Hoffman Hawk Watch 09/16/2017
- Mike Anderson sets up the spotting scope for hawk observation
- Scanning the clouds for hawks
- View of the crowd at Scherman Hoffman Hawk Watch
- Pete Dunne signs a copy of his most recent book, Birds of Prey
- View of the crowd at Scherman Hoffman Hawk Watch
- New Jersey Audubon President Eric Stiles greets visitors to the Scherman Hoffman Hawk Watch
More details on the event in the Daily Record, write-up by Peggy Wright – http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/2017/09/16/eagle-eyed-watch-skies-hawk-migration/657970001/
Tamron 18-400mm Di II VC HLD does birds in flight
An unexpected recent handheld shot that worked out well for me. I was outdoors photographing scenery and was fortunate to have the versatile Tamron 18-400mm Di II VC lens mounted to capture this Great Egret in flight. The fine detail looks very good to me.
Exposure details:
Tamron 18-400mm VC + Canon SL2 handheld
1/3200 F/8.0 IS 400
-1/3 in Aperture Priority exposure mode
AI Servo autofocus
Raw image quality
For a closer look at this image, please download the uncropped full-resolution image from my Google Drive account.
Tamron 18-400mm high resolution pictures
Full resolution sample images from Tamron USA‘s 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Model B028 ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom lens
These are SOOC ( straight out of the camera ) JPEGs with no editing performed. Both shots are with the lens at full zoom, 400mm, at maximum aperture F/6.3 and taken on a 24mp SL2.

Full Resolution SOOC sample image from the Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Model B028 ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom lens. Taken on a 24 megapixel Canon SL2 by Dave Blinder. Order via my Amazon affiliate link – http://amzn.to/2eMYfUO Nikon Mount
Flower photograph camera settings:
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Model B028
Canon EOS Rebel SL2 DSLR camera
Handheld with VC On (Vibration Control) at 400mm
1/640 F/6.3 ISO 400 using the Center Point One-Shot Autofocus and Auto White Balance

Full Resolution SOOC sample image from the Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Model B028 ultra-telephoto all-in-one zoom lens. Taken on a 24 megapixel Canon SL2 by Dave Blinder. Order via my Amazon affiliate link – http://amzn.to/2eMYfUO Nikon Mount
Bee photograph camera settings:
Tamron 18-400mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Model B028
Canon EOS Rebel SL2 DSLR camera
Tripod-mounted VC Off (Vibration Control) at 400mm
1/60 F/6.3 ISO 800 using Manual Focus and Auto White Balance
Due to possible compression you may want to download the full pictures from my personal Google Drive – https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BwfEzS2JEk2EbTVRR01oTEwxaTQ
To order these lenses now try my Amazon Affiliate links (gives me a small commission):
http://amzn.to/2xle2W3
Canon Mount
http://amzn.to/2eMYfUO
Nikon Mount
Bird Photography in Cape May – American Goldfinch
I was recently down in Cape May to do some nature photography. Since CM is the undisputed birding capital of New Jersey, it only makes sense to take a long telephoto lens along like the Tamron SP 150-600mm VC. Below is one of my favorite captures from this excursion.
Shutter speed: 1/500 Aperture: F/9.0 ISO: 200 in Aperture Priority Mode +2/3 Exposure Compensation. The Focal Length is 500mm. Other settings: VC On, Manfrotto tripod, Spot Metering, Manual White Balance on my Canon EOS 7D
There was a flock of at least 1 or 2 dozen Goldfinches busily feeding in this Sunflower Patch, but upon my approach they retreated to the trees which is the expected response from most songbirds. Most wildlife is genetically imprinted to flee from humans, as they were historically a food source in the days when hunting was our only means of sustenance. Experience and literature will tell us that individual bird species have their own expected “flush range”. Meaning different birds will typically fly away faster than others. In my personal experience, a very slow but direct approach on a feeding Goldfinch may occasionally get you as close as you want to get.
This particular female American Goldfinch did not fly when the rest of her flock retreated, instead it appeared to me that this bird was mostly basking in the warmth of the sunlight. She was splitting her time between preening (tending to her feathers) and plucking seeds from the Sunflower head below her. After years of bird observation, I could tell that this bird was relaxed because it showed no intention of flying away and also lacked the nervous head movements and body twitching that comes before the songbird flushes (flying away). I got my tripod to the desired photographic height and slowly worked my way forward, one large deliberate by quiet footstep at a time. The photo featured on this page is not cropped whatsoever and I would not have wanted to shoot it any tighter. After I was done making my captures I exited the scene in the same slow and deliberate manner to not cause undue stress to the passerine (songbird).
Sea Isle Reflections
This is an impromptu composition that was dictated by the lighting conditions. My intention for this night photography session was to photograph stars in the sky, but the punchy light from the moon and the promenade limited the definition possible in the sky.
The camera settings here are a focal length of 18mm, aperture at F/5.6 and ISO speed of 400. Increasing the exposure would have blown out the highlights and decreasing the exposure would have rendered the scene too dark for my tastes. I originally started off at a higher ISO but the image looked washed out so I lowered it a full ISO stop. I do not shoot still photos in incremental ISO’s as anything other than native ISO values can deteriorate dynamic range or image quality. Other settings: RAW file format, Auto White Balance, Mirror Lock Up, 2 Second Timer, VC (stabilization) off, tripod firmly in the sand
The composition in this photo is a pretty straight-forward rule-of-thirds setup. The horizon is placed about 1/3 of the way down from the top of the frame and the houses occupy approximately 2/3 of the horizontal length of the frame. Putting those elements dead center in the photo would have killed the dynamics in my opinion.