American Flamingo profile. Shot in the artificial rain in the wetland free-flight room at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA back on 1-17-2009. I used the Gary Fong Universal LightSphere flash diffuser with the half cloud diffuser cup and the clear diffuser dome mounted on my Nikon SB-800 flash. The diffused light really did a nice job on the Flamingo while mitigating the busy background.

For more information on American Flamingos, visit the this page on Wikipedia.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org.

Dexter is one of the two Brown Pelicans at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA. I think I spotted signs of insomnia in him when I took this shot back on 8-23-2009.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org

American Flamingo preens itself in the artificial rain in the wetland free-flight room at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA on Sunday 8-23-2009. Another shot where using the Gary Fong Universal LightSphere flash diffuser on my Nikon SB800 flash really worked its magic I used the half cloud diffuser cup with the clear diffuser dome on this.

Happy feathery Flamingo Friday everyone.

For more information on American Flamingos, visit the this page on Wikipedia.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org.

One of several Inca Terns found at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA. They are in the Wetlands Free-Flight room and based upon several experiences there, if you end up getting “blessed” by birds in that room, it is most likely the Inca Terns doing it. They inhabit coastal land, offshore waters, rivers and marshes in South America and their population is threatened. They feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans, insects, amphibians, and leeches. From trip to the Aviary on Sunday 8-23-2009. I used the SB-800n flash with the Gary Fong Universal Lightsphere on this flight shot.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org

This is one of the two Steller’s Sea Eagles at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA. Stellar’s Sea Eagles are the largest Eagles in the world and are native to coastal areas around the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia, south to the island of Hokkaido, Japan. They are in near-threatened status in the wild with their population steadily declining due to habitat degradation, pollution, poisoning by lead shot, and over-fishing. It is estimated that there are only around 5,000 Steller’s Sea Eagles left in the wild.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org

Shot through glass unfortunately. The Eagles are outside while the visitors are inside and the glass can be a challenge at times.

This is “Abby” one of the two adult Bald Eagles on permanent display at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA. Her companion is named “Lincoln”. I think is the first shot Abby I have where she hasn’t been sitting in the pouring rain. Both Abby and Lincoln are rehabilitation birds that could no longer fly well enough in the wild due to injuries so they are well take care of at the Aviary and lead quite the life of greeting visitors and eating fish. The Aviary also has another adult Bald Eagle named “Independence” that only appears during Aviary special shows like “Flight Zone”. I shot this on Sunday 8-23-2009 through a pane of glass that separates the Aviary visitors who are inside from the Eagles who are outside.

For more information on Bald Eagles, visit the Cornelll Lab Of Ornithology.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org.

American Flamingo stands in the artificial rain in the wetland free-flight room at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA on Sunday 8-23-2009. Another shot where using the Gary Fong Universal LightSphere flash diffuser on my Nikon SB800n flash really helped out quite well. I used the half cloud diffuser cup with the clear diffuser dome on this.

Happy feathery Flamingo Friday everyone.

For more information on American Flamingos, visit the this page on Wikipedia.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org.

New this Summer at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA is “Penguin Point” the Aviary’s newest and possibly its most ambition exhibit so far. When I saw the original drawings for the exhibit last Winter I thought it was going to be neat but the end result exceeded my expectations greatly. It has five different viewing areas including areas where children can crawl up into the exhibit through glass tunnels and immerse themselves in the Penguin’s world. Because there are so many different angles to view the exhibit from, even when it becomes crowded, everyone can get a chance to spend ample time with their favourite black and white tuxedoed friends as they swim both above and below the water’s surface. The original five Aviary’s African Penguins now call Penguin Point home and they are joined by several other new African Penguins in their new habitat. I shot this on Sunday after 8-23-2009.

You can read more about the African Penguins on this page.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org. For more information on the Penguin Point exhibit at the Aviary, visit this page.

The National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA puts on a free flight bird show called “FlightZone” out in the Rose Garden twice a day from Wednesday through Sunday during the Summer up until October 18th. During the show, a multitude of different birds swoop out of nowhere and fly right over your head and land on different perches in the Rose Garden while the two trainers give you background on the birds and their many talents.

One of my favorites was the Eurasian Eagle Owl, the world’s largest species of Owl. He appears on one of the hedge rows to the right of the seating area and one of the trainers places a piece of meat on a perch on the other end of the rose garden and the owl flies across and up to the perch and grabs the meat before flying back out of sight. I had a bit too much lens on this shot, not knowing what to expect but I still like the positioning I captured as he reaches out to the perch and the meat found there. I shot this on Sunday afternoon 8-23-2009. The Aviary is a ten hour round trip drive for me but I’ve never regretted a minute of it.

You can read more about the Eurasian Eagle Owl on this page.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org. For more information on the FlightZone program at the Aviary, visit this page.

his little fellow was found in the “Hornbill Hall” at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA on Sunday 8-23-2009. This bird is extinct in the wild and was originally found in Guam, Palau Islands and Micronesia. The fact that the Aviary gives a home, care and protection to such an important and unique bird makes it a very special place in the hearts and minds of birders (and bird photographers) everywhere.

You can read more about the Micronesian Kingfisher on this page.

For more information on the National Aviary and how you can help support this great oasis for birds please visit www.aviary.org.

I shot this through a wire mesh fence with the Gary Fong Universal LightSphere flash diffuser on my Nikon SB800n flash. I used the half cloud diffuser cup with the clear diffuser dome. I hadn’t yet had a chance to use this setup I purchased nearly two months ago so I was anxious to see if it would give me the nice, even, diffused light I was longing for in my National Aviary shots. I came away with a new appreciation for Gary Fong’s products. Originally designed for fashion, portrait and wedding flash photography scenarios, the setup proved to be just the ticket for indoor bird photography. You can find out more info on the diffuser kits on Gary’s Site.