I went to check out a new place to shoot yesterday morning in Dryden, NY called the Jim Schug Trail. This is an old rail bed that has been made into a walking trail and runs for over 4 miles through wetland and farmland. Mel and I had stopped there last week and I thought it showed promise as a wildlife photography destination. We saw the usual GBH’s, Green Herons and also a few Cedar Waxwings.
So I arrived yesterday morning hoping to get a few images of the Waxwings feeding on hatching insects coming off the water. I brought my 400mm f2.8 for low light shots and my 200-500 zoom for when the light was good enough.
Early morning the birds were just kind of hanging out and easing into the morning.

I also noticed that there were many more Waxwings than we had seen just a few days ago. And my first thought was “boy, this will be easier than I thought”. Little did I know that I was about to be taken to photo school by these little speedsters!.

As soon as it warmed up enough the insects began to hatch and rise up out of the pond. And the Waxwings went into action! It was like a squadron of fighter jets in a dogfight! These birds are extremely quick, and they can turn on a dime. It was impossible to find them quickly enough with the 400mm so I switched to the 200-500. Now this lens is very good in decent light but has one flaw. It does not focus nearly as fast as a prime lens and it certainly wasn’t able to lock focus on the Waxwings before they changed direction. And of course, the one lens that would have worked, my 70-200, was sitting comfortably at home.

So I spent the morning trying to catch up to these speedsters but never really getting a good image. It was a very humbling experience and at the same time a great learning experience. I will go back with the right lens the next time and hopefully the birds will still be there!
The rest of these pics are just some that I got when they would take a break from gorging on insects. Enjoy!

That’s all for now! Stay safe and keep shooting!

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