Wednesday 15 January 2014

Brydon Lagoon/Further Adventures SX50 HS


Brydon Lagoon Langley City.




Jan 5-7th Brydon Lagoon Langley  B.C.

Close to my home is Brydon Lagoon, a former sewage treatment pond that is used by many to walk their dogs, jog and birdwatch. I often go there for a refreshing walk or when I can't make it out to Boundary Bay or other birding locations. Rather than carry a ton of gear I carry a Canon SX50HS point and shoot 'Superzoom" camera.
On my last visit I watched a pair of Bald Eagles enlarging their nest, a Belted Kingfisher feeding on salmon fry as well as Golden-crowned Kinglets. On the pond were a number of duck species including Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead and Hooded Merganser. Sometimes during migration there are Canvasback and Green Heron.
  

The following photos are from two separate days. The first from a sunny afternoon walk while the second batch were taken on an overcast day. Even in lower light the camera works well.


Jan 5  2014

The Brydon Lagoon location has a number of interesting trails. These woods
 are just west of the lagoon and contain Great-Horned Owls, Barred Owls, songbirds
and an active Bald Eagle nest. 

A Common Goldeneye, one of the many species found at Brydon Lagoon.
 All these shots are taken with the Canon SX50 HS point and shoot super zoom.

Link
Canon SX50 hs

Common Merganser. One problem the camera has it has difficulty with highlights .
However, I use it for documentation rather than serious photograph and have a lot of fun
 when I am out for my daily exercise.
 It's nice to have a light camera with such a reach in case something unusual pops up.

Spot the bird in the centre of the frame. Shot at 28mm wide end of zoom.
Without moving I took the next two shots.

Zooming in at about 600mm. Still a long way off but I haven't moved.

Here is the Bald Eagle at 1200mm zoom handheld and sharp enough to ID the bird.
Not bad for a $300 camera!
 I shot these Double-crested Cormorants silhouetted against the setting sun by using the
program 'idiot" mode. That caused the camera to underexposure,
creating a pleasing silhouette. The other three birds are Mallards.



 Brydon Lagoon Jan 7 2014



Spot the eagle.

Shot at 1200mm handheld. No processing on any these pictures except downsizing to 120 DPI.

A Double-crested Cormorant wrestles with a large catfish.






A House Finch and House Sparrow.

The House Finch was a nice way to finish off my walk around the ponds

Good birding.

John

3 comments:

  1. I visited Brydon quite often this last year and I found it a quite impressive area to look for birds, there is quite the variety of species, including the occasional oddity. I did find photography challenging there sometimes with the way the light hits the water and reflects the sky and trees, you get some odd colors.
    I was quite intrigued by the Canon SX50, I am considering getting something similar and possibly used to keep in the truck for those moments when I spot something and I do not have my regular equipment.
    Nick Balachanoff

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  2. John, great shots! That camera is quite versatile. I used to drop by Brydon quite a bit, but stopped during the construction. It was so messy. I'll have to start putting it on my adventure list!

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  3. Thanks for the feedback guys….. and Nick thanks for finding the Prairie Falcon, it is a 'lifer' for so many people and is drawing quite the crowd to 3020 River Rd in Ladner. Your shot of the bird perched is fantastic. Have you seen the one in Chilliwack?

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