https://www.danielslim.com Daniel Lim Fri, 10 Apr 2026 06:02:56 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.38 Nature, Wildlife, Macro and Bird Photography by Daniel S. Lim http://www.danielslim.com/images/danielslim_favicon_logo.jpg https://www.danielslim.com 150 150 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/greater-prairie-chicken-the-chase-in-flight-and-backlight-1121 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/greater-prairie-chicken-the-chase-in-flight-and-backlight-1121#comments Sat, 02 May 2015 21:49:36 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1121 We had a clear sunny morning on the 2nd day at Knoza Prairie shooting blind. The birds are very active and there was an alpha male would flight off any males that came close within its territory. Unfortunately shooting though barbed wires from confined space proven difficult and the side light didn't help much. So i put on 1.4x III, with intention to blur out the wires, and used that slower shutter speed to get backlit wing tip. It worked alright. The bird to the right was the alpha male in the lek of 20 plus birds. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/greater-prairie-chicken-the-chase-in-flight-and-backlight-1121/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/white-rock-lake-barred-owlet-branching-1116 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/white-rock-lake-barred-owlet-branching-1116#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:10:34 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1116 The same fledged barred owlet that failed to land on first flight recovered quickly. Within minutes, it found the next tree and made its way to the top under mom's guard. The fledgling unexpected take-off happened fast in daybreak. Despite in low light condition, i ditched the tripod for mobility and it was a great decision - more flexibility for ground level angle and i get to pick the background. As a free hand shooter, i keep track of shutter speed especially in dawn hour handheld a 500mm. When the owlet started moving, 1/15th of a second is a stretch so pushing the ISO higher is my only option shooting wide open. At 1/30th of a second, i got away with few keepers and frankly the 7D2 does a great job at ISO 3200. ]]> failed to land on first flight recovered quickly. Within minutes, it found the next tree and made its way to the top under mom's guard. The fledgling unexpected take-off happened fast in daybreak. Despite in low light condition, i ditched the tripod for mobility and it was a great decision - more flexibility for ground level angle and i get to pick the background. As a free hand shooter, i keep track of shutter speed especially in dawn hour handheld a 500mm. When the owlet started moving, 1/15th of a second is a stretch so pushing the ISO higher is my only option shooting wide open. At 1/30th of a second, i got away with few keepers and frankly the 7D2 does a great job at ISO 3200. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/white-rock-lake-barred-owlet-branching-1116/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/fledgling-barred-owlet-on-the-ground-white-rock-lake-1113 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/fledgling-barred-owlet-on-the-ground-white-rock-lake-1113#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2015 01:12:03 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1113 The eldest barred owlet at Sunset Bay White Rock Lake took flight prematurely, a whole week earlier than i anticipated across the other side of the road right before sunset yesterday (April, 21 2015). The mother followed behind, but the fledged didn't stick the landing, fell about 40 feet to the ground. The adventure failed but it survived with no obvious injury. Owlet landed on the ground and so did the photographer. The is the moment i've been waiting for and my immediate respond was get low, picked an evenly lit background then shoot away when the owlet turned it head toward me. The youngster rested on the ground for few minutes, then walked up a near-by tree. I got a few more keepers of branching on eye-level along the way. ]]> more keepers of branching on eye-level along the way. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/fledgling-barred-owlet-on-the-ground-white-rock-lake-1113/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/pair-of-barred-owlets-white-rock-late-1111 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/pair-of-barred-owlets-white-rock-late-1111#comments Tue, 21 Apr 2015 02:32:57 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1111 Two weeks overdue but we have at least three barred owlets this year at White Rock Lake, Sunset Bay area. One more than last year, two still seating in the cavity while the elder already branched out days earlier. ]]> last year, two still seating in the cavity while the elder already branched out days earlier. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/pair-of-barred-owlets-white-rock-late-1111/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-in-flight-white-rock-lake-1108 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-in-flight-white-rock-lake-1108#comments Sun, 19 Apr 2015 21:27:01 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1108 Scissor-tailed Flycatchers have returned to White Rock Lake, Dallas Texas and this is the best of the year to get the Oklahoma States birds in flight on the hill of Winfrey Point. Just the first visit of the season, i already bagged handful of flycatchers in perch, last but not least, my best one yet in flight with full back view! The new 7D Mark II is way better than 1D Mark IV when it comes to tracking this fast flyer. Hope to get more on my next visit, and more. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/scissor-tailed-flycatcher-in-flight-white-rock-lake-1108/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/greater-prairie-chicken-face-off-knoza-prairie-manhattan-kansas-1104 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/greater-prairie-chicken-face-off-knoza-prairie-manhattan-kansas-1104#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2015 22:19:00 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1104 Took a 3-day trip to Canadian, Texas and Manhattan, Kansas for Lesser and Greater Prairie Chicken last week. It wasn't a great trip despite having them up close shooting from blinds. I have not taken any bird images on the ground off eye-level for years, let alone 3-4 feet high from the ground. What a pity. It could have been thousand of great images but ended up with couple of keepers. This is a pair of Greater Prairie Chicken face off on terrible stormy morning at Knoza Prairie - Manhattan, Kansas. With dark cloud covered the sky most of the morning, i approached them in lower ISO, low shutter static settings, then boost the color and contrast in post processing. The Lek where the Prairie Chickens dance is inside barbed wire fences, and we were shooting though the fences which makes the situation worst because the wires were in the way. So having a long supertele len is necessary to blur out the wire if you plan for a visit. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/greater-prairie-chicken-face-off-knoza-prairie-manhattan-kansas-1104/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/drake-blue-winged-teal-in-flight-1098 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/drake-blue-winged-teal-in-flight-1098#comments Sat, 28 Mar 2015 19:34:03 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1098 There are Blue-Winged Teals at White Rock Lake but i could never get close to the skittish waterfowls, let alone getting a flyer. But thanks to recent rainfall, the flat marshy grass at Dixon Branch flooded, provides a more-approachable feeding ground, about ankle-high in water for the shy teals. I put on a pair of Lacrosse water boot and eventually get close enough for an in flight after week long for trying. There, finally got a keeper of Blue-Winged Teal in flight i've have longed minus the OOF orange background. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/drake-blue-winged-teal-in-flight-1098/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/drake-lesser-scaup-tiptoeing-1094 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/drake-lesser-scaup-tiptoeing-1094#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2015 21:08:36 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1094 An interesting male lesser scaup landing post - Tiptoeing in low level view. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/drake-lesser-scaup-tiptoeing-1094/feed 2 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/hen-hooded-merganser-reflection-1092 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/hen-hooded-merganser-reflection-1092#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2015 20:53:58 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1092 It's already March, the wintering hooded merganser season is near end so i can't pass on a calm morning for one more try. There were about 8-10 hoodies but only one drake left in the pool, and he kept a distance so i have to focus on the alternate, dull and unattractive female merganser. ]]> hooded merganser season is near end so i can't pass on a calm morning for one more try. There were about 8-10 hoodies but only one drake left in the pool, and he kept a distance so i have to focus on the alternate, dull and unattractive female merganser. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/hen-hooded-merganser-reflection-1092/feed 0 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/barred-owl-hagerman-national-wildlife-refuge-1089 https://www.danielslim.com/photo/barred-owl-hagerman-national-wildlife-refuge-1089#comments Sun, 08 Mar 2015 21:27:25 +0000 http://www.danielslim.com/photo/auto-draft-1089 Quiet and away from traffic, Hagerman is a good spot to find the vocal barred owls comes breeding season. On the same evening after getting the Red Morph screech owl at South end of Oklahoma, i rush to Hagerman wildlife refuge for a quick tour and located two pair of barred owls. This individual came close near twilight while i was waiting inside my car near entry point pad area. It's taken with bean bag at very low shutter of 1/13 of second. ]]> Red Morph screech owl at South end of Oklahoma, i rush to Hagerman wildlife refuge for a quick tour and located two pair of barred owls. This individual came close near twilight while i was waiting inside my car near entry point pad area. It's taken with bean bag at very low shutter of 1/13 of second. ]]> https://www.danielslim.com/photo/barred-owl-hagerman-national-wildlife-refuge-1089/feed 0