David's Images of the Day Photoblog
Morning and afternoon sessions in wildlife blinds at a private ranch in southern Texas. Everything needed during the day was provided with plenty of time at the blinds to get great images of the birds and other wildlife at the ranch.
Green Jay on a Perch at Dos Venadas Ranch in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D4 camera and 500 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 1600, 500 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec).
Blue Grosbeak in Southern Texas. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 600 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 800, 600 mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec).
The direct flight from New Jersey to Tokyo was long. I’ve never been on a 12+ hour flight before, and upgraded so I would have more leg room. I selected a window seat since the polar route was going over Canada, Alaska, and Russia — and hoped to take some images of the ground (weather permitting). Unfortunately, my “window seat” didn’t have a window. ARRG! One interesting note is that the seats on the plane had shoulder seat belts that we were supposed to wear during takeoff and landing. Once we arrived at the Narita Airport, the queues through immigration and customs were quick and efficient. It appeared that women got an extra metal detecting hand wand exam looking for gold bullion while passing through customs. I got a limo-bus ticket from Narita to the Keio Plaza hotel in the Shinjutu district of Tokyo (3100 Yen). The bus ride took a little over 1 hour. After arriving and checking in at the hotel I did a short walkabout where I saw many Azalea flowers in bloom. I used to have Azalea shrubs and flowers around my house, but the deer ate them to death.
Pair of Black Vultures in Flight in Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/8, 1/1000 sec).
