Tag: birds

Living by Joe WilcoxApr 1, 20269:13 pm

Meet Malloy

I should have known. San Diego Zoo names its animals. But I wouldn’t expect identifying tags. As you can see from the Featured Image, this Penguin is Malloy. In a less-than-clear, unpublished photo, one of his companions is Mac. I wonder: Do they all these birds have “M” names, or is it a coincidence?

I used Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens for this one, which is close-cropped. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 110, 1/500 sec, 200mm; 10:20 a.m. PDT. I chose the Zf for many reasons, and effective resolution is one of them: 24.5 megapixels, which is the sweet spot, in my humble opinion. File sizes aren’t overly large and burdensome, while the sharp 6048 x 4032 photos can be cropped to effectively enlarge the subject.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 8, 20269:50 pm

Pelican Party

I spent some time helping out my daughter’s friend this afternoon. A bit of chaos descended last week. While he was at the hospital for treatment of an injury, San Diego parking enforcement towed the larger of two RVs, which was his domicile along with our daughter. Reason: The vehicle parked in the same location for more than 72 hours, which caused it to be classified as derelict. For sure, because he was injured.

They were in transition from a 37-footer to something little more than 20 feet long. As Voice of San Diego explains: “Cops Crack Down on RV Living“, and it’s the big ones they primarily target. A day or two later, and our daughter’s friend wouldn’t have lost so many personal belongings in the tow-job. (Shall we just call it theft?)

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 31, 20269:22 pm

Hello, Baby Bird

The lasting legacy left by my father is a significant number—hundreds at least—of photographic slides that remain from those he said had been damaged by water. I don’t know the specifics of the incident that destroyed perhaps half of them. That’s what he inherited to me, and I got more than did most family members.

The co-pastor couple of his church got the family farm to hold in trust intact. They did, for a whole 13 months, until May 2025, when a sale closed and they profited from it. Fortunately, the young farmer buying the property is son of the man who had leased the land for decades; I am sincerely glad for that.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 19, 202610:09 pm

Bodacious Bather

Sometimes you can’t let a bad photo go. Focal point is not on the bird, because of my clumsiness handling the autofocus. I was rushed after seeing the predator swoop down for a refreshing dip and drink at the water puddle.

I used some of Lightroom’s detail editing tech to recover as much clarity as the tools and my skills could accomplish; no AI fakery. The close-cropped Featured Image comes from Nikon Zf and NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens on Dec. 16, 2025. Vitals: f/6.3, ISO 200, 1/500 sec, 200mm; 10:45 p.m. PST.

Photo by Joe WilcoxSep 2, 20253:34 pm

The Things That Pop Out of Hedges

Around the village of University Heights, one can see logos, murals, paintings, signs, and statues all depicting ostriches. At the turn of the last century, Bentley Ostrich Farm relocated to the neighborhood—and it brought visitors from across Southern California.

But the place closed in 1929. The feathers were less in demand as a luxury, and economic crisis began its grip on the nation. Many, but not all, of the birds were relocated to San Diego Zoo.

Photo by Joe WilcoxMar 5, 20259:58 pm

Cute But Cautious

My wife interrupted our walk on Feb. 28, 2025 to point out “cute” birds in a tree ahead of us. I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for a couple of quick captures. The Featured Image is best of six. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/250 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 4:16 p.m. PST.

I am not a bird watcher, so identification is a bit tricky. My guess, with a little Google Lens assistance, is American Goldfinch. I dunno. Meaningful 10x zoom fully made this moment.

Photo by Joe WilcoxFeb 8, 20257:28 pm

Nikon Zf and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra at Sunset Cliffs

While walking about our neighborhood of University Heights, today, my wife and I spontaneously decided to get in the car and drive to Ocean Beach; an errand beckoned us. Once completed, we continued onwards to Sunset Cliffs.

I already carried Nikon Zf with NIKKOR 40mm f/2 (SE) lens attached. However, what was needed: NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. So Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra pinch-hit for the long shots.

Photo by Joe WilcoxJan 10, 20259:26 pm

Hey, Birdie

One of my neighbors puts out food for just about every kind of critter that lives in University Heights—the exception being coyotes. As such, she has possums, racoons, and skunks strutting into her yard at night. The day belongs to birds, butterflies, cats, and dogs, among others.

While we visited on Nov. 27, 2024, a white-crowned sparrow dropped by for a bite of breakfast. I easily captured the Featured Image, using Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. Vitals: f/3.4, ISO 32, 1/125 sec, (synthetic) 230mm (digital and optical zoom); 9:51 a.m. PST. Composed as shot.

Photo by Joe WilcoxNov 23, 202410:06 pm

The Little Pecker

For about a month, I have been trying to get a good shot of a woodpecker going at one of the palms overlooking our apartment building’s parking lot. Yesterday, Cali came running from the bedroom, where she had been blissfully sleeping in sunlight, into my office. She climbed onto the desk to look out the window. To see what? I hadn’t opened up the thing, so sound penetration was minimal.

She stared out at that wily woodpecker, and I marveled at her ears, because I could see the pecking but not hear it. I pulled out Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, opened the camera app, set to 10x zoom, and shot the Featured Image through the glass (which could have been cleaner).

Photo by Joe WilcoxMay 20, 20249:57 pm

Croak or Caw?

Along Adams Ave., at the end of the bridge above Texas Street, I spotted some huge birds in the trees below. The vantage point presented another opportunity to see how good (or bad) Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra could be shooting distant objects.

Unlike the S23 Ultra, which packs 10x optical lens, the newer model relies on 5x optical and in-camera close-cropping 50-megapixels to produce something that is supposed to be as good as, or better than, the last-generation smartphone. You judge.

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 30, 202410:54 pm

The Formation

While hanging out at Mission Beach, yesterday, I spied a formation of approaching birds—seagulls, perhaps? I turned Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra skyward and captured the Featured Image.

This one is composed as shot. Vitals: f/2.4, ISO 50, 1/4000 sec, 70mm (film equivalent); 10:38 a.m. PDT. Odd, why would I choose only 3x zoom?

Photo by Joe WilcoxApr 28, 202410:24 pm

The Duck Walk

A time not so long ago, Fuji’s single-lens compact camera series delighted photographers who wanted something smaller and capable—with creative extras, like the hybrid digital-optical viewfinder or fun film simulations.

Then TikTokers and Instagramers went, ah, quackers for retro-styling and the image—not that’s produced by the device but how they look carrying it. Suddenly, the X100V was in hot demand and available nowhere. Fuji’s answer to that problem was development of the X100VI, which started shipping two months ago.