Good morning Yukon!

Trumpeter Swan

Good morning from the Yukon!

I enjoyed a phenomenal weekend with the trumpeter swans at Tagish Lake.  All the key elements I've been looking for - lighting, clean background, blue skies, a variety of behavioural displays, action shots and cooperative subjects - fell into place.  I'm pleased with my images - well over 700.  I'll sort through them in the coming days and will post them shortly.

Hope you enjoyed your Earth Day weekend.

Cheers,

Claus

They're back.....

Greetings from the Tagish Bridge Recreation Site in the Yukon.
The trumpeter swans are slowly trickling in - today's count was 82 (with another 18 arriving by late-afternoon).  Meanwhile, at Swan Haven (Marsh Lake), biologists have recorded 350 swans plus a few other migrants including Barrow's and common goldeneyes, mallards, buffleheads, redheads, herring gulls and northern pintails.
Unfortunately, for me as a photographer, the swans were too far for decent photos. Regardless, their arrival was a much needed welcome sign of spring.
Despite their distance, a few flocks did fly overhead providing me with some useful images of the swans  framed against the blue spring sky.  All in all I spent close to three hours wandering back and forth on the bridge waiting patiently for more flybys.
Brilliant blue skies, plenty of sun, a steady breeze and +7 degree temperatures made for a gorgeous Easter Sunday.
Hope you enjoyed your Easter holiday.
Cheers,
Claus

Photo info:  Nikon D700 with Nikkor 300m f/2.8 lens attached.  250 ISO, f/7.1, Aperature priority, -0.7 to -1.0 exposure composition, Vibration Reduction set to 'ON'.  Hand held

The Swans of Tagish

Observing and photographing wildlife along the shores of the Tagish River (often referred to as the Tagish Narrows) could not have been any better than it was during last weekend's Easter holiday.  Excellent weather conditions, blue skies and a thousand swans rewarded those who took the time to travel the 100km distance from Whitehorse.

During the holiday weekend biologists had observed well over 1000 trumpeter swans, 400 tundra swans and scores of migratory ducks swimming and feeding along the shores of the Narrows.  Thousands more could be spotted at Swan Haven on Marsh Lake and along the open stretches of Kluane Lake.  From what I understand the bridge over the Teslin River at Johnsons Crossing was also a popular spot to photograph swans.

Joining the swans were wigeons, pintails, goldeneyes, buffleheads, mergansers, green-wing teals and mallards.  Numerous bald eagles and northern harrier hawks patrolled the skies over the waters in search of unsuspecting prey. A pair of river otters also playfully swam alongside the icy shores in search of food and a resting place.

A handful of international photographers had also taken up temporary residence along the Narrows during the weekend.  Photographers of every skill-level stood for hours along the shores of the Narrows or on the bridge hoping to capture their prized shot as the swans flew overhead or swam by.

Overcast skies, a steady breeze and chilly temperatures dominated much of Good Friday.  Weather conditions improved remarkably on Saturday morning when brilliant blue skies and plenty of sun provided ideal conditions to photograph the swans.  The clouds and haze had returned by Sunday afternoon.

My most successful shots from the previous three weekends were those from Saturday morning's photo-shoot.  The crisp blue skies were the perfect backdrop for the snowy-white feathers of the swans as they flew overhead - I could not have wished for a better day.  Sadly, I only had a few hours with the swans that day as I had to return to Pelly Crossing for a few hours.  Wish I had more time as the skies were not as blue on Sunday.

My camera of choice this past weekend was the Nikon D300 (for its digital crop factor).  The Nikor 300mm f/2.8 lens (with a 1.7x teleconverter) was my principal lens for the swan shots.  Aperture priority was used, the continuous high shutter command was set ON as was the VR (vibration reduction).  With the bright skies an ISO of 250 (underexposed by 1 stop) was all that was needed to capture sharp images.  Most of the swan flyover images were handheld.

Well over 600 images were shot during the course of the weekend, of which a dozen or so were 'keepers'.

What a stellar weekend!  Life has finally returned to the Yukon!!

Join me in the coming days as I share my top 10 ten tips to successfully photographing swans.

Hope all is well in your corner of the world,

Cheers
Claus

Sunday morning with the swans

I'm still smiling from ear to ear as I sort through my images and recall my weekend with the swans of Tagish River.  Such a treat it was to have photographed and observed them.  

In the coming week I'll post a few more images along with some notes on my observations and tips to photographing these elegant creatures.  

Good night.

An afternoon with the swans!

Hi again - I just pulled into Pelly.  A very long day but a rewarding one.

Late this morning I returned to the river that connects Marsh Lake with Tagish Lake with the hopes of photographing more swans.  The weather was ideal for photography with plenty of sun, soft light and clouds - oh yes, there was the occasional snow squall and whiteout conditions.   More importantly I had very cooperative subjects.

All in all I spent close to four hours with a group of 20 swans while I was crouched under the boughs of a spruce tree.  I felt privileged to have watched and photographed the swans go about their business without a care in the world.  I'm pleased with my efforts.  

It's shortly before midnight and I'm pooped....  more images to come tomorrow.

Good night

The Real Swan Lake

Images with D300,  Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 with 1.5x extension, f/7, 500ASA 

Hi again from the Yukom, home to over 2,000 swans!

After a very long winter the swans have finally started to arrive en masse.  For the next few weeks scores of Trumpet and Tundra Swans will congregate in the rivers, lakes and marshes around the Whitehorse area for a chance to rest, feed and gather strength before continuing their journey further north to their breeding grounds in the High Arctic.

What a sight it is to see so many swans gracefully navigate the icy shores of Tagish Lake (2hrs south of  Whitehorse).  Most are in pairs, while there are a handful of what I think are family groupings with last years brood still sporting dusty grey feathers.  So far most swans are hanging around in the few stretches of open water available - a narrow stretch at Marsh Lake (1hr south of Whitehorse), a larger opening between the river that connects Marsh Lake with Tagish Lake and behind the dam on Marsh Lake (viewing accessible from the Alaska Highway).

Next week Yukoner's will honour their feathered guests with a week-long Celebration of Swans event mainly centred at Swan Haven, an interpretation centre at Marsh Lake.  Interpreters will be on hand to explain the natural history of the swans and other migratory waterfowl.  Unfortunately for photographers, the swans are resting at a considerable distance from shore. 

I wanted to see if I could find a spot to photograph the swans up close and in relative isolation from the hundreds of birdwatchers who have also flocked to Marsh Lake and its surroundings.  After a couple of hours of driving I found myself on the shores of a small river that connects Marsh Lake with Tagish Lake.  There I was pleasantly surprised to find at least 100 swans quietly carrying out their daily business.  It was tricky to find a clearing that afforded an undisturbed view of the swans.  After a bit of bushwhacking I did manage to find several vantage points with clear views of the swans below.  So neat to listen to them communicate with each other - it was as if they were all playing individual French horns.   

Rubber boots, snow pants (to keep your butt dry when sitting in the snow) and lite gloves are highly recommended if you plan on spending any time photographing these characters.  Patience is also in order as they constantly move about and lighting conditions can be tricky.  It is also a good idea to bring along some bear spray as the grizzlies have started to emerge from their winter dens - and I would guess they are a tad hungry :)

I'm heading back there today to take a few more pictures before making my way back home.  I'll post more tomorrow with locations and photo details.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Cheers,

Claus