A Calling Colasisi (In 4K)

Colasisi (Loriculus philippensis, aka Philippine Hanging Parrot, a Philippine endemic)

Habitat - found in all forest types. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on January 1, 2021, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent).

 

 

Colasisi at Bued River

This bird, at 6 inches total length, is the smallest parrot in the Philippines. It ranges in all forest types, and also in gardens at populated areas. This species is found only in this country.

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Colasisi (Loriculus philippensis, aka Philippine Hanging Parrot, a Philippine endemic) 

Habitat - found in all forest types. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on December 31, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent).

 

 

Preening Woodpecker (In 4K)

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos maculatus, a Philippine endemic)

Habitat – Lowland and montane forest and edge, in understory and canopy. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on December 30, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent).

 

 

A Singing Sunbird

Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis, resident, male) 

Habitat - Common lowland sunbird. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat at Bued River, Northern Philippines on December 29, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light.

 

 

Preening White-eyes (In 4K)

Lowland White-eye (Zosterops meyeni, a near Philippine endemic) 

Habitat - Second growth, scrub and gardens. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat at Bued River, Northern Philippines on December 29, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light.

 

 

Portrait of a Kingfisher

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis, resident) 

Habitat – Clearings, along large streams and rivers, and in open country. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat on December 28, 2020, Bued River, La Union, Philippines, Sony RX10 IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light.

 

 

Lowland White-eyes In 4K

With a total length of only 102 mm (4 inches) and given its very active nature, this tiny avian dynamo is very tough to film well.

This bird species is common in lowland second growth, scrub and gardens. It ranges in Luzon and Batanes group of islands. It is found mainly in the Philippines. 

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Lowland White-eye (Zosterops meyeni, a near Philippine endemic) 

Habitat - Second growth, scrub and gardens. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat at Bued River, Northern Philippines on December 27, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light.

 

 

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (in 4K)

Eurasian Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus, resident) 

Habitat - Common in virtually every inhabited island of the Philippines. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat at Bued River, northern Philippines on December 27, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light.

 

 

Flowerpecker Close Up (in 4K)

Red-keeled Flowerpecker (Dicaeum australe, a Philippine endemic) 

Habitat - Canopy of forest, edge and flowering trees. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat at Bued River, Northern Philippines on December 25, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light.

 

 

Slow Woodpecking - 2

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos maculatus, a Philippine endemic) 

Habitat – Lowland and montane forest and edge, in understory and canopy. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on December 24, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent), 1080/239.76p capture, processed to 20x slow motion (audio added in post). 

 

 

Slow Woodpecking

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos maculatus, a Philippine endemic) 

Habitat – Lowland and montane forest and edge, in understory and canopy. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on December 24, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent), 1080/239.76p capture, processed to 20x slow motion (audio added in post).

 

 

Jumping Tilapias in Slow Motion

As we pump in fresh water into our backyard fishpond, the tilapias try to swim and jump into the incoming oxygen-rich stream. 

Shooting info - Bued River, La Union, Philippines, December 20, 2020, Sony RX10 IV, tripod/ball head, manual exposure in available light, filmed in 1080/239.76p, processed to 1080/23.976p for a 10x slomo.

 

 

Long-tailed Shrike in the rain

Long-tailed Shrike (Lanius schach, resident) 

Habitat - Open country and scrub. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat on December 19, 2020, Bued River, La Union, Philippines, Sony RX10 IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light.

 

 

Apollo 15 Landing Site Thru a DSLR Lens

On March 7, 2010, I got out of bed at dawn to make a moonshot attempt through the early morning skies of Metro Manila (Philippines). I used an EOS 7D + EF 400 2.8 IS + stacked 2x TCs - 1600 mm, f/16, ISO 100, 1/25 sec. 

Now, after over ten years and countless tries later, this moonshot is still the most detailed I’ve ever captured.

 

 

White-throated Kingfisher (in 4K)

White-throated Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis, resident) 

 Habitat – Clearings, along large streams and rivers, and in open country. 

Shooting info – filmed in natural habitat on December 17, 2020, Bued River, La Union, Philippines, Sony RX10 IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), manual exposure in available light, 4K/29.97p capture processed to 3840 x 1600/23.976p (cinematic 2.4:1 aspect ratio).

 

 

Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (in 4K)

These are probably among the most detailed clips of this species ever filmed in natural habitat. This bird is found only in the Philippines, where it ranges in most major islands except the Palawan group and Masbate. 

At 5.5 inches total length, it is the smallest woodpecker in this country. It is often seen creeping up tree trunks and branches in forest, edge, and even in city parks. It has a loud trilling call. 

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Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos maculatus, a Philippine endemic) 

Habitat – Lowland and montane forest and edge, in understory and canopy. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on December 15, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent), 4K/29.97p, natural audio recorded by the RX10 IV's built-in microphone. 

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All rights reserved. Original clips without watermark are available for licensing. For more information, please contact Romy Ocon, email - romy.ocon@yahoo.com.

Pied Triller (female)

Pied Triller (Lalage nigra, resident, female) 

Habitat - Common in trees in open country, gardens in towns, and open scrub in the lowlands. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on September 5, 2018, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent).

 

 

Little Egret in flight over Bued River

Little Egret (Egretta garzetta, migrant) 

Habitat: Coastal marsh and tidal flats to ricefields. 

Shooting Info - filmed in habitat at Bued River, La Union, Philippines on December 13, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 220 mm (600 mm equivalent), 1080/119.88p capture, processed to 1080/23.976p (20% slomo).

 

 

Red-keeled Flowerpecker (Takeoff Slomo)

Red-keeled Flowerpecker (Dicaeum australe, a Philippine endemic) 

Habitat - Canopy of forest, edge and flowering trees. 

Shooting info – Bued River, La Union, Philippines, December 13, 2020, Sony RX10 IV, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 1080/480p capture processed to 720/23.976p.

 

 

Portrait of a Pied Fantail at Maambal Orchard

A couple of these perpetual motion birds are always around the mango tree near the orchard's gate. They seem to have become quite familiar with me, allowing me to get close to them. 

Under the dark canopy, I've to push the RX10 IV's tiny sensor to ISO 800 to get a shutter speed of 1/125 sec. I was hoping that the camera's 24 fps burst can freeze the bird in between movements, even with the slowish Tv.

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Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica, resident)

Habitat - Common in parks, residential areas, thickets and mangroves.

Shooting info - Maambal Orchard, Pangasinan, Philippines, November 14, 2020, RX10 IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), ISO 800, f/4, 1/125 sec, manual exposure in available light, major crop resized to 800 x 450. 

 

 Link to the larger 1920 x 1080 version

 

 

 

Maambal Orchard - Pangasinan

Winged creatures in flight at Maambal Orchard

 

It has been quite a while since I tried photographing winged creatures (birds and insects) in flight, so my panning reflexes are a bit rusty. To add to the challenge, I was using a point and shoot (Sony RX10 IV), rather than my tested DSLR gear (Canon 7D II + EF 400 DO II). 

The EVF and ergonomics of the RX10 IV is not the best for flying creatures, but we have to make do with any gear we have on hand. The 24 fps burst rate and the decent AF speed of this camera somewhat mitigate its shortcomings though.

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A few of these white birds are orchard regulars, and I caught this one while it was flying low in front of a stand of bangkok santol trees.

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis, resident/migrant)

Habitat: Pastures, ricefields and marshes.

Shooting info - Maambal Orchard, Pangasinan, Philippines, November 10, 2020, RX10 IV, 600 mm (equiv.), ISO 200, f/4, 1/3200 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 800 x 533. 

 

Link to the larger 1500 x 1000 version

 

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Over the grassy areas of the orchard, numerous dragonflies flit and hover in the breeze. While waiting for birds in flight to appear, I practiced my panning skills at these critters. 

Shooting info - Maambal Orchard, Pangasinan, Philippines, November 10, 2020, RX10 IV, 600 mm (equiv.), ISO 200, f/4, 1/2000 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held, major crop resized to 800 x 533. 

 

Link to the larger 1500 x 1000 version

Cattle Egret on a Mango Tree (in 4K)

A medium small egret (19 inch length), this white bird is very common locally. It stays close to cattle or carabao to catch insects the larger animals disturb. 

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis, resident/migrant) 

Habitat: Common in pastures, ricefields and marshes. 

Shooting info - Sony RX10 IV, 600 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec, ISO 100, Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, manual exposure in available light, 4K/29.97p capture, ambient sound recorded by the camera's built in microphone, Maambal Orchard, northern Philippines, November 7, 2020.

 

 

Pied Fantail at Maambal Orchard (in 4K)

This fantail, with a 7.5-inch total length, ranges in all major Philippine islands. It is conspicuous and noisy in many places, including urban residential areas and parks. It is easily seen and in many instances can be approached closely. However, its continuous tail fanning and constant movement among branches make it probably among the toughest common birds to film well. 

Pied Fantail (Rhipidura javanica, resident) 

Habitat: Common in parks, residential areas, thickets, early second growth and mangroves. 

Shooting info - Maambal Orchard, Pangasinan, northern Philippines, November 7, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV + Uniqball UBH45 + Manfrotto 455B tripod, 600 mm (equiv.), f/4, ISO 320, manual exposure, 4K/29.97p capture.

 

A sunflower at night

A sunflower bloom ends it daylight hours pointed to the east and spends the night in that orientation, ready to absorb the first beams of sunlight on the next morning.

Meantime, the bloom is oblivious (or at least it seems to be) to a lightning storm raging to the south, the bolts illuminating the night sky like a giant camera flash going off intermittently.

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Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, July 22, 2020, Sony RX10 IV, 20.50 mm (56.0 mm equiv.),
f/3.2, ISO 100, 30 sec, manual focus, manual exposure in available light, Uniqball UBH45/455B support, major crop resized to 800 x 533.

1800 x 1200 high-res version

Olive-backed Sunbirds at Bued River

I noticed a few days ago that these colorful little critters are frequently visiting some katuray trees (vegetable hummingbird tree, Sesbania grandiflora) along the Bued River, northern Philippines.

They use their elongated bills to sip nectar from the long, curved flowers. All I need to do was to wait patiently and motionlessly beside the trees, and they don't mind me being around as long as I keep myself outside their comfort distance, usually not nearer than 6 meters.

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Olive-backed Sunbird (Nectarinia jugularis, resident, male)

Habitat - Common lowland sunbird. 

Shooting Info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, June 18, 2020, EOS 5D MIII + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 320, manual exposure in available light, tripod/fluid head, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

High-res 1800 x 1200 version

Rainbow over the Bued River

A rainbow formed over the Bued River as the sun was setting yesterday. The spectacle was so vivid that it tempted me to risk flying a drone even in light rain. Fortunately, the drone came back without any issues.

I had to shoot a 9-frame panorama to get an ultra wide view of the scene, as a single frame just could not contain the whole rainbow. 

 High-res version @ 4500 x 3000 pixels

Shooting info - Bued River, northern Philippines, Mavic 2 Pro, f/5.6, ISO 100, 1/80 sec., manual exposure in available light, stitched 9-frame panorama.

 

 

 

 

Portrait of a Grey Wagtail at ISO 3200

Our friendly neighborhood Wagtail's throat is now molting to black (its breeding plumage). Pretty soon, it will have put on enough weight (fuel) to make the long flight to its breeding grounds across the South China Sea.

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Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea, migrant) 

Habitat - Streams and forest roads at all elevations. 

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 21, 2020, Canon 5D III + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800mm, f/5.6, ISO 3200, 1/640 sec, manual exposure in available light, bean bag on the ground, uncropped full frame resized to 800 x 533. 

 High-res 2400 x 1600 version

A thirsty Red Turtle-Dove at the Bued River

While I was waiting in my make-shift blind for the friendly Grey Wagtail to make an appearance, this Red Turtle-Dove came in for a drink at a watering hole by the bank of the Bued River. 

My target bird (GWT) did appear briefly, and its throat is now visibly darker than it was three days ago. Hopefully, it will stay for over a week more, until its throat becomes fully black. 

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Red Turtle-Dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica, resident)

Habitat - Open country or lawns. 

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 15, 2020, Canon 5D III + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800mm, f/5.6, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec, manual exposure in available light, bean bag on the ground, major crop resized to 800 x 533. 

 

  1500 x 1000 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 15, 2020, Canon 5D III + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800mm, f/5.6, ISO 1600, 1/800 sec, manual exposure in available light, bean bag on the ground, major crop resized to 800 x 533. 

  1500 x 1000 version

Capturing the Grey Wagtail at a low angle

The Grey Wagtail that I saw a few days ago has become a regular guest at a watering hole along the banks of the Bued River. Its visiting hours are now quite predictable, allowing me to set up a make-shift blind so I can capture it quite close.

For this job, I brought out my old EF 400 f/2.8 IS from its storage box - its 3.0 meter MFD and its extreme sharpness at wide open even with a 2x TC should be very useful. The combination of long focal length and close shooting distance should melt the background and foreground elements very nicely.

My old 5D MIII gets mounted as well - I need relatively fast shutter speeds to freeze the actively foraging bird, and sometimes I had to bump up the ISO to get the Tv fast enough. The larger FOV is likewise very helpful when trying the locate the forager while shooting in a prone position. There are plenty enough pixels with the 5D MIII to allow me to crop later in PP, and still retain the ability to make large prints.

Finally, I had to support the whole shooting rig (over 14 lbs.) with a bean bag which is lying on the ground. To protect my beer belly while shooting prone, I used a flattened cardboard box. I suffered from a terrible stiff neck after a few minutes of shooting, but it's a lot of fun.... certainly making the Covid-19 lockdown more bearable. :) 

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Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea, migrant)

Habitat - Streams and forest roads at all elevations.

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 12, 2020, Canon 5D III + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/800 sec, manual exposure in available light, bean bag on the ground, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

  1500 x 1000 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 12, 2020, Canon 5D III + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800mm, f/5.6, ISO 640, 1/640 sec, manual exposure in available light, bean bag on the ground, major crop resized to 800 x 533.

  1500 x 1000 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 12, 2020, Canon 5D III + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800mm, f/5.6, ISO 1600, 1/640 sec, manual exposure in available light, bean bag on the ground, major crop resized to 800 x 533.

   1500 x 1000 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 12, 2020, Canon 5D III + EF 400 f/2.8 IS + EF 2x TC III,
800mm, f/5.6, ISO 400, 1/640 sec, manual exposure in available light, bean bag on the ground, major crop resized to 800 x 533. 

 

 

   1500 x 1000 version

Grey Wagtail at Bued River

The monotony of the Covid-19 lockdown was broken somewhat when I noticed a familiar creature at a riverside puddle near where I'm quarantined. 

From afar, it's unmistakably a wagtail species. This made me rush to my photo gear to try and get some captures. 

This particular specimen is not the prettiest I've seen, but it's nonetheless a welcome distraction from the daily grind of waiting for the coronavirus storm to pass. 

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Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea, migrant)

Habitat - Streams and forest roads at all elevations.

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 7, 2020, Canon 7D II + EF 400 f/4 DO II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560mm, f/5.6, ISO 640, 1/400 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

  1500 x 1000 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, April 7, 2020, Canon 7D II + EF 400 f/4 DO II + EF 1.4x TC III,
560mm, f/5.6, ISO 640, 1/400 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 1500 x 1000 version

Tiny bees in flight (240 fps slomo)

A short footage of tiny bees (the smaller ones are less than 5 mm total length) filmed in natural habitat at 1080/239.76p and processed to 1080/23.976p (10x slomo). 

Shooting info - Bued River, northern Philippines, March 21 and 22, 2020, Sony RX10 IV, tripod/ball head, 600 mm (equivalent), various aperture and ISO values, 1/500 sec, manual exposure in available light, manual focus, stabilization off.

Tough-to-expose Vanta

Vanta, our 16-week old female Shi-Chi (mixed breed Shih Tzu + Chihuahua), is one tough puppy to photograph well. 

Her black color and the usual lighter background stress the sensor dynamic range and AF performance of the RX10 IV. The hair over her nose makes it tough to get a photogenic capture of her eyes.

She is a very spirited puppy, and fortunately the RX10 IV has a 24 fps burst rate with good continuous focus. This allowed me to freeze the peak moments of her full-speed runs.

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 18, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, 600 mm equiv., f/4, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec,
continuous focus, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 1800 x 1200 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 18, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, 600 mm equiv., f/4, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec,
continuous focus, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 1800 x 1200 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 18, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, 600 mm equiv., f/4, ISO 400, 1/1600 sec,
continuous focus, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 1800 x 1200 version

Catching active puppies with the RX10 IV's 24 fps burst shooting

MAGNUS, a 16-week old male Shi-Chi puppy (mixed Shih Tzu and Chihuahua).

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 12, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, 599 mm equiv., f/4, ISO 200, 1/2500 sec,
continuous focus, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533. 

 Link to the 1800 x 1200 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 12, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, 599 mm equiv., f/4, ISO 200, 1/2500 sec,
continuous focus, manual exposure in available light, hand held, near full frame resized to 800 x 533. 

Link to the 1800 x 1200 version



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 KRETO, a nearly 8-week old male Labrador puppy. 

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 12, 2020, Sony RX10 Mark IV, 600 mm equiv., f/4, ISO 200, 1/1600 sec,
continuous focus, manual exposure in available light, hand held, uncropped full frame resized to 800 x 533. 

 Link to the 1800 x 1200 version

Kreto does his early morning jog

Kreto, our 7-week old male Labrador puppy, does his early morning jog.

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 10, 2020, EOS 5D MIII + EF 400 f/4 DO II, 400 mm, f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/1250 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held, uncropped full frame resized to 800 x 533.

Link to the 3000 x 2000 version

Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, February 10, 2020, EOS 5D MIII + EF 400 f/4 DO II, 400 mm, f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/1250 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held, uncropped full frame resized to 800 x 533.

 Link to the 3000 x 2000 version

Speedy Vanta runs circles around Kreto!

Vanta, a 14-week old female Shih Tzu puppy (mixed breed), runs circles around Kreto while playing in their pen.

Unlike her brother Magnus, Vanta is not scared of Kreto. She toys with the young Labrador in every opportunity, seemingly acting like a matador playing with a clumsy little bull.

Filmed with an Osmo Action in 1080/239.76p at northern Philippines on January 25, 2020.

Grizzled Oldtimer vs. Shih Tzu Puppy: Who will blink?

Magnus, a 14-week old male Shih Tzu (mixed breed) plays some sort of a bluffing game with Tatang, a grizzled oldtimer. 

Magnus has just learned to "SHAKE" and Tatang is tempting the young dog to do it even without a direct command and active prodding. Let's see who'll prevail in this bluffing contest. 

Filmed with an Osmo Action in 2.7K/29.97p at northern Philippines on January 25, 2020.

First encounter - Labrador vs. Shih Tzu puppies

This is the first encounter between these two puppies - Kreto ( a Labrador) and Magnus (a mixed breed Shih Tzu, white with brown spots). 

Both are male - Kreto weighs about 2.6 kg, while the older Magnus is about 4.4 kg. Yet, in this first interaction, it is the heavier and older Magnus who seemed to be scared of Kreto. 

Filmed with an Osmo Action in 1080/239.76p at northern Philippines on January 24, 2020.

Kreto is a genius! (Labrador puppy's first training session)

It appears that Kreto, a very young male Labrador puppy, responds well to our amateurish training attempts. A very quick learner, he managed to learn to "SIT" and to go "DOWN" during this morning's brief training session. 

Filmed with a hand held Osmo Action in 2.7K/29.97p at northern Philippines on January 24, 2020.

Magnus attempts a high jump

I used a rag at the end of a string to entice Magnus to do high jumps.

Filmed with an Osmo Action at 1080/239.76p at northern Philippines on January 12, 2020.

Pygmy Swiftlets in flight

For several mornings now, I noticed these tiny spitfires darting above the Bued River, hawking insects. I thought this was an excellent opportunity to retrieve my DSLR gear from deep storage and check if the electro-mechanicals are still functioning. Well the 7D II and 400 DO II are still fine, but my BIF shooting reflexes are definitely rusty. I hope these critters will stay for a few mornings more so I can improve my panning skills and get them a bit closer. 

Pygmy Swiftlet (Collocalia troglodytes, a Philippine endemic)

Habitat - Fairly common, smallest swiftlet in groups flying low over forest, clearings and logging roads (total length = 3.5 inches) 

1. Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, January 10, 2020, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II, 400 mm, f/5.0, ISO 640, 1/2500 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held.

Uncropped full frame resized to 900 x 600:

 

 

 Major crop:

 

 

1200 x 800 version 

 

 

 

2. Shooting info - Bued River, Rosario, La Union, Philippines, January 10, 2020, EOS 7D MII + EF 400 f/4 DO II, 400 mm, f/4.5, ISO 640, 1/4000 sec, manual exposure in available light, hand held.

Uncropped full frame resized to 900 x 600:

 

 

 Major crop:

 

 

 1200 x 800 version

 

Vanta's quarrel with an orchid root

After getting tired of play-fighting with her older brother Magnus (color white), Vanta turned her attention to an exposed orchid root growing by a tree trunk at my mother's garden. Vanta is the more aggressive between the two Shih Tzu puppies, and wouldn't back down from her older brother even if she's outweighed 3:2.

With her black color, Vanta is a nightmare to expose well during filming.

Special thanks to our friends Gen. Rolly and Jo Malinao for sharing with us these two young, wonderful creatures.

 Filmed with a hand held Osmo Action at 1080/239.76p at northern Philippines on December 31, 2019.