RIP D3200

Yes, you were good, but you are gone, now. My Nikon D3200 died on 6/22/14. This Great Spangled Fritillary was the final photo. It was a really good camera and all good things come to an end, sooner or later. I should be up and running at some point tomorrow. I ordered a new Nikon D5200. It was a hard decision, but I have a nice lens collection which will work with the new camera. I am still hesitant to invest more than major dollars in a camera that might get knocked into the river by beagles..Or worse. Time will tell but this camera has the same features, minus a few focus points and a more rugged body than the next one up that costs twice as much. It uses the exact same sensor and produces photos with the same amount of pixels. The new camera is supposed to produce better low-light photos than my previous one. That should be a big bonus in the cloud cover of Randolph County.

Indigo Bunting in Winter Plumage

Indigo Bunting 1-16-09

We often encounter interesting things; when we least expect it.  Nobody expects to find a male Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea), in the middle of January.  Definitely, not in the mountains of West Virginia.

I was walking through my yard, filling up the bird feeders, the sun was high and bright.  I walked by a blue junco; several times.  It took a little while to realize that the bright sun or my eyes were not causing a color illusion.

I rushed into the house to get my brand new Nikon D60; which had never even been outside before.  I quickly took several photos, with whatever settings were on the camera at the time.  You have to understand that I never even had the battery in the new camera; before this moment.  I had yet to do anything except try to read the owners manual.

Here is the result of the first digital photo; that I have ever taken.  A once in a lifetime capture of a  male Indigo Bunting; in winter plumage.  The northernmost wintering grounds for this species is southern Florida.
This photo was taken on January 16, 2009, at Norton in Randolph County, West Virginia.

Be observant and be prepared, you never know what opportunities may arise.