I Can't Believe I Saw One!! BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY

In this video, I try a new setup for some wide angle bird photography. My goal was to photograph Common Redpolls as they move through the area. I also share a story of the best bird sighting I've had so far in 2021. Such an unbelievable species, and I'm still shocked to have seen one unexpectedly. Hope you enjoy the video, Happy Birding!
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Table of Contents
0:00 - Intro
1:11 - Plan for the Day
2:05 - My Setup
4:21 - Photographing Redpolls
6:00 - Changing Things Up
7:04 - Changing Things Up...Again
8:05 - Wide-Angle Bird Photography
9:20 - My Best Sighting of the Year!!
11:35 - Photo Settings

[@StefanoIaniro]

I'm still so excited about that sighting! Let me know if you've had any good sightings lately down below. Happy Birding! 😀

[@riverhe2852]

Just got the 200-600 lens yesterday because of your channel. I have the same Bluetooth shutter but I never thought about using it this way!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Enjoy the new lens! This is probably the way I'll be using the remote the most - for wide angle stuff

[@YohannChaplin]

Man! I am recovering from a knee operation, I am just looking forward to recover and be out again. Thankfully I am blessed to have a mating couple of bald eagles near my house so I have a bit of distraction right through my window 😊

[@StefanoIaniro]

Wow that's amazing to have right outside your door!

[@YohannChaplin]

@@StefanoIaniro Absolutely! It is not the most photogenic set-up, but it is so beautiful to see them flying around all day. I am not sure yet, but they might have some offsprings this year :)

[@joerais]

Respect for respecting the owl's privacy. More people should have your attitude. And great video as always :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! Wellfare of the animals should always be the number one concern!

[@jamesmcleod4335]

This is one of the most wholesome channels I've ever had the privilege of finding.

[@RickMentore]

Your happiness at finding the Owl is palpable, I hope you have many more moments like this in 2021!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! So do I 🙂

[@lisabirdluvr9742]

I am so happy for you that you had the owl experience! There's nothing more rewarding and fun than seeing something unexpected when you're out photographing..

[@stans6582]

Stefano, Your attitude is refreshing and your humility is genuine ......I enjoy and can feel your excitement in your work. I would be hard-pressed to rule out the songbird breath shot as best so far................THANKS for sharing

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! Really nice to hear. I'm hoping to get more of those in the near future 🙂

[@Preacherski]

Seeing you so happy makes me happy. Another video please.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@gitithadani]

Sometimes the great sightings come as gifts! Respect for the gift - espect for the owl and the happiness - thanks for sharing!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks for watching!

[@fillyphotos]

Wildlife photography; we friggin love it!!! What an awesome experience with the Hawk Owl. Love the unexpected moments

[@StefanoIaniro]

Same here!! Thanks so much for watching

[@neildbarker]

Congratulations on that spotting that lifer! Great footage of everything and thanks for sharing.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed 🙂

[@eike.zender]

Your enthusiasm and the sparkles in your eyes are contagious! Keep up the good work!

[@trondwestby5264]

Great video Stefano! I love the redpolls as well. This video made me find them myself again. Have a great day!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much, Trond! They're always so much fun to watch!

[@laurajackson6860]

I'm thrilled to have found your channel! Thanks so much for sharing these incredible scenes. 🐦

[@jeanbryant4180]

Wonderful for you. Love your videos and enthusiasm !

[@fenraven]

Your photos remind me of winter in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Cold... lots of redpolls and chickadees. That owl, though. Amazing! I always consider them a gift, because you can't plan for it. It just happens.

[@FollowThomas]

Congrats of Northern Hawk Owl! I've never seen these species either, but I haven't been in their range either. It was a great video I watched it all away and enjoyed every moment of it. Thank you😊

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you, and thanks for watching! Such a beautiful species!

[@harveysherwood8870]

I wish that sort of owls were in the UK

[@manjub4222]

Norton hawk owl, super lucky 👌 Nice photos 👏

[@HuFilms]

The fact that I knew it was a Hawk Owl from the thumbnail has me feeling that I might be better at birding than I thought! Smashing video.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Hahah thank you! Congrats on the positive identification 😀

[@sphinxtheeminx]

Your films are so beautiful and inspiring. I'm catching up having just found your channel, so it's a Christmas treat for me.

[@riverhe2852]

Morning Stefano! Such a great video. We are lucky to share this scene with you. Keep up the inspiring work.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Good morning! Thanks so much for watching 🙂

[@soethan.1349]

Congratulations Stefano, love it 😍 👏

[@joyofbeingyou5999]

So cool! Exciting capture!

[@iastorgaphotos]

Excellent vlog! Really enjoyed it. 👍🏼

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much!

[@eddieaaronson3775]

Wow! So cool that you left after just a few moments with the owl

[@Wildlifevideopicture]

Congratulation Stefano for your observations! Very interesting film and beautiful scenes!! //KD

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much!!

[@BirdsNatureTravel]

Wonderful information shared.. shows your passion for birds 👍

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@marticook5096]

I have just found your videos and you have given me some excellent ideas for attracting birds for photography. Thank you!

[@CarolineOrdHume]

Another great video, thank you. Love the owl!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much!!

[@unfi6798]

You encourage us to get back into photography mate. Cheers for the tips.

[@MannyG32968]

Great job and excited time!

[@marijanespeer2096]

My favorite owl this year was the short eared owl that I found in NE South Dakota this winter! Great Channel. Hope to watch more

[@ashstubbings2603]

You have a new subscriber my friend! What a lovely video! I've never actually seen a Redpoll! And what a wonderful surprise with the Hawk owl!

[@StefanoIaniro]

So glad you joined along! Thanks so much for watching 🙂

[@HolyIslammessage]

Watching Again after long time. I like your photography and your video. Your video is my refreshment video when my mind is sick i Watch your video.

[@SuperKabookie]

Just glorious ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@michaellena5779]

Awesome video! What a great surprise at the end. That must have been very exciting. Keep up the great videos.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Really glad you enjoyed! Definitely a sighting that will stick with me for years to come!

[@stephenelderphoto]

I really enjoyed this Stefano. It’s great to see your experimentation and you had some excellent images for us. Thanks for sharing!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed them! Thank you!

[@midwestnature5865]

Thank you so much for sharing your gear and your methods. It's tough starting out without a degree/training in photography but I'm really dedicated to building a good setup and getting good shots Congrats on your find!

[@spokolokofly]

Great video with whole bunch of nice ideas to use! Wide angle wildlife photography is such a hard work. And great encounter with owl. I was lucky enough to meet this owl in Poland. One owl decided to spend winter here and stayed in one spot (!!!) for 4 months! It was amazing.

[@StefanoIaniro]

That sounds incredible! Must have been to be able to watch them on many occasions. Thanks for watching!

[@dpstuff3008]

Incredible! Stunning footage!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much 🙂

[@RobertoBarbe]

Nice shots!!

[@derekgarvey9805]

Beautiful shots. Congrats on the owl. Nothing like the one that didn't get away. My elusive bird has been the pollinated woodpecker.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks a lot! It's always a treat when sightings like this happen!

[@derekgarvey9805]

@@StefanoIaniro I have been chasing bald and golden Eagles for the last week. A couple beautiful shots but a lot of bad lighting some days. I have been learning a lot since subscribing. Keep up the good work.

[@StefanoIaniro]

So happy to hear! Good luck with the eagles!!

[@dougrich675]

Well done! Instances of serendipity are what keeps wildlifers going.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! And I totally agree!

[@jimmylim8010]

Great video! Thanks for sharing.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you!

[@justinreed456]

Congrats on the lifer!! Beautiful bird. Really enjoying the videos. Keep it up!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much!

[@blin4788]

Love your videos!

[@LoganJohnC]

Hey, love your channel. You take amazing photos.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Happy to hear, thank you!!

[@gladysklip6984]

Great video Stefano! Always nice to have a little project going on!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much 🙂

[@DENISLAUZWILDLIFE]

Like every time, we can see in your eyes, the blink about what you are sharing with us, thx a million, Mirabel, Qc

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! 😀

[@melindawheeler4213]

Your distractibility by birds just put you at the top of my KZbin channels to watch. Subscribing and bingeing on old episodes.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Haha, happy to hear people enjoy it since it happens very often! 😅 thanks so much!

[@jacobstreets8445]

Great video. Thanks

[@jtwanderer6328]

Just found your channel... Wow! Beautiful capture of your Northern Hawk Owl sighting! Yes, my best bird sightings have been random as well. One Spring a pair of cedar waxwings hatched and fledged four young ones in a tree just two feet from my second story deck. The memory still amazes me. Thanks for your great videos!

[@jimhudson7461]

Hi Stefano stuck in isolation due to Covid in the UK and your videos are really cheering me up . Hawk Owl exceptional can’t wait to get back in the field - in fortunately where I am Redpolls are far more likely although I do get Red Kites in the garden! Many thanks

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad the videos are helping you pass the time! Hopefully you get some great action moving through your garden!

[@gordonhatusupy2224]

Great find! Awesome!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you!

[@philipgowdy]

Great Stuff..Once again it s all about patience and masses of luck..Love the Owl image.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much!

[@aerofart]

Hey Stefano, congrats on your new ID. It’s a beautiful bird that I’ve never even heard of let alone spotted. Enjoyed the video. Ciao.

[@StefanoIaniro]

So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching

[@TourDeMadone]

Beautiful!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you!

[@Davidicus13]

That last Chickadee pic is epic!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Glad you enjoyed! Still a lot to work through but excited to get more photos like this in the future 🙂

[@marcusslade9804]

Nice video, Stefano. Two years ago a Northern Hawk Owl showed up just outside Vancouver and stayed in a small area for weeks. He literally attracted dozens and dozens of photographers in that time and practically modelled for everyone, sometimes coming ridiculously close. He seemd unphased by almost anything. I was fortunate to get my share of shots. Still the only one I’ve ever witnessed. Glad you had the encounter. They are beautiful.

[@georgereed1568]

Hawk Owl im not jealous at all......Im so jealous haha nice one man what a bird! Oh and good idea with the wide angel I've had the same idea I'm just waiting for the Camranger 2 to come back in stock so I can try that out.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Hahah thanks so much! What are you planning to try the wide angle lens on??

[@georgereed1568]

@@StefanoIaniro I would like to place it in the tree canopy and get a photo of a European Redstart in its natural habitat High up, maybe with a mouth full of insects or get wading birds in a group, also want to do a sort of shot with a Jay looking down into the lens in a sort of acorn perspective of the Jay lol. Looks of ideas but unsure if the birds will go for it haha 😄.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Haha, those all sound really interesting! I realized it's a lot of waiting around until something goes in front of the lens. So bringing a second camera/lens to photograph other things in the meantime will be key to not going crazy lol

[@georgereed1568]

@@StefanoIaniro makes sense I certainly will 👍

[@HappyBoyProductions]

Well done. Enjoyed watching..

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@imadesukabuwana2841]

Very cold. Exciting.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks!!

[@Richcovephoto]

Great vid, congrats on the Owl, sometimes you need no planning it just happens!👍🏻

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! So true!

[@o.kempers3046]

Yet another awesome video. Keep them coming, looking forward to the next one. I love nature so much, and really like to see how you handle nature.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Really glad you're enjoying them! Thanks for watching 🙂

[@o.kempers3046]

@@StefanoIaniro bringing joy Trough these kinds of videos keeps me forgetting what’s going on in the world a little. Ppl need that 👍🏻💪🏻

[@StefanoIaniro]

@@o.kempers3046 happy to hear 😊 thanks again!

[@bobcarlyle4475]

Great video Stefano, it really speaks to the year I had. In late December I was hiking the trail 5 minutes from my house and a Northern Hawk Owl landed in a tree right in front of me. I was incredibly lucky to see him on the trail everyday for 2 weeks. Also, this winter I had a flock of up to 80 Redpolls that came and went from my backyard feeders every day. They got so used to me sitting near the feeders I was able to take pictures as close as 1 meter away. Thanks for all the great content.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Both of those are awesome experiences! I agree, it's been a great year with a lot of movement from different species. Thanks for watching!

[@osbornemedia8425]

Love your videos! You inspired me to get the 200-600. I live in the area that will soon be swarmed with the 17-year Brood X Cicadas, so I'm hoping to get some shots of birds feasting with that lens this year! Can't wait until the next video!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Wow that's going to be epic!! Good luck with the shoot. Bring ear plugs lol.

[@madhurema3332]

Wow bird cute

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks!

[@seayak]

Yes, those are amazing owl, and so unlike most nocturnal owls - active and hunting in the daylight. I have only ever seen two of them, randomly and not with a long lens handy. Lord knows where you would go looking to find one on purpose.

[@IliasVanHende]

Yayyyyyyyyyy new video!!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@x3lB3kGam3Rx]

Congrats with the owl! Luck is defenitely needed but just being out alot is what makes the difference I think :D In January I went to see a sandhill crane here in DK! Only the second time that has happend! What an awesome bird!! Btw really nice videos you're making. Keep it up :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

I agree! The more hours spent in the field, the more you luck out. I love Sandhill Cranes, congrats on the sighting! Really glad you enjoyed the video 🙂

[@abelfernandez5648]

Buen trabajo Stefano, se te ve muy emocionado con el avistamiento. A veces los mejores momentos aparecen sin avisar o sin preparar. Un saludo

[@StefanoIaniro]

Very true! Thank you for watching 😀

[@maria-rosemurnaghan958]

So nice!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you 😊

[@EricWoodyVariety59]

my best birds i photographed in 2021 were, Rosseatte Spoonbills, American Woodcock, Virginia Rails,, and Clapper Rail, they were all on my life list and the first time I ever photographed them. Ive seen the woodcock and the virginia rail but never photographed them until 2021 the other two birds first seen and first time photographed in my life. 2021 was a mega year for me in photography. plus I finally got photos of the North American River Otter.

[@StefanoIaniro]

That sounds amazing! Congrats on a wonderful year. Hopefully 2022 tops it!

[@DavidPlowchalk]

Such great content. Your enthusiasm is a real delight and thanks for sharing such useful information. BTW...I typically never comment on videos.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Wow that really means a lot! Really glad you enjoyed the video 🙂

[@JeffWeymier]

Very nice work

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you!!

[@Homobikerus]

Thanks for the awesome content you've got here! When you've showed your wide angle setup I thought of one thing. It might be not that critical with birds (otherwise you would've noticed by now 🙃) but what I've experienced with foxes who have a stellar hearing - it helps a lot to setup your shutter to the silent mode. The regular one did spook even the ones that got used to me in general when I was shooting via remote. Seeing how close you camera was to the feeding spots makes me thinking it would help here as well.

[@Homobikerus]

Haha, now I've watched the video a little bit further and... you can ignore my previous comment past the first sentence. 😆

[@penorvoll]

Great video! I took at lot of pictures of redpoll (and snowbuntings) last march/april. Such a lovely bird. I have already put up the blind, and are ready for this year season of redpolls and snowbunting in the snow. I prefer the early morning low light, it's beautiful! :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! I agree, especially winter days when the sun just slightly peaks through a thin layer of clouds. The light is magical! Goodluck with the repolls/buntings 🙂

[@penorvoll]

@@StefanoIaniro Thank you! :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

No problem!

[@Jade-yx8uu]

I still can't believe I saw a pel's fishing owl in the wild, 3 separate times! It was a breeding couple nesting in South-Africa, that's my best bird I've seen in 2022. Those beautiful big black eyes seemed like an entrance to another world.

[@SonicStates]

Awesome

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you!

[@twiztedzero1685]

A Hawk Owl, whoa! That's some luck right there. Congrats Stefano. :D

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much!!

[@LisaSaffell]

The Northern Hawk Owls are awesome! I saw and photographed them in the Sax Zim Bog. Great encounter :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

I heard that's a great location for them. Bet you had some nice sightings! Thanks!

[@pauraque]

Man really got his lifer NHOW before SEOW. That cut deep.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Hahaha, funny how things workout sometimes!

[@StephaanBOSS56]

great

[@moncefm4563]

Great video :)

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks for watching! 🙂

[@Eigil_Skovgaard]

From eagle view the remote camera on its tripod looks like a bird eating spider ;O) Perfect eye contact with the owl. Congratulations.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Hahah, when you put it like that I'm surprised they weren't scared of it 😅 Thank you!

[@levisimpson516]

That northern hawk owl is wild looking, really glad you got to see that one. Really enjoyed this video, I kind of liked seeing shots of the birds down on the ground in the snow. I think we have an owl in our area, we keep hearing what sounds like an owl around dusk but when I go to the Merlin app and listen to what owls it says are most common in my area none of them sound like it. I'm still pretty new when it comes to identifying stuff. I've mostly been a very passive watchers of birds but more and more wanting to make it a bigger hobby in my life along with my art and photography.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Really glad you enjoyed! I've had similar situations with Owls in the past. And one important thing to remember is as their sound travels through the environment, by the time it reaches you it could go through some degradation. The further away you are from the owl, the worse the degradation can get. So what you're hearing when the sound eventually reaches you is certain pitches/frequencies that travel the distance. So don't go crazy if you can't ID things like that because you're likely not hearing the full call 🙂

[@levisimpson516]

@@StefanoIaniro That's a good point, I would never have thought of that. It's a pretty distinct call and fortunately we are out in farm land with just us and our neighbors, they have all the trees though so I think it's out in their area. I keep trying to get an audio recording of it so I can run it past a friend of mine who is a retired raptor biologist. We've have a lot of fun out there in the farm land. Our bedroom window looks out over open field and an old overgrown garden. We've seen Bald Eagles, Red Tails, Cooper's Hawk and a male and female northern harrier all from our window. We did see an owl about 2 years ago but I couldn't identify it. Oh, and for reference we live in Northwest Washington, about an hours drive south of the Canadian border. Skagit Valley area. Also, thanks for being so responsive on here. It's fun following a channel and being able to interact with the person who's content you enjoy. Your excitement over birds makes me excited to get more into it myself. Cheers to you Stefano.

[@StefanoIaniro]

That sounds incredible! If you have access to the field, one thing you can do to potentially see more raptors is plant some large dead snags in the ground as perches. Raptors love those types of things and use them as vantage points in fields to listen for rodents. That way when you look outside, you can scan a few of the perches for raptors. I've done that a few times and it's a lot of fun haha. Your location sounds great! Thanks a lot for the compliment, I try my best to keep up with everything so it's nice to hear it's appreciated!

[@LateBoomer1964]

The best wildlife experiences come when you're not even looking. I uncharacteristically looked out my back door window the other day and saw a squirrel who was clearly drunk. I got my video and shot 3 minutes worth of great stock footage of him swaying back and forth before he took off. I saw him just an hour later looking fine and begging for peanuts. That same morning a resident Osprey stopped by and sat in one of my trees eating a fish for nearly an hour. More great photos. All in all it was a productive day when all I had in mind was a day of raking leaves and doing housework.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Interesting! If you see that squirrel again like that, it might actually have roundworm which they get from coming in contact with raccoon scat. I had one in my yard suffering from the same thing! Sounds like you got some great opportunities with the Osprey!

[@leoperegrino]

Bello

[@BenjaminSmail]

Loved it as always. You gave me new ideas with that remote. Might have to try that out myself. Did you have a link back to your phone or just do it by eye?

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! No not at the moment, but I was thinking of running an hdmi to my external monitor so I can view everything more easily.

[@YohannChaplin]

Nice video! I am jealous of your spotting, this bird is definitely very high on my wishlist :) What blind do you use? I need to replace mine, it is broken and it wasn't really great to shoot at ground level 😊

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! This is the older model of the Tragopan V+, although it's not really ideal for working on the ground. You'd probably want one of their ground blinds or extensions that clip on the larger blinds to extend the length.

[@YohannChaplin]

@@StefanoIaniro Thanks I will look for it :)

[@garywuphotography1155]

The surprise sightings are the best. Just wondering, do you set up in fairly public trails? I usually hike in conservation areas and am not sure if it's allowed or just good mannered to set up.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Agreed! And I'm trying more and more to avoid heavily used trails. I prefer private land and places where you can go off trail. It's just easier to set up at places like that

[@DanBris]

congrats!!

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! 🙂

[@BenGieCruz]

Great vid brother! What drone did you use on this video?

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thanks so much! This was the DJI Mavic Air 2

[@SimonWattsWILDPresentationsUK]

So that was great, superb (and genuine) enthusiasm. Like birders who come to photography - you can always tell. Have a great end of week. Sub'd. Si.

[@StefanoIaniro]

So glad you enjoyed, thank you!!

[@mauriceforget7869]

Merveilles. De quelle province êtes-vous?

[@kylegage87]

Great video! Thank you for respecting the Hawk Owl! Grab a couple shots and then leave it alone, that's the way to do it. All photographers (and birders) need to follow your example. We had a Northern Hawk Owl in Upstate NY in 2006 and it became a circus unfortunately with people spending all day there and trying to lure it with mice from what I heard. I got there to see it, took a few photos (before digital) and left. It was a spectacular lifer for me but the experience was tainted by the actions of some.

[@StefanoIaniro]

Thank you! And yeah that's one of the main reasons I don't go for Owls at really popular owl spots. Baiting is sadly still a common thing. It surprises me how people don't understand the consequences. Having them hang around waiting to be fed really sucks the fun out of photography, IMO.

[@cullenthiessen1414]

I'm trying to decide if I invest in a teleconverter. How often do you find you use one? And do you prefer the 1.4 or the 2X? Thanks!

[@ryanbiscobarnes]

I had the chance to film a Northern Hawk Owl about 2 years ago in northern Ontario...a lifer for sure

[@StefanoIaniro]

Must have been so exciting! I've heard from a few people there's a good population there. I wish I had brought the rest of my gear so I could get better video.

[@maryhudson6137]

Wingsandbeaks here. @Stefano~ I just joined because I just saw your channel today. Watching the ponds you created that brought entire ecosystems was so much fun. I’ve been a backyard birder for 40+ years. Your videos bring to life what I’ve only seen in my Peterson’s guide book. Thank you so much for sharing and caring.

[@sylvainmathieu3887]

The place looks like the Miracle Farms, am I right? I've been watching so many videos from Stefan Sobkowiak and it looks like that.

[@dennyperkovitch]

Literally yesterday I photographed a black billed gull (nationally critical, in New Zealand) without knowing it