Canada Jays and Other Winter Birds

Join award winning wildlife photographer Mathew Malwitz for a multi-day outing to photograph canada jays and other wintering birds in the Adirondacks just North of Saranac Lake. There will be plenty of opportunity to capture frame filling portraits, environmental shots, and more as the birds feed in on and around the trail. We'll be shooting mornings and afternoons, even full days if the weather permits! Exact locations will be provided upon booking to help you plan your stay.

What to expect:

Before the outing, we'll meet for a pre-workshop class at Bergen county Camera. This will run from 6:00pm to 7:00pm on Wednesday, Janaury 29th. In this lecture, we'll go over more details about the outing, including what to bring and my past epxeriences in this location.

Once in New York, we'll be working with these stunning birds in a situation where they're quite tolerant of people. Just down the trail, we'll find these birds, as well as other wintering species. This workshop requires walking approximately a quarter mile in packed down snow. Of course, this is all weather dependent. If it snows while we're there, there will be more snow on the trails. The roads in the area are generallly well kept and free of snow accumulation, with the exception of the preserve we'll be shooting in. Once we arrive, we'll make our way down the trail and set up for the day.

Be prepared to stand for hours at a time. A small camping stool is advised if you wish to sit while we're shooting. Remember to dress warmly, as temperatures fluctuate around freezing, sometimes well below. We'll be shooting in all weather conditions, so pack rain gear for you and your camera. If the weather is deemed dangerous, we will refrain from shooting at that time.

After the workshop, come by the store and order a complimentary 11"x14" fine art print of your favorite image from the outing! Enjoy savings on ready-made frames as well.

Birds we'll likely see include the following:

• Canada Jays
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Hairy Woodpecker
• American Tree Sparrow
• Blue Jay

Birds we may see include:

• Pine Siskin
• Evening Grosbeak
• Black-backed Woodpecker
• Bohemian Waxwing
• Boreal Chickadee

What's Included:

• Pre-workshop lecture at Bergen County Camera
• In-the-field instruction from Matt Malwitz for the duration of the outing

What's NOT Included:

• Transportation
• Lodging
• Food

What to Bring:

• Camera(s) *backup body is recommended
• Telephoto lens with a focal length of at least 400mm
• Wide angle and/or medium range lens (24-70, 24-105, 70-200, etc.)
• Extra memory cards
• Extra batteries/chargers
• rain gear for you and your camera equipment
• Warm layers and face coverings
• Waterproof winter boots
• Gloves for both keeping warm and shooting, could be more than one pair
• Handwarmers/foot warmers
• Snacks and water for the outings
• Tripod and/or monopod
• (optional) laptop to offload images from cards after outings
• (optional) camping stool

Host or Publisher Bergen County Camera