Tennessee and/or Kentucky Photo Journeys
• choice of a two and a half day offering for Kentucky (was NEW in 2023!) and/or a two and a half day offering for Tennessee! Both together can work very well! •
TOUR DATES:
KENTUCKY April 20-22, 2024 (Saturday through Monday morning)SOLD OUT
TENNESSEE April 23-25, 2024 (Tuesday through Thursday morning) SOLD OUT
GROUP SIZE: 2 PARTICIPANTS PLUS LEADER
Cost: $1000 per offering. Do both for $1750 total!
* $250 refundable deposit saves your dates. If you elect both that is $250 for each. In that case sign up for both by selecting 2 rather than 1 and let Gene know. Contact information is on the top right header. The balance is due the first day of your trip. A second participant if you so elect is half price if availability remains (see Terms Of Use) .
TENNESSEE:
The Tennessee trip sites are in rural hill country that is rather unique in warbler diversity. Cerulean, Blue-winged, Kentucky, Hooded, and Prairie warblers are the primary targets. Also Worm-eating, Ovenbird, Yellow-throated Warbler, American Redstart, and Louisiana Waterthrush are potential targets.
This location is about a three to four hour drive from Atlanta and about an hour’s drive from Nashville.
Food, lodging, and transportation to location are not included; on location up to one participant can ride with me, possibly two.
KENTUCKY:
The Kentucky trip was new for 2023! In 2022 following the Tennessee trip I explored the new Kentucky sites, which are largely along forest service roads. The main attraction for the Kentucky trip is the ABUNDANCE of Cerulean warblers found at one of the sites. Worm-eating warblers are also very common. In 2023 two clients joined me for both Kentucky and Tennessee! See expected species list below.
Our base location for Kentucky is about an hours drive to Knoxville Tennessee. It is about 2 and a half hours from the Tennessee trip. Kentucky lodging is between 4-5 hours from the Atlanta airport. Tennessee lodging is closer to 4 hours from the Atlanta airport.
Food, lodging, and transportation to location are not included; on location up to one participant can ride with me, possibly two.
TESTIMONIAL FROM 2019:
I used Gene Koziara as a bird photography guide for warblers in late April 2019. We went to Tennessee for two days and saw/photographed about nine warbler species. Gene has excellent ears and knowledge of warblers’ songs. I was able to get good photos of the primary target Cerulean as well as Blue-winged, Kentucky, Hooded, and Worm-eating warblers. I recommend Gene for his expertise with finding as well as photographing these birds. I look forward to future trips with Gene to other areas with other target birds.
Al Mercer.
TARGET SPECIES, TENNESSEE
Cerulean Warbler C (Common)
Blue-winged Warbler C
Kentucky Warbler C
Hooded Warbler C
American Redstart C
Northern Parula C
Prairie Warbler C
Louisiana Waterthrush C
Worm-eating Warbler U to C (Uncommon but we usually find a few)
Black-and-White Warbler U
Ovenbird U
Yellow-throated Warbler U (there are a few spots that have been reliable)
Yellow-breasted Chat U (should be found arriving about the time of dates for 2023)
Barred Owl C or U (most years we hear them and some years get close views)
Field Sparrow U
TARGET SPECIES, KENTUCKY SITES
Cerulean Warbler VC (Very Common)
Worm-eating Warbler C
Hooded Warbler C
Yellow-throated Warbler C or U
Black-and-white Warbler C
Black-throated Green Warbler C
Ovenbird C
Scarlet Tanager C
Blue-winged Warbler U (found at lower levels one of the sites)
Swainson’s Warbler R (rare)
Prairie Warbler U
LEADER: GENE KOZIARA
Gene has intimate knowledge of the Tennessee area and the species found there, having worked those areas each spring for a number of years. He knows where we are likely to find the target species. Kentucky is obviously new but Gene is familiar with habitat favored by different warbler species and the songs of any warblers we encounter there.
He will use calls, but you may be surprised about the call techniques and how sparingly they may be used. The focus will be to provide opportunities for quality images, with an emphasis on composition and warblers in song whenever possible. We will start around sunrise and work until the mid-day light gets too harsh. Both the Tennessee and Kentucky trips lend themselves well to a restaurant stop for lunch. We will shoot again from later afternoon until we don’t have usable light. Our goal will be to have a quality shoot of two to four warbler species per day depending on the sites visited and how we are doing. The emphasis will be on quality composition, and in some cases we may shoot several birds of the same species in various settings.
REQUIREMENTS
I will discuss camera settings (if desired) and the composition goal(s) for each individual shoot during the set-up. This trip is best-suited for individuals who are already familiar with their camera and lens and want to experience and enjoy warbler photography at a level they may not have experienced before. A long lens is essential for warbler work as warblers are small birds. I use a 600 mm lens and am using a Canon R5 body. A 500 mm lens or minimum 400 prime lens is essential for best results. A crop sensor camera and/or a teleconverter will extend reach. A teleconverter to extend reach can be used in good light situations, but it may slow image acquisition too much in more overcast or shaded situations. The faster your lens, the better for warbler photography. You should have the skill with your gear to quickly focus on a small bird, as warblers often tend to move quickly. Some birds and species will be more cooperative and forgiving than others, but the ability to quickly focus on the bird will provide far more satisfying images. It is important to follow my lead as I work to get a bird in. Warblers can be very sensitive to moving photographers. Knowing when to pull the trigger is important, especially when attempting singing shots from a staged chosen perch.
DISCLAIMER AND A BIG ASK FROM GENE
This Warbler Photo Journey will require little walking with most shooting occurring along the roads within a hundred feet or less of our vehicles. There will be more car traffic with this trip than the others (Tennessee only) but it is generally infrequent. We will be in rural areas and will do what we can to respect the local residents. As with any outdoor adventure watch out for briars, possible biting insects, and be alert for uneven and slippery ground. Plan to put in a long day. Some of the species on these Photo Journeys are sensitive species, and Gene is asking that all participants keep locations for either of these Photo Journeys strictly confidential. Please do not eBird these locations, and please do not share the locations with other birders/photographers. If you don’t think you can do that, please don’t sign up, for this trip. After signing up you will receive a more detailed itinerary, including hotel suggestions and hotel locations. Thanks for your understanding.
MOST IMPORTANT
The goal is to have fun and work as a team to maximize everyone’s Photo Journey. I need you to be open and honest with me as we regularly assess how we are doing. Ideally, you will not only come away from the trip with many quality images, but also with some how-to knowledge that you can apply in the future while out shooting and when doing your own post-processing.
WHY TO CHOOSE WARBLER WHISPERER LLC
-Gene’s primary bird photography focus is and has been warblers for well over a dozen years.
-WarblerWhisperer has small group sizes which allows more individual attention. As group size increases in warbler photography proximity to target and favorable lighting for the photographer may suffer. With small birds like warblers this indeed can make a difference.