After making an Advanced Reservation, I entered a very quiet Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York last weekend. None of the inside exhibits were open in the entrance building. There were signs indicating the one way direction around the outside Wildlife Trail.

I enjoyed taking portraits of some of the birds on exhibit using a Nikon D750 dSLR camera with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VRII lens. The long focal length allowed me to focus through the fencing and get up close portraits.

Barred Owl (Strix varia) at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 1, 2020. Nikon D750/80-400VRII, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 2200, EV 0, 400mm Focal Length.

Barred Owls (Strix varia) are often called Hoot Owls for their distinctive call heard at night. As I got as close to this owl’s exhibit as I could, the owl rotated his head and looked right at me.

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 1, 2020. Nikon D750/80-400VRII, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 640, EV 0, 400mm Focal Length.

Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) lives in eastern Australia though you may be more familiar with the bird’s call from old Tarzan movies. Watch this video to learn about and hear the Laughing Kookaburra.

Blue Crane (Grus paradisea) at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York on Saturday, August 1, 2020. Nikon D750/80-400VRII, 1/400s, f/5.6, ISO 500, EV 0, 400mm Focal Length.

Blue cranes (Grus paradisea), also known as the Stanley crane and the paradise crane, is the national bird of South Africa. A tall and elegant bird with a bluish-gray plumage.

As in any portraiture, make sure you have sharp focus on the subject’s eyes with enough depth of field to separate it from the background.

With many public locations closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ones that are open need our support.