Hello…I'm Don DesJardin and I reside in Ventura, California. I became interested in photography as a hobby while in my early teens, and purchased my first 35mm camera when I was 14. About 12 years ago I became interested in birds and birding. I soon became hooked on a hobby that would not only require good bird identification skills, but as I would soon discover, new photographic skills as well. It wasn't long before my thoughts drifted towards the notion that I might capture these birds on film, and so enjoy them long after the day ended. Hence was born the naïve bird photographer. Just walk up and take a picture, right…Boy, was I in for a shock! Every animal has its "circle of fear", a perimeter within which a creature's fight or flight response is invoked, and birds are no exception. I also discovered that the longest lens I had, a 200mm zoom, just wasn't long enough to work from beyond that perimeter. This is when my hobby started to get expensive. The big lenses that the pros use cost big bucks and way beyond my reach, so I settled for what I could afford at the time, a Sigma 600mm fixed f/8 mirror lens. Small, and lightweight, it was what I needed to get "close" to the birds, without getting to close. This lens served me well for many years, producing lots of fine images. Even though I pushed this lens to its limits, I was never really satisfied with the results as compared to real glass. Several years ago I was able to purchase my first affordable "real" glass lens. This was a Sigma 400mm f/5.6 APO Macro. When used with my N90s body and a Nikon TC14A, it approaches my old 600mm in focal length and still gives me the portability that I had grown used to. My film of choice at the present time is Fuji Sensia /100. I also use a tripod whenever practical. As seasons came and went, I worked hard to penetrate that "circle of fear". Through careful observation and understanding of my subjects, and lots of patience, I have been able to approach most birds within a range I had never thought possible when I first started. I don't use blinds, exception being my car, and pride myself in my ability to get close to my subjects, which makes up for a deficiency in focal length. Is every photographic outing a good one…NO! Does it feel good when it is…YOU BET!

Email me at : birdpix@pacbell.net

PHOTO AND VIDEO CREDITS

BOOKS
Sierra Club Books "Wild LA"
Academic Press "Sparrows of the United States and Canada"
	David Beadle, James Rising
Princeton Publications "Gulls of North America, Europe, and Asia"
	Klaus Malling Olsen
Cornell Bird Library Guide "The Feeder Watcher's Guide to Bird Feeding"
	Margaret A. Barker, Jack Riggs
Life Sciences "Skuas and Jaegers of the World"
	Klaus Malling Olsen
Peterson Field Guides "Hummingbirds of North America"
	Sheri L. Williamson
UCSB "The Birds of Santa Barbara County, California"
	Paul E. Lehman
UC Press "Introduction to the Birds of the Southern California Coast"
	Joan E. Lentz, Don DesJardin
Newbridge Educational Publishing "Newbridge's Ranger Rick Series"
Hong Kong Bird Report 1995

MAGAZINES
Wild Bird
ABA Birding
Birding World
American Birds
Field Notes
Dutch Birding
De Vogel Wereld
Quebec Oiseaux
Spektrum der Wissenschaft
Western Birds
Birders Journal

SOFT PUBLICATIONS
Baylands Ecosystem
	"Species and Community Profiles"
Coachella Valley Association of Governments
	"Coachella Valley Multiple Habitat Consrvation Plan"
Utah State University  
	"Neotropical Migrants of Utah's West Desert"
Madison Metro Sewerage District 
	"MMSD Wildlife Observation Area"
CINMS Alolkoy
USF&WS Shorebird Sister Schools Program 
	"Migrate With Us" 
	(Printed in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, & Japanese)
American Bird Conservancy
	"Communication Towers: A Deadly Hazard to Birds" 
The National Audubon Society
USF&WS
California Department of Fish & Game
National Park Service

DON'S BIRDS INTEGRATED INTO ARTWORK PROJECTS
Crissy Field Center, John Stewart, Artist 
http://jwstewart.net/project/index.html

ELECTRONIC MEDIA
"Birds of the World" Lars Larsson, Erling Larsson, Goran Ekstrom
http://www.birdsoftheworld.org (MS Internet Explorer)    
http://www.birdsoftheworld.net (Netscape)

VIDEO
Peregrine Video Productions, The Advanced Birding Video Series
	"Hummingbirds of the United States"

DON IN CYBER SPACE
Just in case you find yourself with way to much idle time on
your hands, go to "google.com" and search on "don desjardin".