Bird Photography at Baylands with Hartmut Walter and Nikon

Join UCLA Professor Hartmut Walter (ornithologist/ecologist) for a fun photo walk at Baylands Nature Preserve described by bird watchers as the go-to place for the “best birding on the bay.”  Palo Alto Baylands is a feather-filled oasis during the winter when waterfowl migrate through the Pacific Flyway.

Bounded by Mountain View and East Palo Alto, the 1,940-acre Baylands Preserve is one of the largest tracts of undisturbed marshland remaining in the San Francisco Bay with access to a unique mixture of tidal and fresh water habitats.

Nikon representatives and technical specialists will be on hand with Nikon rental cameras and lenses for attendees to try out during our photo walk.  Cameras and lenses are available on a first come, first served basis.  There will be no additional charge to use the cameras and lenses but they must be returned before the end of the event.  A valid credit card and state ID are required to use the gear.

Students are required to have working knowledge of their camera and must know how to set and use it in manual mode.

Directions: Use 101 Freeway to Palo Alto; turn off at Embarcadero Rd and drive east. Follow the road and pass Palo Alto Airport (to your left) until you reach the Baylands parking lots at the Duck Pond. Park there and meet for the walk.

Professor Hartmut Walter started photographing birds and their habitats as a teenager in his native Germany. He continued his photo hobby while working in East Africa on wildlife conservation projects. He spent his professional career at UCLA where he inspired students to follow his interests in animal ecology and environmental conservation. He still harbors a real passion for birds. Since 2013 he has shared his photographic expertise organizing field trips on bird photography at Malibu, Bolsa Chica, Salton Sea, Santa Barbara and other sites near Los Angeles. He has an intimate knowledge of bird behavior and looks for photographic moments depicting action sequences and unique lighting.