It’s getting into that time of the year where Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind. One day it’s cold and blustery and the next it’s mild and sunny. I didn’t know what I was in for today but I was sure that I wasn’t going to waste one more chance to get in some good weather shooting. If the weather turns really crappy I can just go home and take a nap. There are advantages to being retired!!!

Of course there will always be a few geese around, at least until the pond ices over. They may not be the prettiest, but they are very accommodating to a photographer!
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And at the other end of the size spectrum is the Pied Billed Grebe. A little tiny thing. Like comparing Shaq to Peter Dinklage……

Another constant at Brick Pond, if you have enough patience, are the deer. A doe jumping over a cut in the berm, with a young buck right behind her. If you zoom in you can see little nubs of antlers on his head. It’s called a button buck…..

But the stars of the show again were the Wood ducks. Get them in the right light and they shine like a Radio City Rockette at Christmas time! I’ve been trying to get a good flight shot of a woodie for years now, and I think I’m getting closer!

There was a little bit of skim ice on the pond this morning, so I know it won’t be long before the pond is silent again and Winter will be in charge. But that’s okay. A chance to rest a bit and rejuvenate. A chance to look back and remember all that life sent your way this year, good and bad. But also, the promise of new beginnings waiting down the road. I’ll be heading down to Maryland in February for a week of duck shooting with Doug Gardner. My wife thinks I’m nuts, but I can’t think of a better way to start a new year. You can probably see the smile on my face….. stay tuned.