Bring Your Big-Boy Boots......

Bill Baburchak May 16, 2020

It was another day of torture at Apalachin Marsh this morning. I was the only human between two lanes of Interstate 86. And what a beautiful morning it was! Although it’s about time for the mosquito repellant!
Before it was even light enough to see, a GBH landed in a tree about 80 yards away.

Two hours later he was still there, seemingly content to nap the day away. A pair of Hooded Mergansers stopped by and Mom went into the nest. Dad went to hang out with the other boys. Didn’t get a shot. After 3 hours of watching the GBH preen and nap I decided to move over by the old blind. I’m guessing this blind must be at least 30 years old. It’s a little rickety but it still works just fine. While I was there the Warblers kept me company. Beautiful little birds but they never sit still!

If you have never been to Apalachin Marsh remember to bring your big boy boots!! The trail can be flooded in several places. It’s a very pleasant, easy walk and the songbirds are there!

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Kind Of A Mixed bag Last Week.....

Bill Baburchak May 14, 2020

I didn‘t get out as much as I wanted to last week. I messed up my back cleaning my wife’s car and I had trouble functioning for 4 or 5 days!!! So I actually did something intelligent and took it easy for a few days. (yeah I know right?)
So far this year has been a bit of a letdown, at least as far as waterfowl goes. I have not seen very many Woodies or Hooded Mergansers this spring. I don’t know if last year was an exceptional year or this year is a lean year. Thank God the usual suspects are back. Plenty of Orioles, Grosbeaks, and Goldfinches too! And my buddy the Otter popped in for a quick appearance the other day! He always seems to show up when the light is at it’s worst!!! So what do you do when things are a bit slow? Practice! Go out in your backyard and practice your birds in flight, or construct a setup so that the birds come in where YOU want them to. None of the following pics are all that impressive, especially the Otter! But to be good at this game you have to do the best you can with what you’ve got! And find some beauty in the ordinary…… Now get out and shoot!!!

Practicing DOF…. Your eye has a tendency to look right past the branch in front because it is out of focus..

All in all, nothing to write home about. But if every image was perfect it wouldn’t be much fun now, would it???

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An Otter-Ly Beautiful Morning......

Bill Baburchak April 25, 2020

Now that sunrise is just after 6 am, getting up to Lindsay Parsons Preserve in Danby means getting up very early! But once I am awake I’m okay with it and look forward to the day with anticipation. I was in my spot before dawn and it was a cloudy, dead calm day. The GBH’s were stirring in their nests preparing for the coming day. The Beavers were very busy (duh) gathering breakfast but there were no ducks of any kind to be found. No Woodies, Hoodies, Mallards, nothing but the Damn geese. And it stayed that way for two hours! I amused myself watching the Beavers criss-crossing the pond in their travels. One Beaver was making a bee-line for the shore not too far away from where I was in my blind, but it seemed like this Beaver was moving way too fast. I realized it was an Otter! I had been seeing Otters up here off and on for the last two years and I was hoping to get a good image of one this year. Once this otter had finished up on the shore (more on that later) he slid back into the water and began feeding. Fortunately for me he caught a fair sized Bullhead and was looking for somewhere to have breakfast! He headed straight for a log about 40 yards away from me and climbed up onto the log. I knew this was a long shot in iffy light, but it was the best chance I had ever had to photograph an Otter so I didn’t want to screw it up!

The one thing you immediately realize is how muscular and powerful these animals are! They are 30 pounds of pure muscle. And even though I was forty yards away you could hear the fish bones crunching under the power of those jaws and teeth!

I have two other images that I took while he was on land. I had no idea what he was doing until I did some research online. It appears that River Otters use a communal pooping area called a Latrine! It is a large part of their social structure and everybody poops in the same area. It is a way for them to keep track of one another, kind of like Facebook for Otters! There is even a YouTube video of this behavior believe it or not! Here is the link…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMr9fL9iXSY

Consider this your Natural History fun fact of the day!!! Enjoy!

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Practice, Practice,Practice....

Bill Baburchak April 13, 2020

It was early on Easter morning at Lindsay Parsons preserve and it was cold! There was a stiff breeze blowing and the wind chill was in the twenties. The birds were smarter than I was because they were nowhere to be found! So I packed my gear up and headed back to town, but I hate to give up so easily so I stopped at Apalachin Marsh on my way home. I wasn’t expecting much but the breeze had dropped off so it felt much warmer. It was slow at the marsh too but I was lucky in that there was a small flock of birds on the pond. And these little ducks are one of my favorites. These are Pied Billed Grebes and they are so small they would fit easily into your hand. And they have a very distinctive call that sounds almost like a call you would hear in a jungle! Kind of an ape-like sound!
I enjoyed being out in nature on such a beautiful day! Enjoy the pics and stay safe!!!

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Social Distancing......

Bill Baburchak March 24, 2020

It has been a long winter and the coronavirus issue is sending us into very unfamiliar territory. Fortunately it is Spring migration time and the birds really don’t give a damn what our problems may be. They are following their instincts and doing what they have done for thousands of years. Getting out with my camera is one way I can stay sane and practice social distancing. I am staying at least 6 feet away from the birds. (more like 60 yards!) The migration is just starting up so now is the time to make sure your cameras are ready to go because they won’t wait around for us! Lots of pics to follow, hope you enjoy!

BIG Beaver at Brick Pond…. at least 40 pounds!

Ringneck ducks….. uncommon visitor here, except as a transient

Better hope his girlfriend doesn’t catch him with these two!

These were all taken within the last week. Some at Brick Pond, some at Lindsay Parsons Preserve in Danby, NY. It’s time for the migration to kick into high gear so get your gear ready!

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Yep, I'm Still Here....

Bill Baburchak January 19, 2020

No, I haven’t fallen off the edge of the Earth (you do realize it’s flat?)

It’s just that between all of the shooting and editing I’ve done, a health issue and the photo club, I have been procrastinating. And I’m very good at that!!

Just to give you a quick look at some of what happened this year I have a short video for you. It’s not complete because I don’t have any images after the end of August on the video. But it will give you a sample. I will be adding to the photo galleries as soon as I can, hopefully by the end of the month!!!

Here is the link to view the video The Wild Side… Don’t forget to turn on your speakers!

When Life Hands You Lemons......

Bill Baburchak October 30, 2019

The last week or so has been a slow stretch for bird photography, at least by my standards. Not many birds other than the geese. But I was at Lindsay Parsons yesterday and there were some Mergansers, so maybe we’ll get better conditions this weekend!
But what do you do when the only thing to photograph, bird-wise, is geese???? Shoot the geese!!! At this time of year they make excellent practice for your bird in flight photography. That way when the shot of a lifetime presents itself, you will be ready! Doing well on birds in flight takes a considerable amount of practice and geese are the perfect bird to practice on. They are much larger and considerably slower than most of the ducks. And at this time of year there are lots of them! And make sure to consider your background if you can. A shot with a house in the background is not going to look as good as a background of Fall foliage.
Of course I’m hoping the Otters will make an appearance….

Bird Behavior....

Bill Baburchak August 2, 2019

Time for Natural History (bird behavior)

Just a couple things that stood out to me from my images this past week....

In the first three images you can see a disagreement between a Great Egret and a GBH. In the first image you can see the GBH actually step on the head of the Egret while in flight and push the Egret's body into the water. I didn't realize there was such animosity between the species.... Maybe it's just because the low water levels are forcing them to co-exist in a much smaller area and creating a more stressful situation than normal. Whatever it is, you could see the tension and aggression between the two species!

The last image is something I had seen the wading birds do in Florida, but not here. In this image you can see an Egret flying low over the water and without stopping it plucks a fish out of the water! Normally you think of these birds as slow, stealthy hunters but this one was doing a fly by! I don’t know how they can keep flying and stick their head underwater at the same time without crashing!!!

As always, thanks for looking!!!! You can see more pics at my website Long Creek Photography

There's Something in the Water..... Bourbon maybe???

Bill Baburchak August 1, 2019

The last two weeks have just been crazy with bird life!! I haven’t really had a chance to edit all of my pics yet, but here are a few….

Yeah, I know it’s dead center but I still like it!!

As of yesterday the Great Egrets were still at Brick Pond, but who knows when they will leave? Many more images at Long Creek Photography

Thanks for looking!!!

More swamp fun.....

Bill Baburchak July 13, 2019

The wetland at this time of year is a very busy place. All of the young ducks, geese turtles, blackbirds, etc. are demanding time from their mothers. Male ducks are molting now and they look pretty fugly without their feathers. But the most interesting and fun thing for me is watching the young ones grow week by week. Not so long ago the ducklings were just little puffballs and now many of them look like miniature carbon copies of their Moms!! Because they weren’t all born at the same time you can still see families with little baby chicks swimming in the same area as the older chicks. The GBH chicks are now leaving the nests and beginning to fish for themselves (Mom and Dad couldn’t be happier!).

So if you want to see all of the little ones doing little one things, you better plan a trip soon. Because childhood doesn’t last long in the wild…..

Fun Times at Brick Pond....

Bill Baburchak July 5, 2019

Sorry I haven’t posted lately, been busy shootin’!!!!
Brick Pond has been fun, but the landscape is changing. The vegetation is filling in which makes it a bit more difficult for photography. But at the same time it makes it easier. The very same brush that blocks your vision helps hide your silhouette, making it easier to hide. The young ducklings are growing rapidly and the male Wood Ducks are molting.

This is a male in breeding plumage… Click to enlarge

This is a male that is molting. If not for the red eye, you might not know this is a Wood Duck!!!

The Deer seem to be much more active this time of year also. I almost always see deer in the mornings now.

Just for the fun of it!!!! Click to enlarge… — Just for the fun of it!!!! **Click to enlarge…**

There are several more images of this fawn and her twin in my 2019 gallery page, http://longcreekphotography.com/2019

Now is the time to get out and see the little ones before they grow up. And the little ducklings are so cute!!!
Thanks for looking…..

Interesting Birds.....

Bill Baburchak May 30, 2019

Life is changing at Brick Pond. The ducks are nesting, and in some cases, have hatched already. The GBH’s have not hatched yet but give them another week or so.

I have been watching one particular species lately, the Hooded Merganser. And specifically the female. The males disappear once mating is accomplished (typical guy, huh?). Hooded Mergansers nest in tree cavities or man made nest boxes, the same as the Wood Duck. The female is a very subdued brownish-rusty color and at first glance appears to be very plain Jane in appearance. But the following pictures show a duck that has it’s own kind of beauty.

Because this is a diving duck, they use a hooked and serrated bill to catch their prey, usually fish and tadpoles and crustaceans.

An environmental portrait, just to show you these are not shot in a controlled environment!

A small duck with rather short, stubby wings, these ducks are fast and erratic flyers. Getting a good flight image of these birds is a real challenge!

Being a tree nester these birds have a short hooked claw on each toe to be able to grab the tree or nest box so they can enter the nest. This one is sitting on a nest box at Brick Pond which we think is being used by both a Merganser and a Wood Duck… — Being a tree nester these birds have a short hooked claw on each toe to be able to grab the tree or nest box so they can enter the nest. This one is sitting on a nest box at Brick Pond which we think is being used by both a Merganser and a Wood Duck! This is not unusual as the Merganser is happy to let the Wood Duck do all the nesting work for them!!!

Just a little idea of what you can see at Brick Pond! These image look much better on my website, www.longcreekphotography.com You can enlarge them on the website but the email version is a fixed size. All for now, thanks for looking!!!

Migration and Nesting....

Bill Baburchak May 19, 2019

It’s a busy time for the migrating birds. Migrating hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles to get to their preferred breeding, they all seem to have plenty of energy left!!! And they are now at their most colorful, with the male Wood Duck wearing the most colorful outfit!
Please enjoy the images, because I sure enjoyed taking them!!!

Female Merganser with backlighting to light up the hood

That’s all for now, but hopefully next week will bring more opportunities!!! Thanks for looking!!

More fun in the Swamp...

Bill Baburchak April 27, 2019

Didn’t get out much this week, but spent one day at Brick Pond and another at Lindsay Parsons. As usual, there were woodies and mergansers, but it wasn’t a productive week. One interesting thing was that I was at brick at first light and I could see something swimming across the pond. It was so dark that I could only see the ‘V’ that the critter made. I assumed it was a Beaver or a Muskrat because they are so plentiful there. Well it swam to shore and I lost interest. But a minute later I saw the animal on a log to my right and I thought “what a funny place for a Beaver.” I got my binoculars up to my face and realized it wasn’t a Beaver it was a Mink!

I had seen one last year here but this was the first time this year. I was afraid he was going to head into the woods away from me so I made a squealing noise with my mouth. Mink are very curious animals and most times they will at least stop and look if you do that. Well this guy (or girl) decided to come and see what was squealing! Meanwhile I’m trying to get the camera setup to take advantage of the possible opportunity.

Unfortunately, he caught the movement and while he wasn’t scared, he didn’t stick around either. This shot was the only open one he gave me. Not great shots but it was fun for me!!!
And there is an upside to this Mink. Brick Pond is dealing with a huge increase in Muskrats, and they can cause some considerable damage. Fortunately, Mr. Mink enjoys a good meal of Muskrat!!! So lets hope he stays hungry!

And a last shot of Hooded Mergansers…. not a great shot but the rim lighting on the birds gives it a different feel.

Oops, one more. The Beavers were very active that morning so you get a bonus Beaver pic….. :)

This was a big Beaver, probably 30+ pounds!!!

All for now, thanks for looking!!!

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It Was a Brick Pond Kinda Week........

Bill Baburchak April 18, 2019

I spent most of this week shooting at Brick Pond in Owego. The birds are pairing up and looking for nest sites, and there are some serious disagreements over territory! It’s still cool enough that the mosquitos aren’t bad, but I think that will change with the 70 degree weather we have coming.
Please enjoy the following pics and as always, click on an image to enlarge it!! More to come…..

Pied Billed Grebe, cute little guy (or girl, they both look the same!)

Just to give you an idea of how small they are!

A little more of an environmental kind of pic…

And this little girl was a real beauty….

Last but not least, a little territorial skirmish……

They're Baaaaack......

Bill Baburchak March 29, 2019

Ah, Spring…… best time of the year for a bird photographer. The snow and ice are almost gone, the temp is climbing and the birds are back!!! I was lucky enough to get out this week and enjoy the sunshine and warming temps. I went to Brick Pond and Lindsay Parsons Preserve and they both had their share of birds.
Click on image to enlarge

For the next 2 or 3 weeks we will also have birds that are not common to the area stopping in for a rest and a bite to eat before continuing their journey north. Shovelers, Ring necks, and Grebes can all be seen in the area at this time of year.

And last, but not least, the GBH’s are back at the rookery…

Long shot, heavy crop, but they are back!

More to come……

Odds and Ends.....

Bill Baburchak December 9, 2018

It’s early December and most of the waterfowl have left the area for open water. About the only things left are an occasional Mallard, the cold weather loving Hooded Mergansers and the Canada Geese.

I had just read Rick Marsi’s outdoor column in the newspaper (remember those?) about a possible avian visitor to our area this winter. Not even an hour later, I looked out at our bird feeders and I was amazed at what I saw! There was a whole flock of Evening Grosbeaks at the feeders hungrily gobbling up every bit of seed in the feeder!!!

They stayed around for the whole day. We filled the feeders four times that day!! It was a first for us, and we’re hoping they will stick around for a while. It’s time to order more seed!!

And then this past Saturday I was able to sneak out for a wander around Brick Pond in Owego. I always try to finish up the year with one last trip to one of my favorite spots and Brick Pond has been on my favorite list all year. Anyhow, ice was covering about 95% of the pond and I figured seeing ducks was out of the question. But I took a good long wander to see if the otters were still in the area and also to shake the cabin fever that comes whenever I can’t get out to shoot. I idin’t see anything interesting until I was almost back at the car. The West end of the pond flows over the edge and eventually empties into the Susquehanna river. Where the water flows over the berm there was a small patch of open water and that is where I saw two small Muskrats. The way the Sun was situated they were looking right into the Sun when they were looking in my direction. So they really couldn’t see me and I was able to get a few cute pics of them.

In a few days the ice will cover the entire pond and life will slow down at the pond, at least on the surface. All in all it was a great year for the two of us photographically. We can’t wait to see what the new year brings us! More later…..

A Photographer's lament... (Or, dumb shit I have done!)

Bill Baburchak June 4, 2018

I can't believe that I'm even telling you this. It's probably the dumbest thing I've done with a camera in my hand!
I went to Brick Pond on Sunday morning, hoping for some Wood Duck pics. I usually park up by the auto parts store on 17c and walk in the back way. Of course I put plenty of bug spray on and I was head to toe in camo. The mosquitos were having a contest amongst themselves, trying to see how big of a welt they could leave on my skin. I almost turned back, but eventually they seemed to taper off and I was in business.
I got to my spot undetected except for a hen Mallard who just quietly swam away. I think she probably had a nest nearby. Anyhow, I got myself set up with some good cover in front of me, my tripod with gimbal head and my 500mm ready to rock and roll! In front of me about 120 yards away I could see at least 3 Woodies, two males and a hen. I turned on the camera and began to check my settings... SS, Aperture, ISO, all good. And then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed in the bottom right hand corner of my viewfinder a little "E" symbol. In a split second I knew that I had committed the biggest, most lame-brained mistake a photographer can make: I left my memory cards at home!!!!! They were all sitting in a nice neat pile, right next to my computer! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!! So of course you frantically search your pack for just one little card. Normally I carry several hundred gigabytes of cards in my pack, but I was in the process of clearing them after our trip to Florida.
Well I figured I might as well make the best of it. I still had my binoculars so I sat down to watch the show. And I didn't have to wait long! In addition to the 3 woodies from earlier, another hen woodie came out with 5 or 6 little ones in tow! And then I noticed the Beaver. He was a bit farther away, and a bit hard to see even with the binos. So I watched him for a bit and I noticed he wasn't acting or swimming like a Beaver. He finally picked his head out of the water and began chewing on a fish he had caught. That's when I realized I was looking at an Otter!! That was the first wild Otter I had ever seen, and there I was with a camera with no memory card! I watched him for a while, swimming powerfully around the pool chasing fish, but I couldn't take it anymore, so I picked up my toys and went home...... So that's my tale of woe.
But I can't end a post without a pic. Here is one from Florida. It's not a great pic, but it really captures the feeling of the area we were shooting in. Big Cypress trees, alligators, this place had it all. This was just a nice, peaceful, moody kind of pic. Enjoy.....

Redux.....

Bill Baburchak May 31, 2018

I can't believe I forgot to put these images in the last post!!!

The first two are from last week.... I don't know what this Goose was pissed about, but she was ready to kick some ass and take some names!!!

And I added this one just because I like it......  too bad it's a zoo pic.... :( — And I added this one just because I like it...... too bad it's a zoo pic.... :(

Odds And Ends......

Bill Baburchak May 29, 2018

I've been really busy the last month, between the camera club wrapping up for the year, and trying to get to all of the shooting spots I promised myself I'd get to this year. But I finally have a little time to take a look through some of my images from the last two or three weeks. Nothing earth shattering, but some cute stuff. By the way, the Great Blue Heron chicks are doing well at the rookery at Lindsay Parsons Preserve. If you want to see for yourself, let me know and I'll go with you!!!

I need help with an ID on this bird. Anybody???

Yellow Rumped Warbler  (I think!) — Yellow Rumped Warbler (I think!)

See, I told you, nothing terribly impressive. But they are the reason I go back every week!!

More soon.......