Time Is Running Short.....

Bill Baburchak July 7, 2020

I know I’ve been shooting a lot of Orioles lately but there is a good reason. Probably by this time next week they will pretty much be gone. And I’m not ready for that yet. That means that Summer is making it’s inexorable march towards Winter. And I’m definitely not ready for that!!! I have two Oriole families that visit the feeder every year. One family is a bit ahead of the other and the young can feed themselves just fine now. But the other little ones still need some help from the parents.

So as you can see I’m trying to capture my friends as best as I can so next February when the thermometer is telling me it’s too damn cold, I can look at these pics and believe that yes, Spring will come again….

And for you serious birders here’s a peek at a very rare specimen, Columba Livia. This is the only image I have ever been able to capture of this elusive bird!!! Don’t forget, this is a copyrighted image, no stealing!!

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It's Not Supposed To Be Like This.....

Bill Baburchak June 19, 2020

There I was, waiting for the birds to come in. But there was something that just wasn’t right. It was 70 degrees and sunny, I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I must be dreaming, or else I’m shooting in Florida. Usually I’m in full camo in a blind and the mosquitos are tattooing their names in my forehead. But here I was, with Mary Lou and Jack, waiting for the birds to arrive. And they didn’t disappoint us! There was at least a half a dozen near us at any one time, picking their way through the Serviceberry tree to get at the delicious berries that they came for.

The light was beautiful, the bird was beautiful, what more could you ask for???

We got a few nice pics with nice light, but we knew it wouldn’t last. The birds started looking into the middle of the tree where it was all dappled light. It’s hard enough to keep up with the birds let alone an ever changing light!

Don’t get me wrong these birds are not easy to shoot. They are always on the move and with people walking on the Riverwalk the birds were always moving from one tree to the other.

these guys thought nothing of hanging upside down to get a berry!

The last two images I put in just to give you some interesting tidbits about the birds. The first image shows why they are called Cedar Waxwings. The wingtips and tail look like they have been dipped in wax and the body is the same color as Cedar wood. And the second image will show that they actually have red eyes, not black. But you can only see it when the light hits the eye at the right angle. I never knew that until I zoomed in on this pic. The stuff you learn! …… Hope you enjoyed the pics. There are several more in my gallery page. Just go here… http://longcreekphotography.com/feathers
That’s all for now. Thanks for looking!!!!

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They Grow Up So Fast......

Bill Baburchak June 18, 2020

I was at Lindsay Parsons in Danby on Monday, checking on the Great Blue Heron chicks. It has been a couple weeks since I’ve been up there to check on them. Wow! They are getting very close to leaving the nest and it looks like one of the nests is actually empty. It’s easy to spot the young ones that have recently let the nest. They basically all congregate in the same area, not really sure of what to do or how to act. In a short time they will begin to explore and wander farther from the nest area. Eventually they will seek new areas of their own. These are not great pics by any means but the nests are a long shot even with a super telephoto. But they show the chicks interaction with the parent as the parent stops by to feed them. They are very aggressive as the chicks compete for food. Remember, the one who gets the most food has the best chance of surviving! There was one chick who never got up at feeding time, sitting by itself the whole time. It’s either very sick or it is already dead. Life is not easy for them……

This will probably be the last pics of the chicks in the nest. Time flies when you’re having fun! Hope you enjoy!

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ROAD TRIP!!!!

Bill Baburchak June 17, 2020

Last week I posted a short story about the time I spent at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, near Batavia. But that was just a taste of what I saw on my trip!
I left my house at 2am on Monday, hoping to get to the refuge before dawn to be ready for the morning shoot. I came close but it was beginning to get light out, so I picked the best spot I could and set up for the morning shoot. I was hunkered down in the cattails hoping that I had some openings to get a few clear shots. I knew there were birds in the shallows, I just didn’t know how many!

Reservations needed! Click to enlarge — Reservations needed! **Click to enlarge**

It was like a big block party for wading birds! At one point I counted around forty birds in this one pool. I had never seen this many birds in one spot before! I don’t know why they were all in this particular pool but I was too busy shooting to question it. The sun was just coming up which made for difficult shooting conditions. One bird would be in bright sunlight and the bird next to it would be in deep shade. But that is just something you need to deal with. I was just having a ball!

Eventually the Sun rose high in the sky and the birds began to scatter so I knew it was time to go explore other areas of the refuge. Which is very hard to do in one trip because the refuge encompasses 11,000 acres, of which 8,000 acres are wetlands!
My next stop was the Sour Springs Road area, where I found acres of wildflowers and some beautiful butterflies.

It was a little late for wildflowers but the Dame’s Rocket was plentiful and the wild Iris were absolutely beautiful!

What you can see when you sit still for a bit….

I did not see too many deer this trip but this is the time that the fawns are being born so Mom tries to find a secluded area to safeguard her little ones. By the end of this month you will see plenty of young ones! And I did have a visit one evening from a Raccoon. He walked within 10 yards of me looking for dinner.

He was not happy that I interrupted his dinner plans!!

The one bird that I was really hoping to photograph pretty much eluded me on this trip. The Black Crowned Night Heron is a fairly reclusive wading bird. I came close to getting a good shot on the last night there. I had one moving towards me until a Dad and his son came by on their bicycles. Can’t be mad about that because that kid will grow up enjoying and protecting these spaces we all enjoy! And it just gives me an incentive to come back.
I did manage to get an acceptable image of the Night Heron fleeing from the bikers though.

I have many more images from this trip in a gallery folder. Just go over to the Gallery button and look for the folder marked ‘INWR’. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy taking them!!! This refuge is an incredible place to explore. For more info about the refuge: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/iroquois/

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In Appreciation Of The Ordinary.....

Bill Baburchak June 11, 2020

I was lucky enough to spend a few days at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge this week. (I just have the best wife!) Even though it was a slow afternoon for my intended species (Black Crowned Night Herons) I was given a front row seat to an amazing show put on by what we consider a very ordinary run of the mill bird. I’m talking about the female Red Wing Blackbird. Nobody pays much attention to them. They’re drab in color compared to the male of the species so they kind of fly under the radar. (pun intended!) She kept flying from the bushes on the side of the wetland out to the middle of the swamp. Back and forth, back and forth. I finally figured out what she was doing. She was collecting water bugs to feed to her little ones on shore! But it was how she did it that had me intrigued.

She would fly down as close to the water as she could without ending up in the water. She would even try to balance on one foot all the while searching for the bugs under a thin layer of pond yuck.

She would quickly swipe for the bug while stretching as far as she could, even reaching out on one foot!

Back safe on the branch, now to go feed the kids!!

Once she had the bug, she would dart over to the nest, drop off the morsel and start all over again. And the remarkable thing is she did this for 3 hours straight!!! She was still at it when I left!
Blackbirds will never be considered a favorite of mine but I now have a much greater respect for them! If you can sit still long enough Nature will sometimes reveal some of her interesting secrets. You just need patience…. More to come from my 3 days there….

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Close, But No Cigar.....

Bill Baburchak May 28, 2020

I was back at Lindsay Parsons yesterday and the morning started off well, with a pastel sunrise and a pair of GBH’s in silhouette.

Things would go downhill after this though. It was a very warm morning, in the upper sixties at dawn. As the sun began to rise I knew I was going to have issues. I was using a 400mm telephoto lens with a 1.7 teleconverter. This gives me an effective focal length of 680mm. It’s great for bringing distant subjects in closer but it also compresses everything else too. Like atmospheric haze. As soon as it got light I could see the haze hanging in the air and I knew it was going to cause issues. The haze makes it harder to focus accurately and even when you do it makes the image look just a bit out of focus. The image below is an example of a hazy image even after I have massaged the image in Lightroom. It just doesn’t have the crispness I expect.

Compare that image to the one below that I took 3 days earlier and you tell me which one looks better!!! It really is all about the light!

But don’t get me wrong. The day was not a total dud. The Spotted Sandpiper stopped to say hi for a few seconds. The light was good but I just couldn’t get him (or her) to turn toward me enough to get a great composition. It’s close but no cigar…..

Thank you all for looking! Now, get out and shoot!!!

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You Can't Always Get What You Want....

Bill Baburchak May 25, 2020

But as the Rolling Stones will tell you “you just might find you get what you need.” I was out shooting yesterday at Lindsay Parsons and I needed some Wood Duck images. It has been a slow season for me as far as Woodies go and I was hoping to get a chance with them. It was 5:30am, barely light enough to turn the camera on when a large silhouette came gliding overhead. My first thought was that it was just one of the many great blue herons that are nesting on the pond. But it turned out to be an immature Bald Eagle! I hadn’t seen this bird for over a month and just assumed he had just moved on.

But he didn’t stay very long, because a small flock of Blackbirds harassed him unmercifully until he finally left to escape his tormentors. They’re not great shots but it was early and he was a long way away.

It was easy to pass the time on a day like today. Temp was just right, the sunrise was pretty, and I had the Heron rookery in front of me. I find it very interesting to watch the behavior of these birds, especially now with the little ones being big enough to see at feeding time.

While I was watching the Herons a little bird slipped in on my left. I had to twist like a pretzel to even see what the bird was but I was glad I made the effort! It turned out to be a Spotted Sandpiper, which is a new bird for me. But as soon as he showed up, he took off. Glad I was able to get a decent image.

So I guess the Stones were right, I did get what I needed. I have the best “job” in the world!! Enjoy!
P.S. - Scott, the Otter came to visit today and wondered why you weren’t there!!!

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Working From Home.....

Bill Baburchak May 17, 2020

Today I spent the afternoon working from home, setting up a blind and my tripod in the backyard near the bird feeders. I wish more of my photography trips were this easy! Not everyone was as cooperative as the birds in the following pics. The Grosbeaks and the Indigo Bunting were a no-show. But that’s okay, I had fun anyways! I hope you enjoy the pics!!!

Not only can you get some nice images, it’s great practice so you can be ready for that once in a lifetime opportunity!!! Hope you enjoy!

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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!!!