A Different Kind Of Bird......

Bill Baburchak December 30, 2020

Just after the big snowstorm we had a short time ago, we began having dinner guests in our backyard every night. Three handsome whitetail bucks would show up every night looking for a handout and I was happy to oblige. I got a pretty poor image of one of them and had been thinking of a way to get something a little better, even though they never showed up until it was pitch dark outside. I finally put up a temporary floodlight in the backyard, hoping I could get enough light to get a passable image. Well by the time I got to shoot the boys two of the bucks began losing their antlers. One of them had no antlers left, one had an antler on one side only, and the bigger one still had his full rack. I figured if I didn’t get the image soon, there would be no antlers at all!
I got myself all set up for the shoot. I was stationed in my bathroom with the window open and the lights off. It would be hard for them to see me and the windowsill provided a passable rest for the lens I was using.

This first pic above was just after he finished off a pile of whole corn which somehow got out in my backyard…… :) He was still about 40 yards out and kind of still in a dark area.

This next one he is slowly moving his way toward me. When there are multiple bucks like this (called a bachelor group) there is a hierarchy that becomes noticeable if you watch them interact. God help the poor smaller buck that tries to cut in front of the larger buck to get to the food!!! When the big boy is finished the smaller ones are allowed to take what is left. It’s good to be the King!! About this time he begins to hear the sound of the shutter on the camera.

He’s not alarmed by the sound but is actually curious what it is and where it is coming from. He is constantly checking the breeze to see if he can identify the strange sound. And he is coming closer, little by little. He is maybe about 20 yards away now. I think I’m going to wet my pants….. It just doesn’t get any better than this!!!

He is constantly sniffing the air to try and catch any scent that will help him identify the strange sound, but he can’t quite get a lock on the scent. He is less than 20 yards away now and I am afraid to move because at this range he would definitely catch the movement. But right now his need for food and his curiosity are overriding his sense of danger. This is a good pic to examine his rack too. If both sides were symmetrical he would be a 10 point but he is missing a brow tine on the right (the point closest to his forehead) and he is missing the third tine on the right side. But he is still a very impressive animal. I just hope at least one pic will come out halfway decently. I am shooting at 1/50 of a second and 10000 ISO which is a poor recipe for a quality image but it is at night….

Okay, now he is 15 yards away and I cannot believe how lucky I am!!!! He is at the point where I am having trouble getting his whole head in the picture! This is a full size image with no cropping. He hears the shutter very well now and he is torn between food or flight. But so far he has not picked up my scent yet so he still feels fairly secure. You can get away with some movement and some noise but if they get wind of you they are out of there! Many things move in the woods and many things make noise, but only one thing smells like a human!!

Now he is so close I can’t fit him all in the frame. I included this pic because I thought it was humorous. Here he is the big kid on the block, the king of the forest, and he is standing there in all his glory…… with bird seed stuck on his nose!!!
After this I just put my camera down and watched him feed and interact with the other bucks. There are times when the experience is worth more than the picture and I just marveled at this guy. In a week or two his antlers will fall off and he will just be one of the guys. But he definitely earned his supper tonight…… Hope you enjoy!!

Backyard Photography Shines In The Winter Light.....

Bill Baburchak December 29, 2020

I’ve been seeing a big increase from my FB photog friends lately who have been posting backyard bird images. Sarah, Cheryl, Dan and Beth (apologies if I forgot anyone) have been posting some good images lately. The snow is concentrating activity around the bird feeders and the birds have been putting on quite a show!

The good thing is that you really don’t need any special equipment to enjoy this type of shooting. No super long lenses or fancy cameras. Hell, you don’t even have to go outside to take the pics! Many of the photos you see are taken from inside the house through a clean window. And I can’t think of a better way to learn that new camera you got for Christmas. You will also learn how important the right light is to a good image. All you need to do is put out a bird feeder in a location that you can shoot in. Don’t worry, the birds will find the feeder!! And don’t worry about making mistakes, because you will make plenty of them! But that’s just part of the game. You will also get images that you are proud of and it will increase your desire to get out there and shoot more! We always talk about finding beauty in the ordinary. Well, here’s your chance. Go find it!

I have included several images that I have taken since the snowstorm. I hope you like them! And if anyone has questions please shoot me an email and I’ll be glad to help…… Now, get out and shoot!

Are these images anything special? Heck no, but they are good for my soul. They keep the cabin fever away because as long as I have a camera in my hand, I am happy…….. stay safe.

Felt Like A Bag Of Frozen Peas.....

Bill Baburchak December 20, 2020

After shoveling for another two hours yesterday I thought "what the heck, I might as well go freeze my ass off in the blind for a couple hours." I have a small blind set up in my backyard with a nice piece of driftwood for the birds to land on. After I dug my blind out of the snow I got in it, closed the top, and I was in my own frozen little world. I now know what it feels like to be a package of peas in the freezer!! There were plenty of birds coming in but the one I really wanted, the Cardinal, was being stuck-up today. So I had to make do with what came by. Not the best outing but any time spent shooting birds is fun! I was impressed by the colors on the Chipping Sparrow. Much more colorful than I thought they would be at this time of year. The session ended early when the Cooper's Hawk came by. Which was just as well, because I was losing the feeling in my toes! Sooner or later I will get that Cardinal pic in just the pose I want! Click the images to enlarge

So Sad To See You Go....... May The Wind Be At Your Back....

Bill Baburchak November 30, 2020

Time is getting very short for us migratory bird photographers in this area. Another week or so and the ice will form on the smaller ponds and slower moving creeks around here and that puts a damper on things. The birds will move somewhere that has open water. And it gets considerably colder for the photographers too! And when you are of a more senior age (like me), you realize you have many more days behind you than in front of you. So you tend to appreciate your days a bit more.
But I was not ready to give up on this year yet. All of my local spots were not producing very well so I knew I had to travel. The only two spots I was considering were Iroquois and Montezuma NWR. But Iroquois was a 3 hour drive away and staying overnight was not an option this time. Besides, I hadn’t been to Montezuma in several years and my buddy ML had been having good luck there this year. There were a few walking trails that I wanted to check out so I got up there just before dawn. I parked at the trailhead and got my gear ready, but that was when I saw the sign “trails closed for hunting season.” Crap! I came all the way up here to walk the trails and they were closed!!! Now what? By that time Iroquois was no longer an option. So I chalked it up to photographer’s luck and put my gear away intending to go back home. But I figured I would stop at the main pool behind the visitors center just to see what was around, and I’m glad I did!

The bird that is flying has a fractured leg, but he still kept up with the other birds…

There was a flock of around 40-50 Sandhill Cranes right behind the visitor’s center! I had been busting my butt all year trying to get images of these beautiful birds and I find them in the backyard!!! Now don’t get me wrong, these birds were still a long way away and the light was pretty crappy too. But photographers rarely look a gift horse in the mouth so I stared shooting.

About 10 minutes after I began photographing these birds I heard a car pull up so I figured I would soon have company. I had my eye glued to the viewfinder when I heard someone approach and ask “do you mind if I shoot up here with you?” Of course I was more than happy to have some company so I said certainly, help yourself. As I turned to see the photographer, I realized that I had a fellow club member to shoot with! It was Deb Muska from Animal Images. I have known Deb for years and I looked forward to shooting with her. But it got quiet again as we were both concentrating on the birds.

In Sync…. my favorite BIF image…. I will probably try different compositions but I like the portrait …

Because of the fact that these images are heavily cropped and the light was not what I wanted, I doubt any of these will make it to my photo gallery on my website. But they are good enough to show you what beautiful birds they are, and if this is my last shoot of the season then I appreciate that the Cranes stopped by on their way down South!! Enjoy!

Subscribe to Creek Talk - Long Creek Photography

You've Got To Play The Hand You're Dealt.....

Bill Baburchak October 22, 2020

The last two weeks around my area have been really slow for wildlife photography. For some reason the birds aren’t where they would normally be, and I believe it has a lot to do with the lack of rain this year. I can’t find more than 2 wood ducks in any of my normal spots and usually at this time of year they are feasting on acorns. But not this year. The only bird that has been fairly easy to find lately has been the Great Blue Heron. And I already have a zillion pics of these guys. I don’t need more GBH pics. But that is what I was faced with yesterday when I was out shooting. Lindsay Parsons was very slow so I drove up to Ithaca and hit some spots I don’t normally get to but once or twice a year. First stop was Stewart Park right in Ithaca. Right away I ran into a small flock of Common Mergansers feeding in a large pool in the park. I spent a good amount of time watching them, hoping they would get closer so I would have a chance to get a good image. They never made it that close but I was able to get a tolerable image out of it.
.

Then they wandered off so I was about to leave myself when a GBH landed on a log out in the same pool where the mergansers were. At first I thought “oh great, another GBH!!!” Just what I needed!
But then I decided that I should just stay and see if I could get something different than the GBH pics I already had. Now the bird sure isn’t going to change, at least at this time of year. But if I could get a little creative with the backgrounds maybe the bird would help me out by doing something different. So I started shooting, hoping for some divine inspiration. But the sun was starting to peek through the foliage and it was getting pretty intense. And that is when I decided to try and use the brighter sun to my advantage. So I started breaking one of those general rules of exposure. You know, the one that says your background shouldn’t be a lot brighter that your subject. And there is a good reason for that rule. Usually if your background is considerably brighter that your subject then your subject will be underexposed. So you have to try and walk a fine line and get the birds bright enough without totally blowing out your background.

So I’m moving around trying to find something different for the background without scaring the bird away. I figure the birds at this park see enough humans so that they may not be so skittish.

I call these last two “variations on a theme”

This bird above is actually a very nicely colored bird. His shoulder epaulets are big and bold and his overall coloring is strong. I’m starting to warm up to this guy. (or girl)

I was hoping for a fish or two but this guy seemed to think his personal hygiene was more important!

I’m sure there are some that will say that this background above is too busy but I kinda like it!

And I seriously considered cropping this one right at the waterline but I left it alone so you could judge for yourself.
So do I think that any of them will end up in Nat Geo? Nope, not a snowball’s chance in Hell! But there’s a couple that might make it into my gallery. And it was a good lesson for me to have to really work to get the shots. I hope you like!!! As always, I am happy to hear what you think about them!!!

Subscribe to Creek Talk - Long Creek Photography

A Trip To Iroquois NWR...... Frustrations and Delights

Bill Baburchak October 13, 2020

I spent a few days last week at Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, near Batavia. I’ve trying to get back there at least twice a year because it is so peaceful and because it is a bird shooters paradise! But living in the Binghamton area makes it a bit harder. My goal on this trip was to get some images of the Sandhill Cranes. Recent sightings indicated that they were still at the refuge. The problem is that this refuge is 11,000 acres and the birds aren’t very dependable, but I took my chances and went. Click to enlarge images

The GBH’s were still there and they were willing subjects so I spent the morning with them. But the Cranes were still in the back of my mind…

There’s always someone around to keep you company!

By late morning I was ready to go find the Cranes. I probably blew a half tank of gas driving around to all the areas that were recommended by the great people on the Iroquois FB group. But still no luck. But I wasn’t worried, I still had another whole day to find them….

Day two started much like day one. The Herons were there to keep me company and I didn’t mind. It was such a beautiful morning to just be out there and be alive…..

But still no Cranes. I could hear them near the Cayuga pool but was never able to get a look at them. Very frustrating, but the rest of the birds were so much fun it made for another great day!

I’m sure that you can guess by now that I didn’t see one single Crane, which is what I originally came here to photograph. But how can you be upset after spending two days in such a beautiful, quiet spot with great friends to keep you company? You can be sure that I will be back in the Spring!!

Subscribe to Creek Talk - Long Creek Photography

A Day In The Life...... or, When You Least Expect It!

Bill Baburchak October 9, 2020

So I was down at Brick Pond yesterday before dawn. It had been several days since I had been here because I spent a few days shooting at Iroquois NWR, just outside Batavia. (more on that later) Usually before it gets light enough to see you can hear the Wood ducks whistling through and landing in their favorite breakfast spots. All I heard this morning was crickets and the school bus going by the pond. Dawn arrived and I was still the only sign of life in the area. No woodies, GBHs, hawks, mallards…. nothing. I thought to myself “boy, is this going to be a dud of a day”. Oh well, I can leave sooner than I had planned (which was 8am) and go home and get the grass cut one more time and rake some leaves.
One more time I checked my watch and it was ten of eight. Great. Only ten more minutes! At 7:53 (I know that because I purposely looked at my watch) two immature wood ducks came swimming by and decided to stop and take a break on a log not too far from me. Usually when they do this they will preen for a bit and then continue to look for food or they will tuck their head into their wing and take a nap. But these two decided that this would be a good time to get into an argument! Click to enlarge

Unlike humans, duck arguments are usually very short and in no time these two were off looking happy as a clam!

So that only lasted about 15 minutes. I started to pack up and leave when I saw a strange object out in the water. It didn’t look like anything I had seen before so I walked as close to the water as I could to take a closer look. When I did that I looked to my left and about 60 yards away was a great blue heron staring at me! Of course I thought he or she would take off any second since he was staring right at me, but he didn’t move a muscle. That bird did not move the whole time I slowly walked 30 yards up the bank to my camera and then walked back down the bank to set up my gear! At first I thought maybe the bird had died on his feet! Herons never let you get away with movement like that. (unless you’re in Florida)
But he did let me set up my gear, out in the wide open and for the next hour and a half he let me take as many pictures as I wanted! So in that time I took nearly 800 images! When you get a willing subject and the light and background are good you don’t stop shooting until you run out of bullets! Things like this only happen once or twice a year, if you’re lucky!
Needless to say, I still have a backache from yesterday’s shoot. I was in some crazy positions trying to shoot the ducks and the GBH. But it was a very good day and I’ll trade some discomfort for a day like that anytime! That’s what they make Advil for…… I hope you like the pics! I had a blast taking them!

I just like the feel of this image…. nothing special, it just captured the mood at the time….

Angular composition pulls you right down to the frog….

Like the old saying goes…. “I’d rather be lucky than good”. Yeah, me too. And boy did I get lucky!
And by the way, I never did cut the grass!!!!!

The Boys Are Back In Town....

Bill Baburchak September 26, 2020

I spent the morning at Lindsay Parsons in Danby yesterday. It’s nice to see the male Wood Ducks getting their mojo back. They’re starting to look studly again!! During the summer they look pretty bad. They look like they fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down! I was hoping for a bird in flight shot but it just wasn’t to be. A Beaver decided to join the party and the woodies were scared away when he swam right into the group! But I thought I would share what I got….. Click to enlarge….

Kinda looks like a Little Richard haircut on the one male…..

He’s struttin’ his stuff and the female isn’t even paying attention!!!

And this little cutie stopped by to keep me company…. Can I get an ID on what kind of bird? Yellow Rumped Warbler???

Stay tuned!! I WILL get that bird in flight shot of the woodie!!!

They Can't All Be Awesome Days.....

Bill Baburchak September 24, 2020

I was down at Brick Pond this morning, not a lot of activity. I’m still figuring out the 1.4 teleconverter and the best settings for it. It seems that if I stop down just a little bit the image quality goes from “acceptable” to “pretty damn good!” Click the images to enlarge

This is a pretty serious crop….. this is only about a quarter of the original image…

Hey, look what I’ve got! It’s a great big piece of…….. yuck!

Another heavy crop, shooting through the brush. He thinks he’s hiding!

All in all, a fun morning. Temps were perfect, light was good. A great day to be alive! The only thing I’ve got to figure out is how to tell my wife that I bought the teleconverter!!! (this could be my last post!!! :)

Place Your Bets Ladies And Gentlemen..... Hawk Or Squirrel???

Bill Baburchak September 19, 2020

In one corner we have Mr. Rocket J. Squirrel. In the other, a hawk. Mr. Cooper I believe. Round one ladies and gentlemen…. the bell rings. Squirrel and hawk come out, touch gloves and it’s game on!!!

Mr. Cooper makes a quick feint around the tree and tries to come down on Rocky. But with a quick flick of the tail Rocky easily evades this move! Click images to enlarge

Mr. Cooper doesn’t give up on the move though so Rocky had better watch his backside!!!

Rocky spins around the tree faster than Mr. Cooper can make the tight turn and Rocky wins that round. End of the first round!

But Mr. Cooper is very persistent and tries a different tactic. He tries to come in with more speed this time, to increase his maneuverability.

Rocky appears to be tiring and it looks like Mr. Cooper is about to have a good hot breakfast!!!

It appears that Rocky’s corner is about to throw in the towel when………

Rocky pulls his famous Spin-o-Rama move and shoots right by Mr. Cooper!!! Yay! Rocky wins!!!! (Yo Adrian!)

Actually this sequence was over in about 15-20 seconds. I was set up to shoot Wood Ducks on the ground, in the shade. There was a huge difference in the amount of light. This is one time I was really glad I had Auto ISO set on the camera! I would never have been able to manually change the camera settings in time to catch this sequence.
Please don’t judge this sequence on photographic ability because the photos are not that good. Judge it on the Wow! factor because I was blown away when I was chimping after it was all over. I was just happy that I got to see something like that happen right in front of me! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!!!

Summer Is Almost Gone...... (Nooooooo.....!!!!!)

Bill Baburchak September 16, 2020

I was down at Brick Pond again…… chilly morning, a reminder of what is coming.
Weather is changing and the animals are changing their routines. I’m seeing a lot more deer lately. I haven’t seen a Green Heron in 3 days so I’m afraid they are gone for the year. Which will bum me out because to me the little greenies are the clown prince of the heron world. Their antics would always put a smile on my face! And the wood ducks are eating voraciously, getting ready for the move south.

I call this one ‘spin dry’….. the whole image is blurry but his eye…. click to enlarge — I call this one ‘spin dry’….. the whole image is blurry but his eye…. **click to enlarge**

Two heads are better than one….. click to enlarge — Two heads are better than one….. **click to enlarge**

That hazy yellow summer look is fading fast….. get out and catch it before it’s gone!!!!

Work In Progress.....

Bill Baburchak September 13, 2020

We got back from Cape Cod late Friday…. I’m already missing the fresh seafood!
I didn’t get much of a chance to try the teleconverter while we were up there. The last two days of our trip the fog came in and didn’t leave until after dinner! But a few Margaritas took the edge off my disappointment…
So of course I was back out at Brick Pond Saturday morning to try and fine tune the teleconverter that I had rented. And by fine tuning I don’t just mean the teleconverter. Much of the blame for poor sharpness, especially with the long telephoto lenses, can be laid at the feet of the photographer. Shot discipline is an important part of shooting with a long lens. Making sure you have a good solid tripod setup and a smooth shutter release instead of punching the shutter can go a long ways toward getting sharper images. So I’m still working with the converter and my shooting discipline. I think it’s getting better but I’ll let you be the judge…

Nice of him to turn the fish so I could see it….

And there’s more! I have a short sequence of a GBH who was nice enough to move about 20 yards from my left to right so I could practice my BIF shooting!

A bit of a bumpy landing…. But thanks for flying Blue Air!!!!

I’m sure it will take the rest of this year for me to get comfortable with the teleconverter but Hell, that’s half the fun!!!! Thanks for looking!

Down Time.....

Bill Baburchak September 10, 2020

We went to Cape Cod for a couple days this week for a short vacation. Mel has been working a ton of OT for the last 4 months so it was a good chance to give her some R&R. Haven’t had much of a chance to get out and shoot up here though. The last 2 days the fog has been terrible. It’s been like pea soup until after lunch!
But we stopped by an old grist mill that they turned into a small museum that is right on the main drag in Yarmouth. There’s a small pond that feeds the mill, which is where the Swan pics came from the other day. And behind the mill is a brush lot with typical sandy scrub pines and small oaks. Nothing special but we wanted to stretch our legs so we took off down the trail. About a hundred yards in we saw movement up ahead and eventually this small flock of turkeys came right by us! They didn’t pay much attention to us and continued to feed all around us until another couple came down the path. The birds moved off the path but didn’t go far. It was obvious they were used to human presence. Which makes sense because we were in one of the busiest areas of the Cape! We had seen another flock a few years ago when we were up here with Jack and Mary Lou but this time we were able to get much closer! But for 20 minutes it seemed like we were in the middle of the deep woods! We had a blast! And of course on the way out we saw the Swans so we stopped and got a few more of them too! Enjoy the pics and thanks for looking!! Click images to enlarge

Not what I was expecting out of this trip, but it sure beats the Hell out of working!!!!

Research And Development, Part 2.....

Bill Baburchak September 6, 2020

A few days back I wrote about my first attempts with a 1.4 teleconverter that I rented from LenRentals. I had received the converter late in the previous day and I had not tested it at all before I took it out on a shoot. BIG mistake!!! The pics weren’t terrible but they did not meet my standards or expectations so yesterday I took the time to fine tune the auto focus when using the 400mm and the converter combo. The best way to get this combo to work is to sacrifice a really good case of craft beer to the photo gods! The testing seemed to go well, (from what I remember) but you still don’t know for sure what you have until you get out and start shooting. I was at BP this morning and I ended up taking about 700 images! Different apertures, shutter speeds and lighting conditions so I could be at least fairly confident this week when I go to shoot in Cape Cod. I think I’m pretty close to where I want it sharpness wise and I’m fairly happy it came together quickly. I have attached several images and I want you to be the judge. Constructive criticism is the only way you will improve as a photographer, so don’t be afraid to speak up……

What do you do after shooting a horizontal? Shoot a vertical!!!

We have to give the GBH’s some love too!!

Trying different shutter speed/ aperture combos…..

I have no idea what the Hell this is!!!!

I’m heading for Cape Cod for a few days. I can’t think of a better place to fine tune this lens combo…. Stay safe and take lots of pictures!!!

Not Every Photo Is A Winner, But They All Have A Story To Tell...

Bill Baburchak September 3, 2020

There are some days that you wonder if you should have just stayed in bed, and today sure felt like one. The fog was as bad as I have seen it in a long time. It was hanging very low and thick and when I left at 9am it hadn’t changed much!
It looked like even the birds weren’t big fans of the fog. The Green Herons just sat there looking very uncomfortable and dripping wet. So you know shooting conditions were less than ideal. But you never know with fog, it can lift in a very short time and that’s what I was hoping for.

Just after “sunrise”, if that’s what you could call it…

But what made the day worthwhile was what a Green heron did to a small flock of Wood Ducks. The ducks were all sitting on “the log” preening and relaxing when a Green Heron landed on the other end of the log. I don’t know what got into this heron but he definitely didn’t like the fact that the ducks were on his log! He immediately ran to the other side of the log where the ducks were and began to harass them! He got in their face so bad they all took off! Usually it’s the wood ducks who are the mean kids on the block but this little guy gave the woodies all they could handle!!

I could have post processed these image to look much brighter and more vivid, but that would defeated the purpose of these images. Which is to show you that I should have slept in today!!! (not really, I still had fun!) Maybe the camera will dry out by Sunday and I can get back out….. Thanks for looking!

Research And Development, Part 1.....

Bill Baburchak September 1, 2020

Santa Clause stopped by my house yesterday and delivered a package I had been waiting for: A Nikon 1.4 Teleconverter. I own and use a 1.7 teleconverter but I just don’t have any faith in it. I never know what I’m going to get with it. Sometimes the images are okay (never as good as without a TC) but then other times I am disappointed with the quality of the images. So when this showed up late yesterday I knew where I had to be this morning, doing research at Brick Pond.
Of course the day I wanted bright diffused light to fairly test the converter I ended up with a cloudy morning. Most of these images are shot at 1/500 of a second at f5. I’m using a 400mm f2.8 and with the converter attached the minimum aperture is f4. I tried to hedge my bets a little and stopped down to f5. Normally 1/500 second is plenty for stationary subjects especially with vibration reduction active. But action shots usually require a significantly faster shutter speed. So I really didn’t know what I would end up with quality wise but it seems so far the results are mostly acceptable. And don’t forget, I haven’t fine tuned the converter to the lens yet, so hopefully that will get me where I want to be sharpness wise.
So the following images are the start of a 2 week R&D exercise. Stay tuned……

He actually jumped off the log after a fish…..

I just wish this was sharper…. I love the composition!

Thankful For Another Good Day....

Bill Baburchak August 31, 2020

At my age you learn to appreciate every good day that you get, because you know they won’t last forever. I was back at Brick Pond again this morning and man was it ever foggy! I almost left thinking that the fog would never lift. But eventually it lifted but didn’t dissipate, which is golden for photographers. It give you a bright, soft light without harsh shadows. It’s almost like having a diffuser for the sky! And the birds cooperated. So I count this as a very good day and I made the most of it. Nothing unusual, but some decent images. I ran into a birder on the trail who told me he spotted a Gallinule nearby and also a Pintail duck. It looks like the early migrators have started, which is more good news for us! Enjoy the images! Click to enlarge…

Early and foggy, but who doesn’t like fish for breakfast????

Up to his armpits….. maybe he has short legs….

Just remember….. They’re ALL good days….. just that some are better than others!!

Subscribe to Creek Talk - Long Creek Photography

You Have To Suffer For Your Art.......

Bill Baburchak August 28, 2020

It was a quick, but busy day at Lindsay Parsons this morning. I had been seeing a flock of wood ducks using a small cove not too far from one of my stands so I thought I would spend some time there and see what might happen. The woodies came in like clockwork at about 5:45. Sunrise isn’t until almost 6:30 so all I could do was watch and learn. Unfortunately by the time there was enough light to shoot, the ducks had wandered off out of camera range. I thought it might be an early exit for me until a trio of Green Herons showed up. Green Herons are quirky birds. I swear to God their whole purpose in life is to harass each other! But the good thing is they usually don’t go very far when they are disturbed by their siblings.

Not to be outdone, a GBH came by later although much farther away….. These two herons couldn’t be more different. The green heron does not have nearly the patience of the GBH. If they don’t see any fish in the first few minutes they are off to the next branch or stump. The GBH’s on the other hand will stand silently for a considerable period, hoping breakfast will come to them.

But this morning was pretty much all about these 3 green herons. Because they were always on the move, I was able to get some different compositions. Unfortunately because they were so interested in bothering each other, not one of them caught a fish the whole time I was watching!

It was fast and furious for about an hour. It’s a shame none of them thought to catch a fish or a frog…..

All the dead trees had spider webs on them, which makes for a different look….

This one and the last one would make a nice Diptych…..

And last but not least, a GBH pic…. I like the light on this one. Not the sharpest but you can’t win them all. This one was taken with a 1.7 teleconverter attached. I have a love/hate relationship with the teleconverter. I lets me down far too often. It’s not real sharp, even at f7.1….

Love the composition with the strong verticals in the background but just not real sharp….

All in all it was over far too quickly, but it was a Hell of a ride!!!!
Oh, and about the title of the post. I was on my way out and I decide to stop and clear a new area for a new blind setup. It had plenty of cover and it was only about 150 yards away from the car. The only thing I had to do was clear out a big old wild rose bush. And I knew that I was going to get stuck by the thorns, but what I didn’t know was that there was also a hornets nest in the bush! At first I thought I had just grabbed a thorn but when I looked at my hand it had several hornets on it! I really didn’t think an old fart like me could run that fast!!! I haven’t run that much in 20 years!! I made it to the car and only ended up with four stings. If I hadn’t had a jacket and gloves on I’m sure I would have paid a heavier price!
That’s all I have for now, thank you all for taking the time to look!!!

Subscribe to Creek Talk - Long Creek Photography

An Early Exit.....

Bill Baburchak August 26, 2020

A beautiful sunrise but otherwise not a very productive morning….. The Beavers were busy (duh), and the Kingfisher stopped by to say Hi and scold me. But I did have 3 Green Herons fishing from the beaver lodge. Just a couple pics to show you I wasn’t actually sleeping in this morning!

My lady friend came to say good morning….

Practicing for the bird Limbo competition….

There was a piece of yellow plastic garbage just in front of this bird. You can see it in the second image. It was bright yellow. I was able to clone it out in the first and third image but it was too close to the bird in the second image. So I darkened it down as much as possible so your eye wouldn’t be drawn to the garbage. Sometimes Lightroom cloning works great and other times it makes the image worse! I got lucky this time.
All for now, thanks for looking!

Subscribe to Creek Talk - Long Creek Photography

Rain Delay.....

Bill Baburchak August 25, 2020

I was up at 3:30 this morning, which gives me time to enjoy a cup of coffee and eat breakfast before I head out to the woods or marsh or wherever I’m shooting that morning. But around 4:15 I could hear the unmistakable sound of rain on the roof. And if I could hear it that means it was raining hard. So this changed my plans for the day. I spent the day on other things (fun things like a nap. I’m retired, remember?) and as I was eating dinner out in the sunroom I could see the Hummingbirds fighting out at the Lilac bush. My devious mind saw a way to salvage the day with a quick photo shoot before it got dark. I grabbed my camera and tripod, set it up in the sunroom looking out to the Lilac bush and waited. I wish all wildlife shoots were this easy. There I was in shorts and a tee shirt, with not a single mosquito in sight!

The birds were constantly looking up to check for dive bombing rivals…..

An example of the male showing off….. or as a warning…

I don’t have a clue why he is sticking his tongue out. Maybe he is taunting one of his rivals!

The Hummingbirds weren’t the only ones around this evening. The Goldfinches showed up for a late dinner. Goldfinches are late breeders and they are just finishing up their season, so they still have some color. This little one below heard the shutter click from the camera and was very intrigued by the sound.

Can’t quite figure out where that clicking sound is coming from….

So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it. The day didn’t turn out the way I intended it to, but hey, beauty is where you find it. Keep looking!

Subscribe to Creek Talk - Long Creek Photography