Way behind on my posting….. we are heading home this morning. Totally depressed, but thankful for the time we had!
These are from one morning when the light and the subject cooperated. Between the warm morning light and the breeding plumage of this Reddish Egret, it was like the bird was lit up from within! And I also was playing around a bit with some stylized high key images. Enjoy and we’ll see you back at home!!!
Difference Of Opinion.....
I was at “the point” this morning watching a Snowy Egret and waiting for the light to get to what I call “photographer’s light”. It’s that light that makes everything look good, but it doesn’t last long. Well this heron had the place to himself until a Tri-Color Heron thought he might join the Snowy for breakfast. And that’s when all Hell broke loose! That Snowy chased the larger Tri Color heron right off the sandbar!! Then he flew off to go harass someone else!!
IT’S ON!!!!
And Stay Out!!!!
Last but not least….. “photographer’s light”
A little calmer now….
Back on the hunt….
Update......
Last week I was showing you images of a family of Wood Ducks with 8 little ones. Unfortunately nature does not exist in a vacuum and it wasn’t long before the family group got smaller, and smaller, and yet smaller. Now all that is left of the 8 ducklings is these 3 little ones. Tough lessons at such a young age….
Stay safe, little ones…
That same morning there was a Black Crowned Night Heron that perched himself off to my right and had no intention of moving. I sat there for over an hour waiting for him to move but he had more patience than I did. Sometimes you just can’t get it to come out right no matter how hard you try! It’s just part of the learning curve…..
And on my way out of the wetland I came across an immature Blue Heron. They begin life as an all white bird and then gradually turn all blue as they mature. Beautiful!!!!
Nice light….
That’s all for now, more to come!!!!
Odds And Ends.....
Nothing earth shattering lately, been visiting with family down here. So the images are few and far between. But there are a few….
Nothing special, but a great background!
The small bird below is a Wilson’s Plover, which is a bird of special concern down here. Numbers have been dwindling and they are attempting to protect the breeding areas by informing people and roping off the nesting areas until the little ones are big enough to be out on their own. So far I have seen no evidence of nesting but the pairs are active on the beach.
Giving me the eye…..
In the habitat….
Morning bath….
And we also took a trip to the Naples Botanical gardens, which is always a visual treat!!! A spectacular garden that you should not miss if you are in the area! A tough place to shoot because of the light but well worth the visit!
If the weather breaks we can get back out and I will post more then. Thanks for looking!!!!
A Day At The Lakes....
Today’s travels took us to a place called Lakes Park in Fort Myers. It’s a county park that was originally an old quarry that the county purchased back in the 80s. It’s definitely a family themed park but with lots of bird life, so we decided to check it out.
While there is plenty of bird life, the position of the birds in relation to the sunrise quickly made the lighting conditions challenging. The first half hour the light was beautiful but after that we were having to get creative.
Early morning mixed light….
Some nicer light….
Best time for a vertical image? Right after the horizontal!!!
This is when the light started to get ugly. So I tried my hand at ‘high key’ photography, which is basically overexposing the hell out of the image in just the right way to get a very stylized image that is very different from the norm. Sometimes it works, sometimes you end up with crap. (just like my regular pics!!!)
And last but not least, a Limpkin spent a good part of the morning preening in front of us and I figure that’s a good spot to end this post! Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did! More to come, I hope!!!
There's No Place Like Home......
Back at “the point” again. It’s only a 15 minute walk up the beach and it’s usually just me, a few shellers and the birds. And the birds did not disappoint.
There was a Tri Color Heron and a Reddish Egret feeding at first light. If you have never seen them in action they will run around like maniacs chasing a single minnow through the shallows, with their wings flared out to prevent reflections and to be able to see down into the water.
Like having polarized sunglasses….
Kind of like count dracula……
About the same time a Great Egret decided to get in on the action, but he was after a different prize. It looks like he was picking up some kind of sandworm and he was having issues with them! When he picked them up the worms would quickly wrap around his bill and he definitely did not like that!! He would drop them quickly and pick them up again hoping for a different result. He did this several times before the poor worm had the life squeezed out of him and could no longer fight back.
EEEWWWW……
Should have stuck to fish…..
While all this was going on a pair of Black Crowned Night Herons came over to see what all the fuss was about. Usually you don’t see them on the beach. They normally are more secretive and don’t spend much time out in the open, but who am I to argue? I think the incoming tide was bringing plenty of food into the little tidal pool and they just couldn’t resist!
Love the red eye….
Photobomb!!!!
And of course we have to give some love to the little guys! I have no ides what this bird is but they are the comedy acts that amuse you when their bigger friends are nowhere to be found!!
Love the pattern on the wings!!!!
This whole sequence takes place in a short period of time, which revolves around the food source, which in this place revolves around the tides. And if you’re not paying attention you will be wading through the water on your way home! All for now, thanks for looking!
Right Under Your Nose......
We were at Little Estero Pool in Fort Myers Beach this morning. It’s just a small tidal pool right behind the hotels and high rises that line the beach here, but it is an oasis for birdlife here. Mostly wading birds but some shorebirds and an occasional raptor like the Merlin.
First light saw a small group of shorebirds (Willets I think) working their way toward us. The images didn’t come out that well so I massaged one of the pics to try my hand at high key photography. What do you think? Click to enlarge….
We noticed when we first got there that a Roseate Spoonbill was taking a nap at the far end of the pool. The Spoonbill is a bird that kind of looks like God made it out of spare parts he had left over from making all the other birds! Beautiful and homely at the same time.
A face only a mother could love….
And don’t even ask me what is going on in the next two pics. Looks like some kind of deranged avian Yoga!!
“Downward Bird” Yoga pose….
Hangin’ with friends…
While I was watching this happen a small bird snuck in behind me and I ignored it for a while but eventually my curiosity got the best of me so I contorted my self like a pretzel to get a look behind and this little guy was staring at me. It’s a Cattle Egret and I had never seen them at the shore before. They are more at home in an inland environment. But he is a beauty!!!
Last but not least are a pair of herons, the Tri-Colored Heron and the Little Blue heron. Both of them are in breeding plumage and both are beautiful birds.
Tri Color Heron. All dressed up with no place to go….
It was early morning and in a shady spot, which made the blues the predominant color at the time.
The rest of the images below are a Little Blue Heron, a cute little guy who is a little spookier than the Tri-Color, but fun to watch!!!
Great haircut!!!
That’s all for now, Margaritaville is calling!!!! Thanks for looking!
IT Was A Reddish Kind Of Day.....
Reddish Egret kind of day, that is. I was out shooting at “the point”, a spot where the Estero River meets the Gulf of Mexico. There is usually enough wildlife here to keep me happy for several hours but this morning there were more people than birds. Normally at this time of year there aren’t many people here. Easter is over and kids are back to school. But because of the pandemic there were still plenty of people in the area. Fortunately for me the Little White Egret and the Reddish Egret don’t scare very easily! The Little White below just couldn’t get in the right position to catch a fish without falling in the water!
Acrobat!
close call!
But it was the Reddish Egret that was the main attraction today. If you have never seen them fish before, they will chase down minnows in the shallow water acting like a deranged bird the whole time! They will open their wings to create shade so they can see into the water more clearly and they end up looking like a bird version of Batman!! And they are a beautiful bird and one of my favorites!
Swooping in….. Click to enlarge
Definitely a “10”, with apologies to Bo Derek……. click to enlarge
They can be graceful when they want to be….. click to enlarge
Intensity and Concentration…… click to enlarge
I’m Batman!!
The fun didn’t last long. From first shot to last shot was just over 2 minutes according to the timestamps on the images. A group of people got a little too close and scared him away. But that’s okay because I had 2 minutes that most people don’t get a chance to see, and I enjoyed every minute!!! I hope you enjoy the pictures!!
On The Road Again......
Visited the Six Mile Cypress Slough in Fort Myers this morning. We haven’t been here for two years and you never know what kind of shooting conditions you’re going to run into. With that in mind we tried to get good images of whatever was around. Even though there wasn’t a ton of bird life there was plenty to keep us entertained! The first pic below is a really severe crop but I just love the two chicks sitting on the lily pad!
Lifeboat!
And the next two look like teaching moments from Mom: “Don’t forget, Alligator Gar are not your friends!!!”
Class is in session…
I can’t believe I traveled 1500 miles to shoot Wood Ducks!
The obligatory Anhinga shot….
Last but not least, the Green Heron. The reason I included these was not because of their awesome subject quality but the quality of the light and how it affected the background. Which affects the feel of the image. I’m not sure how it happened but if I didn’t know better I would say the background had been replaced in PS!
These are all quick LR edits and will need a bit of work when I have time. This vacation stuff is very time consuming!!! That’s all for now, thanks for looking!!!
Breakfast With Friends....
Back on the Gulf Coast of Florida for a few days, hanging with my old friends. Glad to see they survived Covid and are still here. Some of the images are before sunrise with high ISO and low shutter speeds, but hey, these are my friends! They look good in any light! Enjoy!
First light….. ISO 6400 I think, ss at 1/200…
Friendly dispute….
seafood for breakfast…
Notice the closed eyelid….
Hopefully there’s more coming!!!
Time For Me To Fly......
I was at Lindsay Parsons again, watching the GBH’s and their courtship rituals. There’s always something new to learn and today was no different. I couldn’t help but notice the color of their legs, which ranged from dull brownish gray to a bright orange. Who knew? The light was a bit on the harsh side but it was still better than snow! Enjoy them! I’ll be heading down to the gulf coast for a few days to shoot the birds down there. Maybe I can get a pic of a GBH with palm trees in the background!!! I will post if I can. Stay safe!
First Light….
Allow me to introduce myself….
Out on a limb…. literally!
I still don’t know what this is….
Here’s looking at you!
Outta here!!!!
Damn Branches......
I was lucky enough to be out shooting at Lindsay Parsons yesterday morning. What a beautiful day!! Warm weather and good light make us photographers happy!
The pond is almost ice free and the birds are coming back. A few Woodies, Mergansers and Mallards and the Great Blue Herons are back and beginning their courtship rituals. The Great Blue Heron is seasonally monogamous. That is, they mate with another heron for the duration of the mating season. When the next season comes around, they may choose that same mate or a different one. During the mating and nesting season, the heron pair work together to raise their young. At this time of year they have special plumage and colors that make them extra beautiful!
The courtship begins….. If it wasn’t for the branches, this would be a good image….. :(
Waiting for his sweetheart….
The courtship continues….
More rituals….. “the bringing of the stick”
showing off….
Neck stretching contest….
A quiet moment….
The last two below are from when they are actually trying to mate. I don’t think they had a clue what they were doing. And just when they finally got lined up correctly a big gust of wind would knock him right off of her! The female eventually got disgusted and flew off!
If this is something you might want to photograph, don’t wait. Because I don’t think it lasts very long. And take the longest lens you have. Or better yet, just take your binoculars and enjoy the show!!! Thanks for looking!
A "Pisser" Of A Morning......
I was at Lindsay Parsons yesterday morning. The pond here is just beginning to melt, with most of it still under several inches of ice. And there was a frigid wing blowing just to make it more enjoyable!
But there was a small section of open water near where I had been observing the Otters before the pond froze over a couple months ago. I was hoping that with open water available again that I might get to see the Otters again.
I didn’t have to wait long. About 20 minutes after first light out came two Otters, doing what Otters do. Which is wrestling and playing with each other as if it were a balmy summer day! I wish they had waited a little longer because it was a very gloomy dark morning, which means high ISO and slow shutter speeds which means the percentage of keepers would be very low. But you roll with it and do the best you can.
There is nothing special about these images technically but what the Otter was doing was….. interesting. Click on the image to zoom in. In the picture you will see an Otter laying on his back, stretched out, looking like he is totally enjoying laying on a frozen pond, while he is peeing all over himself!!! And to his left is another Otter (probably his wife) who appears totally ashamed and disgusted with what he is doing. She’s trying to hide her head in shame! I know that I am anthropomorphizing but hey, it’s my blog!
I just can’t take him anywhere!!!
And his buddy on the shore can’t believe what he is seeing!!!!
One other pic I want to share. While I was busy watching these two another was coming in from the left. I saw him coming out of the corner of my eye and thought it was just another Otter. But the second I got him in the viewfinder I knew I was looking at a Fisher!! I have seen tracks up there this winter but I had never seen one up there before! He was non-stop motion, looking for a way into the Beaver lodge to get some breakfast. But was gone as fast as he came and I never got a good image, so this one will have to do.
Looking for breakfast…..
But all in all, it was a terrific morning to be out, even if I did feel like a meat popsicle by the time I left! Thanks for looking!
Here We Go!!!!!!
Winter is rapidly disappearing and the ponds are well on their way to being ice free. I was at Brick Pond yesterday and there were LOTS of Mallards and several pairs of Wood Ducks, along with the usual Canada Geese. I’ll be heading up to Montezuma in the morning to see how conditions are up there. I will let you know…. Get your cameras ready!!!!
A Pied Bill Grebe, one of our early birds……
And another early bird the Hooded Merganser
Spring...... Almost There!!!
If you have been out in the woods you have seen the unmistakable signs that we are getting closer to the end of Winter. Small streams running quicker, pond ice that is melting at the edges, and the songbirds are getting more vocal by the day! I’m sure you will see geese heading North this week too.
All of this reminds me that I have housekeeping work to do on my Lightroom catalog. Time to get rid of the marginal photos that clog up your hard drive and get ready for more images to fill that hard drive! When I was doing this I found some images from late last Fall that I did not even look through or cull out the bad ones. Most are from the end of November when times are tough for a bird shooter. It was just before the ice began to form on the ponds and about the only birds around were the Hooded Mergansers and the occasional Eagle trying to catch one of the Mergansers. But being a die-hard I figured if they were still here I would be there too and try and get some late season pics. It’s a whole different color palette at this time of year. Gone are the brilliant colors of Fall. They are replaced by the more drab grays and browns but they have their own kind of beauty too, which I hope you can appreciate. Click on the images to enlarge.
The late Fall is not without it’s appeal. The woods and water are quieter. Gone are the Great Blue Heron chicks who test their parents patience at every opportunity. Even the Canada Geese have left for year. It’s almost like Nature is throwing a spell over the pond to get everyone ready for the snow and ice. It’s definitely a different world.
But get ready because Nature is about to blow the lid off of this peace and quiet!!! As soon as the ice recedes all kinds of ducks and geese will be back. They will be busy nesting and taking care of their young. The songbirds will once again greet us with their happy noise and beautiful colors. And I for one can’t wait…….
Variations On A Theme.....
As I’m sure that you you have already noticed, backyard birds has been a main subject of this blog lately. Mostly because when I tried to walk into one of my favorite Otter spots last week I was in snow that was easily over my knees!! Even with my snowshoes on it was a heart attack waiting to happen so I will wait for the snow to settle a little before I go back and try again.
So I was out in my backyard again this afternoon trying for a perfect shot of a male Cardinal. Bird photographers call these “bird on a stick” shots because most often the bird in the shot is perched on a branch or a strategically placed landing area. I have hundreds of bird on a stick pics but I am always looking for that “perfect” shot. Well the male Cardinal just totally snubbed me but the female was in the mood for some pics! Please look at the three images below and give me your input on which you like best but more importantly, why you like one over the other. I have my own favorite but I’m interested in what others think.
I like the first one just because it is a nice composition with good light. But she has some food stuck in her teeth so there goes perfection!
The second one I like just because it’s a different look than the normal. Fortunately there was a catchlight in her eye so that helps see the eye. But I wish her head was tilted ever so slightly to her right. With more of her eye visible the composition would have been stronger. Definitely not perfect.
She finally got it together with the third shot. There’s not much difference between the first and third shot except for a slight head tilt forward and toward me. And to me it makes all the difference. I’m not sure if I like the crop yet or not but I do like the image. Not perfect mind you, but I hope I never get to “perfect”. Because then what do you aim for???
The rest of the images below were just icing on the cake. Hope you enjoy them!
Before And After.......
Back at the end of December I posted some images of a bachelor group of Whitetail deer that showed up after the heavy snowstorm. One of the bucks was fairly impressive gentleman as you can see below.
Big Boy…
Well, I thought you might like to see what he looks like now after his makeover. Not quite as impressive is he????
Buzz Cut!
I’m guessing that life is probably a bit more comfortable without the antlers. Now he doesn’t have to deal with them catching on everything in the woods. Antlers are interesting subjects in their own right. They grow, fall off, and then re-grow every year. They are stimulated to begin in early April by photoperiodism, which triggers hormonal changes. Until early Fall they are composed of living tissue and are very sensitive to the touch. If the antler is damaged before it hardens in the fall it will grow back that way every year for the rest of the deer’s life. In early September the living tissue is replaced by minerals and the antlers harden into what you normally see in pictures. You can see in the image below the Pedicle where the antler begins growth every year. It’s that round spot right above the eye. During peak growth periods the antlers can grow an inch a day!
And those are today’s fun facts!!! Hope you enjoy them!
Backyard Birds.....
It’s not always easy at this time of year to get out and shoot. The number of opportunities is much lower, the temp is colder which means cold weather gear is a must, but you still want to get out and hit the shutter button a few times. If you are lucky enough to have a backyard you have the perfect place to work on your craft without spending a bundle to fly to Florida!
I was able to set up a small backyard studio near the bird feeders that I keep up all year round. It’s nothing more than a few different perches for the birds to land on while they are hanging out at the feeders. It’s nothing elaborate and it didn’t cost me a cent . Plus it gives you valuable practice with your camera so that when the million dollar shot comes along you are ready! And if you have a window that looks out to your set up you don’t even have to leave your warm house! All of the images below were taken in my backyard this year. It’s a great way to decompress from the stress of daily life and I always feel better with a camera in my hand! Enjoy the pics and get out there and shoot!!!
And remember, they don’t have to be prize winning pictures. As long as they make you happy…..
Sometimes All You Get Is A Pile Of Crap......
I was back looking for Otters today, hoping for something a little closer and better quality. It was another grey, gloomy day out but if you wait for the perfect day, you’ll spend a lot of time indoors!!
With the pond pretty much frozen over the only open water is near the Beaver lodge. The Otters are renting space in the lodge from the Beavers this year so I figured they would be around the lodge somewhere. I didn’t have long to wait. About half an hour after I was set up I saw the first Otter. He popped up out the lodge, looked around for a bit, walked over to the Latrine and did his business and promptly went back into the lodge. Not exactly the photo op I was looking for!
About twenty minutes later another Otter popped up out of the lodge and began fishing in the small open water pool. Of course I thought “ah here we go, we’ll get some action now.” And I was right again. The Otter got out of the water, walked up the bank and proceeded to take a poop! Right about then I figured that maybe today wasn’t going to be my day……. I stayed for 2 more hours and never saw another Otter. Plenty of Beavers but that is a story for another time.
Like I said, sometimes all you get is a pile of crap!!!
Mental Health Day.......
I spent yesterday trying to beat cabin fever. I knew I had to get out somewhere to shoot, because the outdoors is my therapist. But the options are a bit more limited at this time of year, unless you can get to Florida!
I’ve been interested in learning more about calling and photographing Coyotes. We have plenty of them around, I just have to find them. So yesterday found me in the woods, trying to entice a Coyote into shooting range. Which was pretty much a waste of time. There is a lot to learn about coyote calling and I was pitifully unprepared. So after a couple hours I mercifully called it quits and headed back to the car. On the way back I had to pass by a small pond which was frozen over, except for a small patch of open water next to a Beaver lodge. I knew that either Beavers or Otters were using that open patch of water to exit and enter the den. Beavers and Otters co-exist in the lodge during the winter, which was something that surprised me.
So I sat down to see if I could get lucky enough to see something worth photographing. I didn’t have to wait long. I could see the open water rippling so I knew something was coming out of the lodge. Maybe this would be a good day!
These two popped out of the water and immediately began wrestling with each other! Unfortunately they are on the other side of the pond so these are long shots with heavy crops. But you do the best you can with what you’ve got and I was glad just to see them!
Looking for trouble!!!
The next one is a favorite of mine. It looks like the Otter is praying saying “Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of this fish head which I am about to devour”.
If you have ever watched an Otter eat a fish it isn’t pretty. You can hear the bones crunching as they chew. They have very impressive teeth and powerful jaws and they eat every bit of the fish! It’s not a great image technically but it certainly tells a story!
And what would an Otter story be without a visit to the Latrine?? Otters use a common latrine area which they probably use as a way to keep in touch with each other. (I don’t think they have FB yet!!) But they will return to the same area on a regular basis to keep up with their siblings.
So all in all it was a terrific day!!! I got to watch these beautiful, funny animals live their lives. I got a few pictures, I got to see the Otter Poop Dance, and wouldn’t you know it? My cabin fever disappeared…. :) Enjoy!