Parting Shots.....

Today is the last day of shooting for us. We have to fly back tomorrow. :(

The tides were not in our favor, but a few birds were nice enough to come and say goodbye….
I have uploaded some pics into a gallery folder marked Florida 2024. Take a look at your leisure. As always, click to enlarge….. Below are from this morning. Until next time!

Low Rider…..

Don’t forget the smaller ones!!!!

As always, it’s tough to leave this place. We’ve been coming here for 30 years and you never know when, or if, you’re going to get back……

Different Strokes.......

Two of the methods that shorebirds in Florida use to get their breakfast….. First up is the slow and sneaky…. starring the Snowy Egret. Click to enlarge the images…

Low and Slow…

I apologize for the shots being so tight, but that’s how close the bird was to me!

And second, we have the “run around like a frigging idiot” method of fishing…

Ready to strike….

And in the end he misses and he’s just not a happy camper!!! Life is a beach!!!

It’s amazing what you can see when you sit quietly….. thanks for looking!

Making The Most Of Your Opportunities....

Roseate Spoonbills are not a very common bird in this area. So when you get a chance to photograph these birds you shoot until your card is full or your battery is empty, whichever comes first.
Mel and I were very fortunate at Little Estero pool recently. This is a large, natural tidal pool directly between the Wyndham Hotel on Fort Myers Beach and the ocean. It is a magnet for all nature of shorebirds and wading birds and has been one of our favorite areas to shoot.
We weren’t sure if the pool would even be there after hurricane Ian devastated the area almost 2 years ago. The pool is there, severely damaged, but still there. The same can’t be said for the hotel. All that is left is a skeleton of a building, a reminder that we don’t control as much as we think we do.
We got there early, before shooting light, and were rewarded when a pair of Spoonbills dropped down right in front of us. They didn‘t stay long but we figured they would be somewhere on the pool for the morning feeding session. Eventually, the light got just right and we found the birds. Hope you enjoy the pics!!!! Click on the images to enlarge….

When the light is right….

Stretching out….

I am going to try and get back up there to document some of the devastating damage done to both man made and natural structures alike. The damage to the Mangroves surrounding the tidal pool is what has me concerned. Without those Mangroves, the pool could easily be reclaimed by the ocean…..

In Praise of the "Bird On A Stick" Pic....

In case you don’t know, I will explain what a “bird on a stick” pic is (bos). It is simply a photograph of a bird that is sitting, standing, crouching, on a branch, log, stick or other means of supporting itself. Almost always by itself, with little or no apparent environmental interest associated with the bird. It is purely a documentary type of image, designed to visually describe the bird.
There is nothing wrong with this type of image at all. We all have bos pics, several thousand in my case. Some photogs will say that unless you are a beginner that shooting bos pics is somehow beneath you. They will tell you that they are too easy. I say that if you are a good photog then you will find a way to make your bos pics more interesting, and in the process improve your photography.

I took this challenge to heart the other day when, on a very slow day, I could only find a Common Gallinule and a Great Blue Heron to be my models for the day. And even on a good day, the Gallinule is not what I would call a photogenic subject. So a GBH it was….
This first pic is the official standard for bos pics. A heron on a stick, looking forlorn and disinterested in general. A plain Jane example. It’s not a terrible image, just not a lot of impact there. But if you give it some time and some imagination you might coax a decent image out of him yet. Images are best viewed at largest size possible

Wait for the light…. (below) light is the essence of all photography and if you are patient enough (and the bird is too) and the light changes, it’s a whole new ball game. Still nothing outstanding, but now there is more visual interest. If you can, make sure the eye is visible.

Change perspective…. Get closer. Make the eye look bigger, giving more visual interest. Getting closer will make the feathers show their texture. Give your viewer more to look at.

Change your viewing angle…. Moving the angle of the beak to be more diagonal will increase the tension in your image. Tension increases the visual interest in an image. Molly Bang’s book “picture this, how pictures work” is a simple and powerful way to look at your images differently.

Minimize Distractions…. If you can, minimize any distractions in your viewfinder before you push the shutter button. It will make your post processing much easier. In this case, I had a fairly dark background so I just darkened it as far as I could to eliminate the distractions in the background. What your viewer sees is only what you want them to see.

Adjust the white balance….. Try warming or cooling the white balance of your image to change the feel of an image. It doesn’t always have to be the “correct” white balance. It’s your piece of artwork, so experiment a bit and see if you can’t get a different look that suits you.

Add environmental interest to totally change the way your image is viewed…. This image is just the original image that I used for the previous example on changing the white balance and is uncropped. I made the decision to show more of the environment around the bird and kept the original white balance to change the feel of the image.

Wait for the “bos” to be more interesting…. If you want more interesting images, be patient! Birds change poses all the time, and very quickly. Do not take your eye away from your viewfinder to start chimping! In this case, his feathers went up on his head for a split second and just as quickly fell flat again. If I hadn’t been ready it would have been another “almost” opportunity.

Your reward for being patient and working the bos composition….. a flight shot in good light!!! This what you really wanted anyhow. But now you were ready and you were well prepared. You took the shots and nailed them! Be proud of yourself!

It doesn’t matter if your bos pics don’t turn out to be the best you will ever take. That is the nature of photography, especially wildlife photography. As long as you strive to make each one the best damn pics you have ever taken, your photography will improve by leaps and bounds. Good practice will often lead to surprising results. So get out and shoot!!!!

New Faces, New Places, and a Wild Photo Adventure!

I had been looking at this workshop for 3 years now, but each time I thought that it was going to happen something came up to keep me from going. I enjoy shooting waterfowl and wetland shorebirds more than anything, so when the opportunity came up again I was hoping that this was the year. Fortunately, it was my wonderful wife that made this happen. She knew I wanted to go so she stepped in, handed me the money, and said now you have no excuses! Thank you so much honey!!!!
This trip wasn’t just any old workshop. I was going to shoot next to and be tutored by one of the most respected photographers and videographers in the business, Doug Gardner. Some of you may remember a show on PBS called Wild Photo Adventures a few years back. It was a half hour of terrific photography, but Doug also took the time and explained exactly how to shoot in situations like he was shooting in.

Doug has gone on to produce and film several specials for National Geographic and the BBC. He was also nominated for an Emmy this year!
So of course I was a bit intimidated about shooting next to such an accomplished photographer like Doug, but he put us all at ease very quickly. He treated us like friends and fellow photographers and couldn’t have been nicer. Not only is he a first class photographer, but he is also a world class ballbuster! I knew we would get along just fine!
So for four days I got to learn from the best in an area of Chesapeake Bay that is legendary for attracting large numbers of waterfowl at close range. It was an eye-opener to see so many ducks together in one small area. And most of these ducks were diver ducks. In our area we usually only see diver ducks out in the middle of the lakes. We got the chance to photograph them up close and personal and I took advantage of it. I ended up with about 14,000 images in four days. I know that sounds like a lot, but I could easily taken quite a few more!!!
So I hope you enjoy the following images as much as I enjoyed taking them. It was so nice to spend time with people who enjoy that type of photography as much as I do! I will also post a more complete set of images in the gallery section of this site if you are interested. Click on the images to enlarge….

Blue….

Bad Boy….

Pretty Girl….

Photobomb….

Crooked neck…

No brakes!!!!

Incoming!!!!

Lazy day…..

Intimidating…..

Riding the waves….

Final approach…

Touching down….

Winging it….

I met some good photographers on this trip and I can’t thank Doug enough for his help! He taught me some new ideas that will take my photography to the next level and I can’t wait to try them back at home!!!
And whatever you do…. get out and shoot!!!

Playing Catch Up.....

With all of the sports shooting that we’ve been doing in the last month, my wildlife photos have kind of taken a back seat. But we are all finished for the year with sports so I have a chance to catch up on my wildlife posts, and the first one would have to be the Otters of course. Clink on the image to enlarge.

This Otter happened to nab a very respectable size Carp for breakfast and he was nice enough to bring it up on a log so I could see it. I had never seen them grab something that big before and I wanted to see how he was going to handle something of that size. I’m guessing the fish to be about 15” long and somewhere in the 3-5 ib. range.
The first thing he did once he got it on the log was to chew the tail off. I’m not sure if that was intentional, but it did seem logical. If the fish has no tail, he can’t swim away…

And what really impressed me was that he ate the whole damn thing, fins, head, and all!

Try not to swallow it whole!

Eventually his bestie (mate, buddy, sibling?) came by and asked if they could get a taste…… uh-uh-uh….. this Otter wasn’t inclined to share a single morsel of their breakfast. What a pig!

Don’t go away mad, just go away….

Eventually the Otter realized that he wasn’t going to share, so they went over to the lodge and sulked.

And last, but not least, here he is after eating a very large breakfast. He’s looking very smug! I just can’t believe he ate the whole thing! Their stomach can’t be any bigger than your fist, and the only thing that was left of that fish were some scales floating on the water.

With the colder nights that are in the forecast, the pond will begin to freeze over for good. We’ve been very fortunate that the open water lasted this long, but I think by this time next week the pond will be mostly iced over.
So while you have the chance, get out and shoot!!!

Cocaine Fueled Party at Brick Pond!!!!!!

It has been an interesting year in my photography travels. I have seen some behavior that I could only shake my head at and wonder what the reasoning was for the behavior. But this one I still can’t figure out.
There was a light snowfall last night and it left about an inch of snow on everything this morning. It was a beautiful sunrise with a fresh coating of snow, and I was hoping to see the Otters. There is also a small group of Hooded Mergansers that has been at the pond for the last month or so.
The Otters decided not to visit today so the Mergansers were the only game in town besides the geese. When they got to my side of the pond they showed me a behavior that I have never seen. They would get up on a log with fresh snow on top and proceed to walk down the log with their head down, beak open, literally shoveling snow into their mouth!!! Click on the photo to enlarge

John Belushi would be proud!

I was at a loss to explain it. It’s not like they need the water. They spend the bulk of their life in water, and to see them drinking water is commonplace. So why do they need the snow? Maybe it’s their version of a Slushie?

Once again, “you can’t make this stuff up!!” Enjoy!

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Wetland.....

It’s been a busy few weeks around here. We’ve been shooting the various high school sports championships, so time is at a premium. But I still have been able to sneak out to my favorite spots and check on my wild friends. And while I was out on one of those trips, I saw something that I have never seen before and still can’t explain. Hopefully one of my readers has seen this behavior before and can explain it to me! Click images to enlarge

breakfast……

The Otter shown above was just hanging out, quietly enjoying a breakfast snack of fresh Bullhead when a large Beaver swam up to him and began acting in an aggressive manner which seemed to startle the Otter.

The Otter is sitting on a half-submerged log about 30 feet long, with a large root ball at the left end of the log.
The Otter was clearly disturbed by the Beaver’s behavior and began backing up on the log, all the way to the end of the log. The Otter actually walked up backwards onto the end of the log, never taking his eyes off of the Beaver. And the Beaver kept advancing towards the Otter. This was really making the Otter nervous. And I had never seen any kind of interaction between the two before, so I had no idea what was going on!

What the heck is his problem?

Otters will occasionally share a beaver lodge in the winter time and I thought that maybe the Otter hadn’t paid his rent yet. Or maybe he got caught canoodling with missus beaver?
Eventually the beaver got so close that the otter started hissing at the beaver to let him know that the beaver wasn’t welcome.

Back Off!!!

The Otter eventually ended up on the very top of the root ball of the dead log and the two had a staring match for several minutes. With a quick splash, the beaver was gone, but it took several minutes for the Otter to work up the courage to leave the relative safety of the log.
Like I have said many, many time before, “you can’t make this stuff up!!!”

Second Chances.....

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

Of course there will always be a few geese around, at least until the pond ices over. They may not be the prettiest, but they are very accommodating to a photographer!
Click on images to enlarge

3 point landing….

Smooth….. like buttah…..

And at the other end of the size spectrum is the Pied Billed Grebe. A little tiny thing. Like comparing Shaq to Peter Dinklage……

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

She doesn’t want to get her feet wet….

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

He knows that he’s the man!!!!

Busted again!!!

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

Time Is Short.... So Don't Waste It.....

You can feel it in the air… you can see it in that wintry looking sky…. it won’t be long before the ponds and lakes begin freezing up and all of the migrating birds head for more hospitable living conditions.
But on this day Fall was still in charge. The leaves still showed splashes of color that belied the oncoming rush of Jack Frost’s minions. And I was glad that I was able to get out at least one more time before the beauty of Fall was put to rest. I didn’t want to waste this day and I was hoping my wild friends felt the same.

When looking for interesting birds to photograph, people often look right past the common Canada Goose. But in the right environment and composition these birds hold a beauty of their own.

And the Beaver is busy putting on a fresh coat of mud to survive winter’s chill.

But the star of the show today was my old friend, the River Otter. I have been fortunate enough to see my Otter buddies on a regular basis for the last two years and I have enjoyed every encounter. There is no set schedule for these sociable animals so seeing them is a real treat. I was just in the right place at the right time. The light was good and the little guy (or girl) put on a show by posing with breakfast and later by basking in the sun so I could shoot to my hearts content.

The light that I had to work with this morning was about as good as it gets in the real world, and I took full advantage of it!

Looks like he’s putting on weight for the Winter!!!

So if this is my last good photo shoot before Old Man Winter puts the brakes on activity at the wetland, then so be it. I have been extraordinarily fortunate to experience the beauty that this area has to give. And I am more than happy to share it with all of you. If I can put a smile on your face with a picture then that truly makes my day! Now, get out and shoot!!!!

What Can I Say? It Was One Of Those Days....

You know what I mean. One of those Fall days where everything is just perfect. Weather was awesome, warm enough but not a mosquito in sight. Now, in a few weeks we’ll be bitching about the sleet and freezing rain, but nothing was going to ruin this day. The Woodies were stylin’ and the light was good. We also had a few guest appearances to put the icing on the cake. I learned the hard way after battling cancer that you never take these days for granted. You take them and wring out all the goodness like a sponge, and hope that you have a few more left…….. enjoy…..
Click on the images to enlarge….

Showing his stuff….

This is my good side….

Looker…..

slightly different color balance….. a little different light….

Enter the Villan……

Pied Billed Grebe…. looks like a little angel…. but is a voracious hunter.

It Was A Bad Week For The Kermits Of The World......

Last week was a bit of a strange week for me photographically. The weather cooperated (which is strange in itself) but I was inundated with Green Herons! It wasn’t unusual for me to see 5 at a time at the wetland.

And it seemed like the frogs took the brunt of the heron invasion. Oh, I’m sure the bugs in the area were happy about it, but it seemed like every time I looked there was a frog getting his last rites read to him by a Greenie. Click the images to enlarge

And these Herons weren’t picking on the little frogs. Some of these frogs were bigger than I thought the heron could handle, but eventually they all became breakfast for the heron.

Almost lost him!!!!

A shaky grip….

And of course, his buddy had to come over and try and steal his breakfast!!!

It probably took 15 minutes for the heron to kill, position, and swallow the frog. All while keeping his “buddy” from stealing it!

And the whole time this was happening, there was a kingfisher about 30 feet away from him, just watching the show. Probably hoping the heron would drop the frog and let the Kingfisher steal it……

Eventually the frog disappeared down the hatch and the Kingfisher got bored and left.

Show's over? I'm outta here!

Moral of the story? I’m not sure there is one. But maybe it’s just that you never know when the Big Kahuna is going to toll the bell for you. So live your life like today is your last…… that means get out and shoot!!!!
Thanks for looking!

Back To Real Life.....

Sorry that I haven’t posted lately. I just got back from Alaska last week and I’m playing catch up. I’ll have a post on my experiences in Alaska coming up soon. But the day after we got back I was back in one of my favorite wetlands, in my element. Click to enlarge….

Pondering the meaning of life….

Nothing special, but I was back with my peeps. Felt good to be back with a camera in hand.

It was good to see the “Mayor of Brick Pond” again, peering out over his kingdom. (below)

Lord of all he surveys……

But there was a newcomer too, something we don’t usually see until about this time every year. I think they will only stay for a short while and then be on their way. Very good at catching fish! I believe the official name is Double Breasted Cormorant. I don’t know why they are called that, I only saw one breast!!!

Drying Time!

That’s all for now, but I have an awful lot of editing to do, so I will be back soon! But for now, get out and shoot!

On Your Mark.... Get Set..... GO!!!!!!

Just when you think the day is going to be a dud, life hands you a beautiful surprise!

It had been a pretty slow day at the swamp. Some decent images but nothing to write home about. This Green Heron had been fishing in front of me all morning, but he wasn’t having a good day. But the beautiful light made it hard not to take a few pics….

“Bird on a stick!”

But luck has a way of changing quickly in the wild….

And even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while……
And his luck definitely changed after that, which made him happy and me too!

The short series below was interesting because I could see that he was leaning way out, too far for a straight down attack on a fish. So I knew he was going to jump into the water after his prey. Luckily, I was ready and caught most of it in pictures. Just before he hit the water he went behind the greenery and that shot didn’t come out. Which is just as well, because he missed again….

Too late to back out now!

Eyes on the prize!

Full attack mode!!!!

Sometimes the best things happen when you least expect it, and life drops these moments of joy into your lap. It’s up to you to appreciate them…..
All for now, so get out and shoot!

Yeah, It Was A Good Day.....

But it didn’t exactly start out that way. I was awakened at 3am by a very bright thunder and lightning storm. I thought about rolling over and going back to sleep but then I realized that I couldn’t do that because today was the day that my wife was going to come and shoot with me! This doesn’t happen very often. It’s not that she doesn’t like wildlife, but she’s not crazy about the early hours that go along with it. But she managed to get up and out on time and off we went.

When we got to the wetland and started walking to our shooting spot, we were greeted by an unusual sight: Lots of fallen trees in our path to our spot! That storm that came through really did some damage! We had to crawl over or through several large blow-downs and I wasn’t really sure if we we going to make it to our spot. But eventually we got there and got set up and ready. It was just starting to turn from night into day. You know, that greyish, black and white look when the world is just starting to show signs of life. For me, this is the best time of day. The light is slowly creeping in, you can hear the Beavers out there finishing up their work, the birds are starting to sing and life is just perfect.

We were fortunate enough to see plenty of action. The woodies were there, the Beavers stayed active until well after dawn, but the Otters were the stars of the show. They are a delight to just watch as they go about their lives. And the Kingfisher made a cameo appearance just before we were about to leave and even brought us a fish to photograph! And who could forget the clowns of the wetland, the Green Herons!

Playing “king of the log”

Fishing expert!

She loves her job!

He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother!!!!

So all in all, we were fortunate that we didn’t turn back. It was a wonderful day, made even better by being able to spend some real quality time with my wife! Let’s see how soon she wants to go back! Now, get out and shoot!

Perseverance Pays Off..... Eventually

Perseverance is a trait that is highly prized by successful wildlife photographers, but difficult to master. Defined as “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success”, this attribute could be the one skill that separates the average photographer from the successful pros that command all of the attention. And rightfully so.
The famous wildlife photographer Tom Mangleson once spent over 40 days in the same place, waiting for the one perfect shot that he wanted! I like to think that I have a better than average amount of patience, but I’m nowhere near that level. But I aspire to be, and that is one area where I am trying to improve. It is with that thought in mind that I found myself watching perseverance in action the other morning.

I was out shooting (early of course) when two immature Hooded Mergansers came by, looking for breakfast. They looked to be about half grown and the Mom was nowhere in sight. They proceeded to work together as a team, methodically searching the shallows right in front of me for something to eat. They were only about 15 yards away from me, so you can see that I am shooting at a slight down angle and my depth of field is very thin!

Two of a kind….

Could use a snorkel!

Things weren’t looking very promising for awhile; neither of them were having any luck. But you knew eventually things had to change for them, and it sure did! All of a sudden this one stuck her head under the water and came up with breakfast!

Not pretty, but effective!

Now that she had it in her mouth, could she swallow it???? This was a large Crayfish for a small mouthed duck like the Merganser. She flipped it around in the air, squishing it as hard as she could with her bill, hoping to make it just a bit smaller.

It’s a really tight fit!!!!

But eventually, she swallowed the whole thing! She looked uncomfortable for a few minutes, but by stretching her neck she was able get it to work down into her stomach. And this wasn’t the only one she caught that morning.

These two ducks aren’t going to win any beauty pageants. They looked very much worse for wear by the time they were done feeding. But give them time to preen and dry off a bit, and they will be back to their beautiful selves!!!

Often, wildlife shows us what real perseverance is. They don’t persevere, they don’t eat. A simple truth for them, but I’m not sure we know what that really means.

Hope you enjoyed the pics! And remember, get out and shoot!

I Think.....

that I have never seen a living creature that just enjoys being alive and relishes each and every day more than the River Otter. This little powerhouse uses every day to the fullest, with the family being in the center of everything they do. Click the image to enlarge.

Family is everything….

Whether playfully roughhousing with each other or chasing down the morning meal, the Otters seem to love every minute of it.

Formal portrait session!

Otters are very social and affectionate animals, whether nuzzling each other during a break in the hunt, or gathering with the rest of the family.

If you get a chance to observe them often enough you will see that they have personalities of their own. Some enjoy a good game of roughhouse while the others prefer the quiet family time more. (probably the parents!)

The problem with observing them on a regular basis is just finding them! They go where they want, when they want, and with who they want. So just seeing them is a thrill. I have been very fortunate in the last 2 or 3 years to have several encounters with them, and they make my day every time. The more time you can spend in their neighborhood, the better chance you have of seeing them and the obvious joy they get from each other. I can think of no better way to spend a day. Creatures like this are the reason I do what I do……

My BFF!!!!

Enjoying a joke on the community log…..

If you happen to see them, tell ‘em that I sent you!

Always A Pleasure To Watch A Pro In Action.....

You know how it is when you get a chance to watch someone who is really good at their craft and obviously enjoys it? I had that chance last week, but it wasn’t a human.
It was a little old Green Heron…. This guy was good, I’m mean almost perfect. (I call him a guy because male and female are very difficult to tell apart. And because it’s my blog!) I’m going to show you a series of images so you can see how impressive this little heron was. I’ve seen enough herons that I’m not easily impressed by them, but this guy caught my attention! Click on the images to enlarge…

Nothing special, just a bird on a stick…..

Like a professional athlete, getting ready for his first dive…

Coming up for air….

And voila, the first winner of the day! Breakfast is served!
So what do you do for an encore? You just do it again!!!

Of course, he had to let the rest of the swamp know that was the baddest bird on the water!!!!

The next set of images is a sequence of one attempt at some more breakfast. This is where he shows off!

Look how far off the branch he is reaching out!

Digging deep!

I was just so impressed that he could reach out there that far and down so deep, and catch the fish at the same time! Even better was that he was able to return upright just by using his legs!!! Try that at home and see if you can do it! This guy only missed one time in the hour that I watched him!

To the victor go the spoils……

And I added the last pic below because I just love the way the early morning light just warms up the heron and makes the colors just glow!

Without that light, it’s just an ordinary image.
Remember, it’s all about the light……
Hope you enjoyed it. Now, get out and shoot!!!!

Senior Moment....

The pictures that I’m posting here were taken 3 weeks ago at BP. I thought that I had posted them already, but someone asked me about them and when I looked for the pics I found them in the ‘not sent’ pile! Just another senior moment! Let me tell you, gettin’ old is not for sissies!!! Click to enlarge…

Difference of opinion?

The Hooded Mergansers above seem to be having a little difference of opinion….. The pics below are shortly after when momma merganser went to check on an apartment she was thinking of renting for the season….

That first step is a killer…..

As you can see, it’s a single room efficiency apartment…. “cozy” is what a realtor would say…

First Look…..

If you look closely at the feet, you can see the toes all have little claws on them. This helps them climb into the nest….. they normally nest in tree cavities, but they have readily adapted to these nest boxes which I believe were originally intended for Wood Ducks.

She didn’t get into the box this day, but I have since seen her enter and exit the box. Baby Mergansers are on the way!!!!

This Mallard hen below came over to see what all the excitement was about. She couldn’t imagine putting a nest in a tree!!!

Nosy Mallard….

Meanwhile, the Wood duck swimming below just shook his head and swam away……

I hope that I can convey what a great time I have when I’m out there, no matter what I see! So get that camera out of the closet and go shoot! There is no better time than now….

Fighting The Light...... And Losing

There are times as a wildlife photographer when it looks like everything is going to work out perfectly. Your subject, the weather, wind direction etc. all seem to be going your way. There is a little voice in the back of your mind that is jabbering about something, but you’re not paying attention. What could go wrong???

And then reality hits. You picked this spot based on your knowledge of the species you were after and also the anticipated weather conditions. And that was my downfall. I listened to the weatherman again. It just boggles my mind that with all the million dollar equipment they have available they still can’t forecast 12 hours ahead, let alone a whole day!!!

In this case I had set up thinking that I would have high clouds as my background, which would work perfectly with the nesting herons that I was hoping for. It was perfect at first. The birds were there going back and forth, busy building their nest. When the darkness began to fade and the sunrise began to light up the valley, it was absolutely gorgeous. High scudding clouds made a pattern that the sunrise just danced across and lit up beautifully. What a background for the birds! But as fast as that cloud cover showed up, it vanished like a bad dream. There was now a clear blue sky as my background. And what was worse was that when the sun finally popped up over the hill, it would be hitting me right in the face! But I wasn’t giving up yet. Maybe I could salvage something, at least for Facebook

The images that I took were not good. Below is the original image that came out of the camera and I think it needs a little work! Click on the image to enlarge

Just a tad overexposed….

I figured that all of these images would end up in the scrap heap, and they probably will, but I was determined to see if I could salvage anything out of them. The compositions were beautiful and the birds did their part. So I massaged the heck out of the image and below is what I finally came up with.

Much better, but that background is a killer….

It’s still not a good image, but the pose is so perfect I had to take a crack at making something acceptable out of it. Even if I can’t, I can always blame the weatherman…..

I think the photo gods took pity on me and tried to make it up to me. Later on, when I was back at the truck and had all of my gear packed, I was in the car warming my fingers back to life when out of the cattails popped this little guy right in front of me!! So of course, all the gear had to come back out and get set up while trying not to scare him into the next county!

This is a male Pied Billed Grebe….. They’re pretty common up at Montezuma and Iroquois NWR….

All in all, it was great morning. But what a picture that would have been…..