Feeding & Predation

Animals spend much of their time looking for food and are often busy foraging or hunting when observed in the field. This has pros and cons. On the one hand, they may not interrupt what they’re doing to pose for you; on the other hand, they may not interrupt what they’re doing to run away from you, either.

On one such occasion, I spent twenty minutes with a foraging opossum one winter evening. It was eagerly digging up grubs from under the dead grass and barely acknowledged my presence. The result was a series of intimate portraits showing its face covered in mud and grass. Who knew a small marsupial could look so ferocious?

Opossum foraging in a muddy field at the John Heinz NWR

Rodents – even very large ones – are challenging subjects. Aquatic rodents in particular always seem to be swimming from place to place with most of their bodies submerged, which isn’t hugely exciting. But when this juvenile beaver came ashore to snack on rose hip one September morning I thought I might walk away with something special. Its hands were manipulating the branch and fruit with simian-like dexterity, which wasn’t only fun to watch but also told me something about rodents I hadn’t really appreciated before.

American Beaver feeding at Seawall Pond, Acadia National Park

If you’re looking for precision and grace of hunting style, great blue herons are tough to beat. The graceful curves of their elegant bodies make the stupendous punch of their strike seem so effortless. This one pulled a good-sized carp from the icy slush.

Great Blue Heron catching a carp at the John Heinz NWR

Yet for all their power, great blues aren’t always top-of-the-food-chain predators. This one touched down in waist-deep water to start its evening hunt when it became the hunted. Having lost its footing, it desperately tried to take off again, but to no avail. After a few minutes of struggling against the snapping turtle’s dead weight, shock settled in and the young heron’s fate was sealed.

Great Blue Heron falling prey to a Snapping Turtle at the John Heinz NWR

Social Interactions

Showing social interactions may be the most pleasurable aspect of wildlife photography. Reproductive and grooming behaviors are usually the most visible social behaviors. Young animals like fox cubs also spend a lot of their time playing with one another, but observing this usually requires finding a den.

I caught this male northern flicker delivering food to his mate at the nest last summer. The nest was located in a dead tree at the water’s edge where nearby reeds provided concealment. I used a 400mm lens to keep my distance. I prefer the intimacy of shorter focal lengths, but I don’t like to disturb nesting birds, so the long lens came in handy.

Mr. & Mrs. Flicker at the John Heinz NWR

I was hoping to photograph rutting white-tailed deer in Valley Forge Park one autumn morning when a pair of fawns wandered out of the woods to graze. I was crouched in just the right spot when the boy fawn received a good scrubbing from his sister. Cute poisoning!

White-tailed fawn grooming her brother at Valley Forge NHP

The Bombay Hook vixen known as Chloe situated her den under the roots of a downed tree not far from the refuge road last May, which meant it was possible to photograph her young cubs without disturbing them. Here one cub is showing the other who’s boss.

Fox cubs at Bombay Hook NWR

Inspired by others who visited there in the past, and from the photos I had seen posted here, and on Flickr and other places, I decided to make a few trips there this fall. And I was not disappointed. In fact, I am already making plans to head down from New Jersey there in the fall of 2011 for numerous photo shoots.

Conowingo Dam, Maryland

One of the first things you notice is that you can hear the Bald Eagles calling out. Something I had not heard before. It’s amazing to hear them, and to then realize that they are sitting in a tree, directly behind you, not 50 feet away.

At Conowingo, the Eagles seem to be much more at ease with a human presence than anywhere else that I have observed them. In most cases during the past, and at locations like Forsythe NWR in NJ, if you approached an Eagle from any distance, it would flush and take off. Here at Conowingo, they are so intent on feeding and competing with each other for that food, that humans are barely considered a nuisance to them.

The sheer numbers of Eagles there is astounding. On this November 15th, I stopped counting and had to estimate that there were between 150 and 200 of them in the immediate area.

Bald Eagles over the Susquehanna River, Conowingo Dam, Maryland.

It was interesting to see the large number of photographers there, but more interesting to observe the newbies versus the veterans. Those that had come there many times would barely care about or notice an Eagle making a fairly close flyover. They already have so many shots like that, and to them it was just  a waste to bother with more. People like me, who previously had not been anywhere near that close would fire away. After one visit however, and about a dozen close flybys, I had all the overhead shots I could ever want.

What the die-hards and the veterans are there for, is the action. The shots of Bald Eagles diving for fish, the mad chases that ensue, and at times, great closeups of them when they carry their catch back to a nearby tree.

I was lucky as heck to be able to get some of the best shots of my life, in my very first visit to the dam.

Just as the day was drawing to a close, one large female Bald Eagle went out for a fishing run…grabbed a nice Shad off the water, and was pursued by a very hungry male intent on stealing the catch.

The chase begins

Closer.....

Going for the grab...

Swing and a miss....

The female was successful in avoiding having this persistent male swipe the fish from her talons. However, in subsequent visits I saw many occasions of theft in mid air, or of forcing the original hunter to drop their prize in the heat of being chased and pursued.

This day, the female Bald Eagle was going to get to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Flying off with the prize catch

Victorious

She was quite vocal after arriving at this tree to have her meal. That is because the male decided to perch about 4 feet above her, and wait to see if she would drop her catch. I am sure she had no intention of sharing.

Male Bald Eagle (without fish)

Female Bald Eagle (with fish)

Once in a while, the Eagles will let you know what they think of you and your camera:

I hate photographers!

For me, this day was a landmark day in my years of nature photography. I was overwhelmed and astounded by these incredible birds. So close to me. Calling out, fishing, chasing each other. It was a dream come true for me. I had barely been able to get a few shots of Bald Eagles my entire life. On this day, I hit the mother lode.

Soaking up the morning sun.

Juvenile Bald Eagle makes a sweeping turn

Another Shad become Eagle food

I can’t wait to get back. If you live anywhere near this incredible location, and even if you don’t. It’s worth the trip. October, November and December have historically been the peak months of Bald Eagle numbers.

Hope to see you out there!

Spring

Springtime heralds the return of a wide variety of migratory birds including the colorful wading birds in their finest breeding plumage.  Included in the variety of wading birds would be the elegant Great Egret and its smaller cousin the Snowy Egret.

Also to be found and photographed are the Little Blue Heron and Glossy Ibis.  If you are lucky enough you can score a wading bird trifecta in the same shot such as this image featuring the Glossy Ibis, Snowy Egret and Little Blue Heron, all in the same frame.

Spring also heralds the return of the Osprey for its breeding season.  This magnificent bird of prey is one of the great wildlife conservation stories.  Bouncing back from the threat of extinction, though still considered a threatened species, the Osprey has returned to prominence along water ways where it demonstrates its highly skilled fishing abilities.  With a number of strategically placed Osprey Nest Boxes around Cattus Island, you can watch the mated pairs raise and fledge their young throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall before they depart for their southern nesting locations for the winter.

Summer

The approach of summer offers the opportunity to photograph a number of small song birds including but not limited to the Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Gray Catbird,  American Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbirds and many others.  Other potential subjects include a variety of Herons such as the the Great Blue Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron and Tri-colored Heron.

Summer is also the time the Cattus Island Butterfly Garden starts to come into its own offering the opportunity to see and photograph a wide variety of butterflies and other pollinators.

Autumn

Offering a prime display of fall foliage, Autumn also brings the migration of a number of avian visitors as well as the opportunity to take advantage of the annual Monarch migration.  Visitors to the park in the Fall include the Yellow Rumped Warbler and the possibility of catching a few migratory raptors such as the Merlin.

Winter

Winter is a relatively quiet period in the park as compared to the bustle of activity in the other three seasons.  But it does offer pastoral scenery and can become a winter wonderland following snowfall which has been plentiful this year.

Cattus Island Park offers a four season opportunity to practice your photographic stills or simply to go take in the best of what nature has to offer.  With nearly all areas of the park accessible either by service roadway or numerous trails, I hope that when you are in the area, you will make it a point to visit.  And if you happen to see a gray haired guy strapped to a Nikon, take a moment to say “Hi”.  I can be be found many evenings during the summer and frequently on the weekends when I’m not elsewhere photographing the splendors of nature.

Well, no. I’m a big fan of the brown season. Critters we might not give a second glance in spring or summer reveal surprisingly intense colors on the winter landscape’s simplified canvas. White-throated sparrows, a common winter guest, are hard to beat if you’re looking to add a splash of color to your winter bird photography.

Female red-winged blackbirds display a glorious luminosity you didn’t know they possessed during the breeding season, when they pale next to their more dramatically colored male partners. And nothing, I think, brings out the rich tonality of grays and browns like the unassuming northern mockingbird, one of my favorite winter birds.

Among mammals, white-tailed deer make for rewarding winter subjects. Their thick coats are incredibly rich in tone and texture; to say nothing of the experience of sitting down among a herd of deer at rest in the woods and enjoying their company for a while!



Please keep your eye out here for some beautiful new photographs as well as more well written and informative articles about nature photography. All of us here at Nature’s Domain love to get outside and enjoy the nature we love to photograph so it can be difficult sometimes to sit inside but I know we are all committed to keeping fresh new content on this website. As always thank you so much for your support and continuing to visit our website and we always love your feedback.

Now to give you something a little different that hasn’t been posted here on Nature’s Domain yet. A short video of some of the nature surrounding my condo here in Southern NJ. I shot these clips in the summer of 2010 and have finally gotten around to doing something with them. I know this is not photography but it is something I personally think is a great addition to the new modern DSLR. I know there are many varying opinions about video on DSLRs but I have been approaching it with the “if you don’t want to use it then don’t and if you do well then great” motto. I never want to be a full time videographer instead of photographer, although I think there are some great things that can be done with video relating to nature photography. I hope you enjoy the short clip and we all hope you enjoy our website enough to share with others and stop back again.

Thanks,
Ray Hennessy

Watch the video here to see in HD it looks much better.

Around My Condo from Nature's Domain on Vimeo.

It has been especially evident of late, as I make my regular and frequent trips to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Time. You cannot do this in a passing glance, or in a quick run out in your car. Or a 30 minute walk in the woods. Sure, you may get some nice shots, but you will miss far more. And you won’t learn what to look for. Or learn about the birds and animals you photograph. No books are good enough to teach you what you need to know. You have to live with them. The creatures we admire, love and want to capture with our cameras. You have to observe them. With a keen eye and ear, and learn what they do, how they behave. how they communicate.

In my time out there, I have learned many of the behaviors and calls of Osprey, Forsters Terns, and many others. It takes hours and days and weeks and months before you start to put things together. When you start to understand them. And once you do start to know how they behave, what their habits are, and what their various calls mean, you can be ready and in the right place and time to capture amazing moments.

Like watching Osprey engage in courtship rituals, where the males dive down from on high to chase the female after she calls out to them…and if she is willing, she will jump up from her perch and grasp his talons in mid air.

Like learning how Forsters Terns call to their mates to bring them an offering of a freshly caught fish. What they sound like when they do that. What they do to display their intentions. And the male, how he will circle around her proudly displaying his catch, holding it up for her to see…and then finally meeting her on her perch and handing her the prize from his bill to hers, in one of the most incredible scenes in the avian world.

Those moments don’t get captured by chance. They happen when we take the time. Have the patience. When we spend the hours to observe. When we are persistent in our attempts to be there often, to find them when they are doing these amazing things, and to be ready when they do.

The photos I have of Osprey courtship and Tern courtship feedings took not only the many hours sitting in one location watching and waiting, but days and weeks and months of study. To learn how and when they will do their courtship, and how to know what they are saying. What they are doing, and to be ready for the moment.

Forsters Terns have a complex social network, hierarchy, and an even more complex vocabulary and method of communication. It is incredible to watch, hear and start to understand. Once you do start to “get it” with what they do, you can be ready for what is to come, and what they may do next. They talk all the time. To each other. And they coordinate. They communicate. And it is not as simple as “want food”. They will follow a leader’s signal, leave a fishing spot suddenly all together, go back out a ways, regroup, and line up to take turns diving again where they just were. What purpose this serves? Not sure yet. But I am studying it. And learning.

The photos of Osprey and Tern courtship and behavior aren’t the only wonderful things you can photograph by having patience and taking the time to learn. Even the diminutive Yellow Warbler can be a real challenge to get a nice shot of. But if you take the time to watch them, you learn what they do during mating season. You can be ready for the shots, because you know that they usually go from low to high in a tree, in order to sing from the loftiest perch. Then when they reach near the top or edge, they will take off and go to the next spot. And in time, repeat the cycle, and often choose the same trees and even branches the next time through.

Yellow Warbler finds a treat - (Aphids on a branch)

Yellow Warbler with a nice background. Patience pays off.

I’ve seen a lot of photographers in the last few years. Now more than ever, so many seem to be in a hurry. It’s like a race to them, to see what they can see, capture what they can, and then move on. I’ve seen it dozens of times. I sat with my friend Joe Campbell, another dedicated and very talented photographer, at a spot at Forsythe. We sat there for hours. Just so happens to be a great spot to get shots of Tern Courtship feeding. I knew this because I’ve taken the time, the patience, the dedication, and the hours of observation. And car after car just glanced over and kept going. No interest to them. Just some Terns sitting there, and nothing of interest. To them.

And this is what they missed:

Tern Courtship - The Male gives his love a gift

Male Forsters Tern proudly displays the gift he will give to his mate

Forsters Terns - The male gives his mate a courtship gift

So, while car after car drove past, we sat, we waited. We watched and we noticed. And then magic. And we were there for it. Covered in bug spray, inhaling gnats, getting hot and sweaty, our hands aching from holding the heavy camera and lenses for long periods. Worth every hour, and every drop of sweat.

The same can be said for so many birds. (and other animals). If you take the time, and have the patience, you can get the shots, and capture these incredible moments.

A similar situation arose regarding nesting Osprey at Forsythe. A few photographers will camp out at nests and wait to see what will happen. But unless you know the birds, unless you study them, you will be there at the wrong time, and you will not see the wonderful things you could.

During the nesting season, Osprey have tasks to do. But one of the first is to (re)establish the mating pair. Most mate for life. But there are always challenges from other males. Sometimes, their own offspring from a year or more before! But no matter the length of the relationship, there will always be courtship between them every year. And if you know what to look for, and spend the time, you have a great chance of seeing these rituals.

If you wait until after the eggs are laid, and watch the nest for hours, you will see…a female bird sitting on eggs. And not a whole lot more, except when the male brings back a nice fish to share. Or not share. Sometimes they are like that. Men! The rest of the time, you will sit and wait and watch the male sit nearby, and the female sit on her eggs. The only really interesting thing is if another bird of consequence (like a Bald Eagle or a Great Black Backed Gull) gets too close. Of course, after the eggs hatch, there are countless wonderful things to see. And this is when most photographers arrive like a horde of Green Head flies, and camp out lined up with tripods and mega-lenses.

And you can get some great shots of those things, and they are wonderful. And everybody else gets the same shots you do.

But very few get this:

Female Osprey leaps from the nest to grasp the talons of her mate

Osprey courtship. The pair is intertwined, talons grasping talons

A challenge! A second male invades the nest to try to win dominance

From what I know, there are exactly two photographers who visit Forsythe who have photos like these this year. Me, and Joe Campbell.

Patience. Persistance. Observation. Time.

We sat at this nest countless times. This pair seemed to be very active. Very unique. And there was a lot going on. We observed this second male a number of times. So on this day, after 3 hours of almost nothing, we got a couple hours of intense action the likes of which neither of us had seen in all our years photographing birds. By the time it was over, our hearts were racing and we were pumped full of adrenaline, and our hands and arms hurt from trying to capture the non-stop action for almost 2 hours. We learned how the female would set up the courtship drama. She would circle with the male (and the second male trying to win her over), all over the refuge. And each time she would return, dive to the nest and perch there, and then give a very distinctive call while looking upward. And then one of the males would make a spectacular plunge dive behind her, spreading his wings at the last minute, coming in from behind…and the chase would begin. When the time was right…she no longer initiated the chase, but chose her mate again by leaping up and meeting him in mid-air. Grasping his talons and tumbling together in the air.

Spectacular doesn’t begin to describe it.

Sometimes it isn’t the spectacular that you get when you’re patient, but the silly. The curious. The odd and weird moments you just don’t expect. But being there, and paying attention, and spending the time is what it takes to see many of these things as well. It often means just noticing something out of the ordinary. And you can’t know what “ordinary” is unless you’ve spent a lot of time observing.

One of the other wonderful things with Osprey is how they share the duties of building their huge nests. And how they go about doing it. They start with heavy and sturdy twigs, and build a structure that can support their weight and those of the young. Then, they bring in other materials they find to finish it off and make it suitable for eggs, and for the hatchlings. They find scraps of cloth, or pick up fine hay like grasses to make a soft and warm place for the eggs to rest, and of course the female on top of them.  If you spend enough time with Osprey when they first arrive for the Spring and Summer, you know that these tasks will get underway with all due urgency. It’s the perfect time to sit and watch and wait. Most times, the male will be dominant in the nest building once the female is fertile and bearing eggs. And in this case, as I like to call him, the hardest working Osprey in Jersey was not a disappointment.

Osprey brings back an entire shrub for the nest

It took an enormous effort to carry that bush back. Strong headwinds, and tons of wind resistance from the branches. But he got it all the way home.

And he kept at it, day after day….

Osprey neatly maneuvers a new twig into the nest

This will make a great bedspread! (Osprey with a nice piece of cloth for the nest)

Of course, all that nest building makes any good Osprey hungry, so when it’s time for a meal, they go out and bring back the freshest fish.

Osprey with a nice fish for supper

Osprey and his catch of the day.

Then, there are those just plain silly moments…

Not a whole lot is sillier in the avian world than Willets during courtship. Not only are they loud and call out constantly, the engage in seemingly endless chases. For hours. Sometimes doing the craziest of maneuvers. So, when I saw a couple doing  just that, I stopped and watched them and photographed them for hours. It was tiring. It was laugh out loud funny at times. And it was amazing.

Willet skips on the water

I don't even know what to caption this one!

Skimming the water with his wing, Willet male pursues a female (out of frame)

Only 2 on a stick, please!! (Willet Silliness)

Willet and his shadow

Forsters Terns are always entertaining, and never boring. If you watch them fishing enough times, you’ll see and learn certain behaviors. And that can help you get some great shots. Still, they are lightening fast and make wild sudden moves, so it’s never easy.  Ever wonder how they keep those crazy tails looking so nice?

Forsters Tern preening his tail feathers.

That’s how.

And their antics while fishing are just incredible.

Forsters Tern with a really nice catch

Sometimes, they don’t have the fish in a grip that will allow them to swallow it the way they need to. So, they will flip the fish in mid-air and re-catch it!

Forsters Tern Fish Flip

Now, this is MUCH better. Down the hatch!

Forsters Tern swallowing a fish on the wing.

Sometimes, even the Tern is surprised by what it catches…

Two for one special at the fish counter. (Forsters Tern)

This Tern (above) captured two fish in a single dive. I can only assume one fish was swimming just above the other at the moment of impact.

One thing the Terns will always do after diving into the water is shake off the excess once they are back in the air. It lasts all of a maybe a fifth of a second, and you never know exactly when they will do it. I have captured this exactly twice in my entire life.

Forsters Tern shakes off the water after a dive

Forsters Tern shaking off the water after a dive for fish

One thing that is of great aid in getting shots of birds is learning their calls. If you can hear them, then you might just be able to see them, and get a great shot. If you’re lucky. Combine that with knowing their habits, and you have an even better chance.

The Common Yellowthroat arrives in my area every Spring about this time (Late April, Early May). It’s call is very distinctive, and it loves to hang out in the reeds and brush near water. (Ideal for a place like Forsythe refuge). And it sings loudly. It also likes to pop up from cover sometimes to get a nice high perch. After all, it’s all about mating and courtship, and if you’re up and visible and singing your heart out, you have a better shot. Speaking as a bird, that is. I don’t sing all that well, and I’m not big on heights.

So, early one morning I heard one singing like he was auditioning for the Tonight Show…. soon enough, he popped out and decided that Late Night TV  was too old-school, and American Idol was where it was at. He was bold, and brazen, and singing at the top of his lungs, in great light, with a very dedicated nature photographer there to watch and listen.

The next big recording star. Common Yellowthroat

Similarly, another Spring arrival is the Blue Grosbeak. They too have a unique call, and they too like to perch to take a look around, usually in the reeds and tall grasses of fields.

Blue Grosbeak (Male) sits up and looks handsome in a field at Forsythe

A wonderful challenge for me recently was to get a shot of a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. Singing. These are tiny birds. They move through dense cover most of the time, only coming out into view very briefly. And they never sit still. I read up on them a bit, and I also watched a courting pair of them near a small overpass on the entry into Forsythe Refuge. I got no photos the first two times I observed them. So, I kept going back. I noticed the areas they seemed to like to travel through, and they repeated being in those locations.

Persistence. I kept going to the spot, and keeping my eyes pealed and my ears open. Soon enough, for all of about 10 seconds, this little guy came out and gave me the opportunity.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher debuts for me.

Another wonderful find, and the result of a very patient observer friend (John “Jack” Adams) was this gorgeous Rose Breasted Grosbeak. Jack was well ahead of me and Joe Campbell (we meet up a lot at Forsythe and shoot together as friends), and he went to a good location and just waited and watched. He noticed a bird that was fairly good sized and dark, and it was going up and in and out of the reeds and grasses. Since there are so many Red Winged Blackbirds doing the same thing, it can be easy to miss. But Jack has also spent countless hours observing, and he noticed that this was something different. So, when we got there, we took our time and waited for it to make an appearance. And sure enough, we were not disappointed.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Sometimes being observant just allows you to be ready for anything. In this case, I suddenly saw a Great Blue Heron carrying something huge and walking over to a spot in the grass with it. What I watched was one of the most amazing feats of swallowing prey I have ever seen.

Great Blue Heron with catch of the day.

Great Blue Heron prepares to swallow the biggest meal of his life

This fish was fully 20 inches long, and had to weigh at least 3 pounds. And this heron swallowed it effortlessly.

Gulp! (Great Blue Heron)

Great Blue Herons are patient, observant, and persistent hunters. They will stand motionless or nearly so for long periods, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

One day, my old friend Joe Campbell and I decided to wait and watch a Great Blue Heron at a water level control gate at Forsythe. This heron was very active, and appeared to be catching one small fish after another.

So, we parked and waited and watched. And he fished out one small fish after another. And promptly tossed most of them away! Now that was unusual. I’ve never seen a choosy Great Blue Heron before.

And what happened next explained why he was tossing away the little fish. He tossed one away, and in one fluid motion struck the water with incredible force, and came up with this:

Great Blue Heron spears a great catch!

Joe and I were stunned. And we fired off frame after frame of this incredible action. It didn’t last long, and he flew off with his prize meal.

Great Blue Heron prepares to fly off with it's great meal

Observation.

My friend Shawn Wainwright sure knows what that means. He’s studied with the best birders. Spent countless hours in the field. He’s also hugely into butterflies, moths and dragonflies…and just about anything that walks, crawls, swims of flies for that matter. He’s an observer. His nickname is “Eagle Eyes”. And rightly so. He sees more than most. Tremendous vision. And he uses that to his advantage. To observe, to learn, and to see wonderful things. He’s taken me on a couple of outings into his “backyard” in Toms River, NJ. And because of his keen observation skills, and what he has learned, he helped me to get some perfectly wonderful shots.

One of which is this very rare, Cobweb Skipper butterfly. According to Shawn, seen only in one very small patch of sand and field near where he lives, and in Cape May, NJ.

Cobweb Skipper Butterfly

That’s the wonderful thing about those of us who love this field. Others who know more than we do can help us to find great shots, and to enhance our learning as well.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Nothing that rare about a Black Swallowtail Butterfly. What is rare is getting a shot with a fantastic background. This particular butterfly kept wanting to land on some evergreens near where Shawn and I were. So we waited. And waited. And watched. And our patience paid off when it finally landed in some spots that gave us some wonderful compositions for the shot.

Red Banded Hairstreak Butterfly

This butterfly (above) is all of a half inch tall when perched like this. I know a bit about butterflies and have loved them since I was a kid. But Shawn knows a hell of a lot more than I do. And I didn’t pay these butterflies much mind when we were on our walk. But he did. And he showed me how colorful and beautiful they are. And we got some wonderful shots as a result of his efforts and his knowledge.

Red Spotted Purple Butterfly

Because Shawn had visited, studied, and observed areas near where he lives, and spent tremendous amounts of time out, he knew all the best places to go. What plants would be where, what would be blooming, what kinds of butterflies and birds might be found at each spot. As a result, we went to one small area that seems to have a lot of activity. And this gorgeous Red Spotted Purple visited us while we were there.

This year is a banner year for the Red Admiral butterfly. They are everywhere. Last year, you would have been lucky to see one or two all year. In one afternoon, he and I counted over 30.

Red Admiral Butterfly stops to take a short rest on a tree

Sometimes patience and time in the field pays off in ways we don’t anticipate. While we can study the birds and animals and learn more about what to look for, the mere fact that we have trained ourselves to be observant can have it’s own rewards. As much as there are wonderful times like watching the Forsters Terns in their courtship feedings, there are those moments where it all just comes together. Where your eyes and your ears let you in on being able to notice something wonderful, and to capture that moment, as it happens. You are far more likely to capture these if you’ve spent the time to really learn about the birds, the butterflies and other animals that you photograph. You’re already likely to watch for signs, look in places that have the right environments. The right time of day. The right food sources.

Peregrine Falcon does a flyover

This Peregrine Falcon (above) made two passes at me and a couple of my friends, at Gull Pond in the Forsythe refuge.  We noticed that this bird made a point of looking us over in the first pass, with a very low, high speed dash directly at us and quickly over us. It then headed back out over the refuge at high speed. Nobody got a shot off. But we talked about it. We thought that she wasn’t done with us. We were intruding in an area she was hunting, perhaps, and she wanted to know what and who we were. So we kept a watchful eye. And sure enough, 5 minutes later, we spotted her coming back toward us. And this time, she soared slowly and pulled up to circle over us for a second or two to get a really good look. And as a result, I managed this capture.

Getting to the refuge early is a good tactic. Not only are many birds most active in the early morning hours, but the refuge is undisturbed, with no cars or people having gone through. That means that birds may perch or be active right near the drivable areas. And to be on the lookout for them, as the first to come through.

One morning, Joe was out ahead of me by a good ways. He radioed me to tell me of a fantastic find. In a way only Joe could. “Eric, you’re going to freaking hate me”. “What is it, Joe…what do you have?”. “I have a Peregrine on a sign”. “Really, how far are you from it?”. “Oh, about 4 feet”.

So, needless to say, Joe was enjoying a very close up view of a Peregrine Falcon. Not an easy bird to get close to. Amazingly, this bird stayed there until I met up with Joe, even allowing me to pull beside him, just as Joe had done.

The ultimate in irony.

Peregrine Falcon, as close as you can get without kissing it.

Then there are those times where all you have learned, and all the patience, time, waiting and learning allow you to see and capture moments that will live with you for a lifetime.

I’ve had the privilege to have a bird look into my soul and know me. And allow me to know a little bit about them.

Osprey and I meet, eye to eye.

Female Merlin introduces herself

Patience.

Time.

Observing. Learning.

Persistence and dedication.

It’s where the great moments come from.

REDWINGS ARRIVE IN JANUARY DURING THE COLDEST MONTH.

Photography lends well to those who think,  “what else do you do when you look for things to grace that new roll of film or the mega pixels processed by the sensors on a digital camera?”  Then there are the times when the weather sucks like it did in the North East this year. So you comb through your files looking for things you missed all the time thinking about getting out there. I am fortunate to be able to go out pretty much when I want but most of the people I know shoot only on the weekends and there weren’t many nice ones in 2009 and so far in 2010. I never let weather bother me before the camera days so why now. I’m sure you can remember all those conversations about there not being enough light, or it’s going to rain tomorrow, and it’s freezing out there. So I thought why not use the weather and see what happens. 

A White-throated sparrow braves the winter winds.

When its blowing 40 Mi winds its a good time to test the focus on a lens.

A bee hovers the flower as the rain drops glisten on the pedats and leaves.

I had this idea of a shot while I was on one of those long periods of inactivity staring at nothing.      My first outing was to be a rainy day.  Not just any rain but the kind that runs down your back even with an umbrella.  I needed such a rain to get the effect I was looking for.  The first time I went out I thought I was pretty smart, I put on the gortex rain jacket, hip waders, carried an umbrella and had a plastic bag for the camera.  Of course I wasn’t prepared as well as you would think.  Trying to carry the tripod, camera with an extended flash and the umbrella was pretty cumbersome.  Not only that but trying to hold the umbrella and focus with the camera and subject was way too awkward for me.  Rain is one time you should shoot level or down at the subject or the lens hood will help collect water.  Then there was the walking with tree limbs catching the gear and helping send more water down my back.   Then came the realization that the umbrella I had was only good for a short time in that kind of rain before it was of no use at all, it was one of those free hand outs at some event.  I will confess that I use pro gear and the camera fared better than I did. 

As the rain fills the leaf the weight of the water tips the leaf causing a water fall to cascade.

After a few hours I did take some shots but I should have had a longer lens because with a million leaves there were only a few in the right position always farther then I wanted.   So naturally I started thinking….. about the next trip and how I would solve some of these problems. Fortunately it rained every week all summer long providing ample time to think about these problems, and so I did. 

First thing was to do some research on a more professional rain coat for the camera so I could forget about the umbrella.  I found one on the internet that was pretty cost effective and gave me a camo cover I needed anyway.  I was using a leg cut off an old pair of hunting pants.  I bought the better grade option so I could tripod the camera without taking the cover off and on.   Best money I spent because I also started to shoot HS Football and it rained every Friday night.  I hardly ever took it off.  I now felt more comfortable about the camera surviving so I headed off in the next rain storm to get that photo I had been thinking about for some time. 

Sometimes you get lucky and the water hits other leaves on the way down causing SPLATTER.

The next rain came right on schedule and I headed out to a local place that had the right type of plant. In Pennsylvania there are only two major places to find them.   The hardest part was to find the right direction because plants move to face the sun and where I wanted to be was on the opposite side.  Now here I go thinking again, thinking about the camera settings, and somewhere I’m not standing in the muck since rain and wetlands equal mucky walking.  I tried several spots until  I found the location with the right position.  I took a few test shots and began the long wait for the rain to do its job.   I had plenty of time to think about timing this shot however, too much thinking about other things sometimes called daydreaming and you miss the opportunity, having to wait till the next rain. You also have to pay attention while someone may be distracting you asking you about your rig and whatever could you be doing. It would be nice to nail the shot now because you never know about the weather and winter was coming. The plants wouldn’t be there much longer and the last thing I wanted to do is think about it till next year.   I’ve had a lot of people tell me about adding water but that’s not for me and after all, natural comes from Nature right? The weather never got any better and the winter came here too early for me.  The birds knew it was going to be ugly, and I took notice to the lack of winter food for them.  It was hard to find something worthwhile and was disappointing considering I was shooting the year before with good results.   I began to think, I used to like the winter. 

Snow covers a YOU ARE HERE sign although I don't think anyone cared today.

To know where you are going you have to know from where you came.

Winter with a camera presents a whole new problem, shooting white and not loosing detail while keeping it bright enough to show some really nice shadows.   Since buying the camera I hadn’t really encountered much snow and thought to put Yellowstone in winter on my high priority list. Foul weather in winter adds additional precautions for days out with the camera. Cold alone is enough but when you add the snow it hinders travel to and from places as well as the extra effort toting a 20 LB camera load through 30 inches of snow. I was certainly thinking about snow shoes after the first trek. Fresh snow can provide some interesting opportunities when you are the first to be there after the snow stops. It also provides some solace to think about things without being interrupted by a passerby or the sounds of civilization nearby. (Wildwood is basically a swamp in the shape of a triangle bordered on one side by major warehouses and the other two are interstate highways that merge. )    Snow can also be hard on the natives, food becomes even more scarce and wildlife cannot afford to get hurt by stepping in a hole they can’t see.   I think about those things when I am watching the snow fall through the local McDonalds window sipping the morning coffee. 

A table cloth of snow awaits diners.

Surfing was out of the question today.

Here are some things you would think obvious when going out in the weather that I learned the hard way.
• Carry an extra micro fiber cloth.
• Depending on the wind, even drifting snow will attach itself to the lense glass and rain will either put drops on the glass or become a mist much like fog.
• Squeezing the water out of a soaked cloth is better than not having any cloth at all.
• Carrying heavy gear can overheat you with all the extra clothes you need while you are thinking.
• Stepping into or down a snow bank can make you scramble to save the camera. (I hope no one was taking my picture that day)
• Warm rainy days can be bone chilling if you stay long enough.
• A gentle rain or snow fall can become extremely hazardous when wind starts blowing.

THE KISS THAT MADE ME MELT....Valentine's day gave me a present.

I don’t think winter is over yet as it is snowing outside again.  February has provided some interesting things, but you have to bundle up and get out there.  I have seen some bluebirds scraping at the boxes which is definitely a good sign.  I sure will be glad when I can put away the long underwear and boots and get back to business. 

AND YOU THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT SHOOTING IN THE RAW MODE!   Maybe next time, but I wouldn’t shoot any other way. 

Winter at its worst, snowing and blowing.

One last shot from the truck since it was cold enought to numb the hands shooting from the window. 

Trying to capture movement with the camera I tried to line up the blowing snow behind the trees.