Wildlife Photography: A Thrilling and Satisfying Endeavor

Male Pintail

For me wildlife photography is filled with thrills and the sense of accomplishment.  The pintail is a species that I have never photographed in my home area.  So to find a few of them scattered among the thousands of Canada Geese and Mallards at Blackwater NWR was a thrill in and of itself.  Adding a few good photographs of the stately birds to my portfolio gave me a considerable feeling of satisfaction of a job well done.

Mallard Flushing

While Mallards are common throughout our area, capturing the fast paced action as they spring almost vertically into flight is great fun.  In this instance the Mallards were flushing singly and in pairs as they flew from the marsh to the nearby fields to feed.

Female Northern Harrier

And it's always a thrill aiming the camera at a fast flying raptor.  Northern Harriers hunt by flying low over swamps and grassy meadows.  With their owl shaped face to concentrate sound, they use their acute hearing to assist in locating prey. 

Great Blue Heron

And as common as they are, photographing a Great Blue Heron as it stands as still as a statute is always a pleasure.  This heron waiting for its next meal to swim by may be using the pilings as a way to concentrate prey.

All creatures from tiny insects to the largest of beast can provide the wildlife photographer with thrills; capturing the creatures in beautiful photographs, that's where the satisfaction comes in. 





Images from Blackwater

Blackwater NWR contains a vibrant wildlife community and much of the wildlife is acclimated to a degree of human presence.  This works wonders for the photographer since the critters do not flee at the first sight of humans.  This is not to say that one can approach closely as visitors are restricted and the wildlife is wild, unlike the birds found in city parks. 

The Canada geese tolerate humans at a distance; 80-100 yards seems to be their comfort range.

Small groups of geese took flight throughout the morning as they flew to the neighboring fields to feed.

Blackwater has both freshwater and brackish water habitat.  Muskrat lodges dotted the brackish water swamps.  Although we did not spot any muskrats during our visits their lodges indicate a substantial population.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron, Blackwater NWR

Blackwater, a Refuge for Waterfowl

Unregulated market hunting nearly destroyed our wildlife resources.  I have read where the great migrating flocks of Canada geese that wintered around the Chesapeake Bay were virtually destroyed by the time meaningful regulation began protecting the tiny remnant populations that remained.

Both federal and state laws were established to protect both waterfowl and habitat.  The federal migratory bird hunting stamp act was signed into law by President Roosevelt in 1934.  The money generated through the sale of "duck stamps", basically a federal permit required of all hunters targeting migratory waterfowl, was to be used for the single purpose of purchasing wetlands to create what is now known as the National Wildlife Refuge System.   

A visit to a refuge clearly illustrates how well this program is working.

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Camera Critters

Red-winged Blackbird: Blackwater NWR

Red-winged Blackbirds normally arrive in my area about the third week of February.  I always look forward to their arrival as an early harbinger of spring.  However apparently some winter on Maryland's Eastern Shore as they have been present on both of our recent visits to Blackwater NWR.  Needless to say it was a pleasure to hear the song I associate with spring on a mid winter day.

Back to Blackwater

 Deciding to utilize the unseasonably warm weather forecast for this week Willard and I again visited Blackwater NWR Wednesday.  Arriving before the refuge opened we stopped at the canoe launch along MD 355 to photograph the dawn.  A few light showers were moving through the area making for dramatic skies.

 Later in the morning a partial rainbow developed where we were photographing waterfowl near the entrance to wildlife drive.  Not taking time to change lenses, I used the 600mm to make this capture.

A distant eagle surveys its domain.

Northern Shovelers: Blackwater NWR

 Northern Shovelers feeding in Blackwater NWR freshwater marsh

 An Audubon field guide marks the Chesapeake Bay as the Northern Shovelers northern-most wintering range.  During our recent visit to Blackwater we found a small flock dabbling in one of the freshwater marsh impoundments.  This is a species that I have encounterd only once in my home area so to encounter them here was a special photo opportunity for me.

The shovelers were so engaged in feeding that it nearly every frame I captured had numerous ducks tipping.

American Coot

The thousands of geese present at Blackwater can cause the casual viewer to miss many of the other inhabitants of the wetlands.  At first glance the geese may be all that you see but a closer look reveals many other species mixed in.  One of those species, the subject of today's post is the American Coot.

Although they look much like a duck and swim like a duck they aren't ducks; Coots are member of the rail family.  Unlike the other species of rail, the coot has lobed feet; an adaptation that makes them excellent swimmers. 

I could count the number of times I have encountered coots in my home area on the fingers of one hand so I was very pleased to be able to photograph this pair of American Coots foraging at Blackwater NWR.

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Blackwater Honkers

Canada geese are by far the most commonly seen wildlife at Blackwater NWR.  The waterfowl was concentrated in the freshwater marshes to the right of wildlife drive. 

Some time after sunup the waterfowl flew to the fields that lay along Key Wallace Drive where thousands upon thousands of Canada geese could be seen foraging on the food plots.  I found it interesting that the huge flocks paid no attention to passing vehicles.  However upon slowing the geese would begin running directly away with a few taking flight.  Their reaction to slowing vehicles makes me wonder if there is a problem in the area with persons shooting from vehicles. 

Mixed with the geese were various species of ducks.  Here a male pintail and two females swim by some resting Canadas.

Day Tripping: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Needing a photo-fix Willard and I visited Blackwater NWR this morning.  Located on Maryland's eastern shore near Cambridge, Blackwater is a wintering area for many species of waterfowl as well as a good number of Bald Eagles. 

Great Blue Herons are plentiful as well.  At one point five herons were in sight at stalking across the tidal flats in search of prey.

Throughout the morning we observed Canada geese, snow geese, tundra swans, northern shovelers, mallards, pintails, hooded mergansers, and northern harriers.  I will be post images more images from Blackwater NWR in the coming days.