Belted Kingfisher

Stopping by a local creek to check for waterfowl I caught sight of a belted kingfisher sitting on a branch overhanging the water.  With no chance for a photo because of intervening brush and a locked gate precluding me moving the car any farther my only chance for a photo was to get out of the vehicle.  As I expected the kingfisher flew away as the car door opened.

Moments later the kingfisher flew past again.  Looking at the overhanging branch I realized that it was a perfect lookout spot.  Knowing that kingfishers will use a favored perch repeatedly I decided there was a good chance that the bird would soon return.  Setting up the camera rig I waited motionless and was rewarded with the kingfisher returning withing about 15 minutes. However I had not taken into account a nearby tree just to the left of the perch.  Although I had a clear view of the bird the out-of-focus tree washed soft color across the image keeping it from being the image I had hoped for.

At times it is desirable to use nearby out of focus objects to impart softness and color to an image;  however this time it was not the case.

A short time later I spotted the kingfisher a considerable distance way creating quite a commotion.  I have observed kingfishers catching fish by diving but this bird was flying low over the water repeatedly submerging and emerging.  My guess would be that it was taking a bath, however I am not familiar enough with kingfisher behaviour to be certain. 

Visit Camera Critters and post your own Critter for all to enjoy

Nibbling

Nibbling on a frost covered twig a whitetail buck fawn shows off his tiny antler.

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit Misty's

Camera Critters

Capturing the Feeder Critters

During this first week of Pa firearms deer season I spent quite a bit of morning and evening time at the bird feeders.  It's pretty easy to take pictures of feeder birds so instead I have been concentrating on making close-up photographs in dramatic light as you seen with the male cardinal in my last post.

Here a Tufted Titmouse poses nicely in the warm evening sunlight.  The background was heavily shadowed.  Since a camera cannot record the light range seen by the human eye, exposing the bird properly rendered the shadows as black, just the combination I was looking for.

The early morning sun coming from in front of the squirrel creates an interesting play of light and shadow across this image.  The combination of highlights and shadows add depth to the image that would not be present if the sun were in the traditional over the shoulder position. 

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit Misty's

Camera Critters

"Outahere"

 

A beautiful pair of Whitetail Bucks hurry away upon the approach of a coyote

Shenandoah National Park, Va

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit Misty's

Camera Critters Blog

Changing of the Coats

With Autumn just around the corner the whitetails are changing into their winter coats. 

The change comes on slowly.  For the adults the reddish summer hair begins to thin revealing the new soft velvety undercoat.  The adult doe pictured here has shed nearly all of her summer coat with the exception of that on her head and legs.  In the coming weeks the now short soft hair covering her body will grow into the long insulating coat she will need to survive winter's cold.

The alert fawn is also showing the signs of change as its brilliant spots are fading away.  

For more Critters of all Kinds

visit an participate at

Camera Critters

Proboscis

A Fritillary displays its Proboscis curled moments after landing on a thistle.

The butterflies proboscis is the flexible specialized mouth part that allows it to sip nectar from deep within a flower.

As the butterfly prepares to feed it begins to extend the proboscis.  Note the loosening curls.

Now fully extended the proboscis is moving to rapidly for my shutter to freeze its movement as the butterfly probes for nectar.

Images posted above were taken with a Canon 60D, 100-400mm lens and 25mm extension tube

For more Critters of All Kinds

Visit Misty at

Camera Critters

 & Join in with

A Critter of you Own

The Ospreys Return

Shortly after slipping the boat into the lake yesterday morning I spotted a pair of Ospreys circling overhead and then swooping in to land in a dead tree, my first osprey sighting this season. 

With the ospreys back lit by the brightening eastern sky I focused on shooting silhouettes of the graceful birds.

While processing wildlife photos I most often attempt to duplicate the scene as I observed it however with this set of images I strayed into the realm of processing as I would have liked the scene to appear.

Although osprey sightings at this lake are quite common throughout the season I have not observed any signs of nesting.  Perhaps this will be the year; I can always hope!

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit our friend Misty at

CAMERA CRITTERS

Camera Critters: Great Blue Heron

Lately our weather has established a pattern of the warmest and brightest days occurring during the week accompanied by cool damp dreary weekends.  Today was no exception with heavy clouds and temps hovering in the lower 40s.  Not allowing a day off work to pass me by I headed out with the boat shortly after daybreak.  A bass tournament was in progress when I arrived at the lake; an event the I believe was responsible for the absence of ducks but the fishermen didn't seem to bother the thirty or more horned grebes and three loons busy feeding on perch spawn. 

The best photo op of the day happened when I located this Great Blue Heron that allowed me to drift the boat reasonably close to it location.  The heron used a fishing tactic which I had never observed before.  Instead of wading slowly in the shallows as most do this bird flew from stump to stump checking for prey holding close to the structure.  The tactics were working well for the bird as I witnessed it strike a number of times.  This last photo caught the bird just as it recovers from an unsuccessful strike while water drips from its bill.

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit Misty

At her Fabulous

Camera Critters  

Three Year Olds

With the onset of spring the old winter coat is getting a little itchy.  Camera Critters turns 3 today so I thought it fitting to post this unique soon-to-be three year old.

New antler growth can be easily seen on the damaged right pedicel.  I wonder how his new antlers will develop considering his old injury.

This December photo shows how his injury sustained during the 2010 rut displaced his pedicel, turning it forward at an odd angle.

How quickly time flies, why it only seems like a short time ago that Misty invited me to participate in the very first Camera Critters, Wow!  Congratulation Misty and thanks for hanging in there and keeping it going!

If you have never linked up with a Camera Critters post then don't delay!  Click HERE, grab a badge, post a Critter, and link up with one of the Best memes out there!

And the Spring Migrations Begin..........

As winter recedes northward the spring migration of waterfowl follows.  Last weekend the wetland was covered in ice but now with the ice gone it is covered with migrating waterfowl.  What a difference one week can make!

Visiting the wetlands yesterday afternoon I was able to identify Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, Mallards, and Hooded Mergansers, pictured above.  From this assortment this hoodie male was the only one that I was able to catch off guard long enough to get good photos. 

This was my first wildlife shoot with a new Canon 60D.  I have been using a 30D for the past 3 1/2 years.  With over 200,000 shutter cycles and digital technology moving forward rapidly I decided it was time for an upgrade.  The only disappointment with the 60D so far is actually my fault.  I didn't research it well enough to realize that it used a different remote release than did my 30D.  I consider a remote an essential part of my wildlife photography equipment as simply touching the camera while on a tripod will introduce camera shake which in turn will keep the image from being as sharp as it could be. 

As I crouched behind the camera totally wrapped in camouflage and hidden in the brush surrounding the water the clicking of the shutter was what gave me away.  Cocking his head sideways to get a better view the male hooded merganser soon decided that other parts of the marsh were less crowded and swam away. 

The spring waterfowl migration has become one of my most anticipated annual events, a season that I look forward to with great anticipation, the same anticipation that a child may anticipate Christmas or a hunter anticipate deer season.  Now that "my" season has begun the challenge will be to find enough time to photograph the beautiful travelers as they pass through.

  

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit Misty at her

Camera Critters Blog

Ice-out: Waterfowl Sightings Increase

With the arrival of warmer temps streams, lakes, and wetlands are beginning to open.  As soon as open water appears waterfowl begins appearing also.  I found this group of Common Mergansers swimming in a stream among the floating ice during last weekend's ice-out

Tiring of the photographers attention the mergansers soon decided to relocate to a more secluded spot on the stream.

Each winter I await the coming of spring with much anticipation.  The spring waterfowl migrations are for me the most exciting part of the season.  During the autumn migrations waterfowl is hunted all along their journey making the birds wary and extremely difficult to photograph.  The spring migration finds the birds much more trusting as nearly all waterfowl hunting seasons are closed.  Let the hunters have the fall, I'll take spring anytime; a time when I can hunt the beautiful birds passing through our area with no competition.

For more Critters of All Kinds

Visit Misty's

Camera Critters

Pennsylvania's Wild Pets & More

With approximately ten percent of Pennsylvania's small elk herd wearing collars its not hard to see why many view these trusting animals as free ranging pets.  I counted four collared animals in one small herd browsing along Rt. 555 yesterday morning.

A young bull displays his tracking collar from along the roadside on Winslow Hill

Vandals struck at the new Elk Country Visitor Center when someone shot the elk silhouette atop the entrance sign.  Rawley Cogan told us the gunshot damage happened last weekend.

Two shots marked the side towards town with four shots hitting the other side.  

Cogan indicated that vandalism was considered during the design of this sign.  The sign is made from 1/4" steel plate which kept damage to a minimum.  Sad commentary on the human species that some always must destroy what others have worked so hard for.

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit our friend Misty's

Camera Critters Blog

Northern Cardinals

Winter's cold & snow brings the Northern Cardinals flocking to feeding stations.  While they are most seen in winter Cardinals are non-migratory, spending the entire year in the same area.  Lack of leafy cover and their quest for food coupled with their bright colors is what makes them more obvious during the winter months.

Although not as gaudy as their male counterpart the female is a beautiful bird too with her more subdued colors.

Shortly after arriving at our bird shooting area this afternoon Willard & me were joined by Jean from Nature & More and her husband Andy.  The Cardinals didn't seem to mind the additional cameras much and were soon posing for their portraits.

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit Camera Critters

And then

Join In!

Camera Critters

Cold weather doesn't slow down the frisky gray squirrels if anything their activity picks up around feeding locations.  Whereas gray squirrels are active early morning and late evening during the warmer months now their active times begins later in the morning and dwindles in the early afternoon.

The squirrel pictured is busying itself shelling sunflower seeds.  If you look closely you will notice the pieces of sunflower hulls flying from his paws.

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit and Participate in Misty's

Camera Critters 

Whitetail Family

A Whitetail family feeding under a leafless apple tree alerts to my early morning arrival.  A moment later with tails held high in the cold dim light of the predawn they made their escape. 

As winter's hold strengthens and snow depths increase the never ending search to find an adequate food supply becomes more and more of a struggle for the Whitetail Deer. 

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit Misty's

Camera Critters Blog

Naked

The thermometer read 8 degrees when I headed out this morning, the coldest morning yet this winter.  The snow squeaked under my feet as I walked to the truck.  Bundled up as I was the cold quickly began seeping through the thick layers of clothing. 

After watching and photographing this squirrel I was convinced that not only was the cold bothering me but it was bothering the squirrel as well.  While the little guy sat on lookout he would clutch one front paw to his body warming it in his thick fur.  A few moments later the squirrel would switch paws giving each paw equal treatment.  

Come what may; cold, heat, rain, snow or sun ,wildlife meets the challenges of the environment head on.  Survival depends upon the abilitly to find food and shelter without being able to alter their environment in any great way.  

If we humans could not alter our environment any more than wildlife we would never have became the most successful species inhabiting the earth.  I shudder to think what facing this morning would have been like if I had to face it naked, like this little squirrel!

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit all of the Critters at

Misty's Camera Critters Blog  

Deer Season Ends

After three and one half months deer season finally came to a close this evening.  First it was archery, then a week of muzzleloader, back to archery then to gun, a short break followed by three weeks of flintlock and archery combined.  Now the deer will be safe from lawful human predators for eight months. 

This yearling apparently thinks that the end of the deer hunting season is something to kick her heels up about as she kicks up a cloud of snow playing with her sibling.

The coming weeks will not be easy for the deer as winter's cold and snow will test their strength.  The season of the hunger moon is upon us and the deer will need to spend more and more time in their quest for nutritious food to sustain their bodies.  Coyotes will occasionally test the deer looking for weakness in a particular animal.  With the coming of spring life will become easier but survival in the wild is always a challenge.  With the guns silenced the deer have one less thing to worry about in the coming days.

For more Critters of all Kinds

Visit our friends at

Misty's Camera Critters Blog