On the Water: Raystown Lake

Yesterday, as I read today's weather forecast calling for mild temps reaching a high of nearly 60, I decided to burn a vacation day and spend today on the water.  Arriving at the James Creek boat ramp before sunrise I found the lake enveloped in a thick bank of fog.  It wasn't until after 9:00 am that the fog lifted enough to see the sun.

After the fog burned away I was motoring slowly along the shoreline with the electric motor when I spotted a little Pied-billed Grebe.  Scooping up the Canon 60D with the Canon 100-400 lens I slowly eased the boat towards the grebe.  While pied-billed grebes are normally more tolerant of humans than most of the duck species this particular bird was far more tolerant than most.

Not only did this little bird allow me to approach but it resumed fishing and rewarded me with a shot of it surfacing with a minnow grasp in its bill.  A few minutes later it again surfaced only a couple of feet from the boat with a tiny bluegill but none of the shots were sharp enough to be usable.

As the grebe swam about I was able to capture a number of reflection shots with this being one of the best of the series.

Appearing to stand up in the water, the little grebe shook its body apparently to dislodge water that had become trapped under its feathers.

Pied-billed Grebe shaking off.

Freshly fluffed the grebe swam towards the waters edge and dived; in search of fish.  Satisfied with the grebe photo-shoot I took the hint putting the camera down and picking up the rod.

Waterfowl on the Move

Spending a few hours on a local lake Friday it was evident that the fall waterfowl migration is gaining momentum.  The number of pied-billed grebes has grown considerably in the past week.  Whereas I had been spotting just four pied-billed grebes during each visit the last few weeks on this visit as I trolled the length of the lake small groups of grebes were feeding along the entire shoreline.  Most were wary of the boat however this one allowed me to approach very closely.  

The surprise of the day came when I encountered a coot feeding near the shoreline.

 While coots are a common enough bird, finding them in my area is uncommon.  I could probably count all of my local coot sightings on one hand.  The best part of the sighting was that the coot wasn't the least concerned about my presence and continued to feed regardless of how close I approached.

By mid-day the calm morning had given way to windy conditions as dark clouds scuttled across the sky.  With the lake becoming increasingly choppy it was time to leave but not before snapping this shot of a canoe posed against a tapestry of autumn color. 

Pied-billed Grebe with Crayfish

Pied-billed grebe are the most common nesting grebe is the eastern US.  Their range extends from our southern border well into Canada. The pied-billed grebe's diet consist mainly of fish, aquatic insects and crustaceans. 

I photographed this bird at Florida's Viera Wetlands as it attempted to eat a large crayfish

Grasping the crayfish with its stout bill, it repeatedly shook it violently to break its body into manageable pieces.

The grebe's catch attracted the attention of other a group of coots who pursued the grebe attempting to steal the crayfish.  The little grebe responded to their attempts by swimming rapidly away to a more secluded area.

Horned Grebe

The horned grebe is another migrant species that passes through my area.

Horned grebes spend much of their time feeding near the shoreline however I am most successful photographing them from the boat.

Horned grebe's dive frequently while actively feeding.  Diving is also a preferred tactic to evade danger.  Underwater, the grebe's can travel considerable distances swiftly.

While they are strong fliers it they patter across the surface upon takeoff building momentum much like an airplane gains speed on a runway.

On The Move

 Last seen heading north in mid-May the Loons are now passing through on their way south

While on the water Thursday I noticed twin wakes cutting across the placid surface some distance away.  A quick peak through binos confirmed that a pair of feeding loons were causing the disturbance.  Unable to approach closely for portrait shots I was content with a more distant shot that included the reflection of the colorful autumn foliage.

Pied-billed Grebes are also among the waterbirds moving south for the winter

A Great Blue Heron watches stoically from a lake side log

The great blue herons however are in no hurry to move.  Instead they will remain as long as open water can be found.  A few birds will remain throughout the winter feeding along the spring-fed streams that remain ice-free.

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Catch of the Day

Today, with fishing slow, I was more than pleased when I spotted a pied-billed grebe feeding along the shoreline.  This particular bird showed no fear of the boat and allowed me to approach to within twenty feet as it continued diving into the submerged vegetation.

Birds by Boat

Heading out on the water at this time of year one never knows what wildlife encounters that awaits.  During a recent outing I noticed a pair of gulls arrive and immediately begin fishing.  Moving closer I made this wing shot as one of the Bonaparte's Gulls hovered nearby.  These tiny gulls are common visitors to my area during both their spring and autumn migration.  This bird is still sporting its winter plumage.

Horned Grebe's in both winter and breeding plumage are also common during the spring migration.  They can be quite wary and difficult to photograph.  Usually they dive while still out of camera range.  This time I guessed correctly and steered the boat to intercept the grebe when it surfaced managing a couple of shots before it again submerged.

Rounding a bend in the shoreline I was already within range of a Ring-necked duck pair when I came into sight.  They immediately took flight allowing only a moment to capture the male in an explosion of spray.