Duckling Escape

 

Finally finding time for an evening visit to the wetlands I was eager to see some of this year's waterfowl babies.  After concealing myself on a small hummock with camouflage blind material wrapped around both myself and camera rig I was soon rewarded when a young hooded merganser swam into view. 

 

Even though I was concealed the clicking shutter gave my position away as the duckling passed close by. 

 

Alarmed, the little merganser beat a hasty retreat. 

 

Throwing up a wake much like that of a motor boat!

Exposed: Green Heron

Although quite common around wetlands and creeks in our area, Green Herons seldom expose themselves to photographers or birdwatchers.  The most common sightings of them are when they suddenly flush from the thick brush and just as quickly drop back into it after a short flight. 

This time I was the one concealed in the thick foliage when as a green heron hunted the marsh.  A few minutes before these photos were taken I was able to observe this bird catch and swallow a good sized bullfrog however intervening leaves prevent photography. 

With neck extended the appearance of the green heron is strikingly different than when it is pulled tight against their body as seen in the image below.

 

  

Sora Rail & Snapping Turtle

Sora Rail with Snapping Turtle in foreground

Hoping to photograph the resident wood ducks I set up in the willows surrounding a wetlands last evening.  However the wood ducks proved too wary picking me out easily although I was set up in camo clothing and screened by the thick willows surrounding the water.  About forty-five minutes after settling in a movement through a screen of leaves caught my attention.  Focusing my binos I was super surprised to see a sora rail feeding in the shallow water.  This was my very first ever sighting of a sora!  Cautiously moving the camera to clear the nearby foliage I noticed a V wake quickly approaching the rail, a snapper on the attack!  As the wake reached land the snapping turtle lunged at the rail and just as quickly the agile sora hopped out of the snappers reach.

The rail kept a safe distance from the snapper as it circled about.

And decided to continue it foraging elsewhere.

Pennsylvania is listed as part of the sora rail's breeding range however in all of my years spending considerable time outdoors this was my first encounter.

After the rail had left the scene the snapper hauled out on the small hump and began digging into it.  As it dug I noticed that flies were buzzing around it that there were many feathers.  It was then that I realized that I was looking at the remains of some type of bird.  Whether it was a snapper kill or a dead duck that the snapper had lain claim to I have no way of knowing however I do think it evident that the snapper was protecting his food from an intruder; in this case the secretive little sora rail.

After lying there watching for a few minutes the snapper quietly slid off into the water.  No doubt staying nearby, watchful for any other creature nearing its cache.

Anhinga

Anhinga:  Viera Wetlands

No Florida wetlands bird shoot would be complete with out photographing Anhingas.  Found around lakes and wetlands, anhingas are frequently seen perched often with wings half spread.  I photographed this bird during the golden glow of sunset.

Immature Anhinga:  Viera Wetlands

Noticing movement on a palm trunk a closer look revealed an immature anhinga.  This photo was captured at sundown as well.

Anhinga with Catfish:  Circle B Bar Reserve

Walking along a hiking path at the Circle B Bar Reserve we spotted this anhinga struggling with its catch.  Although the catfish is quite small the anhinga repositioned it a number of times before swallowing; apparently out of concern for its dagger sharp fins.

Beautiful White Death Stalks the Marshes

Silent as a ghost, a Great Egret stalks the marsh

And captures its prey with a quick strike

To us the great egret is a creature of beauty and grace; for its prey it is their worst nightmare came true.

The above images were captured at the Ritch Grissom Memorial Wetlands at Viera

Hoodies, Woodies, and Honkers

My spring waterfowl photography at a local wetlands has been more difficult than expected this year.  The birds are always wary but this year they have been doubly so.  Finding empty shotgun hulls strewn about indicated that some hunting activity had taken place sometime during the last week of Canada goose season in late February.  The scare has apparently not been forgotten.

After a number of unsuccessful attempts I decided to make an early morning attempt but walking in and setting up the blind well before daylight.  Settling back for a nap once the blind was up the sounds coming from the wetlands told of Canada geese, wood ducks, mallards, hooded mergansers, and assorted frogs.  As the faint light of a new day began brightening the eastern sky flocks could be heard taking off.  By full light most of the waterfowl had departed.  This hooded merganser cruised into view about 30 yards away.  At the first shutter click he reversed course, swimming rapidly for cover.  I could here his calling from various parts of the wetlands throughout the morning. 

Around 8:30am a small flock of wood ducks cruised past.  The male woodies are our most colorful duck and as with the hooded merganser the calm water reflected him perfectly.

One hen accompanied the flock of males.  Her muted colors suit her perfectly for the upcoming nesting season.

A flock of common grackles perched nearby and treated me to the loud singing.  I always look forward the seeing the flocks of grackles each spring.  During the 1960's and '70's huge flocks would descend each spring.  By the 1980's the big flocks were gone and only small flocks of a few dozen birds were seen.  I have began to notice during the last few years that the flock sizes seem to be growing once again however they are still no match for the massive flocks of forty years ago.

Before leaving the wetlands I spotted this Canada nesting on a small hummock just above waterline.  I have taken photographs of geese on the nest before but this is my first nesting reflection shot.

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.

Wetland Chance Encounters

I am accustomed to spotting wood ducks, hooded mergansers, and mallards during my frequent visits to the wetlands but during a recent visit I was surprised to spot this unusual pair.  The mallard showed all the signs of wanting to flee but with his partner showed little concern.  In the end the mallard's fear won out as the pair glided off to a quieter area of the marsh.

What kind of duck is it?  Darned if I know, probably a domestic cross breed that found it preferred the marsh over waddling around lawns and barnyards.

Green Herons frequent the marsh but the surrounding willows overhanging the water's edge seldom allow a chance for a photograph.  My normal sighting occurs when a green heron flushes from cover.  That all changed when this heron pick a high observation spot near my hide.  I shot a few images, none noteworthy.  Suddenly something caught its attention and for a moment its crest lifted.  The raised crest imparted the little bit of extra oomph I was looking for.

When I pick up the camera and head into the outdoors I usually have a particular target species in mind but ofttimes return having captured something unexpected.  On this particular outing my goal was to check in on the young mallards, wood ducks and mergansers.  I didn't encounter any ducklings on this visit but the odd duck and green heron more than made up for it. 

Mallard Family

As spring progresses new life is bursting forth and a wetland is just the ticket to a ringside seat where one can observe, photograph, and thoroughly enjoy this wonderful time of year.

Quietly hidden away along the shore I waited in hopes of photographing passing waterfowl.  After observing adult Canada geese, adult wood ducks at a distance and young hooded mergansers feeding along the brush choked shoreline I suddenly noticed ripples on the water coming from my right.  A moment later the mallard hen and her ducklings swam into view about thirty feet away.  Knowing that the click of the shutter would draw her attention I waited for a good composition before pressing the shutter button.

Instantly she was aware of my presence and began gathering her brood.

And quickly led them away to the safety as the entire family disappeared into the partially submerged willows.

As I have noted before these ducks are totally wild and will flee at the slightest hint of danger.  Only fifteen seconds elapsed between the first image that caught her unaware and the last where they are approaching cover as they flee from the perceived danger.   

Mallards are just as wild as they need to be to survive.  In parks they think nothing of waddling around looking for handouts but here where hunting and predators thin their ranks they are as wary as any other waterfowl, even as wary as the elusive Wood Duck. 

Sunday Evening Surprise

Finding a couple of free hours Sunday evening I headed to the local wetlands eager to see if any young ducks were about. As I moved into position I spotted a wood duck hen leading a large brood along the water's edge screened by the overhanging brush.  Disapointed that I was unable to photograph the young woodies I hid along the shoreline hoping for activity to develop.   Some time later this colorful male swam into view just long enough for a couple of quick clicks before he sought safety elsewhere.

Fifteen minutes later I was caught totally off guard by this family of Hooded Mergansers as they swam into view at close range from my left; the blind side of this shooting location. Try as I might I could not find them in the camera's viewfinder until they were nearly out of sight leaving me with a shot that is not nearly as sharp as I desired. Even though I failed in obtaining a "print" quality image I was still pleased to be able to document this year's first encounter with the young hoodies.

Thunder Storms & Wood Ducks

Our weather has been unsettled the last few weeks.  This has made it difficult to work in some good camera time between my work schedule, chores and the frequent rains.  Tuesday evening the sky looked as if it may break so I took the chance and headed to the wetlands.  Only a couple of miles from home and rain drops began hitting the windshield and the sky became darker by the moment.  By the time I had the gear ready to head into the wetland the rain was pelting steadily down with the occasional flash of lightening followed by the clap of thunder.  A roofed in pavilion sits near one edge of the wetlands so I took cover as the storm passed through.

I made this shot during the storm showing a willow beginning to green contrasting with the browns of winter.

When the rain slowed I headed in and set up hoping for duck activity and I didn't have long to wait.  I could hear a female wood duck calling and soon she and a group of males swam into sight.  It was obvious they had mating on their minds.  The female was swimming about quacking loudly followed by the group of males.  At times she would drop her head into the water while either chasing a male or being pursued by one.  With the light levels very low and shutter speed in the pit I still attempted to capture the intense action taking place in front of me.

400mm , F5.6, ISO400, 1/45

The storm moved away and light had improved a slight bit when this male came very near my hide.  This first click of the shutter brought him to a stand still; just what I needed and for the next few frames he remained stationary before raising his crest in alarm and swimming off into the surround cover.  For the remainder of the evening I could hear the female calling and the occasion splashing as the woodies continued their mating ritual nearby.  

Red-shouldered Hawk

Taking advantage of clearing skies last evening I headed to the wetlands concealing myself in hopes of close-up waterfowl encounters.  The waterfowl eluded me but during my wait this Red-shouldered Hawk suddenly swooped into view.  Landing in a low growing tree it was obvious that the hawk was hunting.  During the time it spent there I watched it swoop down twice and each time staying out of sight on the ground for a few minutes.  The second time it reappeared it still had feathers in its beak so I must assume that some hapless song bird had become dinner.

Keeping the camera trained upon the hawk I was ready for the take-off when it came

Shooting continuous rapid fire I managed two decent shots before the bird moved completely out of focus.

These shots are not as sharp as I would prefer but the distance was quite long for my 400mm lens and the images you see here are heavily cropped.  Certainly not portrait quality images but they are a great reminder of a wonderful outdoor experience watching the Red-shouldered Hawk successfully hunt.

Canada Shots

Canada Geese, while once only migrants passed over our area, have now developed a substantial resident population.  This goose allows its head to drain as it momentarily holds it's head aloft after feeding on submerged vegetation.

Frost highlights the feathers of this Canada's back as stands guard watching for intruders as it mate sits on the nearby nest.  This goose was not fooled by my efforts to hide and kept me under close scrutiny while keeping a thin screen of branches between us. 

During early March we experienced above normal temperatures but since the arrival of spring the mercury has plummeted and condition are more winter-like with snow falling during the past two nights and more forecast for tonight.  Here at the lower elevations the snow is melting nearly as quickly as it falls but the surrounding mountains are snow capped.

Ring-necked Ducks

Ring-necked ducks pass through our area each spring and can be found on both lakes and marshes.  They are one of our earlier arrivals and only stay a month or so during their journey northward.  This shot was taken during our recent Middle Creek visit.  This pothole lies along the road near the visitor center.  This is one of the few places where one can get close to the water but the ducks normally shy away from the photographers and birders keeping towards the middle of the pond making close up shots nearly impossible.

The Ring-necked ducks at the local wetlands are more wary than their Middle Creek counterparts but by using camo techniques I captured this image of a male a few days ago.

With only an hour to go before sunset I headed into the wetlands this evening.  Traveling light I carried only the camera, tripod, and a strip of camo material.  Arriving at a suitable location I simply covered myself and the camera with the material and settled in to wait.

A small flock of Ring-necked ducks had taken flight as I was arriving and soon returned landing behind  a screen of brush.  The males were pursuing females but were very careful to not expose themselves to me. However after some time had elapsed and the sun had dipped beneath the horizon this one male finally scooted into the open while the hen remains partially obscured behind a screen of brush.

This was the only shot of the evening for the click of the camera sent him swimming for cover.

Winter Transition

A visit to the wetlands yesterday proved somewhat of a disappointment.  A warm spell last weekend opened some of the water and Canada Geese and a flock of Mallards were present.  Colder weather during the past week had refrozen most of the open areas and the waterfowl had fled.  By shooting directly into the sun the extreme contrast of this shot makes it appear as a black&white.

A shot of the cattails locked in ice appears as though winter still has the wetlands locked in it cold embrace.

However in another spot where the water is very shallow the vegetation has adsorbed enough of the sun's energy to met the ice.

Returning home I passed a small pond where a group of Red-winged Blackbirds were hanging out.  Backing up and pulling off the road I managed this shot from the open car window.  I first noticed the red-winged blackbird's arrival last Saturday.  Looking back through my records over the past few years I see that they are right on time as they typically arrive around the third week of February.

The forecast for this week begins with warm temps and heavy rain tomorrow followed by highs in the 40's and 50's the remainders of the week.  The ice cover present now will most certainly be replaced by waterfowl as they follow the ice-out in their northward journey.

Mid-Summer Critters

A Wood Duck hen takes her little family on an evening feeding cruise.

 Mid-Summer is a delightful time to be in the fields, forest, & wetlands barring biting insects, heat, humidity, and poisonous snakes.

Mating Dragonflies utilize submerged vegetation as a resting place appearing as if they are standing on the water.

A Whitetail Fawn wrinkles its nose while posing nicely for its portrait.

Soon the cool autumn breezes will begin blowing ushering in a new season with new opportunities but for now I am very contented to enjoy the beauty that mid-summer blesses us with.

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