I Did Not See A Thing All Day!

While processing a few images from the last couple of days of attempting to photograph the ongoing whitetail rut I was reminded of my days as a deputy conservation officer.  One would meet successful hunters, happy with the outcome of their day afield and others who were far less than satisfied with their hunt and ofttimes the entire Pennsylvania Game Commissions deer management program.  It was very common for these unhappy individuals to question "Where are all the deer?" The question frequently peppered with a variety of expletives.  Another commonly heard comment, likewise spiced with expletives was " I didn't see a thing all day!  

As I scrolled through some of my latest images I thought about how sad it is that some people can spend a day afield without seeing anything.  While its quite possible to not encounter the particular species that one is seeking, only a person without an appreciation for nature can spend a day in the outdoors without seeing anything.

The images below are from a recent day afield, a day when I was unsuccessful in my quest for rutting whitetails.    

Wildlife Activity Increases as November Begins

With a good portion of the leaves now down and a chilly nip in the air, wildlife activity is picking up here in South Central Pennsylvania.  Bucks are beginning to become more active as the rut nears.  This young buck paused momentarily from sparring with a round hay bale when I clicked this shot. 

 

Although nearly half the size of their mothers, fawns continue to nurse.  Nursing sessions now last only a few seconds.  If a fawn begins to nurse you had better shoot fast if you wish to capture a phtograph for it will be over in 10-15 seconds.

 

The does will soon wean the fawns.  While nursing at the beginning of November is common I have never observed fawns nursing from Thanksgiving week on.

 

Squirrels are very active now feeding and hoarding nuts for winter.

 

We have two varieties of squirrel living in my home area, the fox squirrel pictured here and the gray squirrel pictured below.  In years past it was not uncommon to spot the occasional red squirrel however for whatever reason the red squirrels have disappeared from the area. 

Gray squirrels are our most common squirrel and account for probably 75% of my squirrel sightings.

 

While not as noisy now as during the nesting season, the red-bellied woodpeckers are easily spotted as visibility improves in the woodland with the summer's leaves drifting to the ground.  Year-around residents, the red-bellied woodpeckers can be counted on to provide a bright spot of color in the outdoors no matter the season. 

Stream Sitting and a Lifer

With a heat wave blanketing much of the country my home area in South Central Pennsylvania was not spared.  Humid air and temperatures into the mid to upper 90's had us seeking either air-conditioned quarters or at the very least shady areas.

 

With the temperatures soring I decided to spend an evening stream sitting in a section of creek that boarders our family farm.  With a camp chair slung over one shoulder and the camera, tripod, and 600mm lens over the other I waded to where I could set up in a spot of shade with water deep enough to help keep me cool but shallow enough to allow for safe camera operation. 

 

Wildlife became active shortly after I settled in.  The first visitor, a muskrat, arrived and began feeding in the shallows.  While muskrats were plentiful here in the 1960's it has only been in recent years that I have again began seeing them with any regularity. 

A pair of Belted Kingfishers were busy flying up and down the creek, occasionally diving to catch prey from water below.  It was during one of these fly-bys that the female perched on an overhanging branch.
 

 

Male and Female Belted Kingfishers can be identified by the banding on their chest.  The male sports one blue band with the female usually displays two; a wide blue band with a thinner chestnut band below.  The female pictured here carries two chestnut or copper colored bands.

 

The most encounter of the evening was when I spotted a Red-headed Woodpecker clinging on a dead tree.  This was the first time I have observed and identified this species.

And what made it even more special was the immature woodpeckers that began to materialize as first one, then two and finally three young birds were spotted pecking about the tree.  Apparently this tree, which is riddled with woodpecker holes, has served as home to this family of woodpeckers.

While the kingfisher and the woodpeckers were too far for the quality of shots I prefer, the wildlife encounters and the time in the creek made for a refreshing evening in the midst of the heat wave.

Head Shots

Blue Jay

 

A head shot captured the blue jay's intense stare,

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

And the inquisitive stare of the female Red-belly.

Male Red-bellied Woodpecker

 

While only a close-up shot could show the extended tongue of the male Red-belly.

 

 

Wild Turkey Gobbler

 

Only a head shot would do justice to the bright red of the backlight illuminating a gobblers dewlap.

 

 

Sometimes when shooting with prime glass the subject becomes closer than you had anticipated.  With no zoom capability the only options are either don't shoot or go for a head shot.

 

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Female Red-bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

Downy woodpeckers, the smallest of our woodpecker, are very common across North America and are feeder favorites.  However this adult male was not visiting a feeder when I captured this series of images.

I was (unsuccessfully)attempting to photograph a yellow-shafted flicker feeding on grubs in a long ago abandoned lawn when the little downy landed nearby.  Although not scared enough to fly away he persisted in keeping me under keen observation.

Remaining curious throughout the encounter he stretches to his fullest height for a better view

Northern Yellow-shafted Flicker

A pair of Northern Yellow-shafted Flickers were surprise visitors to the bird feeding area.  As these birds feed primarily on insect they are not attracted to our offering of various seeds. 

While waiting in the pop-up blind I described in the previous post the female flicker dropped in to perch momentarily on the broken poke stalks. 

A moment later she hopped onto a branch and began watching the standing tree beside her perch.

As she continued watching I noticed the male scaling the standing tree searching for a meal.  The male was partially concealed by branches and never gave me an opportunity for a good photograph.

In less than two minutes the encounter was over as the pair flew away but in that short time I had captured eighteen images; three of which you see here. 

Winter Afternoon Woodpeckers

The beautiful weather we experienced Saturday gave me another opportunity to work with the birds at our natural appearing bird feeders. One feeding spot is in the back of this upright weathered log. I have noticed that both Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers prefer this particular feeding spot.

Perhaps the cover surrounding this spot is attractive to the woodpeckers or perhaps it is because they can cling vertically to the trunk while feeding but what ever the reason both species frequent this spot. Being limited with the 400mm lens, I set up a few feet away hoping the woodpeckers would allow me to capture photographs with good feather detail.

The male Downy was the first to arrive. Although it remained hidden behind the feeder trunk most of the time it did move into sight twice allowing me to click a few frames each time.

A male Red-bellied did likewise although it was not quite as trusting as the Downy.

The birding fun all ended when a different “bird” arrived to clean up the remaining bird seed.

Downy Woodpecker

Downy Woodpeckers, the smallest of our eastern woodpeckers, are frequent visitors at our winter feeding station. The white feathers about this male’s head and breast appear to be stained brown. With a number of black walnut trees I am guessing that they are the source of his staining.

This male Downy visiting one of our naturalized feeders exhibits the normal coloration.

Winter Feeder Birds: Woodpecker & Nuthatch

A Red-bellied Woodpecker female pauses at the hollow-log feeder

A White-breasted Nuthatch checks the safety of its surroundings

Photographing winter feeder birds is a close-distance activity. Even with the 400mm lens it is necessary to get very close to obtain good image detail. These shots were taken around 15 feet, so far that is as close as these two species will allow me to set up the camera. Hopefully as the winter progresses they will become more tolerant.

Camera Critters: Red-bellied Woodpecker

The pretty little Red-bellied Woodpeckers are popular winter feeder birds. Not only are they attracted by suet they will also frequent common birdseed mixes.

This Red-bellied has been visiting our deck feeder all winter eating the sunflower seed we feed. It has become acclimated to our presence allowing me to shoot through the window from only a 3-4 foot distance.

For more Camera Critters click HERE

Buck Break: Woodpecker

We interrupt this Buck Show to bring you a Woodpecker

When photographing nature sometimes a species other than our target species presents a photographic opportunity. Such was the case with this woodpecker.

I was sitting quietly in a small pop-up blind in our Pennsylvania woodland when this bird landed close by. I believe this to be an immature female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker but I am not 100% positive of the identification.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

I noticed this Red-bellied Woodpecker’s head is much sleeker than what I am accustomed to seeing. Thinking back, I realized that most of my encounters with these birds have been in the winter.