Camera Critters: Red-breasted Mergansers

Red-breasted Mergansers visit the local lake each spring around the time of the perch spawn. I really cannot say unequivocally that they are feeding on perch spawn but all indications point that they are.

I find the mergansers spending much of their time in water where the spawn is visible. Much of their time is spent swimming with their eyes underwater and frequently diving.

In this photograph a pair of hens scans the bottom while the male keeps an eye on my nearby boat.

As I slowly drew even nearer the male gave me his undivided attention

Breaching their comfort zone the mergansers took flight, relocating to a different part of the lake and continued their feeding.

This spring has provided me with some outstanding waterfowl photography and one disappointment; the disappointment being the absence of the Buffleheads. In previous years I had grown accustomed to encountering flocks of buffleheads frequently during the same time period as the red-breasted mergansers but this year I have observed only one lone bufflehead hen. I have no explanation for the absence of the buffleheads but I do hope in coming years to see the colorful little divers return.

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Unusual Mallard

Last weekend I encountered an unusually marked mallard drake on our local lake. When I first observed him at a distance I was unsure of what I had spotted but upon closing the distance I was able to identify him as a mallard cross.

As this guy is not your trusting park duck he took flight before I was able to approach him to within camera range.

This afternoon fortune favored me. Arriving at the lake about 3pm amid very windy conditions I had only been out for about 45 minutes when an approaching thunder shower forced me to make a run for the dock and take cover. The wind was very violent but the storm passed quickly. As the sun began peaking through the clouds the wind lay and a beautiful calm fell across the water. Crossing the lake I soon spotted the unusual mallard and this time he was not alone.

As I approached the pair with the boat they at first attempted to out-swim me. Drawing ever closer I was able to capture this frontal view.

Approaching the ducks a little too close resulted in an explosion of wings and water as the pair took to the air simultaneously in opposite directions.

After about an hour as another thunder shower bore down on me I decided to call it a day and finished strapping the boat down as the wind whipped rain cooled my fervor for any more outdoor photographic adventures today.

Wary Woodies

While clicking around on the blogs of other photographers I occasionally find that someone has posted some absolutely stunning close-up images of Wood Ducks. I admit that each time I am just a little bit envious of their images as the Wood Ducks that live in my area are the wariest species of wild duck that I commonly encounter.

During my latest visit to the lake, after searching the entire shoreline along one side, I finally encountered two pair of woodies in the marsh at the headwaters. Focusing on one pair I was able to capture a decent shot as they swam through the reeds but upon trying to approach just a little closer caused them to burst into flight at a moment when I was unable to bring the camera into action.

After making a U turn the Wood Duck pair passed by high overhead, giving me an opportunity for a distant pass shot.

Mallard Pass Shots

As common as Mallards are I cannot allow one to pass close by without attempting to capture a good image of it on the wing.

Often it is difficult to achieve good focus against a cluttered background as there is much more background for the autofocus to lock on than there is subject.

Most shots get the delete treatment but in this shot everything came together capturing this male mallard frozen against a background of leafless underbrush.

A mallard female zooms by as she attempts to catch up with her mate. Although not as colorful as her male counterpart her subdued colors are beautiful none the less.


I haven’t found any sign of the mallards incubating yet but from their activity I am fairly certain that egg laying has began.

Camera Critters: Bonaparte's Gulls

Last weekend I discovered a flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls that had stopped at our local lake during their spring migration. I posted a few of my better shots then and am continuing with more photographs from that event today.

These birds were quite docile allowing me to bring the boat to within a few feet of them while photographing from different lighting angles. On this occasion a number of the birds took off nearly in unison. The bright morning sun lit the birds perfectly during takeoff silhouetting them perfectly against the shadowed shoreline.

This little gull, deciding to join its mates resting on the water, gave me a beautiful pass shot as it came in for a landing.

Sometimes we capture poses completely missed with the naked eye and this photo is a good case in point. The gulls had separated into two groups spaced about a quarter of a mile apart with gulls flying back and forth between. The situation was perfect for pass shooting and I spent about one half of an hour photographing the birds as they flew.


Only when reviewing the images did I notice that this bird was flying straight ahead while turning its head turned upside down. I am well aware that gulls are masters of the air but this is an incredible feat that I did not expect even from these agile acrobats of the air.

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Strutting Season: Eastern Wild Turkeys

With rapidly moving storms passing thru our area overnight temperatures dropped dramatically. Gusty winds accompanied today’s dawn so I scrubbed my plans to pursue waterfowl with the boat and instead met up with Willard for a morning of photographing the local Wild Turkey activity.




The Turkey breeding season is in full swing and we were treated to a good encounter with a flock of strutting gobblers at close range. The light could have been better but a close-in encounter with mature strutting gobblers always makes for a memorable event.

Horned Grebes

Each spring Horned Grebes pass through my area during their spring migration after spending the winter along the coast.

I have observed flocks of as many as twenty but so far this year four is the largest group I have encountered. In all of my past encounters the grebes were quite wary, diving below the waters surface before I was within good photographic range.

My encounter with the grebes Saturday was quite different. Sighting the birds when they were only tiny specks on the water I was surprised when they continued fishing as I brought the boat to within 20 feet or so. Showing no alarm the grebes would dive out of sight only to resurface in a minute still near the boat. As the encounter occurred near noon the light was not the best but the close-up encounter still resulted in my best ever Horned Grebe photographs.

Loon Arrival

Each spring I anticipate the arrival of the Loons. They normally arrive in late March or early April and by mid May the last of them have moved on. Saturday morning, upon arriving at the lake, I heard the beautiful call of the Loon as I was readying the boat for launch.

Soon I spotted a solitary loon fishing in mid-lake. As light levels were still quite low I didn’t attempt to approach it; opting to wait until the morning sun light reached the lake.

After approaching a pair of Red-breasted Merganser in a sunlit portion of the lake I heard a commotion; a loud splashing of water and flapping of wings. Turning around I spotted the loon taking off with water flying high.

Once airborne the loon passed by me, circled and flew out of sight headed in a northerly direction

Camera Critters: Otter Suprise

Shortly after crossing the lake at sunrise I noticed a flock of gulls take off in mid lake. They were quite some distance away but after they flushed I observed that something was still swimming and diving as it traveled towards the western shoreline.

Thinking that it may be my first loon sighting of the year I headed the boat in its direction. Moments later it surfaced and much to my surprise it was an otter!

Otters were nearly exterminated from Pennsylvania by the late 1800’s with only a small remnant population remaining in the Pocono Mountain region. Beginning in 1982 efforts to return otters to suitable habitat commenced and the effort is ongoing. This occasion is the very first time I have ever encountered an otter in the wild in Pennsylvania.

Upon nearing the shoreline the otter turned and swam towards me, diving and resurfacing on the opposite side of the boat. After checking me out it again dove beneath the surface and disappeared.


The encounter left me surprised and thankful; thankful that I had witnessed an extremely rare creature in the wild and doubly thankful that I had been able to capture a few memorable images of the moment.

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Morning on the Lake: Bonaparte's Gulls

Arriving at the lake before sunup this morning the first thing I noticed was a raft of Bonaparte’s Gulls. These birds winter along the coast, migrating far up into Canada to nest. Nearly every spring I encounter these tiny gulls on the lake but they never tarry long.

These gulls are quite trusting and will usually allow me to approach quite closely with the boat. Using the slowest speed setting on the electric motor I was able to swim along with the flock maneuvering the boat for advantageous lighting angles.

The dead calm morning was great for reflection shots 

Backlighting accents the stream of spray following the little gull’s take-off

Today was an exceptionally beautiful day for early April with afternoon temps reaching the mid 70’s. It was also a day I will always remember for the extremely rare encounter with a very unusual animal, but that will have to wait until my next post. Stay tuned……..