From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/05/gvp-round-up-33-to-38.html
While at Chincoteague NWR in Virginia I saw a number of Oystercatchers, and this pair mated for a few moments north of Tom's Cove. I wish the laughing gull wasn't in the way, but what can you do.
-click for more-
This Great Blue Heron is a vertical of a similar one I'd posted already. Sunrise at Blackwater is basically a lock for something cool, something photogenic, and something that says 'wild' or 'the bay'...
Here's another of the Robin Chick(s) which were still blind and ready to be fed.
This week I heard the awesome news that Naba gave birth to a Lion Cub! I was looking back on some old images and was surprised at just how long Luke and the 2 female lions have been at the zoo. Luke was in January 2007 I think, and the girls were here in December 2006. There was the talk of getting the 3 new cats for a while, and it seemed like one thing or another was delaying it. Now so much time has passed in a flash. Regular zoo goers were hoping to have them all out together "as a pride" for literally years. Then this year it all came together. The cats were introduced, and grouped up and then Luke mated with one of them and now a Cub! I hear that Luke has also now mated with Shera, the other female, too. So! Who knows there could be ANOTHER cub or two on the way.
Finally here's a Red Fox from Bombay Hook in 2009 pouncing in to the grass trying to catch something.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
GVP Round-Up - #33 to #38
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Getting unfamiliar with a location
From http://natureandwildlifephotography.blogspot.com/2010/04/getting-unfamiliar-with-location.html
I had this idea for working locations, and how to break from past routines.
In general we as humans try to do things in the fewest steps, with the least effort, while maximizing results. Sweeping statement, but I find it to be true related to some of the aspects of my approach to wildlife photography.
fewest steps
I go to place that have worked, and when I try new places if it doesn't work I put more effort in to the places that have worked. For the sake of observation, we all take in the smallest amount of visual queues to refresh our image of a place or scene - most of it is actually perceived from memory! That's why you might have never noticed a new store on a well traveled path, or something similar. And why it doesn't take all day to drive to work, because the path is known, and it is why driving somewhere the first time seem laborious, and 'risky' or 'uncharted', and well, requires more effort.
That last part also relates to how we will commonly take time to look where someone else is actively looking. Why waste time finding something or just trying to find something, when it is possible someone else has already found an interesting item... When I'm out shooting I now actively take in to account that people might stop and see me and change my encounter.
I also actively try to not just roll up on someone and influence their encounter if possible. A week or two ago I was at blackwater refuge and drove past someone I knew and another person too, just to let them have a peaceful solo sunrise, while I moved on to find my own spot. That worked out great because I found this heron and watched him hunt for 20 minutes straight, and we both had a good time ;)
least effort
The downside to using the least effort is that major areas go completely unexplored, and routines lead to (in my opinion) lesser results. One example would be wear patterns on a carpet in (say) my apartment. The carpet a foot to the right or left is just as walkable and usable but habits form and areas go under used and other get overused. Least effort causes wear to form in the direct paths from one spot to another.
For wildlife photography, to bring those points back to being meaningful to my blog and this post, it is easy to form habits and wear patterns and wind up missing possibly huge areas worthy of exploring.
At blackwater refuge I realized that there are a few trails that I have in one case NEVER walked, and in another case only ever walked for 5 minutes on one occasion. Chances are if I explored those areas I'd find owls, foxes, song/small birds, delmarva fox squirrels, and who knows what else. But I've not put the effort in and they are like the unworn sections of carpet in my apt.
One of my newer goals is to not just go where other folks are going, and seeing what is mostly plainly findable, but to search more and see what hides around the corner from the easy to find.
At blackwater this winter I tried a spot I've driven past many times, and setup one a couple occasions and got this eagle fishing shot and also one of an eagle perched close by. It was very easy to drive on by, and hard(er) to stop and risk it, but it paid off - I didn't have anything quite like these - encounter or image wise from blackwater...
I can think of a couple of trails at Bombay Hook refuge that I've also either never hiked or never given more than a brief survey.
In summary, while I think it is very good to get to know a location, and form habits that lead to success, the opposite is also true. Treating a location like it is brand new and giving time to each spot or area in search of something is worth pursuing too. Using this approach can add new life to a spot that seems well known and lacking *new*.
p.s. for reference I've been to blackwater around idk 50 times in 4 years, and bombay hook 25 times in 3 years...
-50-
Nikographer.com / Jon
Read more On "Getting unfamiliar with a location"!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Possum, Oh Possum (video)
I made this a number of months back, and meant to redo it, but never got around to it, so I finally decided to just post it.
Previously I posted just this one image of the Opossum/Possum...
Nikographer.com / Jon
Read more On "Possum, Oh Possum (video)"!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Blackwater NWR - Bald Eagles in June
I've been in to photography and eagles for coming up on 4 years, and I've been going to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge for the majority of that time. For whatever reason I've had gaps in when I've been to Blackwater. June was one of those gaps, the bald eagles have recently fledged in the area and the osprey have young chicks.
Here's one of the adults, possibly from the cam-nest:
I went a few days ago to Blackwater, read on for more.
I've been to Blackwater around 45 or 50 times, starting in about December 2005. It really helps to go some where a lot. Things like where exactly the eagle cam-nest is, or habits of the eagles can be learned by spending a lot of time at a refuge like Blackwater. While I like to share all sorts of images from a place like Blackwater, I think people should put in the time themselves to visit a favorite place and learn its special details.
It took a couple years to just find some fox kits, and that was last year, this year I've been a few times and struck out even though I know I was close:
The above is from early April 2008, when the kits may have been just a few weeks old.
----
So, my recent trip has resulted in seeing quite a few just fledged bald eagles. One was perched with its parents right off of Key Wallace Drive near the visitor's center:
---
The next images are from right off of the Wildlife Drive. The pair of adults (probably the cam-nest pair) were perched on a pole together watching their territory. Another (neighbor) bald eagle was hidden in the grass out of my sight, but in their sight, and after a couple moments all the eagles hit the air:
----
Near the cam-nest is another nest, that's closer to the Wildlife Drive. There's just tons of eagle's nests in the area so, being surprised that there's a nest here or there is not what you should be thinking. Taking some time to just look around almost anywhere at Blackwater, you will probably find/see a nest.
Roughly between the cam-nest and the other nest I spotted 3 Juvenile Bald Eagles all perched together. Young eagles have a way of calling out like the little kids that they are, and listening revealed them to me this time...
And finally, here's a bald eagle hanging out in the grass at the refuge, right off of the Wildlife Drive as well.
Unlike some other spots I've visited on multiple occasions, Blackwater NWR in Maryland never disappoints. There are more than a hundred resident eagles, and there are Golden Eagles there too, as well as osprey, herons, hawks, harriers and all sorts of great wildlife to see. I've got a set on flickr devoted to Blackwater NWR here with a variety of things I've seen...
-Jon
Read more On "Blackwater NWR - Bald Eagles in June"!
Friday, July 25, 2008
Red Foxes at Bombay Hook NWR, DE January 2008
This is something I posted as a complete story line over a handful of days.
Red Fox at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware.
----
Today was just so awesome. My second trip to Bombay Hook NWR and I can't believe it.
It was supposed to be cloudy all day, and on Friday I was expecting Saturday to be a wash. But I went, and it was actually partly cloudy early. You just can't trust the weathermen that much.
Foxy!
It was in the 20's and a lot of the water was frozen over. I saw numerous foxes on the ice, a lot of them. According to Doug, who has gone here a bunch, the foxes were extra active and he saw around 8 or 10 of them early in the day.
I also ran in to Robert and Barry and his dad.
On the prowl - Red Fox at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Early morning consisted of a number of foxes working the marshes and ice. In between periods of being active a couple times we could see them lay down, and rest, and clean themselves some.
Then this one made some good time along the edge of the ice, and stopped a few times to scent mark... In the above she (?) scent marks just before running across the road to a different patch.
Scent Marking - Red Fox at Bombay Hook NWR, DE
Having just scent marked the fox crosses the road and takes a moment to look behind her. Her plan is starting to come together.
Red Fox checks the trail she has set
(Red Fox at Bombay Hook NWR, DE)
Unable to resist her charms he follows his nose, it always knows... (lol, couldn't resist)...
He's hot on her trail
Red Foxes at Bombay Hook NWR, DE
The female made it in to the marsh/woods and he followed her in. A minute later the two of them came racing out. You can see her slightly submissive posture in the above...
The time draws near
Red Foxes Mating - Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware
Having lured in the male with her charms, they began to mate, and actually mated continuously for the first hour or so! They then each settled in to the grass and slept for a while....
There had to be 7 or 8 photographers around for the much of the early activity, but most moved on including myself once they went to sleep. But this story doesn't end here...
Love is in the air....
Red Foxes Mating and Bonding at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
...when you're happy it shows. He's so happy I think he's dancing.
After initially mating for about an hour, they rested and then over the course of another hour or two mated and played a little. I'd have to guess that they were afraid of each other before they first got together. And with that out of the way they seemed to be more at ease with each other.
I'm really looking forward to going back and hopefully seeing some kits! I read a bit this weekend and learned that the males will stick around and help feed the female while she's pregnant (wiki)..
I have a hunch that when she marked the trail and he followed it was to where she has her den picked out. Had that been where she wanted to mate they would have never left the wooded area and come back in to our view along the marsh.
A Thousand Words
Together, they rejoiced!
Read more On "Red Foxes at Bombay Hook NWR, DE January 2008"!
Posts
