Photography Gene

Eagles of Ford Lake

2021-09-15T12:08:00.000-04:00

Fall bird migration is almost at it's peak here on Ford Lake. We have American Bald Eagles here year round but during the spring and fall migrations we see more than usual. Come along and I'll take you for a ride around the lake and show you some of the eagles we're seeing now. All the pics included here were taken on September 12, 2021.

We motor along pretty slowly for most of the trip. We have a pontoon which is about as steady a platform as you can get to shoot photos from on an inland lake. We left the dock at 9am, which is typical for a weekend birding venture, and we headed counter clockwise around the lake. The first area we explored is the north bay. This is a shallow area with lots of submerged tree stumps. Fish like to hide out among those submerged tree stumps and eagles dine almost exclusively on fish. So eagles are often seen in this area. Sure enough, on the northern shoreline of the north bay we see an adult eagle. He sees us too and takes off while we're still quite a ways off.

We continue to explore the shoreline as well as the tree line as we circle the north bay. We shot pics of a kingfisher and a white egret along the eastern shore and seagulls and terns along the western shore of the bay. That brought us to the golf course shoreline area. Here we find the adult eagle grabbing some breakfast.

He flew in a low circle before deciding where to land to eat his breakfast. He finally chose a tree branch along the western shore of the lake. This eagle pretty much ignored us while he was eating and afterwards he posed for a good bit. I took advantage of his posing and shot some video too.

We motored on and got some pics of a blue heron in flight and some double breasted cormorants hanging out in a tree. Before long we got to the south shore where we came upon a juvenile eagle in flight. Isn't he a beauty?! Eagles are "juveniles" until they are old enough for breeding, which is about 4 years old. They start off with dark beaks, heads, feet, and tails. Their feathers are brown with mottled areas of white here and there.

A little farther down the shore we found a female juvenile eagle perched happily in a tree. I knew this was a female because she was huge! Female eagles are generally bigger than the males but it's sometimes difficult to determine their sex when they're perched alone with no comparison. That wasn't the case with this lady. She was quite large.

We continued along the south shore and when we got in the area of Ford Lake Park we found a beautiful osprey eating breakfast in a tree. Osprey are often seen in this area because they have a nest on the cell phone tower at the park. Not too far from there we found another eagle in a tree on the property I think of as "lilac point" because in the spring the profusion of lilac bushes results in fragrance discernable well out into the lake. This eagle is likely 3+ or 4 years old. You can still notice a bit of a ring of dark feathers on the white head and neck but otherwise it has the adult markings.

We're past the half way point of our eagle adventure now and we come back along the east and north shorelines. We got some nice pics of a cormorant on a buoy, a blue heron in flight, and an egret looking for something to eat. As we got to the area just east of Loon Feather Point Park, we came across another eagle. This is a juvenile, probably a 2 year old. We watched him for quite a while. He called out to other eagles flying in the area and they called back to him. He was quite a ways up in a tall tree and not bothered by us in the least.

After we passed Loon Feather Point Park we came across another eagle. This one has more of the white mottling. He was watching an osprey fishing in the area with great interest.

That brought us just about back to the boat dock where we started. But wait, are we done yet? Nah! Let's do one more loop of the north bay!

Look what we were rewarded with... eagles playing in mid air! They were chasing each other and flying in small circles. They looked to be having a great time. We watched them for several minutes until they both landed in nearby trees and took a rest. Time to head home.

Our total time on the lake was 2 hours and 45 minutes. We do this as often as we can. Some days are sunnier and better for pics. Some days we don't see any eagles but shoot lots of other bird pics. Some days, like when it's hot and humid, we only see the eagles perched in the trees. They save their energy only for hunting food on those days. But regardless of the weather, or the presence of eagles, we always have good time birding on Ford Lake.

I’m Learning

2019-11-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

With this image I was practicing the focus stacking feature on my camera. I’m still trying to figure out what views lend themselves to focus stacking and which don’t. This is one of my successes.

Don’t Sit Too Long

2019-11-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

If you know me, you know I love benches... sitting on them and photographing them. This was probably my favorite pic of the day. I like the composition, the hot and icy tones, the leading lines, the various textures, and of course the bench!

Icy Cold Tones

2019-11-20T05:00:00.000-05:00

When I downloaded this photo my first thought was, this should have been focus stacked. I like the composition but that icicle on the right being out of focus bothers me. I could crop it out but that would alter the composition. A better choice would have been to focus stack this image. I’m still getting used to the new cameras. What can I say? 🤷‍♀️

Subject for a Painting

2019-11-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

When I look at this pic it makes me want to grab a paint brush, paint, and some paper and try to replicate Mother Nature’s leaf painting, lol!

Blended Seasons

2019-11-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

This is the view directly across the lake from me. I love the warm and cool tones.

Winter’s Here!

2019-11-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

Just like that we got dumped on with a 9” snowfall earlier in the week. Autumn was put in it’s place by winter. And following that way-too-early snowfall came an arctic blast of cold temps. It’s as if Mother Nature said, “I’m done with fall and I mean it!” The lake area was past peak in terms of color anyway. The bright white snow sure made for some pretty scenery.

Postcard Pic

2019-11-16T05:00:00.000-05:00

I just love this photo. It reminds me of a picture postcard of autumn. It has nice composition, warm and cool colors, a variety of textures, leading lines, and balance. Ahhh, autumn. You soothe my soul.

Birch Trees

2019-11-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

I took this shot from a dozen different angles. I love the white birch trees and the fence. Not the best composition but it was the best of the bunch. I was going for a pastoral scene. Did it work?

Gnome-body is Home

2019-11-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

As I drove by the home of a gnome he peaked out his window and gave me a wink! 😉

Look up!

2019-11-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

Towers of gold and marigold reach up toward the sun and flutter in the gentle breeze. Their grand manner humbles those who walk among their roots.

Black and Gold

2019-11-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

I came across these wild blackberries sunning themselves in the warm autumn light... hanging on after the growing season has passed. Nature is resilient.

Frolic in the Forest

2019-11-11T05:00:00.000-05:00

The winding road takes us through autumn’s splendor. Gold, russet, olive, persimmon, lemon, chestnut, and warm dappled sunshine.

Inviting You to Explore

2019-11-10T05:00:00.000-05:00

Take a drive down this country lane and enjoy autumn’s beauty...

HDR

2019-11-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here I’m playing with my new camera. This first pic was taken shooting into a hazy sun.

And here is the same view using the in-camera HDR setting, hand held. Much better!

Not Walden Pond

2019-11-08T05:00:00.000-05:00

Here we have a hidden pond. It’s name is Hidden Lake. Ambitious name if you ask me. Beautiful in its autumn dress though. The bench just invites you to sit a spell and ponder the changing of seasons.

Autumn in Pink

2019-11-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Pink is my favorite color but it’s not often associated with autumn. Here we have some pretty examples. You can find it if you look!

Autumn, you look lovely in pink!

Hello Birdie

2019-11-06T19:57:00.000-05:00

This precious cedar waxwing was feasting on berries. He seemed like a contented fellow.

Oh My!

2019-11-05T22:04:00.000-05:00

I’ve fallen in love with photography all over again.

I got a new camera. Canon EOS RP with 24-240 lens. It’s my first full-frame camera. It’s amazing.

I considered getting a full frame camera in the past but in the end couldn’t make the purchase because the DSLRs were just too heavy for me. I’ve always tried to shoot the smallest, most light weight cameras because of that issue. And that meant I could only consider a crop sensor. Until recently. When Canon introduced their full frame mirrorless cameras I was able to seriously consider owning one. And now I do. And even though it’s early on (I’ve only owned it 5 days), I can see why people love their full frame cameras.

Today’s pic came right out of the camera. It’s unedited except for my watermark and the customary downsampling that comes with screen resolution. Please click on it and see it large. You’ll be glad you did. ❤️❤️❤️🍁🍂🍁🍂📷

Juvenile Eagle, Autumn

2019-11-03T05:00:00.000-05:00

And here's the youngster taking flight. I wonder if he/she will have a white head and tail when I see them in the spring?

Autumn Eagles

2019-11-02T05:00:00.000-04:00

So here we have a pair of adult Bald Eagles calling out to their offspring (no sound in animation). We were in our boat and had gotten a little too close for their comfort. It was a wonderful day to see and photograph them. Junior, who was in the tree next to them, took heed and flew off. You'll see him/her tomorrow.

Fall on Ford Lake, 4

2019-11-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

West end of the lake. The trees look so pretty here. You can tell the area had a big wind and rain event in the last couple of days and a fair number of trees lost their leaves. It always seems to happen just when the color change reaches its peak. 🤷‍♀️ See that black dot on the bare tree right in the middle? That’s a Bald Eagle. You’ll see more of him tomorrow...

Happy Halloween!

2019-10-31T05:00:00.000-04:00

From a pumpkin patch down the road... is this the most sincere pumpkin patch? Do you think the Great Pumpkin will appear here? Happy Halloween! 🍁🍂🎃👻🧛‍♂️🦇

Fall on Ford Lake, 3

2019-10-30T05:00:00.000-04:00

Gotta love those pops of red...

Fall on Ford Lake, 2

2019-10-29T22:31:00.000-04:00

This secluded park bench has looked charming to me all summer long but it is even prettier in fall color.