Feeding & Predation

Animals spend much of their time looking for food and are often busy foraging or hunting when observed in the field. This has pros and cons. On the one hand, they may not interrupt what they’re doing to pose for you; on the other hand, they may not interrupt what they’re doing to run away from you, either.

On one such occasion, I spent twenty minutes with a foraging opossum one winter evening. It was eagerly digging up grubs from under the dead grass and barely acknowledged my presence. The result was a series of intimate portraits showing its face covered in mud and grass. Who knew a small marsupial could look so ferocious?

Opossum foraging in a muddy field at the John Heinz NWR

Rodents – even very large ones – are challenging subjects. Aquatic rodents in particular always seem to be swimming from place to place with most of their bodies submerged, which isn’t hugely exciting. But when this juvenile beaver came ashore to snack on rose hip one September morning I thought I might walk away with something special. Its hands were manipulating the branch and fruit with simian-like dexterity, which wasn’t only fun to watch but also told me something about rodents I hadn’t really appreciated before.

American Beaver feeding at Seawall Pond, Acadia National Park

If you’re looking for precision and grace of hunting style, great blue herons are tough to beat. The graceful curves of their elegant bodies make the stupendous punch of their strike seem so effortless. This one pulled a good-sized carp from the icy slush.

Great Blue Heron catching a carp at the John Heinz NWR

Yet for all their power, great blues aren’t always top-of-the-food-chain predators. This one touched down in waist-deep water to start its evening hunt when it became the hunted. Having lost its footing, it desperately tried to take off again, but to no avail. After a few minutes of struggling against the snapping turtle’s dead weight, shock settled in and the young heron’s fate was sealed.

Great Blue Heron falling prey to a Snapping Turtle at the John Heinz NWR

Social Interactions

Showing social interactions may be the most pleasurable aspect of wildlife photography. Reproductive and grooming behaviors are usually the most visible social behaviors. Young animals like fox cubs also spend a lot of their time playing with one another, but observing this usually requires finding a den.

I caught this male northern flicker delivering food to his mate at the nest last summer. The nest was located in a dead tree at the water’s edge where nearby reeds provided concealment. I used a 400mm lens to keep my distance. I prefer the intimacy of shorter focal lengths, but I don’t like to disturb nesting birds, so the long lens came in handy.

Mr. & Mrs. Flicker at the John Heinz NWR

I was hoping to photograph rutting white-tailed deer in Valley Forge Park one autumn morning when a pair of fawns wandered out of the woods to graze. I was crouched in just the right spot when the boy fawn received a good scrubbing from his sister. Cute poisoning!

White-tailed fawn grooming her brother at Valley Forge NHP

The Bombay Hook vixen known as Chloe situated her den under the roots of a downed tree not far from the refuge road last May, which meant it was possible to photograph her young cubs without disturbing them. Here one cub is showing the other who’s boss.

Fox cubs at Bombay Hook NWR

Inspired by others who visited there in the past, and from the photos I had seen posted here, and on Flickr and other places, I decided to make a few trips there this fall. And I was not disappointed. In fact, I am already making plans to head down from New Jersey there in the fall of 2011 for numerous photo shoots.

Conowingo Dam, Maryland

One of the first things you notice is that you can hear the Bald Eagles calling out. Something I had not heard before. It’s amazing to hear them, and to then realize that they are sitting in a tree, directly behind you, not 50 feet away.

At Conowingo, the Eagles seem to be much more at ease with a human presence than anywhere else that I have observed them. In most cases during the past, and at locations like Forsythe NWR in NJ, if you approached an Eagle from any distance, it would flush and take off. Here at Conowingo, they are so intent on feeding and competing with each other for that food, that humans are barely considered a nuisance to them.

The sheer numbers of Eagles there is astounding. On this November 15th, I stopped counting and had to estimate that there were between 150 and 200 of them in the immediate area.

Bald Eagles over the Susquehanna River, Conowingo Dam, Maryland.

It was interesting to see the large number of photographers there, but more interesting to observe the newbies versus the veterans. Those that had come there many times would barely care about or notice an Eagle making a fairly close flyover. They already have so many shots like that, and to them it was just  a waste to bother with more. People like me, who previously had not been anywhere near that close would fire away. After one visit however, and about a dozen close flybys, I had all the overhead shots I could ever want.

What the die-hards and the veterans are there for, is the action. The shots of Bald Eagles diving for fish, the mad chases that ensue, and at times, great closeups of them when they carry their catch back to a nearby tree.

I was lucky as heck to be able to get some of the best shots of my life, in my very first visit to the dam.

Just as the day was drawing to a close, one large female Bald Eagle went out for a fishing run…grabbed a nice Shad off the water, and was pursued by a very hungry male intent on stealing the catch.

The chase begins

Closer.....

Going for the grab...

Swing and a miss....

The female was successful in avoiding having this persistent male swipe the fish from her talons. However, in subsequent visits I saw many occasions of theft in mid air, or of forcing the original hunter to drop their prize in the heat of being chased and pursued.

This day, the female Bald Eagle was going to get to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Flying off with the prize catch

Victorious

She was quite vocal after arriving at this tree to have her meal. That is because the male decided to perch about 4 feet above her, and wait to see if she would drop her catch. I am sure she had no intention of sharing.

Male Bald Eagle (without fish)

Female Bald Eagle (with fish)

Once in a while, the Eagles will let you know what they think of you and your camera:

I hate photographers!

For me, this day was a landmark day in my years of nature photography. I was overwhelmed and astounded by these incredible birds. So close to me. Calling out, fishing, chasing each other. It was a dream come true for me. I had barely been able to get a few shots of Bald Eagles my entire life. On this day, I hit the mother lode.

Soaking up the morning sun.

Juvenile Bald Eagle makes a sweeping turn

Another Shad become Eagle food

I can’t wait to get back. If you live anywhere near this incredible location, and even if you don’t. It’s worth the trip. October, November and December have historically been the peak months of Bald Eagle numbers.

Hope to see you out there!

Spring

Springtime heralds the return of a wide variety of migratory birds including the colorful wading birds in their finest breeding plumage.  Included in the variety of wading birds would be the elegant Great Egret and its smaller cousin the Snowy Egret.

Also to be found and photographed are the Little Blue Heron and Glossy Ibis.  If you are lucky enough you can score a wading bird trifecta in the same shot such as this image featuring the Glossy Ibis, Snowy Egret and Little Blue Heron, all in the same frame.

Spring also heralds the return of the Osprey for its breeding season.  This magnificent bird of prey is one of the great wildlife conservation stories.  Bouncing back from the threat of extinction, though still considered a threatened species, the Osprey has returned to prominence along water ways where it demonstrates its highly skilled fishing abilities.  With a number of strategically placed Osprey Nest Boxes around Cattus Island, you can watch the mated pairs raise and fledge their young throughout the Spring, Summer and Fall before they depart for their southern nesting locations for the winter.

Summer

The approach of summer offers the opportunity to photograph a number of small song birds including but not limited to the Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Gray Catbird,  American Goldfinch, Red-winged Blackbirds and many others.  Other potential subjects include a variety of Herons such as the the Great Blue Heron, Black Crowned Night Heron and Tri-colored Heron.

Summer is also the time the Cattus Island Butterfly Garden starts to come into its own offering the opportunity to see and photograph a wide variety of butterflies and other pollinators.

Autumn

Offering a prime display of fall foliage, Autumn also brings the migration of a number of avian visitors as well as the opportunity to take advantage of the annual Monarch migration.  Visitors to the park in the Fall include the Yellow Rumped Warbler and the possibility of catching a few migratory raptors such as the Merlin.

Winter

Winter is a relatively quiet period in the park as compared to the bustle of activity in the other three seasons.  But it does offer pastoral scenery and can become a winter wonderland following snowfall which has been plentiful this year.

Cattus Island Park offers a four season opportunity to practice your photographic stills or simply to go take in the best of what nature has to offer.  With nearly all areas of the park accessible either by service roadway or numerous trails, I hope that when you are in the area, you will make it a point to visit.  And if you happen to see a gray haired guy strapped to a Nikon, take a moment to say “Hi”.  I can be be found many evenings during the summer and frequently on the weekends when I’m not elsewhere photographing the splendors of nature.

Well, no. I’m a big fan of the brown season. Critters we might not give a second glance in spring or summer reveal surprisingly intense colors on the winter landscape’s simplified canvas. White-throated sparrows, a common winter guest, are hard to beat if you’re looking to add a splash of color to your winter bird photography.

Female red-winged blackbirds display a glorious luminosity you didn’t know they possessed during the breeding season, when they pale next to their more dramatically colored male partners. And nothing, I think, brings out the rich tonality of grays and browns like the unassuming northern mockingbird, one of my favorite winter birds.

Among mammals, white-tailed deer make for rewarding winter subjects. Their thick coats are incredibly rich in tone and texture; to say nothing of the experience of sitting down among a herd of deer at rest in the woods and enjoying their company for a while!



Please keep your eye out here for some beautiful new photographs as well as more well written and informative articles about nature photography. All of us here at Nature’s Domain love to get outside and enjoy the nature we love to photograph so it can be difficult sometimes to sit inside but I know we are all committed to keeping fresh new content on this website. As always thank you so much for your support and continuing to visit our website and we always love your feedback.

Now to give you something a little different that hasn’t been posted here on Nature’s Domain yet. A short video of some of the nature surrounding my condo here in Southern NJ. I shot these clips in the summer of 2010 and have finally gotten around to doing something with them. I know this is not photography but it is something I personally think is a great addition to the new modern DSLR. I know there are many varying opinions about video on DSLRs but I have been approaching it with the “if you don’t want to use it then don’t and if you do well then great” motto. I never want to be a full time videographer instead of photographer, although I think there are some great things that can be done with video relating to nature photography. I hope you enjoy the short clip and we all hope you enjoy our website enough to share with others and stop back again.

Thanks,
Ray Hennessy

Watch the video here to see in HD it looks much better.

Around My Condo from Nature's Domain on Vimeo.

It has been especially evident of late, as I make my regular and frequent trips to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge.

Time. You cannot do this in a passing glance, or in a quick run out in your car. Or a 30 minute walk in the woods. Sure, you may get some nice shots, but you will miss far more. And you won’t learn what to look for. Or learn about the birds and animals you photograph. No books are good enough to teach you what you need to know. You have to live with them. The creatures we admire, love and want to capture with our cameras. You have to observe them. With a keen eye and ear, and learn what they do, how they behave. how they communicate.

In my time out there, I have learned many of the behaviors and calls of Osprey, Forsters Terns, and many others. It takes hours and days and weeks and months before you start to put things together. When you start to understand them. And once you do start to know how they behave, what their habits are, and what their various calls mean, you can be ready and in the right place and time to capture amazing moments.

Like watching Osprey engage in courtship rituals, where the males dive down from on high to chase the female after she calls out to them…and if she is willing, she will jump up from her perch and grasp his talons in mid air.

Like learning how Forsters Terns call to their mates to bring them an offering of a freshly caught fish. What they sound like when they do that. What they do to display their intentions. And the male, how he will circle around her proudly displaying his catch, holding it up for her to see…and then finally meeting her on her perch and handing her the prize from his bill to hers, in one of the most incredible scenes in the avian world.

Those moments don’t get captured by chance. They happen when we take the time. Have the patience. When we spend the hours to observe. When we are persistent in our attempts to be there often, to find them when they are doing these amazing things, and to be ready when they do.

The photos I have of Osprey courtship and Tern courtship feedings took not only the many hours sitting in one location watching and waiting, but days and weeks and months of study. To learn how and when they will do their courtship, and how to know what they are saying. What they are doing, and to be ready for the moment.

Forsters Terns have a complex social network, hierarchy, and an even more complex vocabulary and method of communication. It is incredible to watch, hear and start to understand. Once you do start to “get it” with what they do, you can be ready for what is to come, and what they may do next. They talk all the time. To each other. And they coordinate. They communicate. And it is not as simple as “want food”. They will follow a leader’s signal, leave a fishing spot suddenly all together, go back out a ways, regroup, and line up to take turns diving again where they just were. What purpose this serves? Not sure yet. But I am studying it. And learning.

The photos of Osprey and Tern courtship and behavior aren’t the only wonderful things you can photograph by having patience and taking the time to learn. Even the diminutive Yellow Warbler can be a real challenge to get a nice shot of. But if you take the time to watch them, you learn what they do during mating season. You can be ready for the shots, because you know that they usually go from low to high in a tree, in order to sing from the loftiest perch. Then when they reach near the top or edge, they will take off and go to the next spot. And in time, repeat the cycle, and often choose the same trees and even branches the next time through.

Yellow Warbler finds a treat - (Aphids on a branch)

Yellow Warbler with a nice background. Patience pays off.

I’ve seen a lot of photographers in the last few years. Now more than ever, so many seem to be in a hurry. It’s like a race to them, to see what they can see, capture what they can, and then move on. I’ve seen it dozens of times. I sat with my friend Joe Campbell, another dedicated and very talented photographer, at a spot at Forsythe. We sat there for hours. Just so happens to be a great spot to get shots of Tern Courtship feeding. I knew this because I’ve taken the time, the patience, the dedication, and the hours of observation. And car after car just glanced over and kept going. No interest to them. Just some Terns sitting there, and nothing of interest. To them.

And this is what they missed:

Tern Courtship - The Male gives his love a gift

Male Forsters Tern proudly displays the gift he will give to his mate

Forsters Terns - The male gives his mate a courtship gift

So, while car after car drove past, we sat, we waited. We watched and we noticed. And then magic. And we were there for it. Covered in bug spray, inhaling gnats, getting hot and sweaty, our hands aching from holding the heavy camera and lenses for long periods. Worth every hour, and every drop of sweat.

The same can be said for so many birds. (and other animals). If you take the time, and have the patience, you can get the shots, and capture these incredible moments.

A similar situation arose regarding nesting Osprey at Forsythe. A few photographers will camp out at nests and wait to see what will happen. But unless you know the birds, unless you study them, you will be there at the wrong time, and you will not see the wonderful things you could.

During the nesting season, Osprey have tasks to do. But one of the first is to (re)establish the mating pair. Most mate for life. But there are always challenges from other males. Sometimes, their own offspring from a year or more before! But no matter the length of the relationship, there will always be courtship between them every year. And if you know what to look for, and spend the time, you have a great chance of seeing these rituals.

If you wait until after the eggs are laid, and watch the nest for hours, you will see…a female bird sitting on eggs. And not a whole lot more, except when the male brings back a nice fish to share. Or not share. Sometimes they are like that. Men! The rest of the time, you will sit and wait and watch the male sit nearby, and the female sit on her eggs. The only really interesting thing is if another bird of consequence (like a Bald Eagle or a Great Black Backed Gull) gets too close. Of course, after the eggs hatch, there are countless wonderful things to see. And this is when most photographers arrive like a horde of Green Head flies, and camp out lined up with tripods and mega-lenses.

And you can get some great shots of those things, and they are wonderful. And everybody else gets the same shots you do.

But very few get this:

Female Osprey leaps from the nest to grasp the talons of her mate

Osprey courtship. The pair is intertwined, talons grasping talons

A challenge! A second male invades the nest to try to win dominance

From what I know, there are exactly two photographers who visit Forsythe who have photos like these this year. Me, and Joe Campbell.

Patience. Persistance. Observation. Time.

We sat at this nest countless times. This pair seemed to be very active. Very unique. And there was a lot going on. We observed this second male a number of times. So on this day, after 3 hours of almost nothing, we got a couple hours of intense action the likes of which neither of us had seen in all our years photographing birds. By the time it was over, our hearts were racing and we were pumped full of adrenaline, and our hands and arms hurt from trying to capture the non-stop action for almost 2 hours. We learned how the female would set up the courtship drama. She would circle with the male (and the second male trying to win her over), all over the refuge. And each time she would return, dive to the nest and perch there, and then give a very distinctive call while looking upward. And then one of the males would make a spectacular plunge dive behind her, spreading his wings at the last minute, coming in from behind…and the chase would begin. When the time was right…she no longer initiated the chase, but chose her mate again by leaping up and meeting him in mid-air. Grasping his talons and tumbling together in the air.

Spectacular doesn’t begin to describe it.

Sometimes it isn’t the spectacular that you get when you’re patient, but the silly. The curious. The odd and weird moments you just don’t expect. But being there, and paying attention, and spending the time is what it takes to see many of these things as well. It often means just noticing something out of the ordinary. And you can’t know what “ordinary” is unless you’ve spent a lot of time observing.

One of the other wonderful things with Osprey is how they share the duties of building their huge nests. And how they go about doing it. They start with heavy and sturdy twigs, and build a structure that can support their weight and those of the young. Then, they bring in other materials they find to finish it off and make it suitable for eggs, and for the hatchlings. They find scraps of cloth, or pick up fine hay like grasses to make a soft and warm place for the eggs to rest, and of course the female on top of them.  If you spend enough time with Osprey when they first arrive for the Spring and Summer, you know that these tasks will get underway with all due urgency. It’s the perfect time to sit and watch and wait. Most times, the male will be dominant in the nest building once the female is fertile and bearing eggs. And in this case, as I like to call him, the hardest working Osprey in Jersey was not a disappointment.

Osprey brings back an entire shrub for the nest

It took an enormous effort to carry that bush back. Strong headwinds, and tons of wind resistance from the branches. But he got it all the way home.

And he kept at it, day after day….

Osprey neatly maneuvers a new twig into the nest

This will make a great bedspread! (Osprey with a nice piece of cloth for the nest)

Of course, all that nest building makes any good Osprey hungry, so when it’s time for a meal, they go out and bring back the freshest fish.

Osprey with a nice fish for supper

Osprey and his catch of the day.

Then, there are those just plain silly moments…

Not a whole lot is sillier in the avian world than Willets during courtship. Not only are they loud and call out constantly, the engage in seemingly endless chases. For hours. Sometimes doing the craziest of maneuvers. So, when I saw a couple doing  just that, I stopped and watched them and photographed them for hours. It was tiring. It was laugh out loud funny at times. And it was amazing.

Willet skips on the water

I don't even know what to caption this one!

Skimming the water with his wing, Willet male pursues a female (out of frame)

Only 2 on a stick, please!! (Willet Silliness)

Willet and his shadow

Forsters Terns are always entertaining, and never boring. If you watch them fishing enough times, you’ll see and learn certain behaviors. And that can help you get some great shots. Still, they are lightening fast and make wild sudden moves, so it’s never easy.  Ever wonder how they keep those crazy tails looking so nice?

Forsters Tern preening his tail feathers.

That’s how.

And their antics while fishing are just incredible.

Forsters Tern with a really nice catch

Sometimes, they don’t have the fish in a grip that will allow them to swallow it the way they need to. So, they will flip the fish in mid-air and re-catch it!

Forsters Tern Fish Flip

Now, this is MUCH better. Down the hatch!

Forsters Tern swallowing a fish on the wing.

Sometimes, even the Tern is surprised by what it catches…

Two for one special at the fish counter. (Forsters Tern)

This Tern (above) captured two fish in a single dive. I can only assume one fish was swimming just above the other at the moment of impact.

One thing the Terns will always do after diving into the water is shake off the excess once they are back in the air. It lasts all of a maybe a fifth of a second, and you never know exactly when they will do it. I have captured this exactly twice in my entire life.

Forsters Tern shakes off the water after a dive

Forsters Tern shaking off the water after a dive for fish

One thing that is of great aid in getting shots of birds is learning their calls. If you can hear them, then you might just be able to see them, and get a great shot. If you’re lucky. Combine that with knowing their habits, and you have an even better chance.

The Common Yellowthroat arrives in my area every Spring about this time (Late April, Early May). It’s call is very distinctive, and it loves to hang out in the reeds and brush near water. (Ideal for a place like Forsythe refuge). And it sings loudly. It also likes to pop up from cover sometimes to get a nice high perch. After all, it’s all about mating and courtship, and if you’re up and visible and singing your heart out, you have a better shot. Speaking as a bird, that is. I don’t sing all that well, and I’m not big on heights.

So, early one morning I heard one singing like he was auditioning for the Tonight Show…. soon enough, he popped out and decided that Late Night TV  was too old-school, and American Idol was where it was at. He was bold, and brazen, and singing at the top of his lungs, in great light, with a very dedicated nature photographer there to watch and listen.

The next big recording star. Common Yellowthroat

Similarly, another Spring arrival is the Blue Grosbeak. They too have a unique call, and they too like to perch to take a look around, usually in the reeds and tall grasses of fields.

Blue Grosbeak (Male) sits up and looks handsome in a field at Forsythe

A wonderful challenge for me recently was to get a shot of a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher. Singing. These are tiny birds. They move through dense cover most of the time, only coming out into view very briefly. And they never sit still. I read up on them a bit, and I also watched a courting pair of them near a small overpass on the entry into Forsythe Refuge. I got no photos the first two times I observed them. So, I kept going back. I noticed the areas they seemed to like to travel through, and they repeated being in those locations.

Persistence. I kept going to the spot, and keeping my eyes pealed and my ears open. Soon enough, for all of about 10 seconds, this little guy came out and gave me the opportunity.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher debuts for me.

Another wonderful find, and the result of a very patient observer friend (John “Jack” Adams) was this gorgeous Rose Breasted Grosbeak. Jack was well ahead of me and Joe Campbell (we meet up a lot at Forsythe and shoot together as friends), and he went to a good location and just waited and watched. He noticed a bird that was fairly good sized and dark, and it was going up and in and out of the reeds and grasses. Since there are so many Red Winged Blackbirds doing the same thing, it can be easy to miss. But Jack has also spent countless hours observing, and he noticed that this was something different. So, when we got there, we took our time and waited for it to make an appearance. And sure enough, we were not disappointed.

Rose Breasted Grosbeak

Sometimes being observant just allows you to be ready for anything. In this case, I suddenly saw a Great Blue Heron carrying something huge and walking over to a spot in the grass with it. What I watched was one of the most amazing feats of swallowing prey I have ever seen.

Great Blue Heron with catch of the day.

Great Blue Heron prepares to swallow the biggest meal of his life

This fish was fully 20 inches long, and had to weigh at least 3 pounds. And this heron swallowed it effortlessly.

Gulp! (Great Blue Heron)

Great Blue Herons are patient, observant, and persistent hunters. They will stand motionless or nearly so for long periods, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

One day, my old friend Joe Campbell and I decided to wait and watch a Great Blue Heron at a water level control gate at Forsythe. This heron was very active, and appeared to be catching one small fish after another.

So, we parked and waited and watched. And he fished out one small fish after another. And promptly tossed most of them away! Now that was unusual. I’ve never seen a choosy Great Blue Heron before.

And what happened next explained why he was tossing away the little fish. He tossed one away, and in one fluid motion struck the water with incredible force, and came up with this:

Great Blue Heron spears a great catch!

Joe and I were stunned. And we fired off frame after frame of this incredible action. It didn’t last long, and he flew off with his prize meal.

Great Blue Heron prepares to fly off with it's great meal

Observation.

My friend Shawn Wainwright sure knows what that means. He’s studied with the best birders. Spent countless hours in the field. He’s also hugely into butterflies, moths and dragonflies…and just about anything that walks, crawls, swims of flies for that matter. He’s an observer. His nickname is “Eagle Eyes”. And rightly so. He sees more than most. Tremendous vision. And he uses that to his advantage. To observe, to learn, and to see wonderful things. He’s taken me on a couple of outings into his “backyard” in Toms River, NJ. And because of his keen observation skills, and what he has learned, he helped me to get some perfectly wonderful shots.

One of which is this very rare, Cobweb Skipper butterfly. According to Shawn, seen only in one very small patch of sand and field near where he lives, and in Cape May, NJ.

Cobweb Skipper Butterfly

That’s the wonderful thing about those of us who love this field. Others who know more than we do can help us to find great shots, and to enhance our learning as well.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Nothing that rare about a Black Swallowtail Butterfly. What is rare is getting a shot with a fantastic background. This particular butterfly kept wanting to land on some evergreens near where Shawn and I were. So we waited. And waited. And watched. And our patience paid off when it finally landed in some spots that gave us some wonderful compositions for the shot.

Red Banded Hairstreak Butterfly

This butterfly (above) is all of a half inch tall when perched like this. I know a bit about butterflies and have loved them since I was a kid. But Shawn knows a hell of a lot more than I do. And I didn’t pay these butterflies much mind when we were on our walk. But he did. And he showed me how colorful and beautiful they are. And we got some wonderful shots as a result of his efforts and his knowledge.

Red Spotted Purple Butterfly

Because Shawn had visited, studied, and observed areas near where he lives, and spent tremendous amounts of time out, he knew all the best places to go. What plants would be where, what would be blooming, what kinds of butterflies and birds might be found at each spot. As a result, we went to one small area that seems to have a lot of activity. And this gorgeous Red Spotted Purple visited us while we were there.

This year is a banner year for the Red Admiral butterfly. They are everywhere. Last year, you would have been lucky to see one or two all year. In one afternoon, he and I counted over 30.

Red Admiral Butterfly stops to take a short rest on a tree

Sometimes patience and time in the field pays off in ways we don’t anticipate. While we can study the birds and animals and learn more about what to look for, the mere fact that we have trained ourselves to be observant can have it’s own rewards. As much as there are wonderful times like watching the Forsters Terns in their courtship feedings, there are those moments where it all just comes together. Where your eyes and your ears let you in on being able to notice something wonderful, and to capture that moment, as it happens. You are far more likely to capture these if you’ve spent the time to really learn about the birds, the butterflies and other animals that you photograph. You’re already likely to watch for signs, look in places that have the right environments. The right time of day. The right food sources.

Peregrine Falcon does a flyover

This Peregrine Falcon (above) made two passes at me and a couple of my friends, at Gull Pond in the Forsythe refuge.  We noticed that this bird made a point of looking us over in the first pass, with a very low, high speed dash directly at us and quickly over us. It then headed back out over the refuge at high speed. Nobody got a shot off. But we talked about it. We thought that she wasn’t done with us. We were intruding in an area she was hunting, perhaps, and she wanted to know what and who we were. So we kept a watchful eye. And sure enough, 5 minutes later, we spotted her coming back toward us. And this time, she soared slowly and pulled up to circle over us for a second or two to get a really good look. And as a result, I managed this capture.

Getting to the refuge early is a good tactic. Not only are many birds most active in the early morning hours, but the refuge is undisturbed, with no cars or people having gone through. That means that birds may perch or be active right near the drivable areas. And to be on the lookout for them, as the first to come through.

One morning, Joe was out ahead of me by a good ways. He radioed me to tell me of a fantastic find. In a way only Joe could. “Eric, you’re going to freaking hate me”. “What is it, Joe…what do you have?”. “I have a Peregrine on a sign”. “Really, how far are you from it?”. “Oh, about 4 feet”.

So, needless to say, Joe was enjoying a very close up view of a Peregrine Falcon. Not an easy bird to get close to. Amazingly, this bird stayed there until I met up with Joe, even allowing me to pull beside him, just as Joe had done.

The ultimate in irony.

Peregrine Falcon, as close as you can get without kissing it.

Then there are those times where all you have learned, and all the patience, time, waiting and learning allow you to see and capture moments that will live with you for a lifetime.

I’ve had the privilege to have a bird look into my soul and know me. And allow me to know a little bit about them.

Osprey and I meet, eye to eye.

Female Merlin introduces herself

Patience.

Time.

Observing. Learning.

Persistence and dedication.

It’s where the great moments come from.

For me the day started at sunrise which was a little before 6am this May morning, I had an hour drive to pick up my father and then about another hour to get to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Brigantine, NJ.

The sun rises over the marsh as the birds begin to start their day

I have been here many times before and have shown many pictures from this location but it is one of those places you can go again and again and again and still see new things every time you go (as I’ll point out later). I’m sure it sounds pretty cheesy but there is certainly something special about being at the refuge for sunrise. If you are there a bit before the sun comes up it will be somewhat quiet and not too much activity. As soon as the sun gets close to showing itself the bird activity increases tremendously. The sounds of all the birds beginning their day fill the air and at times that becomes all you can hear.

Before the sun has fully risen a Canada Goose flies overhead

Some birds start the day flying out in search of food such as this Canada Goose making it’s way out to the marsh flats to start feeding, while some birds are the opposite such as the Black-Crowned Night Heron heading back to it’s roost for the day.

A Black-Crowned Night Heron flies back to roost in early morning light.

Then all of a sudden the cool blue morning transforms into a warm spring day as the sun lights up the refuge. The sunrises here can be quite unbelievable. Actually, sunrises anywhere can be quite amazing, it’s not too often that most people are up to enjoy a sunrise and for me it always has a bit of a different feeling than a sunset.

It's a beautiful sunrise this morning, the clouds make for some gorgeous color and patterns.

My father and I decide to start our morning by parking the car and waiting in one particular spot. On this morning there isn’t too much activity in our chosen location but every once in a while a bird or two cruises by. There is a small group of Forster’s Terns fishing right out in front of us, and as the sun breaks through the clouds it presents me with the photo below. I love how the warm sunlight lights the bird up against the cool blue of the cloudy background.

A Forster's Tern begins it's morning fishing over the shallows as the early sun lights up it's body.

A female Red-Winged Blackbird keeps flying around in the low marsh grass. The sun isn’t hitting this area yet so it’s quite colorless and somewhat dull. The bird really blends in with it’s surroundings and if it wasn’t constantly moving, I probably wouldn’t have known it was there.

A female Red-Winged Blackbird perches on the low marsh grass.

It’s been about 30 minutes since we arrived and we are still the only ones in the area. I love it, just my father and I and the birds, and the incredible view. These mornings make it totally worth getting up so early! The sun is still trying to light up the day and rise above the low clouds. Higher in the sky it becomes a beautiful bright orange and I notice a flock of Glossy Ibis flying through the sky. I press the shutter button on the camera and the image is captured.

As the sun rises a small flock of Glossy Ibis cruise overhead to look for a good place to start foraging for food.

The Forster’s Terns are still fishing out in front of us and the one below makes a hard turn which I manage to grab. I try not to forget the sounds, as a male Red-Winged Blackbird lands in front of me and belts out a loud call. The sun is finally starting to hit all the areas even the low marsh grass where this male is singing his song.

A Forster's Tern makes a hard bank to the right with the morning sun lighting up it's underside.

A male Red-Winged Blackbird starts his morning in song.

Every once in a while there is a downturn in the bird activity and it becomes almost quite. During one of these short silences a magnificent Mute Swan flies between myself and the sun which lights up it’s wings quite nicely. It’s a little farther away than I’d like for the shot, but it comes out better than I expect because of the lighting on the wings. This photo will be a keeper.

A huge Mute Swan flies in front of me with the sun lighting up it's wings and the water droplets falling from it's body.

A friend of mine shows up at the same location and we hang out there for a little while just chatting about nature photography and random other things. As nice as it is to enjoy nature alone, it’s sometimes equally as nice to share it with friends, plus you can always learn a thing or two about the birds or photography. After a while our friend decides he is going to go check out some other areas so we say goodbye knowing that we’ll most likely catch up with him again later in the day.

A Forster's Tern flies right in front of me, I really like how the sun is shining on it's wings and body.

My father and I have been in the same spot for a little over an hour now and it’s starting to look like the sun is only going to be shining for another half hour or hour at best, so we make the decision to head out and begin the drive around Wildlife Drive to take advantage of the sunlight. As we begin our drive the sun starts to come in and out behind the clouds, it’s starting to look like it’s going to be one of those cloudy days. This can be a good thing or a bad thing for a bird photographer depending on what and where you are taking pictures. It turns out to be a good thing for the first bird we come upon, a Great Egret. This all white bird can be very difficult to photograph in full sunlight, today with the thin cloud cover it works to my advantage as I snap a few shots of it fishing in the shallows. I can see that it’s getting ready to make a strike at some prey so I quickly change the settings on the camera to it’s fastest mode. I see the egret tense it’s neck preparing for a strike and I mash down the shutter button. At 11 frames per second the camera continuously captures the lightning fast strike of this beautiful bird and I still manage to miss the initial neck extension. I do manage to capture most of the fishing sequence and the Great Egret lifts it’s head from the water triumphantly with a fish in it’s beak. It was a successful try and I managed to get a great sequence with lots of detail in those bright white feathers thanks to the cloud cover.

A beautiful Great Egret still sporting some of it's breeding plumage is stalking small fish in the shallow marsh.

A sequence of a Great Egret making a succesful strike on a small fish which is so incredibly fast.

A sequence of a Great Egret making a succesful strike on a small fish which is so incredibly fast.

A sequence of a Great Egret making a succesful strike on a small fish which is so incredibly fast.

A sequence of a Great Egret making a succesful strike on a small fish which is so incredibly fast.

A sequence of a Great Egret making a succesful strike on a small fish which is so incredibly fast.

A sequence of a Great Egret making a succesful strike on a small fish which is so incredibly fast.

A Great Egret swallows his catch.

After watching the Great Egret fish for a while we continue our drive and come upon more Forster’s Terns doing their acrobatics in the sky. The one below sees something and completely commits to the dive. It turns directly vertical and heads straight for the water without slowing down. The tern makes a successful dive and comes up with a tiny fish, but the action isn’t over. Another tern has been eying the action and attempts to come in and steal the catch. They splash around in the water and then take to the air, and in all the turmoil I have no idea who was the victor or if they both lost the catch. I figure at the time I’ll review the photos on the computer at home and be able to figure out what happened. I’ve reviewed them and I still have no idea, but they make for a great sequence of action photos.

A Forster's Tern really commits to it's dive.

A pair of Forster's Terns have a small challenge to gain the fish.

A pair of Forster's Terns have a small challenge to gain the fish.

A pair of Forster's Terns have a small challenge to gain the fish.

A pair of Forster's Terns have a small challenge to gain the fish.

A pair of Forster's Terns have a small challenge to gain the fish.

Continuing down the Wildlife Drive after the intense tern action, I’m driving the car along really slowly and all of a sudden a Common Yellowthroat pops up out of the tall grass and perches on a branch. This is the first time I’ve ever seen one of these beautifully bright yellow birds. When I see a bird for the first time that I’ve never photographed, it pretty much goes like this.
1. Point camera and hold shutter button and hope to get some picture, any picture, before new bird flies away
2. Decide I’ve probably got something after taking probably more than 50 pictures, and try to slow down and check camera settings to make sure any pictures I get will be properly exposed
3. If bird still hasn’t flown away, I now fine tune the exposure and start to mess with the composition of the photo a bit and get something a little better.
It’s always pretty funny to see me shooting like a madman at first, and then slow down and try to get a good photo. Thankfully this Yellowthroat allowed me the time to go through my whole process and I managed to fire off a few good shots of him singing before he took off. In this shot I would have preferred a little more sunlight but you take what you get and continue on.

Here a Common Yellowthroat belts out a song not long after the sun has risen.

Some times a mildly funny photo presents itself like the pair of Willet below who flew in behind a couple of vehicles and began wildly flapping around as if to say “over here, over here”

This pair of Willet seem to be announcing their presence to all.

The Forster's Tern is showing off his catch to a potential mate.

A Greater Yellowlegs wades in the shallows.

Further along the Wildlife Drive, we cruise up on another Great Egret who decides it doesn’t like our presence too much. It doesn’t take long for it to take off and thankfully I was completely ready, camera set, bird in the frame, ready to rock when this one took off. It is also another sequence that turned out great with the slightly overcast morning. It’s always neat to see the mechanics of the wings as a bird this large takes off from the water.

A sequence of a Great Egret taking flight from the water.

A sequence of a Great Egret taking flight from the water.

A sequence of a Great Egret taking flight from the water.

A sequence of a Great Egret taking flight from the water.

A sequence of a Great Egret taking flight from the water.

A sequence of a Great Egret taking flight from the water.

As we were driving along and getting near the end of the marsh area my father spotted a brilliantly blue bird. Neither of us recognized it at first, but thankfully for me it was on my side of the car so I was able to lean out and proceed with my haphazard “never seen before bird” sequence. It turned out to be a Blue Grosbeak which is such a beautiful bird. As I mentioned, the Grosbeak was on my side of the car so my father wasn’t able to get any photos and proceeded to bust my chops saying “sure I see it and you get the pictures”. We thought it only flew a little bit further down the road and landed on his side of the car, so we slowly drove up and as luck would have it the bird was sitting right there in front of my dad. It took him a moment to get set up for the shot (he shoots with a 500mm lens which isn’t the easiest to deal with inside a car). Right as he was ready to take his first picture I tried to put down the back window on his side of the car, planning to get myself a vantage point to photograph from. Well this didn’t work out so well since I accidentally hit the wrong button and put the window down which my father had his lens resting on. It really messed him up and he began to think I just didn’t want him to get a photo of this (new to both of us) bird. He regained his composure and managed to fire off a few, one of which is way better than any of my photos. It all worked out in the end and we both had quite a laugh about the whole scenario, although I think he would have had a different point of view had he not been able to get a great photo too.

A brilliantly blue, Blue Grosbeak sitting on a branch over the marsh grass.

The Blue Grosbeak didn't stay long.

Next we drove into the upland area, leaving the marsh and tidal water behind. This is another one of the great things about Forsyth National Wildlife Refuge, the multiple different habitats you can observe in one day. We started seeing some birds that are more common and some that can be found at the backyard feeder, but it’s always nice to get photos of them in their natural surroundings. This is one of the areas it pays to really take it slow, many of these birds are incredibly adept at blending in with their surroundings and if you go too quickly you will miss a lot of them. I always seem to get too impatient though and after a while of driving really slow, I usually end up quickening the pace. On this day I did manage to keep things going slow and I got another first, an Orchard Oriole as it took flight. It’s certainly not the best picture but it was the third species that day that I had not ever photographed before, so far so good! This was all on one drive around which wasn’t finished yet and it was only a bit after 9am – another great reason to start out early.

A Pair of Tree Swallows - that one on the right seems to have an attitude problem.

Not a very uncommon bird but for me it's uncommon to see them in a natural surrounding, not on a feeder.

A Gray Catbird turns his head just right to catch the sunlight in it's eye.

This Orchard Oriole didn't sit around very long for photos.

At one point along the drive you go over a bridge which straddles a few small ponds, some times you can see lot’s of wildlife in this area, other times not a thing. This morning we were treated to a Belted Kingfisher (which was very far off) but not much else. As we sat there for a bit I noticed some movement in the lily pads in the water. I didn’t think much of it but it was enough for me to keep my eye on the area. Just as I was ready to move along a river otter poked it’s head up out of the water, and I only managed a fleeting shot as it dove back under and continued on it’s way.

One of the most wary birds I've ever encountered this Belted Kingfisher sat for quite a while this day, although he was very far off.

Only saw this otter for just a moment before he disappeared.

I liked how you could see part of the plant under water as well as the pads on top.

We decided to head back to the area where we started the morning and just hang out there for a while. Just like earlier there wasn’t too much action but the Red-Winged Blackbirds were still hanging around making tons of noise and I even got a few far off shots of one chasing a crow around. It’s so funny to watch these territorial Red-Wing Blackbirds, they will chase almost any bird out of the area. I’ve seen them pestering crows, and even hawks which could easily kill them, I guess they are either very brave or very lucky.

Male Red-Winged Blackbird showing off his colors.

Sing it proud.

Red-WInged Blackbird chases off an American Crow

This Crow has certainly seen better days, it's feathers don't look so hot.

I decided to take a short walk by myself along a dirt road next to a small pond. It was still pretty overcast but it was starting to look like we might see some sun again later in the day. As I walked along I noticed a Cedar Waxwing hopping around in a tree branch. I tried to move as slowly as possible and get a little closer, which is pretty much impossible not to be noticed when on foot. This bird didn’t seem to mind me and I got within a reasonable distance and grabbed a few shots. Immediately after I took the photo below of the waxwing another bird (not sure what it was) flew from about 10 feet away, then a snake slithered away right next to my feet. Man on man the things you miss when you are distracted. There was a bunch of wildlife right next to me and I didn’t even know it. Next time I’ll have to pay more attention to what’s around, haha.

Cedar Waxwing proudly showing off it's incredible color scheme.

Yet Another Red-WInged Blackbird.

On the second trip around Wildlife Drive we went a little quicker but we still saw some interesting things and the sun started to make an occasional appearance. The first shot below is one I really like even thought the bird is very small in the overall shot and it’s also not the most beautiful bird (Common Grackle). I like the photo because of the really interesting texture on the dried ground behind the bird. I remember specifically placing the bird in the lower part of the frame to be able to include more the that cool texture. I have begun to realize that this is certainly a big part of my style of shooting nature and wildlife, where I sometimes heavily offset the subject to include more background or just empty space. I’m sure it’s not everybody’s taste, but at least it’s something I can start to see as a personal style in my photography. You can see a bit more of that in the two photos following the grackle, the snowy egret is offset as is the hard turning tern, haha turning tern!

I really only liked this shot because of the background.

The Snowy Egrets really like to fish near the water gates.

Forster's Tern with cool angles.

Another Snowy Egret fishing at a water gate.

We stopped and got out of the car to photograph the large group of Forster’s Terns at one particular spot they like to congregate when the tide is running right. I started out shooting a bit wider to show how many of them there were and how they fly in tight quarters together. I’ve taken probably thousands of shots of these birds in my many trips here, but I never get bored of trying to get a really good close photo of one filling up the frame. They fly so erratically, most of the time they are an incredibly difficult target which makes for a really fun challenge. I managed some of what I think are my best flying tern photos yet on this day, and I’ve shared a few of them below.

Showing off their flying skils these Forster's Terns are a blast to watch and challenging to photograph.

Showing off their flying skils these Forster's Terns are a blast to watch and challenging to photograph.

Showing off their flying skils these Forster's Terns are a blast to watch and challenging to photograph.

Showing off their flying skils these Forster's Terns are a blast to watch and challenging to photograph.

Showing off their flying skils these Forster's Terns are a blast to watch and challenging to photograph.

After the fun with the terns my father and I went off to meet the group of photographers that had assembled at a nearby cafe. Overall there were about 15 or so photographers that showed up that day which was a great turnout, and I got to meet some great people of whom I’ve only previously had contact with online. It was great to put a face to the photos that I’ve been seeing over the past few years and I hope we all get to do this again. We all had lunch together and everybody shared stories of what they had seen so far that day and some other interesting stories from outings in the past. It was a great time and it’s awesome to see all these great photographers together. After filling my stomach with pizza, we headed back out to make one more drive around the refuge. My father and I kind of split off from the group and took our time going around for our last pass, it started out great with the pair of Glossy Ibis flying right overhead.

I got to catch another glimpse of the Glossy Ibis on this lucky day.

Nothing special here, just a female Red-Winged Blackbird, but she's got a great pattern on her.

The last Glossy Ibis I saw on this day.

A pair of Wimbrel hunting in the marsh grass.

I managed to catch another sequence of a Great Egret fishing and this time I even got the full head extension, which looks hilarious to me with just it’s eye sticking out above the water. The bird was not successful on it’s first attempt, but it did manage to grab a small shrimp after a few tries.

This was a missed attempt for this Great Egret.

This was a missed attempt for this Great Egret.

This was a missed attempt for this Great Egret.

This was a missed attempt for this Great Egret.

Seems like a small meal for such a large bird but I guess food is food for this Great Egret.

The nesting osprey are cool to see, but they weren’t too active when we cruised by so we didn’t pay attention to them too long. In the same areas as the osprey a bunch of Willet were making such a loud ruckus I couldn’t ignore them. A fellow photographer who I had just met earlier at lunch was already set up on the Willet and the two of us got to watch a full mating sequence which was pretty cool, although I must say if I never hear another Willet call it will be too soon, man those suckers are loud!

An Osprey takes off from the nest.

From Flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

From flying around to a ridiculous amount of calling the end result of all the ruckus is a Willet pair mating.

I think she has had enough!

That was pretty much it for that day, we finished the drive around and didn’t spot that much more action. I did manage to get another first which wasn’t a great shot by any means, but hey, a first is always cool. As were were sitting in the car near a wooded area a Black and White Warbler showed itself for a quick few seconds and I was able to snap a few quick shots. The day ended with another Orchard Oriole sighting and we headed home a little before 4pm, which coincidentally was around 12 hours after I had awoke to start the day.

Only saw this Black and White Warbler for a split second but I managed to get something.

A final Orchard Oriole perched high in the trees to end the day.

I hope you enjoyed coming along with me for a day of birding and I hope you get to experience a day just like it yourself.

Thanks,

Ray