River Otters

I've been otherwise occupied so I haven't visited the refuge much this Summer. However, I did go last week on a brutally hot, humid morning with the usual Summer bugs harassing me as I walked. There wasn't much to shoot, so I came away mostly empty. But I did have only my second otter sighting there. A pair of them were darting into the road and back into the brush repeatedly. One appeared to be an adult, the other a juvenile. Finally they came out long enough for me to get some shots of this playful pair before they ran to the shore and dove in.

River Otters

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge with New Camera

The weather has lined up to mostly prevent me from going to the refuge to shoot. Cold doesn't bother me; rain and gray clouds to. It seems every weekend this year has been wet and gloomy.

I have good camera gear, but one annoyance persisted: the buffer capacity on my camera is too small. Too many times I've had a bird approaching, where I take a few shots to at least get something, and then the shot keeps getting better, and better, and as I'm firing away, the buffer fills up and my shot rate drops from several frames per second to only about one or two while the camera writes images to the card. I miss the best part of the sequence because the buffer is full. Then I find myself trying to budget my shots to keep capacity available, but maybe the bird turns and I could have gotten more shots while I was deliberately holding off. The same thing happens when I photograph my son's rowing races. I have to budget shots while they approach with their backs to me, then I want to fire away for the side shots with their bodies and faces in profile when they pull close, and I want to keep firing as they pull away, with their faces in view. But again, the buffer fills and I miss shots as they leave.

OK, enough whining. I bought a new camera body and I've been waiting for a chance to shoot. I got there at dawn just as the gate opened and before the sun rose.

But now the roads are closed at the refuge because of eagle nesting. OK, nothing new there, but to make matters worse, bad weather washed debris up on shore and washed the road out, leaving my favorite part along the shore unpassable and marked off limits. I can't even approach the eagle nest by the water.

So half of the roads are unavailable. But, it wasn't a total loss.

There's a spot on Easy Road where there is swamp on either side. I noticed ripples in the water, and stopped to see what caused them. It was a river otter. I've visited that refuge dozens of times over many years and never seen one before. Sadly, in the gloom, obscured by bushes, and only feet away, it was too close to photograph. I got a pretty good look at it as it was on land, but then it saw me and jumped into the water and swam away.

I saw several eagles and ospreys, though nothing worth photographing. I did come away with some shots of deer and a white-throated sparrow.

White-Throated Sparrow

White-Tailed Deer

White-Tailed Deer

I still have some work to do to get used to the new camera. It's way better than my old one but requires way better technique to get sharp photos.

It's Hot!

Well July has definitely arrived in Northern Virginia. It's hot. It's humid. Even the eagles agree that it's really uncomfortable.

Do Eagles Pant?

There are two eagle nests at the refuge. One of them is now empty. The other had four eagles nearby, two parents (one shown above), and two juveniles. One of the juveniles has fledged. It was perched with its wings spread, seemingly trying to cool down. The other juvenile was down in the nest with only its head showing. The eagle shown here seemed to be panting and not interested in eating or feeding its nest-bound eaglet.

Eaglets

After a string of bad weather and just plain being busy, I finally managed to visit OBNWR again. I'm not particularly satisfied with my latest round of results, but the subjects make it worthwhile to post some of them.

Over two visits, I was able to observe two eaglet feeding events. The first was in the evening, in fading light, with the nest back-lit. I had to boost my camera's ISO to 1000 just to get a shutter speed that I could use hand-held. The sky is completely blown out to get the right exposure. I cropped and processed the photos, leading to some pretty washed-out results. And on top of that, the eagles didn't cooperate, never simultaneously showing their eyes.

Three Eagles

Feeding Time

I went back a few days later, hoping for another opportunity, this time in the morning with the light behind me. A cold, brisk gusting wind made for uncomfortable conditions and an unsteady camera, and again the eagles didn't cooperate.

Both Eagles Looking at Me

Eaglet Shows Early Wing Feathers

 After I'd been there for a few minutes, the parent got very vocal. I looked up and noticed this immature bald eagle passing through, having a hard time flying straight and level in the gusting wind.

Bald Eagle

And I had two lifers for me, so I'll post these too.

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Prothonotary Warbler

Eagle Convention

I paid a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge this morning. There were large numbers of Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead ducks on the water, and small numbers of Canada Geese flying around. And I sighted the usual, cardinals, a red-bellied woodpecker, a belted kingfisher, chickadees, etc. And it was a nice day for eagle sightings, albeit from a distance. I saw two pairs of eagles simultaneously harassing each other in mid-air, too far away for usable photographs. And I saw several eagles perched in trees on an island in the bay.

Eight Bald Eagles

There are eight bald eagles in this picture. Two are hard to see, obscured by branches, but they are there. They are a mixture of white-headed adults and brown-headed juveniles. The two nesting pairs of eagles were near their nests, not cooperating, too far away for usable photos.

There was one juvenile bald eagle that I inadvertently stalked all morning. I would approach it along the shoreline. Sometimes I would see it perched in a tree and it would fly away before I could get close enough for an unobstructed shot. Sometimes my first view of it was of its butt as it flew away before I noticed it. Always it flew away from me along the shoreline. I did eventually have a good close encounter with another juvenile.

Juvenile Bald Eagle Flyover

The wind picked up, it got colder, and I had enough. I headed to the parking lot. Just as I was about to get into my car, a pair of juvenile red-shouldered hawks flew by, circling each other. They hung out near the sun and I had to work to get a shot that wasn't badly back-lit. Sadly I didn't get a usable shot with both of them in the frame.

Look at the Red Tailfeathers

 In the shot above, the sunlight shining through made the red tail feathers stand out. Below is the same bird, with different light, lacking the visible red.

Red-Tailed Hawk

OBNWR

Days off and good weather can only mean one thing...

I went to OBNWR on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

On Friday, these geese flew over right as I got out of the car. They were unusually absent from the rest of the refuge and they were also absent from the bay.

Canada Geese

There were hundreds of ducks in the bay. Maybe that's why the geese were absent.

Lesser Scaups

The hunters were also active in their blinds. They had to work pretty hard to get their boats up to the blinds because the ice near the shore was pretty solid. In one area near shore, the ice was gone, probably because there's a sand bar and water discharge from the swamp. There were several of these ring-billed gulls hanging around.

Ring Billed Gull

I turned my back to the bay to look inland over the swamp to look for the beavers and other birds there. A kingfisher hangs around this spot and I've been trying since Summer to get a decent shot of it. Then I heard the gulls behind me suddenly scatter. I looked around, wondering what spooked them and there was a bald eagle on the sand bar. My view of it was obstructed by bushes and by the time I got to a spot for a clear shot, it took off. So I turned around again and then there were gulls flying over the swamp. I like this shot because of the light showing through the feathers. I can even see the shadow of the bird's right wing on the left wing.

Ring-Billed Gull

And that was the end of that visit. Next morning I found these two near their nest, bathed in the first sunlight of the day.

Having a Conversation

I walked farther along the shore and saw this woodpecker doing contortions with his neck. It's a rare visit when I don't hear lots of woodpeckers pounding away.

Downy Woodpecker

I headed to the other nest. The USFWS has blocked the road to allow the eagles to nest without people getting too close. One of the parents-to-be flew by.

Bald Eagle Flyby

It landed on top of a nearby osprey pole. I have so many photos of eagles on that pole that I usually ignore the eagles when they're on that pole. I spotted its mate nearby and walked toward it. I managed to get pretty close, but before I could get an unobstructed shot it flew away and landed alongside its mate.

Face-to-Face

They showed no sign of budging anytime soon, so I moved on. Back along the shore, this juvenile landed in a tree as I watched. Before I could get much closer, it took off again.

Bald Eagle

Remember that kingfisher I mentioned above? It was in a tree in the swamp.

Belted Kingfisher

The ice has receded from the middle of the bay. I heard boats out there crunching through it, but there was an open water channel. On Friday, as I was leaving, I was treated to the sound and sights of it crunching apart as the tide came in and pushed it toward shore.

Frigid

During a particularly cold stretch of days here in Northern Virginia, I checked the weather forecast and it predicted a (relatively) balmy morning temperature of about 20F and clear skies for the next day. So I planned to go to OBNWR. I got up, got ready to go, looked outside and saw stars, and then checked the temperature. 8F. Could that be right?

I put on layers, went to the car, started up, and headed to the refuge. I looked down to see the thermometer in the dash: 5F. Really? I got to the refuge and parked and checked the temperature again. -2F. Now I'm thinking it's lying. It can't be that cold! The forecast was for 20F. Could the forecast be that wrong? The thermometer must be wrong.

I got out and started walking. Yeah, it was cold, but I had dressed well for it. On the way in, I had spotted an owl in the gloom, perched in a tree near the road. I walked toward the spot where I had seen it.

Barred Owl

It was so dark that I had to set my ISO to 3200 and I probably should have gone to 6400. Setting the ISO with that long lens mounted is awkward. I need one hand on the right side of the camera body, using my thumb to move the wheel. I need my other hand on the other side, holding the ISO button down while adjusting. And I need my eye to the viewfinder so I can see the illuminated ISO number change as I set it. All while the heavy lens hangs down. And I did it with my heavy gloves on. Back to the photo: I saw the branch in the way, but it was so dark that I couldn't tell whether it was in front of or behind the owl. Well now I know. Lightroom did OK reducing noise, but this was clearly a bad shot that I'm only including because it's so rare that I see any owls.

White Throated Sparrow

The most abundant bird of the day was the white throated sparrow. They were everywhere. But not much else was around. I was just about to leave; the cold was getting to my feet, when I passed this nest and saw the eagle peeking out. It's mate was nearby, deep in the trees, partially obscured, not worth photographing.

Bald Eagle on Nest

 They showed no sign of flying, so I moved on. And I found more sparrows.

White Throated Sparrow

OK, this visit was an exercise in trying to keep my hands warm without much wildlife to photograph. The cold metal of the lens foot (which I use to carry the camera/lens combination) sucked the heat from my hands right through my gloves. At least I got to see the bay completely frozen over. There were two flocks of geese huddled together and I could see no open water. Cold and almost empty-handed of photographs, I headed to the car. I drove the wildlife loop to exit the refuge and turned a corner and saw these eagles right next to the road.

Bald Eagle Mating Pair

They were in a tree near the one that contains their nest. I was able to park the car, get out (staying behind the car), and shoot for several minutes before they finally flew away.

Staring at Me

This is the first time I've ever had an eagle take flight where the initial leap was right toward me. They seem to go out of their way to show ass when they take flight.

Flying Away

Now about the cold... I surely felt it, but I didn't think it was terrible. It seemed warmer than other days when I've been out in temperatures in the single digits. Then I heard the weather report: record cold was recorded at the airport: -1F. I guess my car thermometer told me the truth.

Surprising Bald Eagle Behavior

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the US, and the weather here in Northern Virginia is gorgeous: cold, sunny, just as I like it for visits to Occoquan Bay NWR. I arrived just as the gate opened.

Since getting my new 500mm lens, I've tried photographing some birds that I've previously ignored.

This is the time of year when the resident eagle couples reclaim their nests and repair them for the coming nesting season. There are two nests at OBNWR and both of them had eagles nearby when I visited this morning. The nest near the shore had an eagle in the tree, eating something bloody. But the other tree was the location for a much more interesting encounter.

This second nest is away from the shore, right next to a road.

Bald Eagle Nest

Unlike the other nest, it's possible to walk right up to and under this tree and the nest in it. From several hundred yards away, I looked at it through my camera and it appeared that maybe I could just make out a white head in the nest. I walked toward the nest and the eagles did what they always do when I approach: they flew away. I lost sight of them. Oh well, I walked right up to the tree. And I was stunned when one of them came back. I only just managed to get my camera up and in focus to track it as it flew, with a stick, into the nest right in front of me.

Bald Eagle With Stick for Nest

And it promptly flew away again. I spotted its mate in a tree in the distance, and I decided to hang around, hoping for another stick delivery. No joy. I decided to try to approach the one that I had spotted earlier. It flew away. Then I looked back at the nest to discover that the one I gave up on while waiting for stick delivery had sneaked into the nest while I was stalking its mate, and it flew away again. Both of them landed in a tree away from the road (where it's against the rules to get off the road). And another photographer came along, so the game was over. These birds were so close that I heard their wings flapping.

Went for Feathers, Saw Metal

My last couple of trips to OBNWR have been pretty disappointing; few birds to be seen. The weather was gorgeous this morning, so I went, hoping for better luck with birds. While my luck with birds didn't change, I did catch this C-17 flying low over the Occoquan, then making the turn toward Quantico. Shortly after rolling wings level, it extended the landing gear, presumably to land at the Marine Corps base. I've seen these aircraft on the ground a few times. I've seen them in the air at a distance. This was by far the best opportunity I've had for a flight shot.

C-17 Globemaster

Two New Species

We're having an unusually warm late September. I've had bad luck at the wildlife refuge lately, but decided to go and at least get some exercise.

As I feared, not much was going on. It was looking like I'd come home with nothing, when I spotted two eagles on an osprey platform. They were too far away, but I hung around for a few minutes, hoping for some flight shots. Then I spotted a mockingbird, a species I haven't ever photographed.

Northern Mockingbird

 And then I spotted this butterfly, so I figured I'd experiment with the new lens on something unusual.

Butterfly

 Then I looked up and both eagles were flying more or less toward me.

Bald Eagle

 After they flew away, I wandered along for a while, finding nothing to photograph. It was getting dark, so I headed to the car. My routine is to exit via the Wildlife Loop; occasionally I see something worth shooting. I stopped at a culvert to observe a Great Blue Heron, but he was uncooperative. Just as I was ready to drive away, I noticed movement on the opposite side of the road, and realized that while I was looking at the heron, I was completely oblivious to this owl. I was able to get a few shots, and as I was fooling with the ISO to try to get something better-exposed, it flew away. So here's my best shot, and it's a whopping FOUR stops underexposed. But raw files are wonderful, and I was able to rescue this exposure with a lot of exposure adjustment and noise reduction. This is a new species for me. I've only once before seen one, while I was out for a walk, sans camera, in my neighborhood.

Barred Owl

Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge

Well I'm back home after my long trip and I managed to get out to the usual spot for some exercise and photos. These turkeys were busy running away from me. I think this flock is from a clutch or two, as they all seem to be about the same size, stay together, and are accompanied by a pair of adult females (whom I didn't get in this photo). They never seem to fly.

Turkeys

Great Egrets are sometimes around, but they are very timid. I sneaked up to this one by keeping bushes between me and the bird, and as I tried to get closer, it flew away. What big feet.

Great Egret

This deer stood and stared at me for quite a while as I tried to approach, keeping bushes between us. I only saw the fawn after they ran into the woods, not knowing that I'd actually gotten a few shots that show the fawn back in the shadows.

Deer with Fawn in the Shadows

The ospreys are still here, but I expect them to leave soon. It's not obvious from the photo, but I shot this one from almost directly underneath, looking straight up, with the bird looking straight down at me. The big yellow eyes and sneering beak are a frequent sight here.

Osprey Close-Up

Showing It's Wings

New Lens

I've wanted a lens with a longer focal length for a long time. After reading lots of product reviews and blog posts with lens evaluations, I settled on a Sigma 500mm f4. I usually stick with Nikon lenses, but the Nikon version of this lens is 60% more expensive, while the write-ups with extensive tests report that there is essentially no performance difference between the two lenses. So I took the plunge, forked over the money, and went to the refuge today.

I saw turkeys and eagles, but they were obscured or too distant to photograph. I walked my usual path along the shore, heard an osprey, and found it in a tree.

Osprey with a Still Wriggling Fish

Most of my walk was uneventful, with only the many rabbits keeping me company. I stopped at one of the drains where I've sometimes seen deer and herons inland. Nothing. I turned around to look at the bay and spotted this guy swimming right toward me.

Beaver

When it saw me it turned away, but I got a few shots off before it got away.

Impressions: I knew it would be heavy. It is. It acquires focus pretty quickly, but it takes a second or so for stabilization to get to work. It's tiring to carry it and to hold it on target, but it's easier than I feared it might be. My biceps will probably be sore tomorrow.

OBNWR Menagerie

February was exceptionally warm in Northern Virginia; March has been cold with a snowstorm. I've made several mostly unproductive trips to the wildlife refuge, but I did manage to get a few keepers. The eagles have been elusive, with many sightings, mostly too far away or obstructed by trees. Here's a typical obstructed shot.

Bald Eagle Taking Flight

The woodpeckers are plentiful, but difficult to photograph because they too are usually obstructed for the brief periods when they're still.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Downy Woodpecker

 There are several spots where tidal swamp land drains into the bay. These areas dry out at low tide. I reached one of the drains and surprised myself and this deer.

Deer Staring At Me

The ospreys are returning, and they were actively fishing while I was there.

Osprey Strikes the Water

Osprey Gets a Big Fish

Osprey Stares At Me

It wasn't a complete eagle washout. This one probably thought I was harassing it because it kept landing in trees near the water, then would fly away as I approached, only to land near the water again and I would approach it again... Here's a shot where I was able to get very close before it spotted me and flew away.

Eagle Death Glare

Observing Me During a Flyover

Taking Flight