Signs of Spring

 Here in New York State a late spring followed a hard winter.  The signs of a warmer season have been late and mixed.  The Canada Geese are back.

And they are starting to nest.

But appropriately, on April 1 some wintery weather dropped in to play a joke on us.

There is one spring flowering plant that cares not if it is snowy or cold.  The Skunk Cabbage creates a catalytic warming that melts the ground so it can bloom.  

First, it does not smell like a skunk. but the spathe does seem to have an odor that attracts flies and gnats.  I rather welcome its hardiness along with the daffodils.

Waterfowl also make an early spring arrival.  One favorite bird that always excites me is the Wood Duck.  Here are two gorgeous males that I found on a small pond lined with woodlands.

 It seems like there is always a greater number of males and on this morning there were six males vying for two females.  This female has made her choice and a rejected male is facing a determined stare from the female.

Another set of visitors to the pond on this chilly morning was a gang of Common Mergansers. They often sweep across a pond or river in a line suggesting a coordinated fishing strategy.

These early spring days are often a frustrating time where we are ready before the seasons are willing to make a clean switch to warmth. I am surely not alone in being ready for better days.

Paul Schmitt

Watching in Awe- A Potpourri of Birds

A major goal of my bird photography is sharing examples of why I am in awe of the bird world. It begins with their amazing displays of ornamentation.  This facilitates breeding selection and extends into adaptation.  Not all birds follow ornamentation.  Some take a different path, wherein dark feathers contain melanin which makes the feathers stronger to resist wear.  It seems to me that each successful bird species finds a niche where it avoids direct competition with similar species. If there is direct competition between two similar species, one will adapt better and dominate.  For example, the different woodpeckers in our woods each have a different feeding sector or food preference in the forest.  The Downy does not compete with the Pileated Woodpecker.

Let's begin with a simple example of the Red-breasted Merganser.  It is quite different from the larger male Common Merganser seen at right.  In June, this bird is still in its breeding plumage. 

Enter the smaller Red-breasted Merganser seen below.  First, he has already molted and his iridescent green head is gone. He's now a reddish color. He molted two months before the Common Merganser.  Also, while the Common Merganser dives as deep as 100 feet in large lakes and river, the smaller merganser frequents very shallow water. I observed this reddish merganser picking snails off the cattail stalks.

Similar species, but they are successful in different habitats. Now that I have found this bird's breeding area, I hope to get its photo in breeding colors. Breeding is over, and this boy was silent and red.

Now, let's go to the tuxedo bird.  Some have suggested that the Bobolink looks like he put his tuxedo on backwards.  I was fortunate to capture this male in flight.

I think he looks like a professor in academic robes - pale yellow cap and fringed puffy shirt with a black robe beneath. Breeding was just beginning, so this Bobolink was very vocal.  It's a beautiful song.

I've been following a particular Osprey pair for several years. In the first year, the male had a tough time getting a female to look at his nest.  He called at every large bird that passed hoping it was a female Osprey.  Now, they are bonded and get down to business quickly. Two small chicks are in the nest, and the male has begun his regular fishing for them. I have a good view of their nest right at my eye level. Here comes the male with a fresh catch.

It's pretty easy to tell which is the male. First, he is notably smaller. Since he is diving into the water  for each catch, his feathers are cleaner than the female who spends long hours at the nest.  When the chicks get close to fledging, she will join in fishing to match the chicks huge appetite.

At this early stage, the chicks are small and their heads are barely visible - usually only seen when being fed as shown below.

The male won't stay long at the nest. He'll be back fishing soon. Note the bunch of bedding to the right on the nest. It looks like fibers from cornstalks to me.

This COVID-19 pandemic has closed a lot of parks and some favorite natural areas. One of my best locations just opened recently, any only for only three days a week. In the absence of visitors, a Red-tail Hawk has taken residence in the park's pavilion and the adjacent camper-cabin area.  There is staff working there on renovations, so the bird has become a bit habituated to small numbers of people.  I've been able to get close to the bird by being patient and not directly approaching it. Today, this paid off for me.  I was only 100 feet away.

I am guessing the hawk has been very successful here.  I only saw two squirrels and no chipmunks in the area.  She is pretty good at picking concealed places, such as this gnarled pine tree.

Note how well her body coloration blends in with the tree branches.  Both male and female share this coloration which supports hunting success.  It works. When I arrived two days ago, I knew she was in the area but could not spot her. Thirty minutes later I returned to my car, and she flew out of the tree across from my car.  I had looked there initially, and I can only gain respect for her ability to stay hidden.

There is a similar story for the warbles, and I hope to have the patience to find the subjects to fill in the narrative.

Kind regards,

Paul

Some Highlights of Summer 2016

As Labor Day approaches, I would like to return to images from the summer of 2016 which have special meaning to me. A few comments will reveal why the photo is special. 

The summer began with a trip to a state forest where a nice stand of Pink Lady's-slippers survive.  We can thank the heavy deer hunting pressure for letting this population escape the destructive browsing most places experience.  I call this image the Two Sisters.  It is a portrait.

I always get excited when I see the sensuous orchid blooms.  Even more unusual and spectacular are the Showy Lady's-slippers found at a secret location. Again, heavy deer hunting from neighboring  farmers plays a role in their survival. This image is special to me because there are, at right and at far-left, seed pods from last year's flowers.  The two blooms show an unopened bud and a fully open bloom.  It was magical to find this all in one composition.
 

Next is an image that fulfills a quest I've had for three years. The Black Tern is an uncommon bird, and a bit unusual in that its habitat is fresh water marsh rather than seashore.  It's flight is rapid and erratic as it dips and dives close to the water catching emerging insects such as mosquitoes.  The dark gray color makes a proper exposure difficult.  The coloration suggests this is a newly fledged juvenile learning to hunt.

Along with the outings after natural images, there was a wonderful trip to Ireland that I've written about extensively.  There is one image that I will always like to see. Up so early in Kinvara that the night clerk in our hotel had to unlock the front door for me, I found a mirror calm harbor with delightfully warm sunlight.

Back  home, it still had not rained, and the streams and ponds were getting low. The wading birds, like this Great Blue Heron, were finding fish concentrated and vulnerable.  Of course, they had young in the nest that were utterly dependent on the adult's success to survive.

Just as an athlete practices to perfect the timing for a scoring shot or difficult catch, catching the decisive moment for a wild subject requires practice.  A trip to a nearby river to practice on Killdeer as they take flight is key to getting future shots with the wings in a good position. This shot was mixed in with a lot of near misses.  Consider that the bird rapidly reaches 20 miles per hour in a few feet. To get a sharp image, the photographer has to anticipate the launch, and must have a shutter  faster than 1/1000 second, with 1/1600 second being optimum. It's fast reaction plus fast shutter.

So, I am pretty happy when one of these works out.  Killdeer are only moderately shy.  Belted Kingfishers are extremely shy (as are Great Blue Heron).  You have to find a favored perch site, set up and be invisible. Then wait.  If fortune is on one's side, the sound of a Kingfisher's rattling call announces its approach.  The fun begins as it surveys the stream from the perch.

Sometimes it makes faces and seems to show off.  The tension builds with continued concentration on every twitch and shift.  When the bird becomes intent on a location, the first indication of flight is usually seen in the wingtips.  Then it explodes towards its prey down below.

Full disclosure:  Often the bird does not appear at the perch, or it gives no hint of flight before it launches, or it turns its back and the photo is an unflattering north side of a southbound bird. But when it happens just right, it is magical.

Then there are days when nothing goes right except for a single Common Starling that appears. That is what you come home with.  And you realize that if they weren't such pests, you'd probably try to photograph them.

There are also subjects that are cloaked in negative associations such that many fail to find them interesting or beautiful.  I'm within 1-1/2 hours of a rail-to-trail that goes through some habitat for Eastern Timber Rattlesnakes.  From the safety of a wide trail, one can see them without any stress on observer or subject. I find their markings beautiful.  Watching one slowly ease across a steep bank looking for crickets or other prey reveals how it thoroughly checks every feature for its next meal.  The challenge for me has been to find a subject with both head and rattles clearly visible and unobstructed by a twig or leaf.  On the third visit this summer, I hit my target with two different snakes. This one has ten rattles.  Maybe 48 inches long.

It's not just finding the subject, but also one in good position and uniform light. The same goes for flighty little birds.  This male American Goldfinch came along when I was looking for herons.  The image is special to me because the wispy thistle seed has escaped from the bird's beak.

It seems to me that there are three parts in the making of good photos.  Understanding the technical principles of good exposure,  putting your time into the process and stealing ideas from others.  The last one is why painters go to displays of paintings, musicians listen to other performers and actors watch movies and plays. Maybe my favorites of this summer offer some ideas to steal when photographing what you care about.

Paul Schmitt

Florida Birds- Part Two

The second part of my travel time was in the Tampa Bay area.  On the evening of my arrival, I went out to the North Beach at Fort De Soto. It was a sunny Friday, and the sunbathers were plentiful. Mixed in with swimmers enjoying the gentle waves washing in were White Ibis.

Over the next two days, I saw many different behaviors by these birds. In flight they show black wing tips, and they land in a graceful form.

At one location, the White Ibis were wading along a calm shoreline and probing with that long beak.  They appeared to be catching something which disappeared rapidly. Looking at my images later, I discovered what my eyes were not fast enough to see - small crabs.

The White Ibis behaviors were interesting, but the visual interest created by the Roseate Spoonbills were eye candy. Many were in prime breeding coloration.

In the evening, spoonbills and ibis seem to congregate in large flocks before going off to roost for the night.   One sometimes wonders how the incoming bird finds a place to land in the crowd.

Another interesting bird is the Reddish Egret.  I observed a mild dispute.

Note the blue, red and black pattern from the eye to the tip of the beak.  Distinctive. However, there is a White Morph of the Reddish Egret that is unusual and extremely beautiful.

When fishing, the egret is graceful as it dances about with its wings creating a shadow on the water for better visibility.  They remind one of an elegant ballet dancer.

A favorite?  How can a person decide?

Paul Schmitt

Florida Birds- Part One

For a nature photographer in wintry New York, March in Florida is a refreshing break from winter's meager diet of birds.  Here are a few of the most successful images from my first two days.

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge has often been a rich location.  On arrival I saw the dark haze in the distance that marks controlled burns. Most of my favored locations were closed, but one open area gave me a nice look at some Wood Storks.  I left the next morning to explore new locations.

Look at that sturdy beak on a Wood Stork.  A few days later across the state near Tampa, I watched them breaking off branches for nesting material. Some of the branches were close to being limbs.  The example below is a lightweight piece compared to some they return to the nest with.

On day two, I visited a new location,  Circle B Reserve near Winter Haven. It's a lot of walking but definitely worth the effort. Near the parking area, I came upon Barred Owls.  Directly overhead was a pair of owls, one adult and a large juvenile.  The one began to preen the other, and the interchange was beautiful to witness. Lots of "Oohs" and "Ahhs" were heard from observers.

The owl on the right initiated the preening, and I suspect it was the adult. (I should have been running video.)  After five minutes, the bird on the right flew to a new perch; the visibility of it was nice. 

There was more at Circle B like this Red-shouldered Hawk.

Nearby was a Cattle Egret attractively perched on a dead limb.  The peach color is a breeding plumage.

Along the trail, there was a grassy prairie visible through the trees, and nearby were Sandhill Cranes.  The red cap is what I look for when scouting for them. It has another formidable beak.

This pair did not appear to have chicks. There was a pair alongside the highway just outside the Circle B, but the traffic was just too heavy to pull off.  They had chicks, but it was still not a good idea to risk my life for a photo.

This was a good beginning to the trip.  In Part Two, I will share images of colorful Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibis and a few other surprises.

Regards,

Paul Schmitt

Bluebird Trail Farm- Meadow Birds and More

I joined my friends in the Chemung Valley Audubon Society on a Bobolink outing  to the Bluebird Trail Farm in Caton, New York a few weeks ago. The visit sent me back for some serious photography.  There were abundant Bobolinks, plus many other grassland birds and an inquisitive Alpaca.  Actually, it is an educational farm with chickens, ducks, sheep, and goats, in addition to vegetable and fruit gardens. It is a great outing for the family. The Barn Swallows are plentiful, and a joy to watch returning to their nests in the big red barn. There are a variety of activities on their website plus clear directions. Check them out at: 

 www.bluebirdtrailfarm.org




So, what did this photographer find at Bluebird Trail Farm? Yes, there were Eastern Bluebirds actively feeding young in nest boxes. They were a little leery of my approach, so I left them to their duties.  Bluebirds offer some challenges.  The sun's direction plays a big role in showing their brilliant blues, and the only place to see that was too close for them. There were so many other exciting birds in the grasslands that I did not feel disappointed.



There were many Tree Swallows, including some resting on various perches.  Away from the nest, they were much more comfortable with my approach. Tree Swallows are a common species, yet their appearance and acrobatic flight are very appealing.  Given the great number of insects they catch, they deserve to be appreciated. I got quite used to their flying within feet of me, as they swooped and rolled over the grasses. When I was under camoflage, one nearly landed on my head. 

The Tree Swallows in the nest boxes were very actively feeding young, and they, too, were more comfortable with my location. I took it as a challange to capture their rapid flight towards and away from the nest box.  The colors on the male are brilliant in the sun. It is a delight to stand a comfortable distance away and watch their nimble flight.

Capturing that moment when the bird just touches the box meant that I triggered the shutter when it was still some 4 feet away, and then just hoped I had it right. As I reviewed the photos, I noticed a wide array of insects in their beaks.  All were flying insects.  Other birds in the grassland had different menus.

Capturing the departure presented a new challenge. On approach, I could see the birds some twenty feet away and triggered the shutter as it passed a mark in the background. When it is leaving, there is just a bit of head showing, and often I reacted to a little twitch in the head that was just that. Other times it was the only warning of the explosive launch into the air.

So, Tree Swallows were abundant and provided a great challenge.  The Bobolinks offered a different entertainment.  First, their bubbly song is one I would never tire of hearing. However, the females  nest in the tall grass, and the males are often in the grasses searching for both larva and flying insects to feed the nestlings.  Even when feeding young, they do sing among the grasses.

Here is one male who gained a perch before delivering a catch of insects to a hidden nest in the grasses. The Tree Swallows in the nest box did not seem to object to the Bobolink.

The female Bobolinks are very differently colored to hide in the grasses. I captured this one flying towards a hidden nest.

This brings me to the more elusive of the grassland birds at the farm, and arguably the most colorful and musical, the Eastern Meadowlark. The bird proved difficult to locate, and required complete camoflage before it would approach a favored spot to sing.  It was worth the effort.  Thankfully, they are slower on the wing than a Tree Swallow.

The Eastern Meadowlark takes the posture of an operatic tenor to belt out its song with full voice.  I wonder if I could be so lucky as to record one on video?

Bluebird Trail Farm is not just for the obsessive nature photographer who needs to get ridiculously close to get a full frame image.  With a reasonable set of binoculars, one can get detailed views.  Absent binoculars, the views are reasonable, and the distinctive birdsongs clear to the ear. It is a wonderful place for the young and the young at heart.   Check out their website, and give Margie a call to arrange a visit.

I'll be posting more of my photos at:   http://pschmitt.smugmug.com/

Paul