As I mentioned in my previous blog post, my intentions were to post a “marathon” session of photos to get my posting caught up to the current date. That didn’t work out so well, so I am now thinking I will begin posting my current day’s shoot relatively soon after the shoot. Past shoots that I have yet to post will be periodically interspersed with the current postings. Today’s post is a combination of two past days of shooting–July 19 & Aug. 1. Soon, I’ll post photos from my most recent shoot on Oct. 26, when I shot with a borrowed Canon 5D Mark II body. More about that later!
Let’s get to the pictures for July 19, 2012. [Click on the images to see a larger view!]
Near post #2, a Northern Flicker is busy bobbing its head up and down in the long grass. A video follows the photo.
Just past the Ducks Unlimited sign there’s a convention of White Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, and a host of other shore birds and ducks. For me, it is rare to see this social gathering of herons in with the other birds where herons usually enjoy their solitude. A video follows the photo and shows several instances of birds chasing off rivals as if to claim their own territory.
A Great Blue Heron perched high in a tree.
A came across a couple of low-soaring Turkey Vultures just past post #1.
I stopped on the eastern edge of Rest Lake after noticing a good dozen Great Egrets far out on the lake, which is quickly drying up. Occasionally, one or more of the birds would take off and fly eastward, toward me. So I waited and some flew fairly close to me.
A Great Blue also flies by as I’m waiting for more Egrets.
Shots from Aug. 1st —
Way too low of an angle on this American Crow but I don’t get many shots of these common birds.
One of the two Great Horned Owlets I’ve been following this year.
Not sure what kind of Gull this is — possibly a California or a Ring-billed.
One of the young fledgling eagles in a tree near the nest.
One more opportunity — the Turkey Vulture.
A young Pied-billed Grebe was getting fed by its parent.
My first and only shots of a Green Heron this year at the refuge. It was not located in the best light and I had only one place to view it from. In the top photo, the heron is letting a duck know that this is his spot for hunting.
Out in the field past post #13, but relatively close to the road was this Turkey Vulture just lying there. I caught the bird yawning, and just about to take flight.
Thanks for taking a look at my shots for these two days of summer shooting. The next post, as I mentioned above, will be from my October 26 shoot, when I used the full-frame 5D Mark II body. I’ll share those shots and some exciting (at least for me!) news.