Birds in Flight at Oliver Mill

Group of Great Black-back Gulls

My son and I travel down to Oliver Mill Park in Middleborough, Massachusetts to check on the Herring run.  My son was there in March and there was a huge amount of Herring streaming up the water toward Lake Assawompset when they breed.  Today, not only us but some other people were down checking on the Herring did not see any.  In fact, tomorrow and's Sunday, April 9 and 10th is the annual Herring run Festival at Oliver Mill Park.  That should be a good time.  Even if there are no Heron in the river.

We spent most of the time photographing gulls and Red-tailed Hawks flying.  The majority of the gulls were great black-back gulls with a scattering of Herring gulls.  A good number of the gulls were sitting on the riverbanks looking in the water for some Herring that they could catch.  But they were out of luck.

The third year Great-back Gull Flying

Great Black-back Gull In Flight

Great Black-backed Gull Coming in for a Landing and Chasing Another Gull off the Rock

Red-tailed Hawks Riding the Thermals

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Red-tailed Hawk and White-tailed Deer

Friday was a foggy morning but the kids and I decided to drive down to Sachuest to see what we could find..  Driving up the entrance road to the sanctuary, a bread-tailed hawk flew down and landed in the field to our left.  It immediately flew back up to the roof of the equipment building.  We were able to get set up and take pictures of the red-tailed hawk.  The hawk then flew to the roof of the visitor center where we got some additional photos.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Walking down the Ocean Loop Trail, in the waters of the bay, there was a large flock of sea ducks, who were too far out to photograph.  In the field, there were deer and close to the trail.  There was one deer feeding, probably a first-year deer.  As a person walk by the deer.  It did not even look up and kept on feeding.  We walk slowly down and were able to photograph the deer within 10 feet.  The deer would look at us and said "oh well", went back to feeding.

White-tailed Deer

We continued on the loop seeing more deer in the fields and more rafts of ducks out on the ocean, although there were too far away to get decent photographs, but could identify them.  We had harlequins, lesser scaup, greatest scaup, Bufflehead, goldeneye, common eiders, horned grebe, and common loons.  We watched them, hoping that they would swim in closer to the shoreline, but spent the time further out.  Interesting, on the Island rocks, there were no cormorants and only one gull.  Walking back to the visitor center, there was another young deer feeding on berries right along the side of the path.  We walked slowly past the deer so we could take pictures, looking at the deer and we were so close if we wanted to we could almost pat the deer.  After finishing eating the deer gallop down the path showing its white-tail up in the air.

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer

Returning to the visitor center, the red-tailed hawk was sitting on the top of the flagpole.  It kept looking around looking for food.  We knew eventually it would fly, so we set up a lenses and tripods, I move my focus point to the far left and said it focused on the bird because I knew it would fly toward us to land in the field.  After 15 to 20 minutes, the hawk defecated and took off into the fields, and gave me some nice photographs.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

In the field, the hawk was jumping around trying to catch either a vole or a mouse but missed catching anything and then flew away.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

It was another nice day and the skies cleared up in the sun came out.  However, when we got home and I was walking up the stairs.  I tripped over and hit my head on the front door and now I have a big goose egg on my four head.  It looks ugly but does not hurt.

Block Creek Natural Area and Last Chance Forever

Both the Red and Gray Morph of the Eastern Screech Owl

I have just returned from a log weekend in the hill country of Texas.  We stayed and birded at a great place, Block Creek Natural Area-Turkey Hollow.  Almost all of photography took place at block Creek, plus we stayed right there.  The accommodations and food were excellent.  Sharron and Larry Jay have set up the area for nature photography for all skill levels..  When you stay there you become part of the family, everyone eats together.  There are multiple blind set up in many different areas of the property and the number of black-throated hummingbirds that are present is unbelievable.  The Jays can be reached at Sharron@BlockCreek.net or 830-995-4174, for further information.

I attended a three day instructional photo tour, it was not a workshop, but a chance to photograph with a professional nature photographer, Larry Ditto , who I consider my friend..  We photographed from Thursday afternoon until Sunday at lunch time.

I did run into a problem, flying out of Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio plane was completely full and there was no room in the overhead for my camera equipment.  Because of this I gate checked my bag and was told it would be at the baggage claim.  However, and maybe not to my surprise my camera bag did not arrive.  After checking with the baggage agent, the bag never was placed on the plane.  Not only my bag before other people did not get their bags.  I gave the the baggage agent, all my information will was going to be.  I was told that they have a flight to San Antonio every hour from Dallas-Fort Worth.  My bag should be on the next plane and they would send it to me.  I finally received my camera bag, just prior to starting the Photoshoot.  Thank God!

The plan for the first afternoon of shooting, was to photograph raptors.  Arrangements were made with "Last Chance Forever."  The Bird of Prey Conservatory located near San Antonio.  The primary mission At the Last Chance Forever is to rehabilitate and release back into the wild, injured, sick, or often birds of prey.  From the information sheet since 1978.  They have provided care for 240 to 300 raptors every year.  These birds got expert veterinary care, physical therapy, nursing exercise and their ultimate gift, release.  For more than 30 years.  They have successfully returned 65 to 80% of the birds to the natural home – the wild.

We had a chance to photograph a pair of screech owls, red-tailed hawk, great horned owl, and the Harris Hawk.  The Harris Hawk gave us a chance to get flight shots and watch it capture a lure.

Red-tailed Hawk Fluffing Its Feathers

Red-Tailed Hawk, Showing How It Got Its Name

Gray Morph Eastern Screech Owl

Red Morph Eastern Screech Owl

Great Horned Owl, with Its Mouth Open

Harris Hawk Flying Right into Your Face

Harris Hawk on Its Back Going to Catch a Lure.  This Is a Composite Picture

Last Chance Forever is a nonprofit agency that receives no federal or state funds in the all the funding come from public donations.  One of their supporters is Don Henley, one of the founding members of the musical group, The Eagles.  All donations are tax deductible, and more information can be found at their website www.lastchanceforever.org.






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A Double Great Day

Rough-legged Hawk

Saturday definitely was a double great day. It was that because my grandson and I first spent the the morning photographing that Parker Island National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island and then in the afternoon picked up my great-granddaughter and then we went to Salisbury Beach and finished off the afternoon back at Parker River.

Here is a synopsis of the day. Upon arriving at Parker River, we slowly drove down the road and stopped at the salt pannes, with close to the road there were mainly only black ducks and canada geese. One of the canada geese was preening, so we pulled over and using a Puffin Pad out my window, I photograph the goose and waited hopefully for it to give me a good wings spread, however, it only ruffled its wings.

Canada Goose ruffling its feathers

As we were riding down the road, we saw in the sky a hawk hovering. We pulled over, and again I used the puffin pad to steady my 500 mm lens and since it hovered and just moved around and state near the car I was able to photograph the Hawk would already difficulty. Identification showed it was a Rough-legged Hawk, a northern visitor from the Arctic.

Rough-leggedHawk diving for prey

Rough-legged Hawk back looking for prey since it did not catch any on its last dive

We stopped at the pullouts along the way and search for the snowy owls that had been reported at Parker River. At the Warden's, for the second year in a row I captured a Northern Mockingbird in the berries.

Northern Mockingbird taking off from the berries

At the Bill Forward Bird Blind, we searched the marsh hopefully for the snowy owl, no luck, but we got a great flight of the ducks that took off when an Eagle passed overhead.

Flight of ducks after being spooked by an Eagle

Our next stop was parking lot seven, where I met some friends from Massachusetts Camera Naturalists, who just came down from looking over the beach. We discussed what we had seen and they told me that there was nothing on the beach. However my grandson and I decided will just take a look. When we reached the platform at the top of the Boardwalk, there were a few people would spotted scopes looking down the beach and they told me there was a Peregrine Falcon feeding on the beach. Looking down the beach, there was a photographer taking pictures. We went down and walked close to the dunes slowly watching the Peregrine to make sure we would not annoy it. Took some ID pictures and slowly continue down toward the other photographer, because I did not want to shoot into the sun. The Peregrine was very cooperative and looked up every so often but mainly continued feeding. When we got to a good location, I took some more pictures, then lowered my tripod to the ground and I went down look also at slowly moved up toward the berm watching carefully the falcon to make sure I was not encroaching into its comfort area. It looked up and continue going back to eating animal out some great photographs. From looks of its prey it had captured a Yellowlegs. We spent over a half-hour photographing this great bird. We then backed away slowly and left because we had a go pick up my great-granddaughter.

Peregrine falcon on the beach, the blur near its feet is the sand blowing in the stiff wind

Peregrine Falcon feeding on a Yellowlegs

Peregrine Falcon

After we picked her up, we traveled to Salisbury Beach, where a snowy owl had been reported. We found the snowy owl across from the boat launch ramp way in the distance in the marsh. A couple was there with a spotting scope and let my great-granddaughter get a good look at the snowy owl. Then my grandson took his daughter for a walk along the beach, because that is something she likes to do. While I was continuing to watch to see what else was around a Merlin came flying into the area and I was hoping it was going to land in the tree that was close by, but however circled and continued back down along the campground. Another birder showed up, and we discussed the Snowy Owl and the Merlin. He told me that the Merlin likes to hang out on the dead tree near the bathhouse in the campground on row W. So when everybody was back in the car, we travel down and search the area, at first, no Merlin but on the second go around it was on the tree and allowed for some pictures. My first pictures of the Merlin. After that my great-granddaughter wanted to go play at the playground and I was the next thing we did.

Merlin

We finished off the day by going back to Parker River where we got great views of a Red-tailed Hawk, a Bald Eagle, Great Egret and many Great Blue Heron. So finished a double great day.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk on top of the visitors center at parking lot 1

Bald Eagle

Great Egret

"It's Never Too Early"

Father and daughter observing and photographing

I spent the day with my grandson and great-granddaughter and we visited Salisbury Beach State Reservation and Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The thrill of the day, besides my great-granddaughter playing on the swings at Salisbury Beach was the very cooperative Red-Tailed Hawk that was in a conifer on the side of the road at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. What made the day a thrill, is that my great-granddaughter was standing with her father, while he was photographing a hawk, and she was utilizing my binocular's to observe the hawk. She was so fascinated by the hawk that she named it "Capt. Abby" after herself. Abby is five years old and is fascinated with birdwatching and utilizing binoculars. Like any five year old her attention span isn't long but she enjoyed the experience and wants to go out again.

Red-tailed Hawk - "Capt. Abby"

Red-tailed Hawk Encounters at Allens Pond

On last Friday's Allens Pond Massachusetts Audubon Sanctuary bird walk, we had a few interactions with juvenile Red-tailed Hawks.  What makes it interesting, is that the juveniles are much less skittish than the adults and do allow close encounters without flying off.
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is one of the most common buteos in North America, ranging from Weston Alaska and northern Canada to has far south as Panama and the West Indies.  Its scientific name comes from it being first found on the island of Jamaica.  There are at least 14 recognized subspecies, varying in appearance and range.  However, the basic appearance of the Red-tailed Hawk is consistent with the underbelly lighter than the back, a dark brown band across the belly, the tail is uniformly brick-read above and pink below, and it's Bill was shot and dark.  One of the ways to tell a juvenile red-tailed hawk from an adult is the color of its eye.  Juveniles have a yellow iris while adults irises are a reddish-brown hue.

The first encounter with the red-tailed hawk was right at the field station, we were getting ready to start our walk, when we noticed a large brown bird disappear in front of the field station.  At first we thought it was a Harrier, but it didn't appear.  I walked to the side of the field station and in the small tree at the side of the field station, the hawk was sitting.  We will able to get good views of the hawk, it then flew across the street and landed on a railing of a porch where it just stayed for a while.  We then encountered another red-tailed Hawk down by the marsh in a tree. 
And when we traveled to the grasslands portion of the Allens Neck section of the sanctuary.  We found another juvenile red-tailed hawk in an old tree, where it stayed  as we slowly walked by.and were able to get close observation of the hawk.






Finally, we had a juvenile soaring overhead, as it was searching for food.