Month: April 2021

Pelagic

I went to Port Orchard to see if the Horned Grebes were in breeding plumage yet, but on this visit I only saw a single grebe and it wasn’t in breeding colors yet.  In fact, there were remarkably few birds in the marina.  Most of the seabirds that overwinter there seemed to have left for their breeding grounds.  Luckily, Pelagic Cormorants are year-round residents, and it’s rare that I visit Port Orchard without seeing one.

Usually, they seem largely indifferent to people and to the camera, apparently willingly posing.

If they do think you are too close they will dive and emerge 100 yards away.  

On this visit, though I got a demonstration of their ability to fly away when they want to.  This Pelagic Cormorant suddenly leapt out of the water 

made one big hop

and  catapulted

into the air

before settling down less than 50 yards away, calmly watching me as I took several more shots.

In checking the spelling of its name in Birds of the Puget Sound Region I found the following: Did you know? Pelagic cormorants can leap directly from the water into flight. Other cormorants must run along the surface to gain takeoff speed.

It’s always nice when a book’s author confirms what you’ve just learned.

It Takes Dedication — and Luck

I think amateur photographers are often the biggest fans of great photographs because they, more than anyone else, know what dedication it takes to produce those great photographs.  Dedication + Luck.  And you have to be dedicated to your art to get lucky.  Some people are put off by the high prices the best photographers demand, but if you consider the number of hours they spent learning their craft and the number of hours spent without getting a great shot, you wouldn’t begrudge them their fees —though, if you’re like me, you’re probably not going to have the money to buy those kinds of works because you spent all your ready cash on photo equipment.

Bird photography, like fishing, is definitely variable.  I’ve gotten a lot of great shots at both Theler Wetlands and Port Orchard marina, but that certainly wasn’t the case on my last visit. 

Birding was extremely slow except for the Canada Geese which were loud and ever-present.  I don’t take many pictures of them anymore except when they first have goslings, but some days I’m desperate enough to take a shot of them flying.

The most interesting bird of the day was this Greater White-Fronted Goose, which is uncommon at Theler.  

The best “got-away” shot of the day was this shot of a Red Shafted Flicker,

but it was quite dark when I took the shot and badly underexposed because it required a high shutter speed to capture it in flight.

The sun started to emerge when I got to Port Orchard, but that’s not particularly helpful when the sun is directly behind your subject.  

Just as I avoid taking shots of Canada Geese, I also avoid taking shots of Great Blue Herons. However, I could’t resist taking a shot of this one sitting on the Marina roof.  Not only is it a beautiful heron, the unusual angle makes the shot for me.

I think I’ve mastered the Dedication part, at least judging from the number of photos I have on my hard drive, but it may take me awhile to master the Luck part.

Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge

Although large flocks of ducks dominated the landscape, there was a considerable variety of birds, including the usual suspects, like this Great Blue Heron

and several eagles, including this immature Bald Eagle, who willingly posed for me instead of merely flying overhead.

Though I was disappointed not to spot an American Bittern, I was pleased to get some good photos of this Yellowlegs, though I’ll have to admit that I was surprised to see him running around the ground quite close to the Bald Eagle.

Seeing this one was particularly welcome because I had seen one two days before on the way home from Ft. Flagler, but it was too far away to get a decent shot.  

I’ve taken a lot of pictures of Yellowlegs, but every time I examine a shot closely on my computer screen I’m amazed by those long, slender legs and those equally long toes.

Back to Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

Although Nisqually Wildlife Refuge inspired me to take up birding several years, I haven’t been back nearly as often since they blew the dikes out several years ago.  However, when Paul suggested he wanted to explore it, I was more than willing to give it another try. I’m glad I did because I it gave me a chance to get some close-up shots of ducks, like this pair of Green-Winged Teal landing simultaneously, 

a pair of Northern Shovelers romantically circling each other,

an elegant pair of Norther Pintails, 

and a pair of Widgeons.