There are certanin large wading birds I always love to see. However, those birds also are some of most skiddish birds found around the Crystal Coast. A couple that are always especially hard to get a shot of are Reddish Egrets and Little Blue Herons… though admittedly the more common Great Blue Heron and Great Egret can be pretty tough to get close to as well. I also find getting within camera range of Snowy Egrets to be particularly challenging. Even though the kayak helps, allowing you to get a bit closer than you could using a land approach, it doesn’t take much to spook these guys. Here are a few shots from my last couple of kayak outings where I happened to get lucky.

The Least Tern is the smallest of the terns found along North Carolina’s coast. A migratory bird, the Least Tern spends its winters in Central America and the Carribean. In the spring they return to coastal areas of North America to reproduce. With a population of about 21,500 pairs this little bird isn’t listed as “threatened” or endangered,” though in some of the states where it breeds it is consedered a “threatened” species. They are vunerable to predators and high tides along the U.S. East Coast. Of course human disturbance of nesting areas can also be a problem. Be mindful of restricted areas on local beaches that are marked to protect shorebird nesting areas. A fast and shy little bird, I found these guys quite challenging to photograph. Patience and a slow, low approach seems to work best.

As I mentioned in my last post I had a bit of trouble locating horses on the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve last week. I had a bit more success yesterday morning. I found a small group consisting of one stallion and three mares out on the shoals. They even entertained me by crossing from one shoal to another while I was wathcing and photographing! I found a larger group on Carrot Island not far from the boardwalk/observation deck, across from the Lenoxville boat ramp. This group was staying up in the shade of the cedar trees and digging holes down to a fresh water source. I suspect that with the recent heat and humidity a lot of the horses are staying in shade and close to drinkable water. You wouldn’t think something as large as a horse would be difficult to find, but honestly if one hadn’t whinnied while I was in ear-shot I think I might have walked right past them! It makes me wonder if I’d missed some the other morning.

I exchanged a couple of emails about their behavior with Jared Lloydd, a professional wildlife photographer and biologist that’s spent a lot of time photographing and observing Banker Horses. (See the links area for a link to his excellent website and for information on his horse photography workshops). Jared mentioned that the Shackleford Horses also dig for water when conditions dry up fresh water pools on the island. He noted, however, that the Banker Horses up by Corova have no need to do so as it’s a much wider island and tends to hold large pools of fresh water. Also, even if the pools were to dry up he mentioned the Currituck Sound has a low salinity level and the horses could drink from that if needed.

It was good to spot the horses and to get a chance to photograph them some more. When photographing the shoals group I was in my kayak, hand-holding a 500mm lens. That can be a bit of a challenge due to the rocking nature of being in a boat. A faster shutter speed is required to keep from blurring the images. In order to keep the shutter speed up, a higher “film speed” or iso is required (light sensitivity setting) which can result in a bit of “digital noise” in the image. When on the island I’m using a tripod with a gimbal mount to insure everything stays nice and steady. This allows the use of slower shutter speeds and also a “slower” iso setting. Simply put when using the tripod you have more workable options available, giving you greater artistic control over the resulting photos. Shooting form the boat you often have to make some compromises and settle for fewer optsion to insure a usuable image. However you gain the advantage of often being able to approach closere without alarming your subjects using the boat. Below are a few photos from the morning’s session.

I rolled out of bed early this morning with a solid plan for some nature photography on Carrot Island. I’d launch the boat at Fisherman’s Park, Front and Gordon Streets in Beaufort, and make the forty-five second paddle across the creek to beach my kayak. I’d then go on foot to photograph some of the island’s feral horses. Whether your shooting an event, portraits or making like a nature photojournalist, it’s always best to have a working plan for your shoot. However, you also need to be willing to shift gears and abandon the plan if circumstances dictate. It’s extremely easy to get locked into a plan and miss other opportunities. As fate would have it, this morning was one of those days where the game plan fell through. Carrot Island is usually the perfect location to be to photograph some horse but this time they were nowhere to be found. Apparently they were all on one of the other sections of the reserve.

Very early into my hike I spotted a pretty little red fox out playing on the dunes. It’s not unusual for me to see foxes on this island, but usually as they slink off into cover trying to avoid me. This little guy was totally unawre I was there! Now foxes are one of my favorite wild animals. I’ve always been fascinated by them. Any time I see one I consider it a good day in nature. If I get to photograph it… well, that’s just about a perfect day! As the moring progressed it became painfully clear that I just wasn’t going to get any horse photos. But I didn’t let that spoil my day. I already had some fox shots “in the can,” and there’s always plenty of photographic possibilities to be found on the island. I shot wildflowers, birds and even landscape while exploring the island in search of wild horses.

I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Western North Carolina in the Smokey Mountains. Anytime I’m in that area waterfalls are at the top of my “to do list.” I set-up camp in the Deep Creek area of the Great Smokely Mountains National Park and used that as my base of operations. Located outside of Bryson City there are three waterfalls that are a short hike from the Deep Creek parking area: Tom Branch Falls, Indian Creek Falls, and Juney Whank Falls. All three are well worth a visit and are easy enough to access for the entire family to enjoy. A short drive from Bryson City there are several waterfalls to be found around Cherokee, North Carolina. Two of my favorites are Mingo Falls and Soco Falls. Both are short hikes either up or down a set of steps. Soco Falls, however, doesn’t have easy access to the base of the falls. In fact one needs to either be a mountain goat or have some climbing skills to safely reach it and return to the marked trail.

There are many fine photographers that specialize in waterfalls photography. Living on the coast, I’m not one of them. The problem is to build competence one needs to be able to shoot, analyze the results, consult with other photographers and re-shoot frequently. This is an approach that allows one to grow and improve at a specific discipline. With the mountains and waterfalls being several hours away it’s just not a practical approach for me. For me I have to depend on the occassional opportunity and studying the writings and work of others to try to learn.

One of the problems with photographing waterfalls is one common with most popular landscapes and monuments; they’ve been photographed countless times before. Finding a combination of angle, lens, lighting and post processing that will be unique is nearly impossible. On this trip I wanted to emphasize wider angles than I’m used to seeing used. While this results in the falls being a smaller part of the image in many cases, it also allows incorporation of more of the surrounding environment, inclussion of foreground and background objects and use of environmental objects as leading lines and visual anchors in the composition. Where exposure is concerned there are three distinct schools of thought. 1) A fast shutter speed to freeze the action of the water. 2) A moderately slow shutter speed to allow some blurring of the falling water… a technique that argueably results in an image closely represntative of how the eye preceives falls. 3) Use of a very slow shutter speed to create a soft, eretheal look to the falling water. This seems to be the most popular approach these days.

So enough ramblings on my part. On to the photos. I hope you enjoy them.

The Ruddy Turnstone, once included in the Plover family, is a migratory member of the sandpiper family. Like many of our migratory shorebird visitors the Ruddy Turnstone breeds in tundra areas during the summer. Over winter and during migration they can be found along coastal areas, preferring mudflats they can alos be found along rocky shorelines and sandy beaches. They will eat about anything they can find under rocks… hence their name based on feeding behavior, “turn stone.”

The American Oyster Catcher is one of my favorite shore birds. Their distinctive bright orange bills and eye circle make them one of the more colorful birds found along North Carolina’s beaches. They range in height between 17 and 21 inches and sport a 35 inch wingspan. Their bright orange bills range from 3 to 4 inches in length. In addition to the bill and eye rings other distinguishing characteristics include pink legs, black heads and necks, and the white stripes on their wings.

While not on the endagered species list, the American Oyster Catcher is noted as a concern. Once hunted for food, as well as their plumage, the species became protected by law in 1918. The bird is found along North America’s East coast, from New England to Florida as well as along the Gulf coast and South America. Natural predators of the bird include raccons, skunks and large raptors. They nest on beaches above the tide line and typically lay between 2 and 4 eggs per season. Their diet includes oysters, obviously, as well as other marine invertabrae.

Oyster Catchers have an interesting eye that, if you’re not aware of it, can give the impression of something being off with the pupil in photographs. I’ve heard it referred to as a “double pupil” though I believe more correctly it’s called an eye “fleck”… a dark spot in eye that looks a bit like a second pupil. My understanding is that in their Pacific coast cousin, the Black Oyster Catcher, it’s believed that the fleck only occurs in females. I don’t know of any studies being done of the East Coast’s American Oyster Catcher, but there’s a chance when you notice the “funky pupil” you’re seeing a photo of one of the gals. I know when I photograph these birds I seem to notice the fleck in about 50% (give or take) of the birds. Not particularly scientific but it seems to fit nicely with the sexual trait theory.

The Crystal Coast is blessed with a nice population of this colorful shore bird. They can be found in the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve as well as all along the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Look for them on Shackleford Banks, Carrot Island, Horse Island, the Middle Marshes as well as Bird Shoals. During high-tide the birds can be found bunched on small mud islands and oyster banks. As the tidal waters recede, exposing oyster beds and other food sources, the birds spread out to feed. The next time you’re exploring our natural occuring barrier islands, as well as dredge spoil islands, key an eye-open for these lovely creatures.

Precipitation has been the keyword for Winter 2010 in Eastern North Carolina. Rain, rain and more rain and now, a very significant snow fall! It’s almost unheard of… 4, 5, even 6 inches and more snow for Coastal Carolina! The snow cover certainly made for some unusual landscapes. Combined with all the rain, it’s also taking a toll on the accessibility of local hiking trails. Take the Patsy Pond trail for example. I visited the trail the afternoon following the snow storm and, fortunately, I’d made the hike wearing waders. About 1/2 the way around the yellow loop trail sections started looking more like a stream than a hiking trail. In fact I waded water that was over kneed deep! I’ve been visiting this trail for a number of years and have always considered it a great choice when the weather is wet. Below are a coupld of images from Febuary, 13, 2010 showing the snow storm. One shows the Patsy Pond trail looking like a stream. The other shows a marsh area bordering the Newport River and Neusiok Trail.

The weather has simply been terrible lately. Combine that with a fairly full schedule and I’m finding myself suffering from a major case of cabin fever. It’s been so wet here lately that even setting-up in the backyard to photogrpah birds around the feeder is a challenge. It would take very little activity to turn my yard into a mud bog! But at least there’s plenty of time to dream and to plan the adventures that will come with Spring.

One thing I’m looking forward to when warmer weather arrives is doing a bit of kayaking. There are some very wonderful natural areas around the Crystal Coast, but many of them are only accessible by water. The kayak will allow me to explore some areas that I wouldn’t be able to otherwise. One advantage of a kayak, or so I’m told by those that use them for wildlife photography, is that birds and animals aren’t as skittish of kayakers as they are hikers. Most of the things that threaten them in the wild come from the land, not the water. Another advantage is that a kayak sits you closer to the surface of the water… that gives you a lower angle of view in your photos. And, of course, it’s a fairly quiet way of approaching wildlife, unlike a skiff with its outboard motor. It should be fun.

In selecting a kayak with photography in mind I probably made a pest of myself on a few of the nature forums. I asked a lot of questions of folks with experience… possibly to the point of being annoying. But it is so easy to spend money poorly when setting-out in a new direction and I really wanted to make a sound decision. From my research I decided that I wanted a “recreational” rated boat, as it would likely be a bit more stable. (For some reason camera gear and baths don’t mix well!) This style of boat also tends to have a larger cockpit making it easier to shoot from. I also learned that there is some advantage to length. The longer boats tend to move through the water faster, easier, straighter and require a bit less effort to paddle. While I started out looking at 10 foot boats I ended up with a 12 footer. I settled on a Prodigy 12.0 by Perception. The three boats I was most interested in were the Prodigy, the Pamlico or Pungo by Wilderness Systems, and the Dirigo by Old Town. I suspect any of the three would have met my requirements.

Since this is a new endeavor for me I wanted to keep things as economic as possible. Anytime embarking on some new outdoor activity there’s a real possibility of finding it’s not what one thought it would be! As such I shopped around for a used boat. Many times kayaking outfitters will sell off their rental boats during the off-season. These kinds of purchases can save one a bit of money. I ended up buying a rental program boat from Paddle Creek, Wake Forest, NC. I found them to be very friendly and helpful throughout the process.

So here I sit, daydreaming of adventures to come. As warm weather arrives I hope to provide some reports, and imagery of course, from places like the White Oak River, Newport River, Back Sound, Shakleford Banks, Rachael Carson Estuarine perserve and other wet and wild places around the Crystal Coast. Since I really don’t have an image taken from a kayak yet, but it wouldn’t feel right to make a post without a photo, how about a nice symbol of Spring? Taken recently along the Neusiok Trail near the Pine Cliff recreation area, an Eastern Bluebird… certainly a creature of the spring in my mind.

Fort Macon State Park is probably best known for its Civil War era earthen mound fort. Used for military purposes not only during the War Between the States but during World War II. The facility also served as a military and civil prison during the late 1800s. The park includes a nice 1.5 mile stretch of undeveloped beach. The beach is popular with fishermen, swimmers and both nature and portrait photographers. It is an excellent location to view a variety of shore birds including gulls, brown pelicans, least sandpipers, sanderlings, and others. The park is home to 302 species of birds. The park’s plant life includes live oak, yaupon, cedar and black locust. While not one of eastern North Carolina’s wildest places, it is certainly a wonderful place to observe nature.

Below are pictured a Great Black-backed Gull and a Sanderling. At about 30″ the Black-backed Gull is the largest of the gulls. The Black-backed Gull winters in the Southeast, spending its summers in the Northeast. A small bird, Sanderlings are frequently seen running along the edges of the Carolina beaches in the winter. These small birds probe the sand with their bills searching for a meal of miniature mullusks, crustateans, worms and insects. Like the Great Black-backed Gull, Sanderlings winter in the Southeast. During the summer months these little birds spend their time on the artic tundra.