Cahooque Creek is just a few miles from my back door step and makes a for a nice little paddle when the winds are up or the tides aren’t right for exploring the area’s estuarine environments. It’s not the best paddle location for wildlife photos but occassionally you get lucky. Recently I got lucky. On my last two visits I came across a Green Heron. These little herons aren’t seen in abundance in these parts so it was a treat to see and photograph one. In fact this is the first “Greenie” I’ve had the pleasure to photograph.

The Green Heron can be found throughout the eastern United States during the summer. It is a year round resident of Central America and the northern end of South America. This small heron is unique in that it is one of the few tool using birds. It drops bait onto the surface of the water then grabs small fish that are attracted. Baits and lures used by this cleaver bird include various insects, worms, twigs, and feathers. These birds breed in swampy thickets, foraging in marshes, along creeks and the edges of ponds and lakes.

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.

A large North American shorebird, the Greater Yellow Legs is similar in appearence to the slightly smaller Lesser Yellowlegs. Adults have long, yellow legs (hence their name) and sport long dark bills that are slightly upcurved. The bill tends to be about 1 1/2 the length of the head with a lighter color near the base. In contrast the Lesser’s bill tends to be equal in length to the head and lacks the up turn and lighter colored base.

The Greater Yellowlegs is a migratory bird that travels south to both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of the United States and South America. The bogs and marshes of Alaska and Canada’s boreal forest region are its breeding habitats. The female builds a ground nest where she lays three to four off-white eggs with brown markings. Both the male and female tends the eggs which take twenty-three to twenty-four days to incubate. The couple also shares feeding duties for the young.

The photos below were taken along the Rachel Carson Estuarine Reserve on an early spring afternoon. The birds were feeding in the shallow waters along the shore.

Many of my favorite spots for hiking and photographing have become mud bogs. The rain this winter has been unrelenting. When conditions are like this you can suck it up and it slop along the muddy trails, stay home and daydream of an outdoor adventure, or do what I did, head for the beach. Unless the wind is roaring you can almost always find some kind of subject matter at the beach. Sanderlings, Sea Gulls, Brown Pelicans… something’s probably going to be there to photograph. Our beaches, however, can be a bit challenging. You need to know the area a bit to improve your odds of getting acceptable shots.

One important issues to consider when your goal is to take photos is the direction of the sun. Ideally the sun should be directly behind you for avian photography. If not directly behind you, mostly behind. Finding the right time of day and location can be challenging unless you’re familar with the local beaches. The next issue is knowing where to find the birds. You’re not necessarily going to encounter birds along just any stretch of the beach. The movement of birds… where they congregate… is largely dependent upon feeding opportunities. The birds are going to be where the food is. Knowledge of shoaling, water depths and tide schedules all play a big role in locating birds. By combining local knowledge of the beaches and some solid technique your chance of getting a few good images is greatly enhanced.

A while back I posted about the importance of being willing to get down and dirty to get interesting, compelling images. Sometimes that can lead to a bit of discomfort.  To capture these images of Sanderlings I was laying and sitting in very, very wet sand. My pants and shirt were soaked, the wind was blowing hard and the temperature was dropping quickly. Simply put, it wasn’t particularly comfortable. But the choice really comes down to whether you want to make interesting photos, or stay comfy. Honestly, depending upon my mood and how ambitious I am on a particular day, sometimes comfy wins the battle. But in most cases getting the shot will be worth the effort.

I’ve written about Sanderlings before so I’ll spare you a rewrite of information about the species. These images were taken near sunset, along the Crystal Coast as the birds were feeding and the tide was receding. In the first image the sun is coming over my right shoulder, resulting in more of a slide-lit image. I’m sitting with my elbows resting on my knees to brace the camera. I needed a slightly higher point of view in order to capture the reflection. In the second image I’m closer to eye-level with the bird and the sun is closer to being directly behind me. I also fired a flash to fill shadows and get a catchlight in the eye.

To be honest I’m more than a little sick of all the rain this winter. I’d planned to do the Neusiok Trail this winter but the weather is really… oh no! lame pun warning… dampening those plans. There’s three reasons to hike the Neusiolk in the winter: 1) Few or no insects. 2) No snakes. 3) The trial is DRY AND COMFORTABLE. Oh well, maybe next year. The wet weather is even messing with my day hikes, local photo outings and regional explorations. If it’s not raining, it’s overcast, the lighting is flat and dim. Just not the best conditions for photography.

I was out last Thursday morning looking for some shots. I started out at Cedar Point on the Tideland trail, but there just wasn’t much going on. On my way home I got this brilliant idea (they’re always brilliant when still in the idea stage) that since the wind was picking up and rain threatening there might be some ducks held up on the Willow Pond on the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum Property. The Willow Pond features a nice, comfy blind for observing and photographing any waterfowl or wading birds visiting the pond. On my way I noticed a few Brown Pelicans perched on pilings at the community marina at Harkers Island. As the rain had started I figured shooting out the window of my van might be a bit more pleasant than walking the short trail to the blind. I liked this portrait of a pelican and thought I’d share. Oh, in case you’re wondering, I did make the short walk to the blind, camera and tripod in tow. Not a single duck to be found. Such is the nature of nature photography.

I thought I might change things up a bit and talk little about photography and one of the things that separates professionally made images for those shot by camera bugs. Now first let me clarify that I don’t personally think my wildlife photos are “all that.” But I am working to improve that segment of my work. I’ve been fortunate enough to receive a bit of advice from some accomplished wildlife photograpers plus have spent more than a little time reading some wildlife photography forums. I’ve learned a few things through these exposures… such as some of the things that sets professional shots apart from those taken by hobbiests. So, you might be thinking, what is it that seperates the Pros from the Ametuers? Well one asnswer is pretty simple: Point of view or, if you prefer, perspective.

Most shutter bugs snap pictures while standing erect. Now if you think about it, you’re taking a photo of a bird that stands a few inches tall while towering a few feet above. This results in a look that professional nature and wildlife photographer Jared Lloyd refers to as “the duck pond effect.” So for photographing a shore bird, wader or small mammal on the ground, don’t be afraid to lay on your belly to make a photo at… should I say it… birds eye view.

The photo below is of a Sanderling taken on Atlantic Beach in early January. In order to make this image I had my lens and camera mounted on a skimmer ground pod… a low platform used for low point of view images… laying on my belly. Some of the beach walkers looked at me like I was a little silly, but I think the results are worth a little embarassment in front of strangers. If you look through some of my earlier posts you’ll find some additional examples of getting down to the subjects level. So if you want to take your photography to… lame pun warning!… take your photography to another “level” don’t be afraid to get down and dirty.

I really enjoy egrets. Doesn’t matter whether it’s a Cattle Egret, a Snowy Egret or a Great Egret, everytime I see one I crack a little smile. Smaller than the Great Egret this all white bird also differs in that it has a black bill and yellow feet where the Great Egret has a yellow bill and black feet. Like other members of the heron family this bird was hunted to near extinction in the late 1800′s for its feathers which were used for decorating ladies hats. This bird received protection in the United States under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and it’s population has rebounded nicely. In southern states these egrets are year-round residents. Northern birds migrate in the winter to Central America and the West Indies.

This Snowy Egret was photographed in a canal at the Lake Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge in Hyde county. They can frequently be seen locally here around the Crystal Coast. Look for them along the Tideland Trail, while kayaking the White Oak or Newport Rivers and along the barrier islands of Cape Lookout National Seashore. You may also see them when walking the waterfronts in Beaufort or Morehead City.

Not so many years ago if someone said they’d seen a bald eagle their sanity would’ve been questioned. However, thanks to the hard work of conservationists around the country viewing an eagle is not such an unusual sight. In 1995 the Bald Eagle was reclassified from “endangered” to “threatened.” On June 28, 2007 this majestic bird was removed from the Endangered and Threatened Species List. Females are up to 25% larger than adult males. Females may have a wingspan up to 96″ while adult males can have wingspans as small as 66″. Adult Bald Eagles, both male and female, have dark brown/black bodies with a white head and tail. In the wild thier average lifespan is around 20 years though at least one captive bird lived for nearly 50 years. While their primary diet is fish they will take advantage of carrion, particularly in the winter. They have been known to “steal” fish from egrets, herons and other birds. Below are pictured an adult and an immature Bald Eagle. While both were photographed near Lake Mattamuskeet I have seen Bald Eagles on three occassions around the Crystal Coast.

The Eastern Willet is a large migratory shore bird that is a member of the sandpiper family. While Willets will migrate as far south as Central and South America, they breed in salt marshes along the eastern US coast. There is also a Western variety that is slightly larger and has subtle differences in its markings. Willets were nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1900s but have made a nice come-back and are a common site along our beaches.

This bird was photographed along Bogue Banks, Atlantic Beach, NC. Rather than standing above the bird and ending up with a downwardly angled shot I am laying on the beach to get as close to an eye-level perspective as possible. At this location the beach inclined rather quickly so I’m probably a foot or two above the bird despite my prone position. Staying low not only offers a more pleasing perspective when photographing birds, it is less stressful to the animal. You can usually approach closer if you are low or, as in this case, the bird will make a closer approach to you.

I thought I might change up things a bit by posting a series of images of one of my favorite wading birds, the Great Egret. In the past the brid was known as the Great White Egret, Common Egret and even the Great White Heron. It is a common sight around the marshes, ponds and sounds of North Carolina. Standing 39″ tall with a 4 1/2 foot wingspan, it is a large white heron with a yellow bill and black legs. These birds feed in shallow waters primarily on fish and frogs. On land they may feed on insects, reptiles and small mammals. While now common in the southeast U.S. these birds were hunted to near extinction in the 1800s and early 1900s.

I took these shots at Lake Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, near Fairfield, NC. The lake is well known for attracting tens of thousands of Tundra Swans every winter. The refuge attracts a wild array of other waterfowl, shore birds, raptors and song birds. On this particular day I observed both Great and Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Tundra Swan, Coot, Canadian Geese, Bald Eagle, Comorants, American Kestrel and a variety of song birds. The causeway, NC Highway 94, provides some excllent viewing opportunities of the wildlife at this lake. There is a road that passes through the wildlife refuge that may also allow some looks at various birds on the property. Be aware that portions of the refuge are closed to the public during the fall/winter and there is waterfowl hunting allowed in the refuge by permit. Casual viewers are best advised to stick to the causeway and main access roads for wildlife observation.