Posts in Category: Wildlife

Photos, stories and ‘how I got the shot’ about birds and animals in the wild

Turkey Shoot – Photographing Wild Turkeys

On March 27, 2022 - Game Birds, Wildlife Photography

Wild turkeys are starting to strut here in Vermont. Strutting is a display by the males to attract the ladies. They’ll fan their tailfeathers and keep moving around to be in in front of the females. This is a great time to photograph them. Not only are the males showing their finery, but you’ll often see fights as the males try to drive each other away from the flock.

The light on turkeys makes or breaks the image. With low angle, early morning light, turkeys are iridescent and the male’s face and wattle are brightly colored. Wait a few minutes after sunup and they appear a drab brown. Shooting just after dawn is critical.

Finding turkeys is relatively easy. They’re sort creatures of habit. You’ll usually find a flock working through the same field(s) every morning. They roost in trees come dusk. You can hike along the edge of the field you’re planning to shoot the evening before to see where they’re roosting to give you an edge the next morning.

Turkeys are hunted regularly and are very wary of people. For the best photos, you’re going to need a blind. Fortunately, there are lots of blinds made for turkey hunters. They’re perfect for photography. If you have to hike in to your spot, a chair blind is easy to carry. If you’re shooting not far from your car, a larger tent style blind gives you more room. (Vermont is still chilly, having more room to pour some tea out of my Thermos is a big plus.)

You’ll want a relatively high, 1/1000th or faster, shutter speed to be ready when the kerfuffles start. Mounting your camera on a tripod with a ball or gimbal head saves the hassle of holding the camera and lets you pan to the action.

Be sure to check your local hunting laws, you don’t want to be in the field with hunters. If you’re on private land, you can usually coordinate with the landowner to keep you and the hunters apart.

So, get out and get some turkey pix. If you’re timing it right, you’ll be home early enough for a good breakfast.

how-to photograph wild turkeys, wild turkey, wildlife photography

Loon Chicks at Ten Weeks, September 7, 2021

On September 7, 2021 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Our loon chicks are now about ten and a half weeks old. I had a chance to catch up with them this morning. Both chicks seem to be doing well. They’re growing fast. Both are feeding on their own – as well as pestering their parents for food.

They’re getting very independent, one wander off something like a half mile from the parent on duty this morning. (Only one parent was around this morning, the other has probably headed off for a short break.)

One of the osprey made an appearance as well. It flew over the pond a few times, then settled on a branch to watch.

After several minutes, it flew back over with a nice breakfast.

Most of the loon’s morning was spent foraging, or pestering the parent to forage. The loons didn’t seem to have much luck catching fish. The parent surfaced several times with fingerlings, but never a good-sized fish.

Here’s our parent inbound with another crayfish.

The crayfish didn’t get far, our chick ties again..

The chick is determined and tries again.

No! Not again! Once more the crayfish makes a break for it!

As soon as our parent surfaced this morning, at least one of the chicks would head over and start pestering the parent for a meal. If the parent was delivering a meal, the chick would eat that and immediately start pestering. The parent was rarely on the surface for more than a few second at a time. The parent was pretty good at deflecting the chick’s bill away, but the chicks were persistent and often managed to pinch the parent.

The chicks seem to prefer to grab a bit of neck to get attention.

One of our chicks eventually took a break from foraging and did some feather maintenance. First the feathers on top…

Then a good wing flap to get everything back in place.

This shot gives a good view of the flight feathers along the bottom of the chick’s wing. Won’t be long before they’re put to use.

The trees on the hills around our pond are already turning a little rusty. We’ve got just a few weeks left before our family moves on.

Checking In With The Loons, August 4, 2021

On August 4, 2021 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Our loon family with two chicks was receiving visitors yesterday morning, August 3. The chicks are now 46 & 47 days old. They both appear to be doing well. They’re diving, and occasionally catching food, on their own. But, they’re always hungry and encouraging the parents to feed them.

The loons will have to take a brief hiatus. I’ll be down at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Fair for through August 15. I’ll resume the story as soon as possible after the Fair.

The loons were foraging at the far end of the pond from the boat launch, I ran into some of the usual suspects along the way to see the loons. This is the most common view I get of common mergansers.

The fishing wasn’t very good this morning. Hank caught just one small fish while I watched.

This osprey made seven or eight dives without catching anything before perching to watch for a meal.

This was the largest fish I saw the parents hand off to the chicks.

The parents were foraging fairly far away from the chicks. They were covering a good portion of their pond.

One of the loons took some time off from feeding the chicks to preen….

The chicks are getting big. From a distance, it is hard to tell them from their parents. Their fluff is going and their feathers are growing in.

The chicks were actively foraging in the shallow water. They both managed to catch food. There appeared to be several dragonfly nymphs, but most of what they caught was too small for me to ID.

And one last shot of the chicks before I had to head out.

birding, birds, loons

Finally! The Swallow Chick Fledges, July 21, 2021

On July 21, 2021 - Tree Swallow Cam

Our surviving tree swallow chick left the nesting box this morning. Mom moved him off to the brush along the edge of the yard. That may be the last we see of him.

Swallow Update July 20, 2021

On July 20, 2021 - Tree Swallow Cam

Our little tree swallow is STILL with us. He’s? been curious and looking out much of the day. He sits in the door to the box and looks out, but has always backed down and returned to the box. I wasn’t around much of the morning, but when I was, Mom was calling to him. I haven’t seen Dad for a couple days now.

Our song sparrows have decided the mulch around the azaleas in front of the deck makes for a good dirt bath. Took me awhile to figure out what was making the noise that sounded like a bear rummaging through the shrubs.

Swallow Update July 19, 2021

On July 19, 2021 - Tree Swallow Cam

Ok, I’m gonna start calling this guy Michael Rotondo as he doesn’t want to leave. Mom has been calling all day – can birds go hoarse? She’s popped in a couple times with food for the chick. Dad seems to have given up feeding the chick.

Our hummingbirds have returned in force. Over the last couple weeks, we had occasional visits to the feeders. Rarely did two birds show up to contest the feeder. Yesterday, I noticed we’ve once again got a full time battle in progress. There’s one male that sits on the nearby perch and chases off any other males and some of the females that dare try use his feeder. At one point this afternoon, we had six birds in full swoop to decide who got to feed.

Swallow Update July 18, 2021

On July 18, 2021 - Tree Swallow Cam

Mom appears to have decide it is time for Junior to get a move on. She’s been sitting on the perch in front of the box calling almost all day. She’s made only a couple trips in to feed the chick. We haven’t seen dad feed the chick all day. But, the chick just isn’t ready to go. He’s? spent much of the day peering out the entrance. A couple times we thought he was ready to go, but he always turned back.

Swallow Update July 17, 2021

On July 17, 2021 - Tree Swallow Cam

Our tree swallow chick hasn’t decided to venture out yet. He’s? curious about the world, spending more time looking out. Mom and dad continue to feed him, but also spent some time perched outside calling to him. The book says that last Wednesday was the first day he could have fledge, and that he may stick around until Thursday.

Swallow Update July 16, 2021

On July 16, 2021 - Tree Swallow Cam

Our swallow chick remains in the box. Mom and dad are perched outside calling, but the chick doesn’t seem interested. We’ve had a couple hot, humid days. Maybe the chick is waiting for better weather? This is the third day since we could have expected him? to fledge.