Finally, the weather’s a little cooler so it’s time to grab the camera, get out and shoot some images. We spent a few days this month along the Virginia coast checking out the shorebirds.

Up near Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge we found several American Oystercatchers doing what they do best…eating oysters. You can find them around the oyster beds when the tide is low.

These striking birds appear like they have a carrot sticking out of their face. Their bill is large and quite bright orange-red. We were fortunate to find some and actually got a bit closer than we have on previous attempts.

Further down the coast we set up our gear at Back Bay NWR. There were several Sanderlings scampering down to the water only to be chased back by the waves. These little guys are a challenge to shoot because they never sit still.

A couple of Semipalmated Plovers worked their way closer and joined the Sanderlings. Plovers are not much larger but, at least they stop moving occasionally so you can make their picture. I was hoping we might see a Piping Plover but, no such luck.

I’m sitting on the sand and have my gear setup as low as possible to get the best perspective on the tiny shorebirds when this Ring-billed Gull drops in. He was so close I thought he was going to nest in my lens hood!

I had no choice but to click the shutter and make a gull portrait.

Not to be outdone by the gull, a small Ghost Crab pops out of his hole and runs down to the same area. Now I’m trying to keep track of all the creatures around me and decide what to shoot next.

Suddenly, I look up and a squadron of Pelicans is skimming just over the breaking waves. Now things are hopping!

After all of the excitement on the beach I decided to walk over to the bay side. Things are pretty quiet there except for a couple of dragonflies doing mid-air refueling or whatever they call it.

All in all it was a good trip to the coast and wonderful to be out of the house for a change. I’m ready for Fall and cooler temperatures!

Directly across the James River from Jamestown, VA lies Hog Island. So named because English settlers back in the 1700’s used to keep their hogs out there. Today, it’s actually a peninsula and not an island at all. A series of earthen levees now connects Hog Island to the old Gravel Neck peninsula. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries manages the various ponds and wetlands there for the benefit of migratory waterfowl. To access the Hog Island Wildlife Management Area by car you must pass through Dominion Power’s Surry Nuclear Power Station. Be prepared for a thorough search by armed guard.

After seeing all of the Bald Eagles at Jamestown, I figured it would be worth going over to Hog Island and seeing if any were there. Shortly after entering the WMA two adult eagles flew directly over my car and I saw another adult and an immature eagle battling for position out on a breakwater. It immediately looked promising for eagles but, things turned out differently.

As is so often the case with wildlife, you begin looking for one thing and you end up with something else.

Undoubtedly, the “featured bird of the day” was the Osprey. The fishing was good in the first large pond on the right and they knew it. I picked a nice semi-camouflaged spot to setup my gear and watched it all unfold. The birds would circle over the  pond looking for prey and then dive down for dinner.

Shooting with my 300 f/2.8 handheld and the 500 f/4 on the tripod I got some amazing in-flight images.

Once I got everything dialed in I was able to really get the detail that my 36MP Nikon D800 could deliver.

For example, look at the image here and the crop of the same image below it. You can actually read the leg bands on the bird.

Incredible!

I found myself struggling to figure out which bird to track as 3 or 4 were circling simultaneously overhead.

Once an Osprey got a fish, it would fly off to the trees and more birds would fly in to resume the hunt.

Some were carrying fish almost as big as themselves. They would always orient the fish facing forwards for the best aerodynamics.

I noticed that almost immediately after taking to the air from diving into the water, each bird would shake like a dog in mid-air to dry off. Time and time again I observed this same behavior.

Although I tried to conceal my position so as not to disturb or stress the birds, there’s no hiding from the incredible eyes of the Osprey. They would quickly spot me but, I guess I didn’t look too threatening because they continued to go about their business.

Not to be outdone by the Osprey, a Great Blue Heron made a flashy entrance over the wetlands…

…and skimmed over the pond for a landing.

Even though I didn’t come away with any good Bald Eagle images, it was still a great day at Hog Island WMA.

It’s late May and the time of year when young bald eagles are fledging all along the James River in Virginia. Eagle eggs hatch after 35 days but, it takes another 10 to 12 weeks before they take their first flight or “fledge”.

This juvenile eagle has already fledged but, continues to return to the nest. He’s nearly as large as an adult but, he’s got a lot to learn. Eagles are not born knowing how and what to hunt. They have to be taught by their parents. It will take another 4 to 5 years before he molts, changes color and becomes an adult. Bald eagles can live for over 40 years.

This adult bald eagle landed in the top of a dead tree about 15 feet from me. I was walking around on Jamestown Island, VA near Black Point looking for woodpeckers at the time. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a clean image because I was shooting nearly straight up and there were numerous limbs in the way. Notice the sharp talons and beak. These tools along with eyes about 4 times better than ours mean that eagles are well equipped to reside at the top of the food chain.

Near the Jamestown Visitor’s Center I met Park Ranger Kirk Kehrberg. He had 3 spotting scopes set up in the parking lot that were trained on a distant nest across the road. Kirk was offering passing visitors a view of the juvenile eagles and explaining that they would be fledging soon. Naturally, I ran back to the car and grabbed my camera and tripod.

These guys were a LONG way away but, you really don’t want to get too close and possibly stress them. As a result, I was shooting my Nikon D800 in DX mode and had a 2X teleconverter on my 500mm f/4 lens. Basically, a 1500mm equivalent setup. At least I was able to shoot in Live View and use a cable release to improve focus. They weren’t moving around too much. Regardless, I still had to massively crop these images.

Suddenly, the eagle on the left started acting like he might try to fly. With his siblings intently watching he jumped from the nest and took his first flight! He didn’t go very far. Just over to a nearby dead tree to the left of the nest. It was almost like they were looking at this tree in the first photo above and daring each other to try to fly there.

After the historic first flight, the remaining eagles seem to huddle to discuss the event. Kirk told me that the eagle on the right is saying “Show off!”. Who am I to say what they said?

I would like to personally thank Ranger Kehrberg and also Traci in the gift shop there at the Jamestown Visitor’s Center for being such gracious hosts. Both of these individuals spent significant time with me discussing the eagles on the island. Typically, adult eagles will return to the same nest year after year to lay eggs and raise their young. Kirk and Traci now have a strong familiarity with “their” eagles. After witnessing this first flight, I feel that they are “my” eagles, too.