Springtime in Cades Cove

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Bill

It’s Springtime and we’ve just returned from our vacation in the Smoky Mountains. For the past several years we’ve rented a log cabin in Townsend, TN near the entrance to the park.

Cades Cove is entirely surrounded by mountains and lies at an elevation of approximately 2,000 feet. It’s the most popular and visited area in the National Park due to its natural scenery, historic structures and bountiful wildlife. An early morning visit will often reveal clouds gently nestled along the valley.

Like a trip back in time…

Several old homesteads, barns and other buildings dating from the 1800’s and early 1900’s have been preserved for all to visit. It gives you somewhat of a feeling of how life in the Cove must have been back then. When the National Park Service took over the area in the 1930’s there were several residents who did not want to leave. One look at the area’s beauty and you can understand why. Shown here is the Carter Shields Cabin.

Then there’s the wildlife…

Pretty much everyone who visits the park hopes to catch a glimpse of a bear. Most are not disappointed. The park itself boasts having around 1,800 Black Bears. It’s not uncommon to see several in the late afternoon along the 11 mile loop. You can usually expect to encounter a “bear jam” when people stop their cars, halt traffic and try to take pictures with their camera phones.

While driving along, you can’t help but notice old fences surrounding the fields. You might even think that the fences are there to keep the animals pinned in. You’d be wrong. Actually, the purpose is more to keep the people out. The smooth wire is certainly no barrier to the animals and does them no harm.

There’s usually plenty to eat for all the wildlife. And there’s plenty to drink as well. Just a short hike off the loop road are several small streams and ponds. Here a relatively large buck decides to cool off and get a sip of water. He hears my camera shutter click and looks over in my direction. After a brief look he took another drink and slowly walked away.

Shortly after the buck makes his exit a mother Wood Duck guardedly paddles out with her chicks. For 3 days we followed the family and observed the care she took to ensure their survival. The first day we counted 11 chicks. Unfortunately, that number had dropped to 10 by our second visit.

Here you can see the proud mother and her 10 chicks in tow.

Not all the birds live in the water. Pileated Woodpeckers can be seen and heard throughout the valley. They are the largest woodpecker found in North America. Only the very similar Ivory-billed Woodpecker is larger but, they’re most likely extinct. This male Pileated has found some yummy bugs in an old log.

In the Spring, the fields and trees are full of resident and migrating songbirds. One of my favorites is the Indigo Bunting. These little guys are bursting with color and song. You can hear them singing in the trees and bushes near just about every stream in the valley.

The season also brings thousands of butterflies. They’re everywhere on the ground and in the fields. This Black Swallowtail is making a brief pit-stop on a flowering blackberry bush before moving on.

So much natural beauty…

Spring showers fill the mountain rivers and streams. This creates some of the most beautiful cascades and small waterfalls you will see anywhere. It’s easy to sit for hours listening to the rush of water and watching the white foam pound over huge boulders while washing away your cares.

This is just a small sampling of the cascades along Little River near the Tremont Institute. Sometimes I find that focusing in on the details of a small section of falls can be even more interesting.

For a nature lover and photographer, Cades Cove never disappoints. It’s a special place. Like a magnet it keeps drawing me back and I can hardly wait for my next journey there.

Hanging Out at the Bird Feeder

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Bill

Backyard bird feeders are great. We have ours right outside of the breakfast nook so the birds are really close and easy to see. It’s quite useful for learning to identify various species by sight and sound. And what the heck, the birds get a free meal out of the deal. All I do is setup my camera and tripod inside the house, open a window and shoot. I use it to hone my photography skills and to try out new equipment.

This Brown-headed Cowbird is common in the US but, a new visitor to our feeder. It’s a small member of the blackbird family. What’s interesting about these birds is that they don’t build nests. The females just lay lots of eggs in several other birds’ nests and let the other birds raise the chicks. The strategy seems to work ok.

The tiny Carolina Chickadee is one of the regulars at our feeder. He more than makes up for his petite size with constant chatter and a busy nature. Mostly they zoom in, grab a seed and fly back to a tree limb to eat. Acrobatic flyers for sure. They’re fearless little guys and will come to the feeder even when we’re outside on the deck nearby.

The Tufted Titmouse is always a favorite. Who couldn’t love those big black eyes and that cute little crest? It’s amusing watching them grab a seed, hold it on a hard surface with both feet and then bang on it with their bill until the seed cracks open. Our wrought iron patio furniture seems to work great for that. They tend to constantly be in motion. Almost as much as the Chickadees.

The Carolina Wren is a regular in our yard and trees. Sometimes but, not often, we’ll see him at the feeder. He’s got a loud voice and won’t take any guff off of anyone. You often see him take a position on a limb, assume a firm posture and announce loudly to the world whose territory it is. They’re small but mighty.

Even though it’s called a “bird feeder”, some of the creatures of the woodlands don’t see it that way. They think it’s an open invitation to the all-you-can-eat buffet. Over the years many smart people have tried their best to outsmart these little guys. Squirrel proof feeder? Good luck with that!

“To call our possum an opossum, outside of a scientific treatise, is an affectation. Possum is his name wherever he is known and hunted, this country over. He is not good until you have freezing weather; nor is he to be served without sweet potatoes, except in desperate extremity.”
– Horace Kephart 1917

When the sun goes down all the birdies have their beaks under their wings and are sleeping soundly. Even the squirrel goes to bed. But, that doesn’t mean all is quiet at the feeder. Earlier this year we had a new visitor for a few nights. Usually, you see these guys mashed flat on the highway but, they are interesting critters. They are the only marsupial found in the US.

Possum was once considered good eating. Especially in the Southeast US. They were even introduced and raised for food in the Western US during the Great Depression. Noted outdoorsman and co-father of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Horace Kephart, had strong feelings about Possum in his book “Camping and Woodcraft”:

“It is said that possum is not hard to digest even when eaten cold, but the general verdict seems to be that none is ever left over to get cold.”
– Horace Kephart 1917

…I think that pretty well covers it.

Bobby Lynx makes the scene

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Bill

Nature photography is one of those things where you have to keep your eyes open because something unexpected can happen. You also have to learn to take what you are given and make the best of it.

We had planned to spend a day at Pea Island NWR only to arrive there and find no water in the main pond. That’s kind of a big deal when your target is waterfowl. Evidently, hurricane Irene knocked out the dike on the back side of the North Pond last year. Bummer! So, what’s Plan-B? Go to Alligator River NWR of course.

We made the relatively short drive inland over to ARNWR and saw some hawks but, nothing close enough to photograph. The most interesting one was an American Kestrel. It would hover in the air for several moments and then dive down into a field. The behavior reminded me of a Belted Kingfisher. It did this several times but, never got very close to us. I’m still waiting for my first opportunity to photograph a Kestrel. We also saw some Snow Geese, Northern Pintails and Black Ducks. Unfortunately, all were pretty far away.

While driving around we met a couple of other photographers who told us they often see Black Bears there. Over the years, I have spoken with numerous people who say they ALWAYS see bears at Alligator River. Me? I’ve never seen any bears there. ARNWR is also famous for having the world’s only wild population of Red Wolves. It’s estimated that there are 100-120 living there but, they are rarely seen.

Now, we’re bummed about Pea Island and none of the birds at Alligator River want to cooperate. It’s getting late in the day and we’re losing light. Maybe we can find a bear or wolf? …who knows. We prowl the gravel roads of ARNWR with new goals and a renewed determination.

By Jove it’s a Bobcat!

Suddenly, something darts across the road way out in front of us. Frank, who’s driving, sees it first. What’s that? Maybe a Red Wolf? I grab my binoculars and my camera. By Jove it’s a Bobcat! Way cool!

Bobcats are a member of the Lynx family. They are relatively common but, rarely seen because they hunt mostly at night. It crossed the road and was using a fallen tree to make a dry trek over the wide ditch. It paused halfway up the tree for a few fleeting seconds and gave us a look. None of us had ever seen a Bobcat in the wild much less photographed one. I didn’t have nearly enough glass to make a good image but, I snapped off a few quick shots handheld with my D700 / 300 f/2.8. Then like a ghost, it was gone. Wow! Things like this are what keep you coming back for more.

During the same week we decided to check out Mackay Island NWR. It’s an 8,200 acre refuge in northeast North Carolina on Currituck Sound. There’s very limited access during the winter months because the refuge is technically “closed”. We decided to check out the few areas that were still open.

Fortunately, we found a large drainage ditch along the access road teaming with Great Egrets, White Ibis and a lone Tricolored Heron. The White Ibis were mostly all immature ones as you can see from the the dark wings and head. None of these birds seemed to care about us so we kept shooting as they ate and hung around.

This same week we took a jaunt over to Back Bay NWR near Virginia Beach, VA. Shortly after I began walking down one of the trails I met some folks walking out. They mentioned seeing an American Bittern in the reeds just before the bridge. Sure enough, when I reached that point I saw the bird sitting there motionless saying “I’m invisible…you can’t see me!” These birds are notoriously difficult to photograph because they are well camouflaged and generally stay in the reeds where you can’t get a clean shot. But, they don’t easily stress and move slowly and methodically while prowling for food. If you’re patient you might be rewarded.

I was able to capture a few close-up portraits and then moved to a walkway on the opposite side of the pond. We waited there for awhile until the Bittern slowly made his way out into an area where I could get a clear shot.

All in all it was a great week even though things turned out a lot differently than we had expected.

Until next time… don’t let the cat get your tongue!

The Painted Ducks of Barnegat

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Bill

As a former duck hunter, I have always had an attraction to beautiful ducks. Some are so touched with patterns and colors that they don’t look real. A prime example is the Harlequin Duck. The first time I saw one of these little sea ducks was at Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park in Scotland Neck, NC. From that moment I wanted to make their picture in the wild.

Harlequin Ducks live in the very northern regions of North America. They range from Alaska down to the northern-most states in the western U.S. and from Greenland to the northern-most states in the eastern U.S. The vast majority of these ducks live on the Pacific Coast while the eastern population is declining and considered endangered. More than half of this eastern population winter in coastal Maine mostly around Penobscot and Jericho bays. New Jersey is pretty much as far south as they go.

This month we hit the road to track down a raft of Harlequins. Luckily, the nearest location was only a 14.5 hour drive away in the Garden State. One of the barrier islands along the New Jersey coast is the home to Barnegat Island Lighthouse and lots of interesting waterfowl. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and were blessed with good light but, high winds, heavy surf and temperatures in the 20’s(F).

Anyone planning a bird-watching or photo expedition to Barnegat must first be aware of the conditions they will face. The lighthouse park has a beautiful parking lot but, the gates close at 4:30pm so you have to park outside this area or risk getting locked in. There are 2 sets of nice restrooms but, they are only open on the weekends during the winter. It’s approximately a 500 yard walk from your car out to the beach and onto the start of the jetty.

Many of the small details look like an oil painting

The jetty is about 0.7 miles long and is constructed of huge boulders with relatively flat top surfaces. The Harlequin Ducks are usually found near the final 200-400 yards at the eastern end of the jetty. BE CAREFUL! Walking on the jetty can be hazardous to your health! Huge gaps, uneven surfaces, water, ice, moss, algae and bird poop are all waiting to make you slip, fall and hurt yourself.

Even after watching the Harlequins for a couple of days I am still in awe of their beauty. Many of the small details look like an oil painting. You can actually see what appears to be brush strokes in some areas. When looking at still images, it’s hard to imagine that these are living creatures.

Obviously, the main reason we went to Barnegat was to see the Harlequin Ducks but wait, there’s more…

Monday we spent all day on the jetty. In spite of the fact that temperatures were in the low teens with brisk winds AND there were duck hunters shooting from their boat-blind only a few hundred yards from the jetty, we still saw several different kinds of ducks.

Way out in the middle of the channel were some Long-tailed Ducks or “Oldsquaw” as they were formerly known. These graceful medium-sized ducks breed in the Arctic and also don’t come any further south than NJ. They were WAY out of range of my 500mm lens even with the 2x teleconverter but, I snapped a few images anyway. Maybe next trip we can get a bit closer.

We had a fantastic visit to Barnegat, NJ and feel quite fortunate that we were able to see the Harlequin Ducks. Wildlife and nature in general don’t care that you drove nearly 30 hours round-trip to see them. It’s not uncommon to come up empty on a trip like this but, not this time!

…that’s all for now.

Chincoteague and Pea Island

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Bill

For me, no trip to Southeast Virginia is complete without at least a day down at Pea Island NWR and another day up at Chincoteague NWR. Both of these areas are premier birding hot-spots and well worth the drive.

Pea island NWR is located on the north end of beautiful Hatteras Island in eastern North Carolina. The refuge is nearly 6,000 acres and includes 1,000 acres of managed waterfowl impoundments. The bird list includes more than 365 species. You can’t do much better than Pea Island if birding is your thing.
The American Bittern is one example of what this NWR has to offer. These well-camouflaged herons are usually hanging out in the reeds but, they’re seldom seen. When startled, they stand still and erect in a vertical position so that their stripes are parallel to the reeds. This makes them very hard to spot. Even if you do see one, they’re nearly impossible to get a clear shot. So far, this is my best American Bittern image. (It’s not much to brag about.)

Brown Pelicans seemed to follow me everywhere I went on this trip. Nature photography is one of those things that you have to “take what you are given”. Sometimes you go out with the intent of shooting X but, are blessed with Y. Pelicans are cool so, I didn’t mind that they were “Y” on this trip. Besides, you can never have enough good Pelican images 😉

Sometimes you go out with the intent of shooting X but, are blessed with Y

Chincoteague NWR has become my overall favorite place to photograph waterfowl and shorebirds. It’s over 14,000 acres and ALWAYS has interesting birds to view. In addition to the large number of species, you can get relatively close to the birds here. The ditches and ponds near the wildlife loop road and Tom’s Cove road provide great photo opportunities right from the car. The 3.25 mile loop isn’t open for motor vehicles until 3pm and closes at dusk. In addition, there are several hiking trails and places to escape the crowds to view nature.

American Oystercatchers are usually found near a bridge on Chincoteague Road before you actually get to Chincoteague Island. Each time I’m in the area I stop by and try to capture a decent image but, so far, no luck. The birds always manage to be 1) too far away and 2) between me and the sun. You can see in this shot how they’re lined up laughing at me! Grrrr 🙁 This was the best I could do on a sunny and windy day using 1500mm of firepower. I’m not giving up so easily though. Next time, I’ll find one of these funky little birds a bit closer on a nice overcast day and get my shot. I can’t resist the way they all look like they have a carrot sticking out of their head.

You gotta love the Belted Kingfisher. These little guys may be small but, they make up for it with a loud mouth and an attitude. They have that punk hairdo going on and constantly chat as they hover in the air and then plunge headfirst into the water for fish. I love to watch them and they will usually stay in the same area for quite a while. This particular Kingfisher was near the road to Tom’s Cove. It’s a female because it has a brown breast band below the bluish-grey breast band.

More and more often, we are seeing Bald Eagles at Chincoteague. There’s a nest just off the loop road so we always stop in that area to see if they’re home. It’s a LONG way from the road to the trees so, you have to bring a big telephoto lens to capture them. You don’t want to approach any of the wildlife here and cause them stress. This eagle was not far from the nest. I had to shoot it with a Nikon 500 f/4 using a 2X teleconverter and a D300. Basically, 1500mm of lens. It was very windy, too. The shot is not great but, hey, it’s a Bald Eagle! The National Bird!

I didn’t get any “great” images at Chincoteague or Pea Island this time but, I saw lots of wildlife and had a fantastic time. As they say: “A bad day at Chincoteague is better than …” Well, you know what I mean.

Until next time, don’t let your shutter flutter!