Welcome to the world little one. There's a lot to see out there.
Adirondack Loons
This weekend Matt Zeitler and I took a trip up to Saranac Lake in hopes of photographing some loons...
Common loon flapping its wings 6/24/17.
Well, we did just that. What a truly incredible time it was. I've never had much experience with loons before the trip, so it is safe to say I was blown away!
The actual location where we set out was just outside the township of Saranac Lake. Here, a system of different ponds (although they were actually giant!) come together, forming a massive area of water, and a great spot for loons. We photographed by kayak, giving us incredible access to both the birds and their habitat, as well as a nice low angle to the water. It can be quite difficult at times to both focus the camera on the birds and keep the boat in the right position, but when it works out the results can be spectacular.
Despite some strong winds and rough water Friday afternoon, we decided to brave the conditions and paddle out. The first hour or so was relatively quiet, with a loon or two showing their faces only from a distance. Common loons hunt underwater, as they are great swimmers. They can hold their breath for minutes at a time, sometimes making it difficult to keep up with them. One second there's a loon in front of your face, and the next it's gone. There was a lot of this going on ...
We finally caught a break when four loons decided to fly in and set up in the middle of the pond. They were super accepting of our presence this time around, providing for some nice photo opportunities.
I love the water droplets on this bird's head 6/24/17.
At this point the wind had really set in. There were waves all over the water, making it incredibly difficult to stay in one position. Matt had much better luck keeping his cool, as he's seemingly had a few more years experience in the kayak than myself! As I battled the omnipotent elements of mother nature, Matt was repeatedly clicking away award-winning photos... Go check out Matt's blog: it's called Orange Birding.
The next morning was much more rewarding as far as photographs and calm water go...
Common loon at first light 6/25/17.
We paddled out before the sun broke the horizon, and found a super cooperative loon almost immediately. We spent almost an hour with this bird alone!
Common loon portrait. This bird and I came together as it swam directly towards me and I silently floated towards it 6/25/17.
It was tough trying to capture the surroundings and the birds in the same frame. Between the rocking of the kayak and the difficulty of holding the camera up and down, only a few of these shots are sharp 6/25/17.
Nearby, we spent a couple minutes photographing its nest, which its apparent mate was sitting on. Unfortunately we did not have any loon chicks on this trip; we were a bit early. Though, it was definitely a treat to have a loon on the nest - something I've always wished to see!
Common loon on the nest. Matt spotted the nest as we paddled by 6/25/17.
... we didn't have loon chicks, but we did have chicks. Any guesses?
*excitement builds*
Common merganser chicks looking for their mother, as she dove underwater 6/25/17.
Common merganser chicks!!!
What an awesome encounter this was. As we paddled out early in the morning, we ran into this mother and her 8 (!!!) young as they swam around. The light was still poor at that point, but luckily later in the morning on our way in shore we would see them again in the sunlight! Common mergansers have never really been on my list of favorites, but I have to say, seeing these gorgeous chicks up close was truly special. I'm glad I could capture it!
8 common merganser chicks on their mother's back!! 6/25/17.
Before leaving town, Matt and I stopped by a few local trails in hopes of some other species. The targets were boreal chickadee, gray jay and black-backed woodpecker. We had brief looks at a young gray jay and heard two black-backed woodpeckers, but struck out on the chickadee. We did however get a nice look at a male Nashville warbler which was nesting nearby. This was a first for me.
While kayaking, we put together a short, but nice list of species. Of note were a few cerulean warblers, northern parula, blackburnian warblers, black-throated green warblers, belted kingfisher and a pair of bald eagles.
This bird worked its way from the tree tops to this shrub only a couple feet off of the water. Blackburnian warbler shot from the kayak 6/25/17.
I like this as a farewell shot... Contrasted common merganser and chicks 6/25/17.
There are so many wonderful aspects about upstate New York, and I'm learning to appreciate them more and more the older I get. The vast mountains and lakes, the local food and people, the fresh air... everything about these places is just so refreshing and rewarding. The trip to get there may be long, but the good times last longer. I can't wait to be back!
Yup, It Happened... #3
All it took was two fuzzy chicks bumbling their way around the beach and the third beach nester was added to my "Capturing of the Heart" list. One afternoon later, and I'm hooked!
More to come, but for now, admire the cuteness.
Not a Bird...
I photographed this Atlantic bottlenose dolphin along with the rest of its pod on yesterday's gray morning in Ortley Beach, where I work. I guess it took three weeks of watching dolphins and whales right in front of my face to finally convince me to break out the camera. Well, I sat for one hour and boom! Not once have I ever seen a dolphin jump out of the water like so. It just so happened that the moment I was standing on the cold shoreline holding my lens, dodging awkward stares from passing beach walkers, that these animals decided to put on a show. Coincidence? I think not. It's an omen: time to switch to ocean-mammal-only photography. Because who needs stupid birds anyway?
Okay, not really. But I do think this attempts to pull together the struggle us east coast "wildlife" photographers all share: there just isn't too much wildlife to photograph... To me the word wildlife means your elk, moose, bears, bobcats, etc. All those incredible animals you find out west or up north or elsewhere. It is truly tough to be an all around wildlife photographer around here, which is why birds become the prime subject. But hey, I'm surely not complaining!
One day when I make a trip to one of those wild places out west, perhaps I'll add the long-awaited "Wildlife" section to my portfolio. Because I truly am, more than anything, trying to expand my photographic spectrum. For now, I'll have to take it where I can get it. Perhaps the ocean will help with that. More importantly, the whales and dolphins that haven't stopped taking my breath away since I got here...
To the Birds* That Captured My Heart...
Last year it was "the bird" that captured my heart - as we all know, the piping plover. This year, "the birds" have done it. Because what fun would another summer at the shore be if spent only photographing one beach nester?
So I guess this next part will apply to the both of them now:
How exactly did two* little birds* capture the hearts of so many?
A question I ask myself all the time as I lay belly-down in the sand for hours on end all to capture a photo that recreates the feeling of being there, in that moment. I'm still looking for it, but I feel as though I'm getting closer and closer each and every day.
Well folks, consider this the teaser. There's a long summer ahead, and it's only getting started. Perhaps maybe even... a third bird? Only time will tell.
Cheers.
A Great, Gray Adventure
This is weird... I finally have a second of free time on my hands. The last month and more has been incredibly busy here at school. I can't say I'm not loving it, but I would like just a little more time to get out and shoot. The camera has been in the bag for almost two weeks now, and looking at the weather forecast ahead, I'm not so sure that's going to change anytime soon. But bear with me! There are some awesome things on the way, and more than a few blog posts to catch up on. Here goes the first...
Two weeks ago, fellow friend and photographer Ryan von Linden and I made the trek up to Newport, New Hampshire to catch up with the great gray owl that had been hanging around. All I can say is, I'm so glad we did it! We left Ryan's house in Schoharie around 7am that Sunday morning, and made it up to Newport a little after 10. Thanks to a few cues from friends that were already there, we knew exactly where to go and had a line of probably 25 cars waiting to greet us. The owl was present, roosting in a small pasture off the road. For anyone who doesn't know about great gray owls; other than being the largest owl in North America, they're also the most social. At least, that's what many would tell you. Myself included. The line of observers was a solid thirty yards away from the bird, that sat on a branch at the base of a large tree. The location wasn't the best for photo opportunities, despite how close we were. Not to mention, the light was starting to become a little harsh by the time we had arrived. We hung around, took our pictures and socialized with a bunch of people, from all over the place. Normally I don't dig the crowds but for some reason, this one was rather enjoyable for me. I met a ton of really nice people. We talked birds, cameras and great grays almost the whole morning. Once Ryan and I realized the bird wasn't planning on doing anything exciting, we took a break for lunch to escape the cold. Oh yeah, the cold... hands down the coldest wind I've ever felt in my entire life. Luckily, we were well prepared.
We returned to the location at about 2pm, and still the bird sat in the original location. Once again, we stood and waited. At this point I was done photographing the bird where it was. The light was completely in the wrong spot, leaving the bird entirely in shadow. Instead, Ryan and I waited towards the other end of the pasture for when the bird decided to change locations. Right around 3:30, we got our chance.
The bird took a direct line from its original perch, straight past Ryan and I, and landed on the end of the fence behind us. Not twenty minutes earlier, we were talking about how great of a spot that post would be. Sure enough...
Now we were pretty close. In a situation like this, it's okay to be close. The bird chose to sit here, with total disregard to us. As I mentioned before, great gray owls are very social birds. We took hundreds of shots for the next ten or fifteen minutes as the bird looked around. At one point, it jumped down almost at our feet, and attempted to grab a vole.
After about a minute or so of digging around in the grass, it was clear the bird had missed. Back to the fence it went. Over the next two hours, we photographed the owl in various locations, as it worked just about every corner of the field. The light kept improving and improving as the day grew older, and so did the photos.
This picture above was from a series where the owl decided to fly back across to our side of the fence. This next shot was from the same set. It is about a 50% crop. Side note: the 400 f/5.6 continues to impress me.
The next two shots are cropped pretty heavily, but I had to include them. This was one of the sequences where we watched the bird consume prey. The word vole was being thrown around by photographers and birders, but this looks like a field mouse to me!
As it got later in the day, naturally, the light got better. It was incredible, actually. AND the bird was once again hunting right in front of us.
I managed to come away with one flight shot that I really liked. This was taken as the bird left the ground from the shot above, and flew straight at the fence I was standing next to. Sure enough, it perched right next to my head...
And closer...
To put it into perspective, both of those last two shots are full frame. As a matter of fact, the first one is more than full frame (I think?); I actually had to add canvas!
After the bird landed, I took a few steps back. Then I could focus!
As far as I know, this bird has moved on from it's stop here in the lower 48, and headed back north to its breeding grounds. Hopefully others will get to see it along the way! It was an incredible day, and surely one I will never forget. This is undoubtedly the best life bird I've had in a long time, and very possibly the best ever. I can't wait for the next time I run into a great gray. Hopefully sooner rather than later! If you ever get the chance to go see one, do not hesitate. They're one of a kind.
If you have any favorites from this post, please drop me a comment and let me know! I have to start singling out the best shots, so I can add them to my site gallery. I have a few in mind, but I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks!
Thank you again to everyone who follows along. It's been an incredible journey from the beginning to now. I can't wait to see what lies ahead! More posts coming soon.
Kyle