One of my faithful viewers, Jet Eliot, commented on a recent posting that she was glad to get some views of the wildlife refuge where I take so many of my photos. (Jet has a wonderful blog that focuses on travel and wildlife adventures that is definitely worth checking out.) The problem is not that I don’t take shots of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, it is simply that I get so excited about posting photos of the wildlife that I forget about the more static shots of the land and water.
Here are a few shot of the refuge from this past Monday that help give you a better idea of the environment in which I am operating. The first image shows you what part of the shoreline at the refuge looks like during low tide. The refuge is located where Occoquan Bay meets the Potomac River and during tidal surges, some of the shoreline paths are underwater. Those surges tend to bring lots of debris onto the shore, including trash, like the beer bottle that you can see in the photo.
The second shot gives you an idea of how close some of the trees are to the shore. After big storms, downed trees often block some of the paths. As you probably noticed, there was a full moon visible that morning as the sun was rising and adding a little color in the sky.
The final image shows one of the streams that runs through the refuge. It is not unusual to see herons or ducks in these streams and at certain times, when I am really lucky, I have managed to spot muskrats, beavers, and otters.
So that is a brief introduction to “my” wildlife refuge. I used to most of my shooting at another nearby location, Huntley Meadows Park, but it became really popular and crowded. I prefer the solitude of this location—I am overjoyed sometimes when I arrive at the refuge and find that my car is the only one in parking lot.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
I can see how you would love it here! The picture with the moon is stunning!
I understand the attraction, Mike. This place is a gift.
Nice to get a broader view of the refuge. Love that moon shot!
I recently posted a broader view of “my” refuge, also. I think you’re right, that it helps to put other photos in a broader context, and give a feel for these places. Each is different, but they’re all important.
What a treat to live so close to that!
I sometimes forget how blessed in our region to have multiple wildlife areas to visit within a radius of about 25 miles.
Very Nice Mike! I enjoy seeing this NWR through your wonderful images!! Have to visit there one day!
Thanks for sharing Mike, we look forward for more pics and articles, about wildlife!
You are welcome. I tend to post wildlife photos almost every day. As you may have noticed, I like to express myself as much with words as I do with my images.
I love that feeling. It’s so conflicting because I want people to foster a closer connection to nature and encourage them to out more, but at the same time want to solitude of enjoying it on my own terms without the disturbances of others 🤔
Your words, Juliet, wonderfully describe the dilemma. I am less concerned with others who move silently past me, but it is the ones that feel compelled to talk loudly, often on a phone, that tend to bother me. If you want to truly experience nature, I believe, you need to be paying attention to it with all of your senses.
Oh yes, on the phone really grinds my gears. I am with you on that. We were hiking in some pristine rainforest in Sri Lanka a few weeks ago and a couple went past us blasting music through their wireless speaker. I was quite content listening to the crickets, birds and monkeys. It was like pollution for my ears when they came through. I guess everyone experiences the world differently and that’s what brings them joy 🤷🏼♀️