Birds | Mike Powell | Page 10

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Archive for the ‘Birds’ Category

Osprey-Eagle Squabble

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 23, 2023| 13 Comments »

I am not sure what was going on Tuesday in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but two Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were perched on a structure and an aggressive Osprey(Pandion haliaetus) kept dive-bombing them repeatedly. The osprey would fly by right above them and each time the eagles would rear up with their talons extended as they screamed at the osprey. I took the shot below from a long way away, but it gives you a sense of the action.

Several of my friends on Facebook suggested that this might have been a territorial dispute. Others posited that the eagles had stolen a fish from the osprey and the osprey was angry about it. Another friend provided a link to a fascinating article at Natural Habitat Adventures entitled “Eagles and Ospreys: When Birds of Prey Clash.” According to the article, eagles will sometimes steal osprey chicks and ospreys may attack eagles while they are eating. It is too early for there to be chicks—ospreys have only recently returned to our area—but it is certainly possible that this was a food fight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Pops of color

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Haemorhous mexicanus, House Finch, Kingstowne VA, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Yellow-rumped Warbler on March 22, 2023| 8 Comments »

Bright colors are starting to emerge in the landscape as we move deeper into spring, a welcome sight after the long gray days of winter. I was delighted to see some equally bright colors in the feathers of several small birds that I photographed last Saturday in the vegetation surrounding a small suburban pond in Northern Virginia.

The first bird appears to be a female Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). Normally I am not a big fan of a head-on shot of a bird, but in this case I really like the way that the photo shows both of the bird’s yellow patches on its breast (there is also a yellow patch on the warbler’s rump).

The bird in the second photo is a male House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). I was struck by the intensity of the red on the finch’s upper body, which reminded me of the color of a male cardinal.

In the coming months, warblers will be migrating northward through my area. Each year it is a real challenge for me to get shots of these colorful little birds, because they appear just as the trees begin to cover themselves with leaves—I often can hear warblers behind the leafy foliage without being able to see them.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Building nests?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, House Sparrow, Kingstowne VA, nest building, Passer domesticus, sparrow, Tamron 150-600mm on March 21, 2023| 3 Comments »

On Saturday I encountered several female House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) with clumps of vegetation in their mouths and suspect that they are beginning to construct nests. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “House Sparrow prefers to nest in manmade structures such as eaves or walls of buildings, street lights, and nest boxes instead of in natural nest sites such as holes in trees.”

I know that some people resent the invasive presence of House Sparrows, which were introduced in the United States from Europe in 1851, because they sometimes displace native species. Personally I find them to be as interesting to observe and photograph as any other birds.

Perspective makes a difference—as a photographer I focus my attention on different aspects of my subjects than others may do. For, example, I know that farmers and gardeners will view some vegetation and insects as pests, while I may find them to be beautiful subjects. It is definitely a cliché, but there is also truth in the old saying that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Early bird?

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged American robin, Canon 7D, early bird, Kingstowne VA, Tamron 150-600mm, Turdus migratorius on March 20, 2023| 1 Comment »

Does the proverbial early bird always get the worm? I’m not sure if that is necessarily the case. I photographed this American Robin (Turdus migratorius) just before noon on Saturday. Perhaps this robin likes to sleep in late during the weekend. Whatever the case, I was delighted to capture this image of the robin snagging a juicy worm for its meal, which might have been brunch for a late-rising bird.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Cormorant eyes

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 7D, cormorant, cormorant eyes, Double-crested Cormorant, Kingstowne VA, Phalacrocorax auritus, Tamron 150-600mm on March 19, 2023| 8 Comments »

When the light is coming from the right direction and a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) is fairly close, you can catch a glimpse of the bird’s stunning turquoise eyes. Yesterday I was fortunate to spot a cormorant perched on a concrete bar that sticks out of a retention pond in a nearby neighborhood. The cormorant was fairly close to the shore, which meant that I was able to capture some detailed images of the striking bird.

The first image is a simply a crop of the second image that really highlights the cormorant’s eyes. The orange skin on its face really makes those eyes “pop.” The cormorant twisted its body from side to side, stretching its long neck, before finally slipping into the water, as you can see in the final photo. This is the view that I am most accustomed to during my wildlife adventures, though normally the cormorant is a lot farther away from me.

These photos are proof that it is not always necessary to travel to a wildlife refuge to see wildlife—this pond is only about a mile (1.6 km) or so from my suburban townhouse.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Eagle eyes

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eagle eyes, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 18, 2023| 5 Comments »

When a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) looks directly at me, it feels really intense—there is a sense of ferocity and power in its glaring eyes. Normally I do not like eye-t0-eye photos of birds, because that direct angle causes their bills to look really strange. In this photo, though, I really like the way that the eagle’s beak looks and the way that the color of its beak matches the color of its feet. The sharpness of the beak also mirrors the sharpness of the eagle’s prominent talons.

I try to get as many different kinds of photos of eagle as I can, and this image has a different “feel” than most of my other images. There is a minimalism and starkness that really appeal to me and a very, but effective composition.

I really feel blessed that I get to see bald eagles so often when I visit Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where I take most of the eagle shots that are featured in my blog postings.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Changing of the guard

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, changing of the guard, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 17, 2023| 6 Comments »

Most of the time I am an opportunistic photographer—I wander about and react to the the things that I see. During the nesting season of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), however, I will hangout at spots where I can observe the eagle nests.

The members of an eagle couple take turns sitting on the eggs, and I love to try to capture the changing of the guard, i.e. when one eagle switches off with the other one. Earlier this month, I observed such an exchange at one of the nests that I watch at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The first photo shows the departing eagle. If you look closely behind the eagle, you will see some small twigs in the air that were dislodge during the takeoff. I had to look through a lot of vegetation to get a clear view of the nest and the dark smudges in the photo are branches that were partially blocking my vision—fortunately those branches were on the periphery of my composition.

The second photo shows the arriving eagle. The nest is so small that I don’t think it could hold both eagles at the same times, particularly when there are fragile eggs present.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Eastern Phoebe in March

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Eastern Phoebe, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, phoebe, Sayornis phoebe, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 15, 2023| 2 Comments »

It’s almost time for birds to be migrating northward through our area, some of which will remain with us throughout the warmer months. Many birders look forward to this time when warblers appear each year. For me, though, it is always a challenge, because leaves appear at about the same time, making it tough to spot the new birds.

Earlier this month I was happy to get a few shots of an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), one of the earliest migrating species. The phoebe was initially foraging on the ground and then flew up into a tree. It is interesting to compare the two photos and see what a difference the background makes in the “feel” of the photos.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Vulture in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Cathartes aura, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey vulture, turkey vulture portrait, vulture, Woodbridge VA on March 14, 2023| 7 Comments »

A Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) turned its head to check me out as I walked by it during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. However, the vulture did not move from its perch, suggesting to me that there was something dead nearby that had attracted the vulture’s attention.

I couldn’t help but think of a joke about a vulture that a friend told me last year—A vulture boards an airplane carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant looks at him and says, “I’m sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.” Sorry—I have a somewhat warped sense of humor and love puns and wordplay.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Spread your wings and fly

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, birds in flight, Canon 7D, eagle in flight, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, soaring eagle, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 13, 2023| 2 Comments »

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have impressive wing spans, approximately 80.3 inches (204 cm), according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I was thrilled last week to capture some images of an eagle with its wings fully extended as it flew over me at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The afternoon sunlight was pretty strong, which caused a shadow on the side of the eagle’s face, but I was happy that I was able to keep the visible eye in pretty sharp focus—you may want to click on the images to get a better look at the eagle’s eyes.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Coming in for a landing

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle nest, birds in flight, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, landing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 12, 2023| 8 Comments »

Last Wednesday I watched as this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) approached its nest to take the place of its mate, who had flown away a moment earlier. It would have been cooler if the eagle had been coming towards me when it landed, but I like the way that I was able to capture the wing, tail, and talon positions in the first two photos. In the final photo, the eagle had successfully landed at the large nest—the eagle’s head was initially in the shadows, so I was happy when it glanced over its shoulder in my direction and the sunlight hit its eye.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Eagle grabs coot

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged American Coot, Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, coot, Fulica americana, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 11, 2023| 12 Comments »

Whenever I see a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the air, I will try to track it through the lens of my camera. This past Wednesday I was tracking an eagle that was a long way from me at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The eagle was flying quite low, so I figured he was fishing.

I snapped the first photo shortly after the eagle dropped down to the water and grabbed what I thought was a fish. As you can see in the photo, the birds in the immediate area were quite agitated with the eagle flying just above them. When I examined the image on my computer, I realized that the eagle’s prey was probably an American Coot (Fulica americana), not a fish.

The eagle flew low over the water, probably to avoiding alerting any other eagles of its catch. As the eagle flew by me, I was able to capture the second and third images that clearly show the wings of the bird in the eagle’s talons.

The eagle landed in a small tree not far from the shore and proceed to feast on its freshly-caught meal. The bird was wedged in a crook in the tree that helped to steady the prey as the eagle dug into it. If you look closely at the eagle’s beak in the fourth photo, you can see bright red blood from the bird.

When the eagle had partially consumed its meal, it flew to another tree. In the final photo you can see the dangling feet of the prey. Unlike ducks that have webbed feet, coots have lobed feet with long toes and you can see some of those toes in the last image. If you would like to get a closer look at a coot’s feet, check out my December 2014 blog post entitled “Coot feet.”

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Chickadee in flight

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged birds in flight, Canon 7D, Carolina Chickadee, chickadee, chickadee takeoff, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Poecile carolinensis, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 10, 2023| 7 Comments »

I was tracking a Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) foraging high in a tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday and instinctively pressed the camera shutter when it took off, allowing me to capture this cool image of the tiny bird. I love the fully outstretched wings, which appear to be translucent, and the long skinny legs that were just being released from the branch when I took the shot.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Immature bald eagle

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, sub-adult, sub-adult bald eagle, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto, Woodbridge VA on March 9, 2023| 7 Comments »

When Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are born, they have brown heads, brown eyes, and a black beak. It takes about five years for them to develop the characteristic white head, pale eyes, and yellow beak that we associate with adult bald eagles. Certain changes take place each year and it is possible to estimate the age of immature bald eagle on the basis of its appearance.

I believe that the eagle depicted in the two two photos is about 3 1/2 years old. There is still a good deal of mottling in the feathers on its chest and some brown patches on its mostly white head. If you would like more detailed information about the developmental stages of bald eagles, I highly recommend an article by Avian Report entitled “Juvenile & Immature Bald Eagles.”

I do not see eagles of this age very often at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where I took these photos last week. Most of the eagles that I see are adults or are a year or two younger than this one. From what I have read, eagles reach mating age at about the same time that they get their white heads and tails, so I doubt that this eagle has already found a mate—in human terms, I guess the eagle might be characterized as a teenager.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Male cardinal in March

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Cardinalis cardinalis, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 8, 2023| 3 Comments »

Some birds blend in so well with their surroundings that it is hard to spot them. That is definitely not the case with the male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), whose bright red feathers announce his presence in even the most cluttered environment.

Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted this cardinal as he flew across the trail on which I was walking. Normally cardinals bury themselves in dense vegetation at ground level and it is tough to get a clear view of them. On this occasion, the cardinal perched on a fallen branch and briefly posed for me.

The first two images show off the cardinal’s beautiful red feathers really well, but the final photo is probably my favorite of the three. I love the way that the cardinal cocked his head to the side as he looked right at me—my dog used to look at me sometimes in the same pose with a similar mixture of puzzlement, curiosity, and amusement.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Taking over nesting responsibilities

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, nesting, Nesting bald eagle, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 7, 2023| 2 Comments »

It is hard to tell exactly when eggs are present in the nests of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). However, when I see an eagle hunkered down, it’s a pretty safe assumption that it is helping to incubate the eggs.

Last week, an eagle was sitting in one of the nests that I monitor at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As I watched, it took off, and I captured some shots of the eagle flying away that I featured in a blog posting entitled “Eagles in flight.”

A short time later, another eagle flew to the nest and the photos below show the arrival of that eagle and its subsequent actions. The eagle carefully examined the nest, made a few adjustments, and eventually settled in for its shift of sitting on the eggs.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Cardinal in a maple tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Cardinalis cardinalis, female Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 5, 2023| 5 Comments »

I was delighted to capture some images of a female Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) last Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Although the cardinal was a bit scruffy in appearance, I found her to be quite attractive—I have always like the muted tones of the female cardinal, which does not stand out as much as her bright red male counterpart.

As you can see from the two photos, the cardinal was perched in a flowering tree, yet another sign that spring has almost arrived in Northern Virginia. I am not very good in identifying trees, but one of my Facebook friends suggested that it is a maple tree.

If you look closely at the final photo, you will see that the female cardinal was consuming some of the tiny seeds and/or flowers of the maple tree. I encourage you to click on that photo to get a closer look at the cardinal’s feeding activity.

UPDATE: One of my readers, Alan of New Hampshire Garden Solutions, noted that the flowers on this tree are male flowers of the American Elm Tree. Thanks for the help in correctly identifying the tree.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Eagle couple in March

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle couple, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 4, 2023| 3 Comments »

I spotted this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) couple on Wednesday as they perched closely together in a dead tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. At this time of the year most eagle couples are nesting and one eagle is in the nest at all times. It therefore felt a little strange to see this couple together in the open.

The two eagles were looking at a small pile of sticks in a nearby tree that looked almost like the start of a nest. The tree, though, looked far too small to support the weight of an eagle nest.

There is a bit of mystery and uncertainty about what is going on in this photo, an effect that was heightened by the overcast skie, which gave the image a monochromatic look.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

This bud’s for you

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Golden-crowned Kinglet, kinglet, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Regulus satrapa, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 3, 2023| 8 Comments »

This tiny Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) seemed pretty excited on Wednesday at the appearance of tender young buds on the trees at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The kinglet has probably had to subsist on a diet of dried-up seeds during the winter, so the buds are undoubtedly a welcome treat.

Golden-crowned Kinglets are energetic and acrobatic and I really enjoyed watching this one feeding, who sometimes seemed to defy gravity. The images reflect only some of the varied poses of the kinglet—in most of my other shots the kinglet had its head down or was looking away.

I particularly like the pose in the final shot in which the kinglet is hanging horizontally and looking right at me. One of my Facebook friends thought that I was lying down and looking upward when I took that shot, but I can assure you that I was standing upright at that moment.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Eagle in flight

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle in flight, Canon 7D, flying bald eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 2, 2023| 2 Comments »

Yesterday I observed the “changing of the guard” at one of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nests at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I was watching the nest and could see the white head of the eagle as it sat in the nest, when suddenly the eagle stood up and took off a few moments later. A short time later, the second eagle landed at the nest to take over nesting responsibilities.

I had a tricky time trying to track the departing eagle, because it flew among the trees initially. The three photos below show different wing positions that I was able to capture during the eagle’s flight. In the final photo, the eagle seems to be glancing in my direction. I thought I was pretty well-hidden by the vegetation, but an eagle’s vision is so sharp that it is quite possible that it could see me clearly.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Distant bluebirds

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged bluebird, Canon 7D, Eastern Bluebird, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sialia sialis, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 1, 2023| 6 Comments »

I love to try to fill the frame with my primary subject by using a telephoto zoom lens or a macro lens. Getting as close to my subject as possible helps me to capture an incredible amount of detail in some of my photos.

Sometimes, though, it is not possible or even desirable to zoom in on a subject, because I might then lose a sense of its context and environment, i.e. “the big picture.” Last week I caught sight of a pair of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) in the woods while I was wandering the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. They were pretty far away and the light was far from ideal, but I decided to try to take some shots anyways.

The first photo shows a female bluebird. When I started to work on the photo, the first thing I noticed was that the eye was nicely in focus, one of my normal goals when capturing images of living creatures. The second thing that really delighted me was the red buds that were sprinkled about in the background—many of the trees are now starting to sprout buds and blossoms.

The second photo shows the male bluebird. He was in the shadows, so his eye is not very visible. However, the blue color of his plumage was very prominent and stood out against a very neutral background. In this image, I tried to take advantage of the natural framing of the tree trunks and branches to draw attention to the bluebird.

Some of my fellow photographers like to shoot only when conditions are ideal, but I am willing to take a photo of almost anything that captures my attention. The resulting photos may not be amazing, but they can be quite pleasing, as was the case with these two images of distant bluebirds.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Will you be my friend?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Aythya collaris, Canon 7D, male ring-necked duck, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Ring-necked duck, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 28, 2023| 3 Comments »

As I was exploring a small pond last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a male Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris). Other than a few mallards at the other end of the pond, the Ring-necked Duck was all alone at the pond. I captured this image as the Ring-necked Duck swam up to a weathered mallard decoy and appeared to be trying to interact with it.

After a few moments without response from the mallard, the Ring-necked Duck slowly swam away, looking elsewhere for companionship. Perhaps he will have more luck with the turtles that were sunning themselves on the shore of the pond.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Sitting on eggs?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle nest, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Nesting bald eagle on February 27, 2023| 2 Comments »

Over the last few weeks I have been seeing a lot of activity around three Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nests at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This past week I finally observed eagles hunkered down in two of the nests, which suggests to me there may finally be eggs in those nests. The third nest is so large and deep that it is impossible to see if there is an eagle (or even two) inside, especially if it is sitting on eggs.

The two nests in the photos below are fairly small, so you can just see the the top of the white head of the eagles. In both cases I was quite far from the nest when I captured my shots, so I really had to look carefully to see if there were any eagles visible in the nests. With a little luck, I’ll see eaglets in those same nests in the upcoming months and maybe I will be fortunate enough to get a few shots of them.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Wading Wild Turkey

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Meleagris gallopavo, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, stream, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey, Wild Turkey, Woodbridge VA on February 25, 2023| 8 Comments »

On Thursday I was thrilled to capture this shot of a Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) as he waded across one of the small streams at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Out of the corner of my eye I had caught a glimpse of the another Wild Turkey that had opted to fly over the stream a moment earlier, so I was prepared when this turkey emerged from the woods and slowly made its way across the stream.

During his crossing, the turkey flapped his wings from time to maintain his balance and to generate a bit of extra momentum, I suspect. In the image below, the turkey had almost reached the far bank of the stream. I like the sense of movement in the shot that is heightened by the open wings, the forward lean of the body, and the “beard” hanging away from the body.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Cooperative Canvasback

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged Aythya valisineria, Canon 7D, Canvasback, Canvasback duck, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 24, 2023| 1 Comment »

Yesterday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I had a short portrait session with a handsome male Canvasback duck (Aythya valisineria). When I asked him to smile, he gave me a wide, openmouthed grin, as you can see in the first photo. I like the way that the informal portrait shows his black and white breeding plumage, his chestnut-colored head, and his striking red eyes.

The Canvasback needed a more serious shot for work, so we captured the profile image that you see below. Most of the time I have trouble convincing birds to pose for me, so it was nice to come upon this cooperative Canvasback.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

An explosion of coots

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged American Coot, Canon 7D, coot, explosion of coots, Fulica americana, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 23, 2023| 6 Comments »

One of my favorite trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge follows the shoreline. In many parts of the trail, vegetation partially blocks my view of the water, but there are also open areas that let me get clear shots of ducks and other waterfowl. As I was nearing one such open area on Tuesday the water suddenly exploded—I had spooked a flock of American Coots (Fulica americana) that had been feeding close to the shore.

I quickly brought my camera up to my eye and snapped off a few photos. When I reviewed the resulting images on my screen, I really liked the sense of motion that I had managed to capture in the coots and in the water. I decided not to crop the two photos below, so you can get a sense of what I was seeing when I looked through my camera’s viewfinder. Neither image is super sharp, but I think that the slight blurriness enhances the almost abstract “feel” of the photos.

What do you think?

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Changing angles

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 21, 2023| 4 Comments »

Sometimes I am able to get shots of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) when they are perched in the open, but most of the time I have an obstructed view of the eagle when I first spot it. I will then move as slowly and carefully as I can to a spot from which I have a somewhat clearer view of my subject. From that spot I will lean and twist and bend in an effort to find a visual tunnel through which I can see at least the head of the eagle—it is ok for me if the body is blocked by vegetation, but I really want to see the eyes of the eagle.

When you initially look at the two images of the eagle below, you may think that the second one is simply a cropped version of the first one. If you examine the little branches more closely, you will see that I took them from two different shooting angles.

I was a bit farther away when I captured the first image and my goal was to frame the eagle with the larger branches. In the second image, I had moved a bit closer to the eagle and was showing upwards toward it. This second angle provides a somewhat more intimate portrait of the eagle as it is nestled in among the small branches and spiky balls of the sweetgum tree.

I know that I am going to have a limited number of encounters with eagles, so I try to make each one “count” by taking shots from as many different angles as possible, never knowing for sure which photos will have the most impact until I review them later on my computer screen.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Eagle flight

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eagle in flight, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 20, 2023| 7 Comments »

My good luck with Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) this winter is continuing. Last Wednesday I was able to capture these images of an eagle in flight at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The eagle was flying from a nest to another perch and my camera was at my eye and ready as it flew by me.

I am pretty happy with these shots, but, of course, I’ll be returning to the refuge again and again with the hope of getting even better ones.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Mockingbird and sumac

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Mimus polyglottos, mockingbird, Northern Mockingbird, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, sumac, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 19, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Although there are increasingly signs that spring is on the way, we still are very much in the gloomy grip of winter. Somehow this rather monochromatic image of a Northern Mockingbird. (Mimus polyglottos) is a good match for the “feel” of this time of the year. I spotted this mockingbird last Wednesday as it was perched on a clump of sumac plants at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Most of the berries were already gone this late in the season, but the mockingbird managed to find a few. I captured this image as the mockingbird lifted its tiny prize upwards and prepared to swallow it.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Heron in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron in a tree, heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 18, 2023| 2 Comments »

From time to time I spot a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in a tree, but usually the heron is perched in a distant tree. On Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, however, I did not see the heron until I was almost underneath it. The heron was standing high in a tree that was overhanging the trail on which I was walking. The heron seemed a bit jittery, but instead of worrying about me, it kept glancing up in the sky—perhaps it was worried about the eagles that were flying about that day.

I captured a few images through the branches when I was below the heron and then moved past it a bit. I now had a slightly better view of the heron and was able to capture the final shot as the heron began to lift off from the tree.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

Juvenile eagles at play

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, juvenile Bald Eagle, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 17, 2023| 5 Comments »

Last Thursday I enjoyed watching some juvenile Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) chase each other around in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. They were really far away, but I managed to capture this fun image of them in action, with some Bufflehead ducks in the foreground adding additional visual interest.

It is a little crazy to attempt such long-range shots. The images are not super sharp and the contrast is often lacking. If I were a professional, I’m pretty sure that I would not post images like this one that are not of the highest quality. However, I’m an amateur, which means that I don’t have to worry about reputation or marketablility—I feel free to post images that I judge to fun, cool, or interesting, like these shot of juvenile eagles at play.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »