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Tiny catch

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 13, 2024| 9 Comments »

Yesterday I watched a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) fishing at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. After an extended period of cold and cloudy days, it was a treat for both of us to be out in the somewhat warmer weather. Although the the heron was really focused on its task, its results were modest—the fish that it caught may well be the tiniest fish that I have ever seen a heron catch.

I am hoping that the heron was eventually more successful later in the day—it would take a lot of those tiny fish to satisfy its appetite.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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A raft of coots and ruddy ducks

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged American Coot, Canon 7D, Fulica americana, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Oxyura jamaicensis, raft of coots, Ruddy Duck, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 9, 2024| 4 Comments »

At this time of the year I often see large groups of ducks, often referred to as “rafts” because the ducks gather so closely together, in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Frequently there are different species of ducks intermixed, though in my experience there is usually a dominant species.

In later November, I spotted a large group of American Coots (Fulica americana) during a visit to the refuge, as you can see in the first photo below. Coots are pretty easy to identify because of the shape and color of their bills. In addition to the coots, a number of Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) were part of the raft. I encourage you to click on the image to get a better look at the individual birds.

Technically, coots are not ducks, though, because they have lobed rather than webbed feet. The coots that day were too far away for me to get a shot of their feet, so I am instead including a photo I took in April 2017 that shows those lobed feet and the coot’s distinctive red eyes.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Modest catch

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 3, 2024| 2 Comments »

Some birds, like the ospreys and Great Egrets, leave our area and migrate to warmer climates as winter approaches. Others, like Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias), remain with us and have to work harder to find food.

Last week I spotted a heron standing in the shallow water of one of the tidal ponds at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In the past I have often seen herons wait patiently for extended periods of time to catch large fish, but this heron was content to strike often and pluck small fish from the water—every few minutes he would catch another fish, swallow it in a single gulp, and return to fishing.

I encourage you to click on the image to get a better look at the small fish in the heron’s bill and the visible spray of water droplets. I also really like the dynamism of the heron’s pose that suggests both the energy and the focus of the heron.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Vigilant Eagle

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eagle nest, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 2, 2024| 2 Comments »

It is still a little early for the Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to begin nesting at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but both members of an eagle couple were perched in a tree near a large nest last week when I visited the reserve. One of the eagles was partially blocked from view by the tree’s branches, but I was able to capture this image of the other one as it kept watch over the nesting site.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Tiny spring butterfly

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Celastrina ladon, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Spring Azure, Spring Azure butterfly, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 13, 2024| 2 Comments »

Yesterday I was thrilled to spot several Spring Azure butterflies (Celastrina ladon) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. This early-appearing butterfly is one of the tiniest butterflies in our area, with a wing span of about an inch (25 mm). Unlike Mourning Cloak butterflies—like the I featured last week in a blog posting—that overwinter as adults, Spring Azures overwinter in the pupal form, safe inside their chrysalis.

All of the Spring Azures that I saw yesterday were extremely skittish, spending most of their time in flight. Occasionally one would fly near the ground and come close to landing and then abruptly resume its flight. When they did land, the little butterflies almost disappeared into the abundant leaf litter and were tough to photograph.

Nature is coming alive as flowering trees begin to pop and new wildlife species reappear on the scene as we move deeper into March. It won’t be long before osprey, green herons, and great egrets return to our area and I hope to be seeing dragonflies within the next month. It is an exciting time of the year.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sunning turtle

Posted in Nature, Photography, Reptiles, spring, turtle, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Chrysemys picta, Eastern Painted Turtle, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, painted turtle, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 11, 2024| Leave a Comment »

It won’t be long before basking turtles become a common sight, but they are still relatively rare in early March, when temperatures here dip down below the freezing level some nights. I spotted this Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge as it basked in the sun.

I was struck by the way the red markings on its neck stood out, even in the beautiful reflection on the surface of the small pond. Most turtles will try to find a horizontal perch to maximize exposure to the sunlight, but this turtle had to make do with with a steeply sloped spot. I could not see its claws, but I suspect that they were dug in to keep the turtle from sliding back into the water.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Wind-whipped heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 9, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Although it was sunny, the wind was kicking up quite a bit during my visit on Thursday to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Bird activity seemed lighter than usual. Perhaps the birds were all taking shelter from the wind,

At the far edge of a small pond, I spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) hunched over in a one-legged pose. The wind was whipping around the wispy feathers on the heron’s chest, head, and back. I encourage you to click on the photo to get a closer look at the heron’s “flyaway” feathers.

Have a wonderful weekend.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First butterfly of 2024

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged Camberwell Beauty, Canon 7D, first butterfly of 2024, Mourning Cloak, Mourning Cloak butterfly, Nymphalis antiopa, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 8, 2024| 3 Comments »

I was delighted yesterday (7 March) to spot this beautiful Mourning Cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, my first butterfly sighting of 2024. Mourning Cloaks, known as Camberwell Beauties in the Great Britain, overwinter as adults and are usually among the first butterflies to appear each spring.

Mourning Cloak butterflies, according to Wikipedia, have a lifespan of 11 to 12 months, one of the longest lifespans for any butterfly. As I noted, these butterflies spend spend the winters in us as adults, by “hiding away in cracks in rocks or holes in trees, and are able to shut down their bodies all winter long, effectively hibernating, in a manner known in insects as torpor,” according to the One Earth website.

Mourning Cloak butterflies have a distinctive look that some scientist thought looked like the traditional cloak worn in mourning. I was happy that I was able to capture the row of blue spots on the wings—another one of its identification features—in the photo of “my” butterfly.

The butterfly spent most of its time flying up and down, in and out of some trees. Eventually it perched for a moment on the ground and I was able to capture this image. It will be at least a few more weeks before I see my first dragonfly of the season, but I will soon begin to keep my eyes open for them. As many of you know, dragonflies are one of my favorite subjects to photograph and I look forward to the start of “dragonfly season” each year.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Going under

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 6, 2024| 6 Comments »

It is hard to anticipate when a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) will strike. Herons have an amazing amount of patience and will often stand stationary for extended periods of time and then without much warning they will strike swiftly and violently.

Last week I was fortunate to be able to capture a sequence of shots of a heron in action at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I was amazed at how deeply the heron plunged its head, neck, and upper body into the water, creating quite a splash in doing so.

It seemed like the heron kept its head underwater for quite a while, but my sense of time is sometimes distorted in these kinds of situations. In any case, I impatiently waited for the heron to lift its head, anxious to see what it had caught. The heron slowly lifted its head and eventually it became clear that it had caught nothing but water. It may be my imagination, but I seem to see a mix of disbelief, dismay, and disgust in the heron’s expression in the final photo.

Undeterred, the heron returned to fishing and I moved on down the the trail, undoubtedly happier with my “catch” than the heron was with his.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Fuzzy squirrel

Posted in animals, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Eastern Gray Squirrel, gray squirrel, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Sciurus carolinensis, squirrel, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 5, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I realized this morning that I do not photograph very many mammals. During the summers I tend to focus my attention on insects and during the winters I mostly photograph birds. Only occasionally will I spot some deer, opossums, hedgehogs, raccoons, or beavers.

There is one mammal, however, that I see all of the time—the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis). Most of the time these squirrels are in motion, scrambling up and down the trees or running through the underbrush.

Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a squirrel that was momentarily at rest and captured this image. I like the way that the coloration of the squirrel matches its surroundings. I am happy too that I was able to capture the different textures in the scene, including the fluffy tail of the squirrel, the roughness of the tree bark, and the relative smoothness of the branch on which the squirrel was perched.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First crocus of 2024

Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, Cindy's garden, crocus, flower photography, iPhone 11, Runnymeade on March 3, 2024| 4 Comments »

When does spring begin? Many of us in the Northern Hemisphere measure the seasons using the astronomical calendar and this year spring begins on the 19th of March, i.e. the vernal equinox. For those who use the meteorological calendar, however, spring began on the 1st of March.

I generally use something other than a calendar when I measure the change of seasons. I feel the beginning of spring when the weather starts to warm up and the daylight begins to linger a bit longer. I can feel nature stirring, preparing for new life in the animal and plant kingdoms.

One of the signs of spring that I look for is the emergence of early spring flowers. This weekend I am cat sitting for my friend Cindy and her husband Michael, who are out of town on a trip to Texas. Cindy, my photography mentor and fellow photographer, has a wonderful garden that I have featured in this blog numerous times. The last couple of weeks I have checked out her garden, waiting patiently for the first flowers to appear.

I was delighted on Thursday to see that a tiny purple crocus was blooming amid all of the leaf clutter. It was only a single bloom, but it somehow filled my heart with joy and excitement. For me, spring has begun.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Parent and child?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, immature bald eagle, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 2, 2024| 2 Comments »

It is always cool to capture an image with multiple birds of the same species, especially when they are at different stages of development. This past Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I spotted two Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perched next to each other in some distant trees.

The larger eagle on the left was clearly an adult, with a white head and yellow beak. This eagle had its head raised and was calling out loudly. In similar circumstances in the past, it appeared to me that one member of a couple was calling out to its mate. I am not at all sure if that was the case this time.

The eagle on the right is quite a bit smaller than the adult. I cannot see all of its markings, but I would guess that it is about two to three years old—it takes almost five years for a bald eagle to mature.

Was this younger eagle related to the adult? Perhaps it was a parent-child relationship. For some reason I imagined a teenager that had left home to live on its own and then decided that it wanted or needed to move back in with its parents.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Smiling turtle

Posted in Nature, Photography, Portraits, Reptiles, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Chrysemys picta, Chrysemys picta picta, Eastern Painted Turtle, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, painted turtle, smiling turtle, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 1, 2024| 2 Comments »

Can turtles smile? It is probably physiologically impossible for a turtle to smile, but this Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) seemed to be doing its best as it posed for me Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Some of our nights are still dipping below the freezing level, but the days seem to be getting progressively warmer.

Most of the turtles are probably still spending the majority of their time in the mud at the bottom of the ponds, but a few adventurous ones have started to come to the surface to bask in the warmth of the sun on sunny days.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Turkey Close-up Portrait

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Meleagris gallopavo, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey, Wild Turkey, Woodbridge VA on February 29, 2024| 7 Comments »

As I was walking along a trail on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I happened to glance to my left and was shocked to see that I was almost face-to-face with a Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). This turkey, along with several of his friends, was foraging in the underbrush and apparently had not heard me approaching. I immediately stopped in my tracks, fearful of scaring the turkeys away and contemplate my next steps.

Should I try to move into another position for a better shot? Should I zoom out and try capture the turkey’s entire body that was mostly hidden in the vegetation? The clock was ticking and I knew that the turkeys would soon sense my presence.

I had a pretty clear view of the turkey’s head from where I was standing, so I decided to go for a portrait close-up portrait shot. I carefully focused on the turkey’s eye and was happy to be able to capture quite a bit of detail in a profile shot when the turkey turned his head to the side.

In a funny way I felt almost like I was looking a mirror, because the turkey had a lot of wrinkles and hairs sprouting out of various parts of his head, features that have become increasingly noticeable for me as I have gotten older. When I was younger, I don’t think I realized how much hair would eventually be growing out of my nose and ears.

After I had grabbed a few shots, I move on quietly down the trail and the turkeys continued their foraging .

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Catching a fish

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, head feathers, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 28, 2024| 5 Comments »

The tide was going out on Monday when I spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in the shallow waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The heron was walking slowly, stopping periodically as it scanned the water, patiently searching for prey. I decided to stop, wait, and watch the heron.

I know from long experience that herons are very patient—it is hard to remain constantly alert for extended periods of time, hoping to anticipate the moment when the heron will strike.

On this occasion, I was able to capture some of the action when the heron plunged its head into the water. Time seemed to slow down as I waited to see what, if anything, the heron had caught. As you can see in the first photo, the heron’s catch was a modestly-sized fish. The heron flipped its head to the side to reposition the fish—herons swallow fish headfirst in a single gulp. The final photo shows the fish’s final repositioning in the heron’s long bill. A split second later the heron tilted it bill upward and the fish disappeared from sight.

As I looked a these three photos, I was struck by the way that the heron’s long head feathers moved around as it twisted and turned its head. That little detailo revived distant memories of the 1970’s when I had long hair—I remember flipping my head from time to time to keep the hair out of my eyes.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Vigilant eagle

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, vigilant eagle, Woodbridge VA on February 27, 2024| 10 Comments »

Yesterday was a beautiful day, with blue skies and temperatures soaring above 60 degrees (16 degrees C). I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and was thrilled to have multiple sightings of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

One eagle seemed particularly vigilant, keeping careful watch over the entire area. Initially the eagle was mostly hidden from view by the heavy vegetation, but eventually I found a visual tunnel that gave me a mostly unobstructed view of the majestic eagle.

Photographing bald eagles can be quite challenging—the extreme contrast between the bright white heads and the dark bodies means that I have to choose the exposure for the image carefully to avoid blowing out the highlights in the head or losing the details of the body in the shadows.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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More eagle gyrations

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle in flight, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, subadult bald eagle, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 26, 2024| 2 Comments »

The last few days I have been really busy and have not had a chance to get out very much with my camera to capture new images. I went over the shots from my visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and decided to post some more shots of the subadult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that I photographed as it flew about, twisting and turning in the air above my head.

Previously I posted a shot of the eagle with outstretched wings (the 20 February posting was called Eagle Gyration). Today’s posting shows the same eagle in a number of other positions. I am always intrigued by the way that birds use their wings and tails in combination to move in the desired direction. Eagles make flying seem so effortless.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Shells on the shore

Posted in Art, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, duck hunting, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, shells, shotgun shells, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 24, 2024| 2 Comments »

The waterside trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge are often flooded by tidal surges and littered with debris when the waters recede. Some of the debris, like driftwood, snail shells, and clumps of vegetation is natural, but much of it is manmade.

During a recent visit to the refuge, I was shocked to spot a different kind of shel than I am used to seeing—there were multiple used shotgun shells at one location. In some earlier postings I have noted that there are multiple duck blinds in the waters off of the wildlife refuge and during certain seasons I have seen and heard duck hunters using these blinds.

I assume that these shells floated in or were carried in by the tide from one of those duck blinds. (Do used shotgun shells float?) Hunting is definitely not permitted on the grounds of the refuge, with the exception of several days a year when the refuge is closed and deer hunting, which is part of the “deer management program,” is permitted. I am not a hunter, but recognize that there is an overabundance of white-tailed deer in our area that poses a threat to both humans on the roads and to the deer themselves, who may struggle to find food.

I tried to capture these images of the shell as artfully as possible, but the juxtaposition of the natural and manmade elements in the photos is nonetheless jarring for me, considering what the shells were designed to do.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Single leg pose

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, one-legged pose, single leg pose, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, yoga on February 23, 2024| 9 Comments »

How good is your balance? This morning I was reading an article in AARP magazine about measuring your fitness level and one of the tests was a one-legged balance test. I tested myself and was able to hold the pose for only a few seconds. Yikes!

A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that I spotted on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge would have aced the test. The heron seemed to be perfectly stable as it relaxed in an open area adjacent to a small pond while standing on a single leg. It was a cold morning and I suspect that the heron’s other leg was tucked under its feathers to conserve body heat.

As I get older, I have become more conscious of the need for balance in all areas of my life. When I worked for the federal government a lot of lip service was given to the importance of “work-life balance,” but the sad reality was that few of my co-workers achieved that sense of balance—most of us, myself included, tended to be workaholics. Retirement has provided me a lot more freedom to use my time in a way that attempts to balance my physical, mental, spiritual, relational, and creative needs. It’s a constant juggling act, but I’m working on it.

In the meantime, I think I would do well to emulate the Great Blue Heron and practice my one-legged pose some more.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Nesting eagles

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle couple, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, nesting eagles, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 22, 2024| 3 Comments »

When I watched a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) fly into a nest on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I was not sure if it was occupied. We have reached the time of the year when the eagles at this refuge begin to sit on their eggs, but I did not know if the process had begun at this small nest that was used for the first time last year. As you can see in the first photo, the nest is only about as wide as the eagle’s outstretched wings.

After the eagle had landed and settled down, the body of a second eagle appeared from within the nest. I never did get a good look at the second eagle, because it kept its head down as it made some adjustments in the nest while the newly arrived eagle waited patiently to take over nest responsibilities.

One eagle flew away and the remaining one sank lower from view as it spread its body to cover the eggs. The nest is quite shallow, though, so I could still see the top of the eagle’s head most of the time. Occasionally the eagle would raise its head a little and I was able to capture a few shots like the final one here in which the eagle was looking up into the sky, wondering perhaps when its mate would return to the nest.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Departing chickadee

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged birds in flight, Canon 7D, Carolina Chickadee, chickadee, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Poecile carolinensis, Sweet Gum, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 21, 2024| 3 Comments »

I raised my camera to my eye when I spotted a Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) extracting seeds from spiky Sweet Gum balls on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As I pressed the shutter release, the chickadee took off and I captured this fun photo of the departing little bird.

I really like the way the head is tilted upward and how the tiny claws are still extended. Most of all, though, I love the way that I was able to capture the feather details in the extended wing.

Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good—this was definitely not the shot that I thought I was taking.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eagle gyration

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle in flight, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, subadult bald eagle, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 20, 2024| 7 Comments »

It takes about five years for a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to develop into adulthood and acquire the bright white heads and tails that we generally associate with this species. When they are young, the eagles have dark feathers and beaks and during the intermediate years their feathers have a mottled appearance.

Yesterday I watched a subadult eagle flying about in the skies over Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Judging from its coloration, I’d guess that it was about three to four years old.

The eagle put on quite an aerial show for me, twisting and turning in an amazing display of aerial prowess. I was particularly impressed by the way that the eagle would stretch wide its wings and flare its tail as it changed directions, as you can see in the photo below.

When an eagle or any other raptor is moving about like that, it is quite a challenge to track it and keep it within the frame. Suffice it to say, I have quite a few shots in which the eagle is partially cut off at the edge of the frame or occasionally is completely absent from the photo.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First daffodil of 2024

Posted in Flowers, Nature, Photography, spring, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, daffodil, first daffodil, first daffodil 2024, iPhone 11, joy, wonder on February 19, 2024| 10 Comments »

Nature moves in seasonal cycles, constantly changing as plants and creatures appear and disappear. At this time of the year I begin to look for signs of spring. The calendar tells me that I have another month to wait, but nature does not always follow the manmade calendar.

As I was walking to a craft store on Saturday I was delighted to spot this solitary daffodil poking out of the ground, already in bloom. I snapped this quick photo with my iPhone to record the moment, my first daffodil of 2024.

Whenever I record the “first” photo of any subject, whether it is a completely new one or the reappearance of a familiar one, I am happy to capture whatever photo I can. Later, when I have a second chance, I will worry more about artistry and technique. At that first moment, I am content to immerse myself in joy and wonder—the photo is of secondary concern.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Red-bellied Woodpecker

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Melanerpes carolinus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 18, 2024| 4 Comments »

Most of the time when I see a male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus), its head is buried in the shadows or is turned away from me as he feverishly pecks away at a tree. Last Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, however, I spotted a Red-bellied Woodpecker in the open at a distant tree and he accommodated me by presenting his head in profile, allowing me to capture this image.

I really like the way that you can see his striking red cap so well in this photo, as well as the beautiful black and white markings on his back.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Something to crow about

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged American Crow, Canon 7D, Corvus brachyrhynchos, Corvus ossifragus, crow, fish crow, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 17, 2024| 2 Comments »

I see and hear crows quite often when I am walking about at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Frequently there are large, noisy flocks of them moving about as a group. In my area, there are two types of similar-looking crows—the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and the Fish Crow (Corvus ossifragus)—and I reluctantly admit that I have not yet learned to tell them apart.

This past Wednesday, which happened to be Valentine’s Day, I spotted a single crow all by itself atop a broken-off tree. Apparently it had not been able to get a date for the special day or perhaps, like me, it preferred spending some peaceful moments alone.

I was happy to be able to capture some details of the crow’s eye in this shot. Quite often the eye blends it with the dark feathers and looks like a black, featureless hole.

Have a wonderful weekend.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sneaking up on eagles

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle couple, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on February 16, 2024| 4 Comments »

Have you ever tried to sneak up on a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)? Given the eagles’ superior eyesight and quicker reactions, they almost always detects me before I can get within camera range and often my first indication of an eagle’s presence is when I see it flying away from me.

As many of you know, there are several eagle nests at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and this is the time of the year when eagles begin nesting in them. The roads are blocked in the area surrounding one of the nests, so it is hard to get a good look at it. The largest nest, though, is set way back in the trees, but is visible from one of the main trails, which remains open.

During a visit to the refuge on Wednesday (Valentine’s Day), I noticed through the trees that both members of an eagle couple were perched atop the nest. Male eagles are often smaller than the females, so I think that the eagle to the left in the first photo is a male. I was still a long way from the nest when I captured that first photo, but experience has taught me that it is best to capture a “record” shot, before trying to get closer for a better one.

I continued down the trail in the direction of the eagle nest doing my best to walk near the high vegetation at the edge of the trail that blocked the eagle from seeing me and, alas, prevented me from seeing the eagle.

I know where the spots are where there is an open view of the nest and I prepared myself as I approached the best one. As I stepped partially into the open and raised my camera, one of the eagles took off and I captured the second shot below. As I was trying to track that eagle in the air, the second one took off too and I watched as they both flew away over the waters of the bay.

Before long, the eagles should be sitting on one or more eggs in the nest. The nest is quite deep and high up that it is almost impossible to tell if there is an eagle in the nest when they are incubating the eggs. The members of the couple rotate the responsibility for sitting on the eggs and I have been lucky on a couple of occasions to see the “changing of the guards.” Perhaps I will have that same good fortune this year.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Downy Woodpecker in February

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Downy Woodpecker, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Picoides pubescens, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, woodpecker on February 15, 2024| 3 Comments »

Yesterday I traveled to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, my favorite local place for wildlife photography, for the first time in over a week. Things were kind of slow and most of the birds that I spotted, primarily scaups, ruddy ducks, and buffleheads, were out of range in the deep water. There was a good bit of sunshine, though, that lifted my spirits and helped to compensate for the scarcity of subjects.

As I walked along the trails, I heard this Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) before I was able to spot him. He was hammering away on a branch and had his head lowered and mostly to the side. I kept my camera trained on him and eventually he raised his head and I was able to capture this image of him that I really like. The shot provides a good look at the large claw on his foot that helps him grip the branch and it also shows how he uses his tail to give him additional leverage.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Boys chasing girls

Posted in Birds, Nature, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Hooded Merganser, Hooded Merganser duck, Lophodytes cucullatus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Valentine's Day, Woodbridge VA on February 14, 2024| 3 Comments »

At this time of the year male Hooded Merganser ducks (Lophodytes cucullatus) do all that they can to attract the attention of potential mates. They may go through elaborate displays or simply chase after the females, as the two males in this photo appeared to be doing. It is often hard to read the body language of birds, but both females seemed to be sending the clear message that they were not interested (or were playing hard to get).

It struck me that many human males go through similar gyrations in their efforts to attract the attention of females of the species, particularly on this day, when thoughts turn to romantic love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Foraging Sparrow

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, foraging, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, white-throated sparrow, Woodbridge VA, Zonotrichia albicollis on February 13, 2024| Leave a Comment »

No matter what the conditions or location, I can usually count on seeing sparrows foraging in the underbrush. I spotted this handsome White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I really like the way that I was able to capture his intense focus as he surveyed a spot right in front of him for a tasty tidbit.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Trees and shadows

Posted in Landscape, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, forest, Prince William Forest Park, shadows, Tamron 18-400mm, trees, Triangle VA on February 12, 2024| 7 Comments »

Most of the photos in my most recent blog postings were captured during my hike last week at Prince William Forest Park, which was a break from my usual wildlife-focused images. It is time to hit the trails again after this brief respite, but I thought I would conclude this mini-series with a final photo from the hike.

Many of you know that I love shadows and I was really struck by the tree shadows falling across the trail during the early stages of the hike. The photo gives you an idea of the size and density of the forest in which I was immersed. This trail was wide enough to serve as an emergency access route, but the majority of the trails that I traversed later in the day were significantly more narrow. The trails were pretty well defined and there were painted blazes on the trees, which were particularly useful when trails crisscrossed each other.

I grew up in New England and memorized a number of poems by Robert Frost. One of his most famous poems is entitled “The Road Not Taken.” Somehow the opening words of that poem always come to mind when I am hiking on forest trails, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both and be one traveler, long I stood and looked down one as far as I could to where it bent in the undergrowth…”

In this case, however, the pictured road is the road that was taken. That day, I stuck to a familiar path, though I am prone to wander and love to explore. Who knows what I might discover beyond the next twist of the road.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Along the creek

Posted in Language, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Prince William Forest Park, Quantico Creek, Tamron 18-400mm, Triangle VA on February 11, 2024| 3 Comments »

There is something special and soothing about the sound of flowing water. During my hike last week in Prince William Forest Park, I spent much of my time following Quantico Creek and listening to the different noises that it made as it moved through the varying landscapes.

The terrain I traversed was hilly and the elevation diagram below from my GPS software shows the ups and downs of my hike. From the area where I parked my car I had a rather steep descent to the creek. The first photo was my first view of the creek and gives you an idea of its size. Although the water appears quite still, it was moving towards the dam shown in the second photo that was only a short distance downstream.

To get to the next section of the creek, I had to climb up and over a ridge before beginning a long descent to a series of small cascades, one of which is shown in the penultimate photo. I followed the creek for a while as it continued to flow downhill, gradually flattening out a bit and giving me views like the one in the final photo.

Eventually, I turned around and headed back toward my car, partially retracing my steps and then taking a more direct and steeper route. During the three hours or so that I was on the trails I did not see another person. It is a little selfish, I know, but I prefer not to share my nature experiences with others. I like to proceed at my own pace, stopping whenever I choose, immersing myself in the beauty of nature, reviving and refreshing my soul.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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