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Posts Tagged ‘Canon 50D’

Flicker in sumac

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , on February 20, 2022| 22 Comments »

On Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, it was fun photographing this colorful Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) feasting in a field of sumac. The muted tones of the sumac really help the female flicker to stand out in this image, particularly because she turned to the side and revealed the patch of bright red on the nape of her neck.

In case you are curious, I can tell that she is a female, because she lacks the black “mustache” stripe that is present with males. If you want to see a male Northern Flicker for the sake of comparison, check out my post from December 2020 entitled “Flicker in December.”

Northern Flicker

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Playing with his food

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 19, 2022| 16 Comments »

I watched a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) snag a small fish on Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Herons like to swallow their catches head-first, so the heron tossed the fish in the air several times to reposition it.

In the final photo, the heron had finally flicked the fish into the proper position and was preparing to swallow it. I am pretty sure that he was successful in doing so, although the photo suggests that his aim was somewhat less than perfect. I have tossed popcorn, M&M’s, and other tasty treats into the air and tried to catch them in my mouth and can testify to the fact that it is not as easy as it looks.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Mockingbird in February

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 18, 2022| 3 Comments »

Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) have been quite active and visible during my recent visits to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Like many other species, the mockingbirds have discovered the sumac patches that are scattered throughout the refuge, as you can see in the second photo.  I like the way that you can see the sumac berries and you also get a sense of the cluster of branches and stalks that conspire to keep me from getting clear looks at the birds feasting on the sumac.

From a photography perspective, though, I much more favor the first photo. I managed to isolate the mockingbird from the cluttered background and I really like the angular lines of the branches that are visible. One of my Facebook friends commented that it looked like the mockingbird was perched in the crow’s nest of a sailing ship—an image that tickles my imagination.

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Carolina Wren in February

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on February 17, 2022| 7 Comments »

They are hard to spot, because they are  often hidden in the underbrush, so I am happy whenever I manage to get an unobstructed look at a Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). I was particularly delighted when I was able to photograph one in warm early morning sunlight during a recent trip to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, as you can see in the first photo. The light really helped to emphasize the warm shades of brown feathers on the wren’s body.

In the second image, the light was dimmer and cooler and the wren was in partial shade. As a result, the colors and details do not “pop” as much as in the first image, but I do like the dynamic pose of the bird as it was singing.

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Immature eagle at dawn

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, sunrise, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 16, 2022| 9 Comments »

Through the distant trees, I spotted a shadowy shape in the early morning hours last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Was it a large bird or simply a malformed tree? It is a little embarrassing to admit it, but I often find myself taking photos of odd-shaped branches or leaf formations, thinking they might be birds.

In this case, though, it turned out to be a bird. When I zoomed in to get a closer look, I initially thought it might be a hawk, but the more I stared at the hazy form, the more I realized that it was almost certainly an immature Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus).

It takes almost five years for an adult Bald Eagle to develop its signature look, with its yellow beak, light-colored eyes, and white head and tail. In the interim the eagle’s plumage is flecked with white, rather than being a solid dark color, and the beak and eyes are darker than they will eventually become. Experts can tell the age of an immature eagle on the basis of its plumage pattern—I am definitely not an expert and would guess from what I have read on-line that this eagle is probably about a year old or so.

Although I was a long way away from the eagle, it seemed to sense by presence and took off shortly after I spotted it. As the eagle flew away, I was able to capture an image with a view of the mottled pattern of the feathers on the underside of its wings and its dark tail feathers

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Early morning heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 15, 2022| 3 Comments »

The early morning sun was beginning to warm the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) that I spotted in a tree last Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, a perch where I suspected the heron had spent the previous night. I quickly got a few shots and quietly moved on—I think the heron dozed off again after I had passed by.

When I took these shots, I was close enough to the heron that I was able to zoom in with my telephoto lens and capture some wonderful details in the feathers. The sunlight was warm and beautiful during that early portion of the day, part of the so-called “golden hour,” when subjects take on a golden glow. I have gotten a little lazy about rising at dawn, but this day was a pointed reminder of the potential benefits of doing so.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Bluebirds in February

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 14, 2022| 13 Comments »

As winter progresses, the sumac plants are slowly being picked clean by the birds at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but there are still plenty of berries that attract several species, including one of my favorites, Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis).  Each time that I visit the refuge, I make sure to check out the patches of sumac at several different locations and last Tuesday I was delighted to spot some colorful bluebirds at one of them.

I love to watch the bluebirds zooming in and out of the stalks of sumac. Much of the time they have their heads down, mostly blocked from view, but occasionally I will get a clear shot of one when it lifts its head. I especially like the pose in the first photo, in which the bluebird has its head cocked to the side, giving us a wonderful view of its profile. In the second image, I like the way that you can see the blurry second bird in the background, which, based on its coloration, could be the mate of the male in the foreground.

Best wishes to you all for a Happy Valentine’s Day, however you choose to celebrate (or not to celebrate) this day—may your day be filled with love and with joy.

 

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Fishing in February

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 13, 2022| 7 Comments »

On an unusually warm winter day when temperatures soared into the 60’s (16 degrees C), this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was taking advantage of the conditions to fish in a small pond at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The heron struck repeatedly during the time that I watched him and appeared to be having a good deal of success, although the fish were all pretty small, like the one in the second image below.

It was wonderful to walk about in the warmth and sunshine of a spring-like day, a foretaste of things to come. As I write this posting, however, a cold rain is falling that forecasters predict might turn into a couple of inches of snow.

I personally have had enough of winter this year with an unusually snowy January and am ready for spring to arrive. I feel a little like a child in the back seat of a car during a long road trip, endlessly inquiring, “Are we there yet?

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sparrow and sumac

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 12, 2022| 4 Comments »

This White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) was feasting on the abundant sumac berries when I spotted him on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In recent weeks I have repeatedly seen bluebirds in this patch of sumac and I always check it now whenever I visit this location.

I see White-throated Sparrows quite often during the winter months, but this was this first time I have seen them in this field. Normally I spot them when they are poking about in the undergrowth of bushes and other vegetation.

White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Stand out or blend in?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 11, 2022| 18 Comments »

Is it better to stand out and be seen or to blend in and remain invisible? As with so many life questions, the answer to my simple query is complicated and depends on your personality, priorities, and perspectives.

The male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) takes a bold approach—with his brilliant red plumage, it is almost impossible for him to hide. He want to be seen and often perches in the open. Perhaps that helps him to attract a mate, but does it also make him more visible to those that could do him harm? Is there a risk associated with being bold?

The sparrow in the second image, which I think is a Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia), takes an almost opposite approach—you almost can’t see it, especially when it is buried in the underbrush. Its nondescript coloration allows it to blend in? Does this bird feel more vulnerable? Is self-protection its primary motivation? Must it rely on non-visual factors, like its singing, to stand out?

What about you? How do you live your life? For most of my life, I have tended to favor conformity and security—I lived like the sparrow, fearful of standing out. Over the last decade of so, however, I have increasingly decided that the opinions of others don’t matter much anymore. I am now striving to live my life in an unapologetically authentic way and I am much more willing to put myself out there as visibly as the male cardinal.

Be bold today and be yourself. As the old proverb says, “you might as well be yourself—everyone else is already taken.”

Northern Cardinal

Song Sparrow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Wren in winter

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on February 10, 2022| 12 Comments »

Throughout most of the year, if I am fortunate enough to spot a wren, it is likely to be a Carolina Wren. During the cold months, though, there is a chance that I may find a Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis), a species that overwinters in my area. I have been trying to photograph one all winter and finally on Tuesday I managed to get a couple of shots of one during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

I really like the way the Audubon Guide to North American Birds describes the Winter Wren, “A secretive little bird of dense woods. It often creeps about among fallen logs and dense tangles, behaving more like a mouse than a bird, remaining out of sight but giving an occasional kimp-kimp callnote.” It is quite amazing to watch this energetic little bird as is crawls in and out of the undergrowth, rarely popping into view.

Normally Winter Wrens appear to be rather plump and round, as you can see in the second image. Something attracted the wren’s attention when I was taking the first shot that caused it to stretch out a bit, giving the bird a longer, more lanky look. The first shot also gives you a pretty good look at the varied patterns in the plumage of a Winter Wren—when the wren is in the shadows it looks to be a solid brown color, but there are actually a lot of speckles and stripes.

Winter Wren

Winter Wren

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Wind-blown heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 9, 2022| 10 Comments »

We finally had a sunny day, so I ventured out yesterday to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge in search of subjects. I was happy to find an alert Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in the open. During my most recent trips to this refuge, the weather was usually cold and overcast, the heron was often hunched over at the far edge of a pond, doing its best to stay warm.

Despite the sunshine, the wind was kicking up periodically, ruffling the heron’s feathers in an almost comical way. His “bed head” reminded me of my youth. I often had a cowlick at the back of my head and I remember my Mom licking her fingers and trying to flatten it down with her saliva.

Unlike the Great Egrets that leave our area when the weather turns cold, Great Blue Herons remain with us throughout the wind. They somehow manage to survive through the frigid weather and occasional snow—I suspect that this heron was not at all bothered by a little wind.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Backlit eagle tail feathers

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 7, 2022| 7 Comments »

I was looking into the sun when I spotted this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in a tree during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The eagle took off before I could get into a better shooting position, but I was able to capture some of the sunlight shining through its tail feathers.

I wish I had been able to frame the photo a bit better, but it is always tricky when focusing on a perched eagle to figure out how much to zoom out in order to capture its entire wingspan. In this case, I was worried more about adjusting for the backlight, so that I would not have a silhouetted shot, and was not worrying about framing the photo.

It is amazing to realize how many different considerations were coursing through my brain as I tried to analyze the situation, predict the possibilities, and react to changes. I remember how overwhelmed and paralyzed I felt in this kind of a situation when I was just starting to get serious about my photography some ten years ago. Now I am much  more comfortable with my gear and have a certain amount of muscle memory, so I am able to react more calmly and instinctively, without having to think consciously about all of the variables.

Every situation is different, though, and no matter how much I practice, there is still a spurt of adrenaline when a moment like this arrives and I realize I have to react instantaneously to take advantage of the situation. Things rarely works perfectly, but I am more than happy when they work as well as they did when I captured this image of the eagle’s takeoff.

bald eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Mockingbird portraits

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on February 5, 2022| 7 Comments »

Recently I have been seeing Northern Mockingbirds (Mimus polyglottos) fairly frequently at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The long tail and the coloration of this bird makes it fairly easy to identify.

Normally mockingbirds are quite vocal, with an amazing variety of songs, but the ones that I have seen recently have been surprisingly silent. On the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, I learned that, “Northern Mockingbirds typically sing from February through August, and again from September to early November. A male may have two distinct repertoires of songs: one for spring and another for fall.”

I also learned that the most frequent singers are unmated males. “Northern Mockingbirds sing all through the day, and often into the night. Most nocturnal singers are unmated males, which sing more than mated males during the day, too.” I wonder if that means that the best singers cease singing once they have found mates and the ones that we hear most often are the second-tier singers.

I was happy with the little portraits that I captured of this handsome mockingbird. The first photo shows a bit of the environment in which I found the bird, a beautiful mixture of mostly shades of brown. I really like the way that the background came out, but found the small branches to be a little distracting.

I changed my shooting angle for the second shot and cropped a little close to focus attention on the subject. As you can probably tell, I also used Photoshop to remove the little branch from the frame. Some photographers are purists and won’t remove elements from their photos or even crop them, but I do edit my shots, though most of the time I make only a small number of changes and adjustments.

Northern Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Sparrow shots

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on February 4, 2022| 3 Comments »

Sparrows are everywhere, it seems, but it is actually pretty difficult to get a clear of one. These little brown birds are hyperactive and super industrious, so they rarely seem to stop and pose. They also enjoy foraging in dense vegetation or in tall grass, further complicating my photographic efforts.

Last week I was happy to capture several decent images of sparrows. I think that they are both Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia), though I have low confidence in my ability to identify sparrow species correctly.

In the first photo, the sparrow was foraging on the ground, where it blended in so well that I sometimes lost sight of it when it stopped moving. The second sparrow perched briefly on a branch and I was able to take a shot while looking up at the bird. The angle of view gives the sparrow’s head a distorted shape that somehow reminds me of Darth Vader’s helmet—the bird’s expression also looks a bit imperious as it surveys its surroundings.

Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Smaller eagle nest

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 3, 2022| 11 Comments »

As many of you know, I have been keeping an eye on a pair of Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nests at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, waiting for the eagles to begin sitting on the nests. I featured one of the nests, an enormous one high in a tree, several times during January, but have not yet posted any shots of the smaller nest this year until now.

The most direct roads leading to this smaller nest are blocked off at this time of the year, because the nesting tree is located near the intersection of several major trails, including one on which cars are normally permitted to drive. However, I am able to take a circuitous route to reach one of the barriers that provides a distant view of the nest from which I can take some photos.

Several weeks ago I was delighted to photograph both members of an eagle couple perched together on a limb of the tree with the small nest that has been used in each of the past three years (and maybe even longer than that). As you can see in the first photo, one of the eagles is quite a bit larger than the other—generally the female is the larger one.

When I first started watching the nest that day, only the smaller eagle to the left was perched on the limb. As I pulled back on my zoom lens to be able to show the nest in the lower righthand corner of the photo, the second eagle flew in to perch next to her mate, and I captured that moment in the second photo.

The two eagles stayed together for a short while side-by-side, when suddenly the larger eagle took off. The final shot shows the eagle extending her wings and taking off from the perch, leaving the smaller eagle to keep watch over the nesting site.

I have been back several times to the site since this encounter, but have not seen the eagles there again. I am optimistic that they will soon be sitting on some eggs. In this smaller nest, the eagle is partially visible when she is sitting on eggs, whereas the other nest is so big and deep that a nesting eagle is hidden from view.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Abstract ice

Posted in abstract, Landscape, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged , , , , , on February 2, 2022| 18 Comments »

I never know what will catch my eye when I am out with my camera. On Monday I was struck by the way that the tide had piled up ice on the shoreline at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge—the pieces of ice looked like shards of broken window panes. There was an abstract beauty in the ice fragments that is hard to put into words.

Despite the beauty, my mind kept drifting to metaphorical thoughts as I gazed at the ice. The ongoing pandemic continues to shatter our lives, and the ice seemed to represent some of our hopes that have been dashed, our dreams deferred, and our futures foregone. With the passage of time, the sharp edges will eventually disappear and the ice will melt, bringing together again the broken pieces of our lives.

In the meantime, we should strive to be gentle with each other, never knowing for sure how fragmented and fragile the others may feel, despite their outward appearances of coping well.

ice

ice

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Happy heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 1, 2022| 8 Comments »

Smiling is contagious. I can’t say for sure that this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was actually smiling when I spotted him in mid-January at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but he seemed so happy that I could not help but smile back at him. I really enjoy trying to capture the personality of the individual birds when I photograph them and sometimes my wildlife subjects will cooperate with me.

Great Blue Herons remain in my area throughout the winter. It has to be tough on them right now, when many of the smaller ponds have iced over, but somehow the herons manage to find some open water and hopefully are able to catch enough food to survive.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Hanging on

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on January 31, 2022| 5 Comments »

Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis) are energetic little birds and seem to be in motion a lot of the time. When I see them perched, they tend to perch on horizontal branches. I was therefore a little surprised when I saw this chickadee latch onto the vertical stem of a reed and hang there for several seconds in front of me.

It almost seemed like he was deliberately posing for me and I happily captured the chickadee’s portrait during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Be sure to check out the fascinating way that the chickadee is grasping the reed in the photo in a pincer-like grip.

Carolina Chickadee

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Cooper’s Hawk in January

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on January 30, 2022| 14 Comments »

As I was finishing up my walk through Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last Wednesday, I spotted this hawk in a distant tree. The first thing that I noticed was the hawk’s long tail, which immediately suggested to me that it was a Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) and not a Red-shouldered Hawk, the hawk species that I am most accustomed to seeing at the wildlife refuge.

Cooper’s Hawks hang out in wooded areas rather than in open areas and when I see one, it is usually zigzagging its way through through the trees rather than flying above them. Although I was far away from the hawk, it had a clear view of me and took off shortly after I spotted it. As you can see from the second and third images, the hawk flew downwards towards the ground rather than rising up into the air.

As I was doing a little research on Cooper’s Hawks, I learned that life can be a little tricky for male Cooper’s Hawks—I am not sure if this one is a male or a female. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “As in most hawks, males are significantly smaller than their mates. The danger is that female Cooper’s Hawks specialize in eating medium-sized birds. Males tend to be submissive to females and to listen out for reassuring call notes the females make when they’re willing to be approached.”

 

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Brown Creeper portraits

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on January 29, 2022| 10 Comments »

Brown Creepers (Certhia americana) are strange little birds. They crawl upwards on tree trunks and large branches in a spiraling motion, pausing periodically to probe crevices for tiny insects with their slender, downcurved bills—they never seem to perch and they rarely seem to fly.  Their mottled coloration helps them to blend in really well with the bark of the trees, so I rarely see a Brown Creeper, though I suspect they may be fairly common.

On Wednesday as I was walking along a trail at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, my eyes detected some moment in a tree just off of the trail. By the time I spotted the bird, which I was able to identify as a Brown Creeper, it was already high up in the tree. Fortunately I was able to track the creeper when it dropped from that tree down to the base of an adjacent tree to begin another upward creep.

I took dozens of photos as the bird circled around the tree and in most of them the bird was blocked or blurred. However, I did manage to get a couple of clear shots. In the first image, you can see the Brown Creeper in action as it investigates a crevice. Note the curve in the bill and the way that it has positioned its large feet for stability. The tail is supposed to be really stiff too and provides additional support.

The second image provides a good look at the long, lanky body of this Brown Creeper. You can see the white underparts of the bird that are usually hidden against the tree trunks. I am fascinated by the patterns in its feathers and the markings on the creeper’s heads and encourage you to click on the image to get a more detailed look at these features.

I love the description of this bird on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website that cited naturalist W.M. Tyler, who wrote in 1948 the following words:

“The Brown Creeper, as he hitches along the bole of a tree, looks like a fragment of detached bark that is defying the law of gravitation by moving upward over the trunk, and as he flies off to another tree he resembles a little dry leaf blown about by the wind.”

Brown Creeper

Brown Creeper

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Tufted Titmouse Takeoff

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , on January 28, 2022| 13 Comments »

Several noisy Tufted Titmice (Baeolophus bicolor) were frantically foraging in the trees on Wednesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I tried to track them as they moved in and out of the branches, but they turned out to be remarkably swift and elusive. However, I am pretty persistent and eventually managed to capture several shots of these little gray birds with their distinctive crests.

The first shot below was a really lucky one. The titmouse had perched momentarily on an exposed branch and I pounced on the opportunity to get a clear shot. Just as I started to click the shutter release, the bird took off. Somehow I captured the moment when the bird’s wings were fully extended, but its feet were still on the branch. The titmouse appeared to be looking right at me in an almost defiant way, as though he were ready to challenge me.

The second shot provides a good look at the beautiful markings of the Tufted Titmouse. You can see its black forehead and the wonderful orangish wash under its wings. I also really like the titmouse’s pensive pose as it turned towards the sun, trying to absorb some of its warmth on a cold winter day.

Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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A few more bluebirds

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , on January 27, 2022| 20 Comments »

If I had to list my favorite birds, Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) would certainly be near the top of the list. The color combination of blue and orange is so striking and so beautiful that it delights me every time that I am blessed to spot a bluebird. Without fail, I also recall a comment I received several years ago from a young reader, Benjamin, who noted that the birds had as much orange as blue in their feathers and wondered why they were not called Orange Bluebirds. Why indeed?

I already posted a few bluebird photos from a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last week, but decided that there were a few more that I just had to share. When the subjects are this photogenic, it is so much fun to see how many different “looks” I can get by varying my shooting angle and composition. I love how each of these there photos has a distinctively different background and “feel.”

Do you have favorite birds too? It should come as no surprise to those of you who follow this blog regularly, that Bald Eagles are probably at the top of my list.

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Female scaup

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 26, 2022| 4 Comments »

This cool-looking bird is a female scaup—I love the white stripe on her face and her striking eyes. If I were a bit better at bird identification, I might be able to figure out is she is a Greater Scaup (Aythya marila) or a Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis). The differences between the two species are pretty subtle, especially when it comes to females, so I will generally identify them simply as “scaups.”

Throughout this month, I have seen quite a few scaups in flocks in the deep waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Scaups are diving ducks and therefore rarely seem to come as close to the shore as dabbling ducks like mallards and pintails. It is therefore quite a challenge to get a detailed shot of a scaup.

On the day when I took this photo, the wind was kicking up and the waters were rough, which slowed down the scaup enough for me to be able to capture this image—I recommend clicking on the image to get a good look at the facial features of this distinctive duck.

scaup

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Snowdrops in January

Posted in Flowers, Gardening, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 25, 2022| 22 Comments »

In the deepest darkest days of winter, there is still new growth, like these snowdrop flowers (g. Galanthus) that I spotted yesterday at Green Spring Gardens, a county-run historic garden not far from where I live.

I decided to mix things up a bit and put my macro lens on my camera for the first time in months, hoping that I might find flowers in bloom. What can I possibly find that would be flowering in late January? We have had over a foot (30 cm) of snow already this month and some frigid temperatures, a harsher winter than in recent years. I knew from past experience, though, that there was a good chance that some snowdrop flowers would be in bloom—my challenge was to find them.

I searched in vain in flowerbed after flowerbed, until finally I found several small patches of these pretty white flowers. The words to the song Edelweiss from The Sound of Music, one of my favorite musicals, came to mind. Although edelweiss is a completely different flower, the words of the song seemed to fit my snowdrops so well.

“Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me
Blossom of snow, may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever.”

snowdrops

snowdrop

snowdrop

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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In the crook of a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on January 24, 2022| 14 Comments »

Sometimes Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) will perch out in the open on branches or in prominent trees where they are relatively easy to spot. At other times, though, they perch in the crooks of the trees, almost hidden from view. I encountered these two semi-hidden eagles last Tuesday as I was wandering the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

I really like the contrast between the two expressions and poses of the two eagles. The eagle in the first image seems stern and serious—I don’t think that I would want to mess with him. The eagle in the second image seems almost a little goofy with a whimsical smile and windswept hair—for some reason he reminds me of Big Bird from Sesame Street.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Almost perfect

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on January 23, 2022| 26 Comments »

Quite often my most beautiful photos are of the simplest, most common subjects that I find in nature, like this White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) that I photographed recently at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The elements of this image—the lighting, the pose, the framing, and the color palette—work together almost perfectly to create a harmonious, warm feeling for me that is hard to describe with words.

It is a bit of a cliché to say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it is nonetheless true. Perhaps you’d dismiss this photo because the main subject is a nondescript little bird or maybe you prefer more colorful images with more “pop.” In my photography I try a variety of approaches to capture the beauty that surrounds us and have varying degrees of success in doing so.

For me, this one image is almost perfect.  There is always the chance, however, that I will be able to capture something even more perfect in my next photos, so I’ll keep trudging on with my camera.

White-throated Sparrow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Flicker in flight

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , on January 22, 2022| 13 Comments »

Have you ever noticed the different ways that birds take to the air? Some of them flap their wings and seem able to almost levitate themselves as they rise vertically. Others make a running start in order to gain additional momentum before they lift off. No matter how they do it, the birds have to coordinate a complex series of small actions by their various body parts for a takeoff to be successful.

On Tuesday I was observing this Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) in a tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, when it decided to depart without warning. Instinctively I pressed the shutter and was able to capture this fun little photo. It looks like the first step in the takeoff process for this flicker was to leap from the branch and then perhaps glide a bit before engaging its wings.

Northern Flickers always fascinate me. I cannot help but marvel at the amazing combination of colors and patterns on the bodies of these woodpeckers whenever I see one.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Northern Flicker

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Kingfisher in January

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on January 21, 2022| 12 Comments »

If I am patient and persistent, I can usually end up with pretty good shots of most types of birds that I see. The Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon), however, is a notable exception—I only rarely get a clean look at a kingfisher and don’t think that I have ever gotten a close-up shot of one.

Why? Belted Kingfishers are small, fast, and extremely skittish, which makes them remarkably elusive. Most of the time my first indication that a kingfisher is in the area is when I hear its distinctive rattling call as it flies away from me. It sometimes feels like the bird is taunting me. It will often fly only a short distance away, giving me hope that I will be able to creep closer, and then it will fly away again as soon as I start to move.

I have several encounters with a Belted Kingfisher this month and was happy to get this shot recently of a female. You can tell that it is a female because of the chestnut stripe on its breast. Males have only a blue stripe—it is really unusual with bird species to have the female more colorful than the male.

Kingfishers have a very distinctive look with their stocky bodies, large heads and thick, pointed bills. I always enjoy seeing photos of kingfishers from other parts of the world, including the brilliant blue Eurasian Kingfisher, a species that I hope to see in person in the future, when it becomes safe enough to travel internationally again.

Belted Kingfisher

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Spiky gumballs

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2022| 18 Comments »

I watched in utter fascination on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge as this Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) worked to extract seeds from the spiky seedpods of a sweetgum tree. The little bird would hang upside down with all of its weight on the stem of the seedpod and poke about with its bill inside the seedpod. Once it had found a seed, the chickadee would yank back its head to extract the seed.

Most of the time the bird would then fly to a nearby branch to consume the seed and then resume the process. Occasionally, though, the momentum generated in extracting the seed caused the chickadee to fall away and momentarily lose its balance and I was lucky enough to capture one such moment in the first image below.

The other two images give you an idea of some of the acrobatic positions used by the chickadee in its foraging. In the final photo, I believe the chickadee was using its extended wings to help stabilize itself as it sought to snag another seed.

It is good to know that there are potential food sources available during the winter for these little birds, but sure looks like the chickadee has to work really hard to gain access to those tiny seeds inside of those spiky gumball.

Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadee

Carolina Chickadee

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Bluebirds in January

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , on January 19, 2022| 18 Comments »

Yesterday I was absolutely delighted to spot a small flock of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The bright, cheery blue of their feathers never fails to bring a smile to my face, especially during the long gray days of winter.

The bluebirds spent a lot of their time foraging in a field of what I think is sumac. I may be totally wrong about the plant and would welcome a correction. Whatever the case, the bluebirds really liked it. Most of the time they foraged as individuals or as pair, but occasionally a small group of them would work in the same area, as you can see in the first image.

It was a challenge to photograph these pretty little birds because they were quite a distance away. Most of the time when they bent over to pluck a berry, they disappeared from sight.

On occasion I was able to isolate a bird and create a portrait of the bluebird. The second and third images show two different approaches that I used, with the final shot showing much more of the overall environment rather than the details of the subject. From my perspective, both images work well, albeit in different ways.

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

Eastern Bluebird

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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