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Hawk’s successful hunt

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Buteo lineatus, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, hawk, Huntley Meadows Park, Red-Shouldered Hawk on January 25, 2013| 6 Comments »

It was cold (about 24 degrees F or minus 4.4 C) this morning and the sky was completely covered with clouds as we awaited the coming snowstorm. Nonetheless, I went out with my camera to my marshland park to see what animals and birds were active.

Previously I had identified a tree where a hawk is frequently present and one was there today. The perch is pretty high up and there is a field of cattails between the boardwalk and the tree, so I can’t get very close to the hawk. As I stood watching the hawk, he suddenly flew almost straight down into the field and returned to a different tree after what had obviously been a successful hunt. I attempted to photograph the action, but my camera was not adjusted properly for the reduced light in the field and my photos were blurry and out of focus.

All was not lost, however, because a short time later a hawk came flying from the same area and I was able to get some photos of him. When I looked at the photos on my computer, I discovered that the hawk, which I am pretty sure is a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus), is carrying a rodent in his talons.

I am not sure why he chose to transport his prey to another location, but it provided me a really cool photo opportunity.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Rock, water, and clouds

Posted in Art, Landscape, Nature, Photography, tagged Cameron Run, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, clouds, rock, water on January 25, 2013| 7 Comments »

I came upon a rock last weekend and my eyes were drawn to its shape and texture and the way that it seemed to be floating in the sky. Normally I don’t shoot abstract shots, but I somehow felt compelled to take this photo. I like the way it turned out—it’s simple and graphic.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Soar like a hawk

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged birds in flight, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, hawk, Huntley Meadows Park, soaring on January 25, 2013| 3 Comments »

This week I have been posting a lot of photos of soaring birds that I photographed last weekend. This last batch, which includes some of my favorites, features a young hawk soaring in a number of different positions. I was fortunate that he flew almost directly overhead and the light was reasonably good.

The strength and beauty of a bird like this is hard to capture in photos, but it was really impressive to watch him effortlessly soaring on the winds.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Playmate or prey?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged birds in flight, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, crow, hawk, Huntley Meadows Park on January 24, 2013| 8 Comments »

I was looking up in the sky watching a hawk soaring through the air this past weekend when I noticed that there was another bird there too, a black bird that I eventually identified as a crow. The two of them seemed to be soaring on the same updrafts, each virtually mirroring the movements of the other. My first thought was that they must be having a lot of fun, gliding along together. When I looked at my photos, though, I realized that a more serious drama probably had been taking place at high altitude.

Now, I have never had a hawk come rushing at me with talons flashing, but the crow seems to have decided that it was probably not a good idea to wait around and see what the hawk’s intentions are. The hawk began to chase the crow, it appears, and the crow took immediate evasive action. As far as I can tell, the crow got away. Here are some shots that I took of the chase. They are not very high resolution, but they help illustrate a fascinating encounter.

Since last weekend when I took these shots, I’ve done some research on the internet and learned that crows and hawks don’t get along very well and each has been known to pester the other. I’ll keep my eyes open now for any additional encounters between the two species.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Male Hooded Merganser

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, tagged Alexandria VA, Cameron Run, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Hooded Merganser, Hooded Merganser duck, Lophodytes cucullatus on January 24, 2013| 2 Comments »

I was outdoors a lot this past weekend enjoying the beautiful weather and managed to catch a glimpse of a pair of Hooded Merganser ducks (Lophodytes cucullatus). As is usually the case, they headed in the opposite direction as soon as they perceived my presence.

I was able to get a couple of clear shots of the male (the female kept ducking under the water). I especially like the duck’s reflection in the water, which looked almost turquoise. and the ripples on the surface of the water.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Immature hawk on a limb

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, hawk, Huntley Meadows Park, immature hawk on January 23, 2013| 6 Comments »

This past weekend I saw more hawks than I have ever encountered before. I am not sure if some are migrating through the area or if the ones already here were more active than before.

This hawk, who looks to be immature, was sitting on a tree limb across a small field from me and I was able to get shots of him a few different positions. I need to figure out a way to get closer to him or use a longer lens in order to get clearer images, but I am still at a stage in my photographic journey at which I am excited to take any photos of hawks and eagles in which they are recognizable. As some readers are well aware, I have been trying to take photos of birds in flight and I managed one so-s0 image of this hawk when he flew away.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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I want to soar like a vulture

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, Black Vulture, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Coragyps atratus, soaring, thermals on January 23, 2013| 6 Comments »

The Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) needs to improve its public image and what could be better in these times of economic difficulty than emphasizing its energy efficiency? The Cornell Lab of Ornithology states that the Black Vulture “soars on thermals to gain altitude and to cover large distances with little energy expenditure.”

This past weekend we had warm weather and a breeze, which made it perfect for soaring. Normally I see Black Vultures very high in the sky and in groups, but this time I spotted a solitary vulture soaring at a a lower altitude, which permitted me to get some decent photos. The Cornell Lab notes that Black Vultures have a less well-developed sense of smell than Turkey Vultures and rely more on sight than smell to find carrion, which may be why they soar at greater heights than Turkey Vultures.

I propose that the Black Vulture become the new symbol for energy-saving practices. What do you think?

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Portrait of a mockingbird

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Cameron Run, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Mimus polyglottos, Northern Mockingbird on January 22, 2013| 14 Comments »

Have you ever tried to will a bird or animal to change its position slightly to enable you to get a better photo? That happened to me this weekend when I came upon this Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos).

I crept close to him and positioned myself for an unobstructed shot with a beautiful blue sky in the background. The only problem was that the mockingbird was facing the wrong direction and his head was in the shadows.

So I started a mental conversation with the mockingbird, imploring him to turn slightly in my direction so that the light coming from the right would put a catch light in his eye. I didn’t dare to get any closer and continued to repeat the thought, “Please turn your head toward me, but don’t look directly at me.” Without moving his body, the mockingbird slowly turned his head and offered me an almost perfect profile shot and held the pose.

I like the way his tail and his claws turned out, but most of all I like his face. I think the mockingbird would be happy with this portrait.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Stalking a Kingfisher

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, Belted Kingfisher, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, kingfisher, Lake Cook, Megaceryle alcyon on January 22, 2013| 10 Comments »

I spent several hours on Sunday and Monday stalking a female Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). Does that make me a bad person?

I first encountered this beautiful bird a couple of weeks ago and was immediately smitten. Like a paparazzi photographer, I started snapping photos frantically when I saw her. I included some of those photos in a previous posting that I creatively entitled “Belted Kingfisher.”

Now I have started to hang out what I think are some of her favorite places, hoping desperately to catch a glimpse of her. She is still quite standoffish and won’t let me get close, but perhaps she will get used to having me around. Maybe she has commitment issues.

Here are a few shots from my recent encounters, including two in which I captured her as she was flying away.

For now, it is a classic case of unrequited love.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Photogenic cats

Posted in animals, Humor, Photography, Portraits, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, cats, Lobo, Pixel, Zena on January 21, 2013| 6 Comments »

I am catsitting again for my neighbor and fellow blogger Cindy Dyer and her cats are amazingly photogenic.

Pixel was the most cooperative. He posed on windowsill this morning and was even willing to lift his head so that the light coming from the side would take away any shadows.

Pixel’s brother, Lobo (Cindy was going to name him JPEG, but her husband objected), was a little less cooperative. I captured him in his favorite spot, looking down on the main entry from the second floor with his head dangling over the edge.

The third and final cat, Zena, an older female, was even harder to photograph. She gave me a look that seemed to indicate that she was not going to put up with any nonsense from me.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Heron in the undergrowth

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Ardea herodias, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Great Blue Heron, Lake Cook on January 21, 2013| 6 Comments »

Yesterday I returned to the little lake near where I live in hopes of seeing the Belted Kingfisher again. As I was scanning the trees near the water’s edge, I caught sight of a Great Blue Heron.

Most of the time when I see Great Blue Herons, they are in the water. This one, however, seemed quite content to just stand in the shade of a tree on a slanted bank, surrounded by all kinds of roots and vines.

As I was inching my way down the slope of the opposite bank, he caught sight of me and took off immediately. Acting on instinct, I raised my camera to try to capture him in flight and lost my footing. Sliding down the bank. I dug in my heels and managed to stop just before I reached the water.

Needless to say, I did not get any good shots of the heron’s departing flight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Regal hawk

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, hawk, Huntley Meadows Park, regal on January 21, 2013| 4 Comments »

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to see a few hawks. I am still having trouble identifying the different types of hawks, especially when they are immature, as I think this hawk might be.

I spotted this one perched on the top of a old broken-off tree overlooking one of the fields of the marsh and was able to creep close enough to get a clear shot (although nor close enough to get an image that didn’t require significant cropping). For me, there is something regal about the hawk’s position, as though he is a monarch surveying his domain.

I have a few more shots of a hawk in a tree that I probably will post later, but wanted to share this one first.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Moon in the afternoon

Posted in Landscape, Nature, Photography, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, daylight, moon on January 21, 2013| 1 Comment »

Yesterday late in the afternoon I noticed that the moon was already visible and ascending. I took a few shots and deliberated underexposed them in order to darken the sky. Sometimes it’s possible to get good shots of the moon without waiting for it to get dark.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Hybrid goose?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged Branta canadensis, Cameron Run, Canada Goose, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, greylag goose, hybrid on January 20, 2013| 3 Comments »

Today when I was observing Canada Geese at Cameron Run, a tributary stream of the Potomac River, I noticed one goose that looked really different. His bill and his legs were pinkish in color, unlike his companions, who had black bills and legs; his cheek patch was brownish in color rather than bright white; and there was a black and white mottled area between his eyes and his beak.

I went searching through identification guides on the internet and it seems likely to me that this is a hybrid goose and not a separate species. One of the problems with hybrids, of course, is that there are lots of different combinations that are possible. I saw one photo that looked a little like this goose that was a probable hybrid of a Canada Goose and a Greylag Goose, but it was from the United Kingdom. Some of the photos of the dark morph of the Snow Goose also look a little like this goose.

If anyone has any ideas, I’d love to have assistance in identifying this goose.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Almost hidden

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Cardinalis cardinalis, Huntley Meadows Park, Northern cardinal on January 20, 2013| 4 Comments »

After a week away from home in a far-off city, it was great for me to get back to nature. Somehow my senses seemed to be heightened yesterday as I took in the sights, sounds, and smells of the little marshland park that has become a second home for me.

Even so, I almost missed this female Northern Cardinal, whose muted tones provided almost perfect camouflage for her in the vine-filled underbrush. A slight amount of movement and the bright orange color of her bill, however, were enough to permit me to see her despite all of the visual obstructions.

I realize that most people don’t get excited about photographing such ordinary subjects, but there was something comfortable and reassuring about returning to the familiar, like putting on a pair of my favorite jeans.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Kayaker on Potomac River

Posted in Architecture, Photography, Travel, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Jefferson Memorial, kayak, Potomac River, Washington Monument on January 18, 2013| 5 Comments »

I have returned from Brussels and thought I’d share a photo that I took earlier this month of a kayaker paddling on the Potomac River. In the background you can see the beauty of the obelisk of the Washington Monument and the dome of the Jefferson Memorial. If you look closely at the Washington Monument, you can see the color change part way up the monument that was the result of a 23 year hiatus in construction and difficulty getting matching marble when construction resumed.

Unfortunately, you can also see the rusty railroad bridge that serves as the only rail link between the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. It serves a necessary function, but it does little to enhance the beauty of the scenery.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Hawk in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Buteo lineatus, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, hawk, Huntley Meadows Park, Red-Shouldered Hawk on January 12, 2013| 5 Comments »

Yesterday I encountered this big bird in a tree and I’m pretty sure that it is a hawk, probably a Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus). I was a happy that he was perched relatively low in the tree, so that I could get a relatively normal perspective view of his head and body. His coloration doesn’t match exactly any of the photo identification keys I looked at, so I am not one hundred percent sure of the identification. The photo is a bit soft and grainy, because of the distance and lighting, but I like that fact that I was able to get a relatively unobstructed view of this beautiful bird.

Hawk in a tree

Hawk in a tree

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Bald eagle from a distance

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, bird in flight, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Huntley Meadows Park on January 12, 2013| 6 Comments »

Yesterday I was observing ducks, geese, and gulls in one of the ponds at my local marshland, when suddenly they all took to the air. It seemed to me that something had spooked them and I quickly scanned the ground area and the water and found nothing. When I turned my eyes to the sky, however, I discovered a relatively large bird flying across my field of vision in the distance

The day was dark and gray and rain clouds covered the sky, so the lighting was not very good. The poor lighting and the fact that the bird was so far away made it tough for me to lock on the focus of the camera, so I was able to snap off only a couple of shots before the bird disappeared completely in the distance.

The flight of the bird did not look like that of the vultures that I have photographed, so I thought that perhaps I had photographed a hawk, though it was hard to know for sure from the image on the little LCD screen of my camera. When I viewed the images on my computer, I was thrilled to discover that I had finally photographed a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Maybe it’s because of the symbolism attached with the bald eagle—all I know is that I felt really happy with my discovery.

These two images are not really that clear and I hope to get better ones in the future. In many ways, I am continuing what I recognize as a pattern in my shooting. The first time I capture a new subject, I am so excited that I will share the image, irrespective of its quality. The second time, the quality of the image normally increases dramatically.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Blue Roof

Posted in Architecture, Art, Photography, tagged blue roof, boat house, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Potomac River, reflection on January 11, 2013| 4 Comments »

I don’t usually take photos of buildings, but the unusual blue color of this roof of this building and its beautiful reflection in the water prompted me to take this shot. The building, is a boathouse, I believe, and it is located along the Potomac River, just north of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. In addition to its colors, I really like the angled lines of the tin roof and the lines and geometric shapes in the rest of the image.

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Carolina Wren

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Carolina Wren, Huntley Meadows Park, little brown bird, Thryothorus ludovicianus, wren on January 11, 2013| 5 Comments »

Nowadays when I see a little brown bird, my first thought is that it’s probably some kind of sparrow. In this case, however, the beak seemed to be too long to be a sparrow, so I had to so some research. I’m pretty sure this pretty little bird is a Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). In addition to the beak, I was able to use the white eye stripe and uplifted tail as identification features.

In addition to the internet, I now have my first hardcopy identification guide, Peterson Field Guide to Birds of North America, a thank-you gift from friends for catsitting. I suspect that this may turn out to be the first of a series of guides that I’ll end up acquiring.

Carolina Wren

Carolina Wren

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Northern Pintail Duck

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Anas acuta, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, duck, Huntley Meadows Park, mallard duck, Northern Pintail, Northern Pintail Duck on January 11, 2013| Leave a Comment »

One thing that I have learned since I started watching birds is that birds seem to enjoy the company of other species of birds. In the past, for example, I might have assumed that a flock of birds was made up of a single species—now I know better. As a result, I’ve started to pay more attention to the individual birds in a group and determine if there are some that look “different.”

That was the case last weekend, when I was looking at a group of mallard ducks from a pretty good distance. One of them had a streak of bright white, which seemed unusual for a mallard. Clueless to what kind he might be, I took some photos, following my usual practice of “shoot first and ask questions later.” Returning home and doing a little research, I discovered that my mystery duck is a male Northern Pintail Duck (Anas acuta), a new species to me.

My first photo permits you to compare him with a mallard and it’s pretty obvious why he stood out. I like the way that he hold his long white neck upright in almost a military posture.

The second shot was my attempt to capture him in flight when he took off. My view was obscured a bit as I shot from a distance and the focus was not great, but I at least managed to catch him in flight. This is the kind of shot I aspire to shoot, so you’re getting to see my practice shots as I try to master the techniques of capturing photos of birds in flight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Dancing goose

Posted in Birds, Humor, Music, Nature, Photography, tagged Branta canadensis, Canada Goose, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, dancing, fan dance, folk dancing, Huntley Meadows Park on January 10, 2013| 5 Comments »

It is not well known that geese are jealous of their water fowl colleagues, the swans, for all of the attention they get in numerous productions of Swan Lake. Geese consider themselves equally adept at dancing and have picked up regional folk dancing during their long migratory travels through numerous territories. In this photo, a goose is practicing a variation of a traditional fan dance (and it turns out that geese, unlike humans, don’t need any props for the fan dance).

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Running water takeoff

Posted in Birds, Inspiration, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, ducks, Hooded Merganser, Hooded Merganser ducks, Lake Cook, Lophodytes cucullatus, running takeoff, takeoff on January 10, 2013| 4 Comments »

I stumbled upon a pair of Hooded Merganser ducks (Lophodytes cucullatus) at Lake Cook, a tiny urban lake, shortly after I photographed a Belted Kingfisher this past weekend. As soon I spotted them, they also became aware of my presence and immediately took evasive action. In most cases in the past, that has meant that they started swimming away. This time they seemed to have decided that more decisive action was needed and they immediately took off.

Fortunately my camera was already in my hands and the settings were about the right ones for the situation. When I started photographing birds, one of the more experienced birders whom I met recommended keeping the camera set for burst mode and that’s where I keep it most of the time now. Occasionally that means I shoot off a few extra exposures unintentionally when my trigger finger is a little heavy, but sometimes it lets me get an exposure I might not have gotten otherwise. Now, let me be clear that my almost ancient Canon Rebel XT is not a professional DSLR, so burst mode means about three frames a second, which worked out this time.

I fired off a half-dozen frames as the two ducks, a male and a female, took off from the water and I am pretty pleased with the results. It looks like the ducks get a running start on the water before they take to the air. The photo of the male duck that I featured at the start is the second one in the chronological sequence, but I thought it was the most interesting in showing the little water “explosions” as the ducks skipped across the surface. The rest are pretty much self-explanatory. I especially like the way that the heads flatten out into more aerodynamic shapes as the ducks start flying and the reflections are pretty nice. A couple of the shots are cropped to show only the male duck, because his position happened to bemore interesting than that of the female in the image (no discrimination intended).

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Feather texture

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, tagged Cameron Run, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Downy Woodpecker, feathers, texture, woodpecker on January 9, 2013| 2 Comments »

I really enjoy watching woodpeckers at work—they are so determined and industrious. I find their simple black and white coloration (sometimes accented with a bit of red) to be tasteful and elegant. Usually I end up watching them from a distance or with my neck at an uncomfortable angle as I look high up into the trees or low near the ground.

This weekend, though, I observed a woodpecker—I think he was a Downy Woodpecker—at relatively close range and at eye level. He was hanging upside down on a branch and was systematically pecking away at it. I really like the lighting in this shot and the way it is reflected in his eye. My favorite element, however, is the feathers on the breast area. The texture is simply amazing and looks like almost like a loosely woven fabric. It is a nice contrast to the black-and-white feathers on his back that look like they are stacked from this angle.

I never tire of photographing the same subjects, whether they be birds, insects, or flowers. Familiar subjects somehow seem different when viewed from new angles or in different light.

Downy feather texture

Downy feather texture

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Breaking the ice

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged Branta canadensis, breaking the ice, Canada Goose, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Huntley Meadows Park, ice, thin ice on January 8, 2013| 13 Comments »

On rare occasions I can anticipate a photo opportunity as a series of actions seems to heading towards an inevitable conclusion. That was the case this past weekend.

The weather here has warmed up and the layer of ice on the ponds has started to melt a bit. I watched as a mixed group of Canada Geese and Mallard Ducks started walking across the iced-over beaver pond.

A duck walked past a branch sticking out from the ice and I thought I detected some water, suggesting to me that they were walking on thin ice. A goose (in the second photo) looked down at the ice and made a mental calculation that it was safe to cross. His calculations proved to be wrong as he broke through the ice and started to sink into the water. I caught his initial reaction in the third photo. I especially like the startled look in his eyes.

Without further delay, he flapped his wings and was able to lift himself out of the water. The photo I took of that moment is the first one shown on this blog posting and is my favorite. I am happy that I was able to capture a lot of the the details of the wings and of the ice. You can see, for example, the sheets of ice that have broken off on either side of the goose. I also like the sense of action in the position of the goose, a moment frozen in time (sorry about the obvious pun).

I always feel a little strange when I post a series of action shots in non-sequential order, but I worry that folks won’t stay around to see the dramatic conclusion if all they see is the first shot (which is not that exciting, but is an important part of the story). That is why I led with the conclusion, thereby giving away the end of the story. Maybe I need to employ the kind of techniques used in television, “Stay tuned as this goose rescues himself from the frozen waters of the pond…”

Breaking the ice

Breaking the ice

Testing the ice

Testing the ice

Starting to go under

Starting to go under

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Belted Kingfisher

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Belted Kingfisher, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, kingfisher, Lake Cook, Megaceryle alcyon on January 7, 2013| 12 Comments »

This past weekend I decided to return to a little lake (it’s actually more like a pond) where I had previously seen some Hooded Merganser Ducks. This lake is part of a regional park and, according to posted signs, is stocked with trout.

As I was looking down at the water, I was surprised when a powder blue bird flew across my field of view. It was a pretty good size bird, but I didn’t have a clue what it was. It perched on a tree across the small lake and I was able to get a couple of shots to help me identify it. I came back later in the weekend and found the bird again and was able to take some additional photos. None of the photos yet is very good, but I thought I would share some of them, because I find the bird to be exceptionally cool.

What is the bird that has me so excited? It is a female Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon). According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology article, the Belted Kingfisher is one of the few bird species in which the female is more colorful than the male. In a couple of my photos you can see the blue and chestnut bands across the breast of the female kingfisher (the male has only the blue band).

The Belted Kingfishers eat mostly fish and you can see a fish in the mouth of the bird in a couple of my photos. I suspected that the kingfisher swallows the fish whole, but I was too far away to see it happen. The same Cornell Lab article states that the kingfisher often dives from a perch, catches a fish and returns to the perch. It then pounds the prey against the perch before swallowing it head first.

As I mentioned, these photos were heavily cropped and are not that great in quality, but I hope to be able to take some better ones in the future. In addition to the shots of the bird in the tree, I am including one in which I attempted to photograph the bird in flight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Blackbirds fill the sky

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, tagged blackbirds, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, grackle, Huntley Meadows Park, invasion, red-winged blackbird, sky on January 7, 2013| 4 Comments »

We had some sunny weather this past weekend and temperatures soared to the upper 40’s (about 8-9 degrees C). As I was walking through my local marshland park, I heard an approaching loud noise, and before I knew it the sky was full of blackbirds. I turned my camera skyward and snapped off a few shot.

From the photos, I can’t identify all of the types of birds, but there seems to be a mixture of Red-winged Blackbirds and grackles and maybe a few others. What I find most fascinating, though, is the variety of wing positions, sizes, and shapes that you can see. Unlike the geese that I see flying in beautiful V-shaped formations, these blackbirds seem to be utterly lacking in organization as they move from place to place.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Mockingbird in black and white

Posted in Art, Birds, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged black-and-white photography, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Mimus polyglottos, mockingbird, Northern Mockingbird, Potomac River on January 7, 2013| 6 Comments »

On an overcast day last week, I came across this Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos), silhouetted against an almost white sky. As I was focusing on him, he hopped to a slightly higher branch. He didn’t flap his wings at all, and I managed to catch him in mid-air.

The image was underexposed and as I played with it to bring back some of the details, I realized it was already almost black and white. It was not a far stretch to desaturate the photo and play around in black and white. In fact, it was so much fun that I decided to work on a second photo of the same mockingbird.

I think I need to work on my techniques a little more, but I like the initial results of my dabbling in black and white.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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More tree sparrows

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged American Tree Sparrow, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, cattail, Huntley Meadows Park, sparrow, Spizella arborea on January 6, 2013| 1 Comment »

Last month I featured a photo of an American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea), a species that is among the most visible and active during the cold, gray days of winter. I should probably caveat my statement about the sparrows being visible, because they are usually only partially visible as they root around in the tangled undergrowth and move quickly from place to place.

Occasionally I manage to get a somewhat clear shot of the American Tree Sparrow and I decided to share a couple of them this morning. The first one shows the sparrow in what I consider his most “natural” environment, mostly surrounded by vines and branches. I like the way he just poked out his head, permitting me to get a clear profile shot. The second image shows a sparrow at the top of cattail, a place where I rarely see them, which made it a little easier to get a clear shot.

Although I may not show photos of some of these smaller birds as often as I post photos of ducks, geese, and herons, I am attempting to photograph them almost every time that I am out shooting. I enjoy the challenge, even if my success rate is relatively low.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Mixed couple

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Anas platyrhynchos, Cameron Run, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, duck, Hooded Merganser, Lophodytes cucullatus, mallard, mallard duck on January 5, 2013| 4 Comments »

As I was out shooting today, I was happy to encounter Hooded Merganser ducks (Lophodytes cucullatus) a couple of times, They are the coolest-looking ducks in my opinion (although Wood Ducks are in the running too). It’s a real challenge to get good shots of them, because they are small, fast, and skittish. I would love to find myself in a position like Phil Lanoue, a fellow blogger and incredible photographer, who recently photographed a Hooded Merganser duck coming in for a landing next to him (check out his blog posting).

I’m still going through my photos, but this one jumped out at me. It shows two duck couples swimming in formation. What is unusual is that one of the pairs appears to me a male Mallard and a female Merganser. Oh, I know that some of you are thinking that such a relationship could never work, but true love always finds a way.

I can only imagine what their children will look like.

Mixed couple

Mixed couple (click for higher resolution view)

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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Urban heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Urban, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 55-250mm zoom lens, Canon Rebel XT, Great Blue Heron, heron, Reagan National Airport, urban on January 5, 2013| 5 Comments »

A few days ago I featured a Black-crowned Night Heron in a posting called Heron of a different color. One of the most unusual things about that heron was the location where I found him—a man-made canal at the edge of the runways at Reagan National Airport, across the Potomac River from Washington D.C.

That day there was another heron, a Great Blue Heron, fishing just opposite the night heron. I thought that herons preferred clear water, to help them see their prey better, but this water did not look to be very clear.

The first photo shows part of the canal, with a concrete wall in the lower right and the peeling paint of a bridge support in the upper left. I captured the image as the heron was moving around a freshly-caught little fish in his beak prior to swallowing it.

In the second shot, the heron had just dipped his beak into the water. I like the concentric ripples in the water and the drops of water visibly dripping off of the heron’s beak. This may have been an unsuccessful strike or he may have decided to rinse out his mouth (to get rid of the fish taste?).

In this final photo, the heron is crossing the canal. As you can see, the water is fairly deep. I particularly like the heron’s reflection and how the details of the long feathers in the front are visible.

Six months ago, I didn’t realize that there were Great Blue Herons in the area in which I live, but now I seem to find them with some regularity. As long I continue to see them, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be seeing them again in this blog.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved

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