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Posts Tagged ‘Tamron 150-600mm’

Ready for takeoff

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, tagged , , , , , , , on April 1, 2024| Leave a Comment »

This Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) was partially hidden by tree branches when I first spotted during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I tried to move as stealthily as I could to try to get a clearer view of the eagle, but the eagle detected my presence. I captured this image as the eagle was preparing to take off. The eagle flew downwards from its perch and my view was completely obstructed, so I was not able to capture any in-flight shots of the eagle.

As you can see, many of the trees in my area have buds now. I think this tree might be a Sweet Gum tree, because I can see some of its distinctive spiky seed balls still hanging from the tree.

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Watchful eagle

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , on March 25, 2024| 1 Comment »

It was cool, cloudy, and windy when I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last Friday. I did not see any activity at the two eagle nests that I checked, but suspect that there was an eagle in each of them, hunkered down keeping the eggs warm.

I did encounter solitary adult eagles several times as I walked along the trails. Perhaps these Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were the mates of the eagles sitting in the nests. Whatever the case, these eagles looked to be hypervigilant and serious, keeping a close watch over the entire area. This eagle kept its head moving a lot, so I was happy when I managed to capture this profile shot as it perched in what I believe is a Tulip tree.

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Branching out

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged , , , , , , , on March 24, 2024| 6 Comments »

I was delighted on Friday to see that Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) have returned to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Each autumn we bid farewell to the ospreys, which are also known as fish hawks or sea hawks, and each spring we greet their return.

Unlike eagles, which use large, well-constructed nests year after year, ospreys seem content to throw a bundle of sticks together and call it a nest. Many of these makeshift homes are blown down or fall apart during the winter, so a first priority for the returning ospreys is to construct nests.

During this visit I managed to capture several photos of ospreys overhead in flight with branch in their talons. As both photos show, ospreys often grab branches at one end, rather than in the middle where the weight would be better balanced. I am amazed by the ability of the ospreys to fly so well with those long trailing branches, though I suspect that the branches weigh a whole lot less that the fish that I hope to see them catch later in the season.

Osprey

osprey

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Tiny spring butterfly

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

Spring Azure

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Sunning turtle

Posted in Nature, Photography, Reptiles, spring, turtle, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

Painted Turtle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Wind-whipped heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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First butterfly of 2024

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , 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.

Mourning Cloak

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Going under

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Fuzzy squirrel

Posted in animals, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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.

Eastern Gray Squirrel

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Parent and child?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

 

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Smiling turtle

Posted in Nature, Photography, Portraits, Reptiles, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , 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.

Eastern Painted Turtle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Turkey Close-up Portrait

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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 .

Wild Turkey

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Catching a fish

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Vigilant eagle

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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More eagle gyrations

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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.Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Shells on the shore

Posted in Art, Macro Photography, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

shotgun shells

shotgun shells

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Single leg pose

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , 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.

Great Blue Heron

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

 

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Nesting eagles

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , 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.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Departing chickadee

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , 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.

Carolina Chickadee

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Eagle gyration

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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.

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Red-bellied Woodpecker

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , 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.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Something to crow about

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , , 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.

crow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sneaking up on eagles

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Downy Woodpecker in February

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

Downy Woodpecker

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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Boys chasing girls

Posted in Birds, Nature, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , , 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!

Hooded Mergansers

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Foraging Sparrow

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , 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.

White-throated Sparrow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Unseated

Posted in abstract, Art, Photography, Winter, tagged , , , , , on February 7, 2024| 4 Comments »

The waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge are affected by the tidal surges of the Potomac River. As a result, trails that run parallel to the water are sometimes inundated with water, which leaves behind driftwood and other debris when the waters recede.

Last Thursday one of my favorite trails was still flooded and an abandoned chair caught my attention. The broken plastic lawn chair was sitting upright in the shallow water, partially covered in vines. What was it doing there? Where did it come from?

I focus on wildlife and nature subjects most of the time, but will photograph almost anything else that attracts my eye. In this case, the chair seemed to be telling a story of sorts, having an almost metaphorical significance. The image has an almost abstract feel to it and I love the ripples and reflections in the water and the contrast in the shapes and textures of the natural elements in the photo versus those of the manmade chair.

Yes, I know that this is kind of a quirky image, but I like it and decided it was worth sharing.

chair

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sparrow and water

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , on February 6, 2024| 3 Comments »

When I spotted this Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) last Thursday poking about in a mass of floating vegetation in a small pond last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I decided that I wanted to get a shot of it. That proved to be quite a challenge. The bird kept its head down and was blocked by the vegetation most of the time.

I kept waiting and shooting in vain and worried that the sparrow would eventually fly away and leave me empty-handed. Finally the bird starting moving toward one end of the vegetation and was almost in the open. I got ready and when the sparrow limited its head momentarily, I was able to capture the kind of image that I had imagined at the start.

I like the way that the sparrow is framed by the vegetation and the water that is visible throughout the image. I am not sure what it had in its mouth, but the sparrow had apparently found some kind of tasty tidbit. The partial reflection of the bird in the water was an added bonus.

It is not rare for me to imagine shots when I am out with my camera and it is really cool when I manage to bring those imagined shots to life.

Song Sparrow

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Red-bellied Woodpecker

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 5, 2024| 3 Comments »

Red-bellied Woodpeckers(Melanerpes carolinus) are one of the most common woodpeckers in my area. I catch glimpses of them often as the move about in the trees, but I rarely manage to get a clean shot of one. I remember when I was first began to photograph birds and was super excited to spot the bright red heads of these woodpeckers. I mistakenly assumed that they would be called Red-headed woodpeckers, but I was wrong—Red-headed Woodpeckers are completely different species.

I was always a bit confused by the name of this species, because I never managed to see the woodpecker’s “red belly.” In the second photo below, you can see an orangish tinge in the lower abdomen area that I guess may qualify as a “red belly,” but that is a bit of a stretch.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers spend a lot of time probing beneath the bark of trees for insects. If you look closely at the first photo, you can see the woodpecker at work with its bill. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. Males have longer, wider-tipped tongues than females, possibly allowing a breeding pair to forage in slightly different places on their territory and maximize their use of available food.” Wow!

Things are warming up a bit and it was delightful to walk about in the sunshine at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last Thursday. I decided to leave my heavy coat in the car and wore just a hooded sweatshirt with a long-sleeved thermal shirt underneath. Spring is coming, but I suspect that we will have a bit more winter weather before then—here in Northern Virginia February often has the most severe weather of the winter.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Cardinal portrait

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 4, 2024| 12 Comments »

Photography does not have to be complicated. Sometimes all it takes is a well-executed image of a common subject in a simple composition.

If I were working as a portrait photographer for humans, I could choose an appropriate backdrop and set up studio lighting. I could instruct subjects on poses and position them carefully, shooting a variety of poses so that I would have multiple shots from which to choose the best ones. If I did not like a particular expression in a shot, I could reshoot the portrait until both the client and I were happy.

Life is much different for a wildlife photographer. I have to work with the available light and environment. Subjects are often skittish and uncooperative. I often have only a single chance to get a shot and may not get a second chance.

I feel blessed when things work out and I am able to capture simple portraits, like this one of a male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) that I photographed last Thursday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I took multiple shots of this cardinal when I spotted his bright red feathers, but in almost every one of them, the cardinal was looking away. Finally, the cardinal looked toward me for a brief moment and I was able to get the shot.

It is certainly not a perfect shot, but it is a pleasing little portrait of this handsome bird and I am happy that I was able to capture the moment. For me, photography is primarily about capturing and sharing the beauty that surrounds us, a beauty that too often we ignore, because it is uncomplicated and unspectacular. As the old Shaker folk song reminds us, “Tis a gift to be simple.”

Northern Cardinal

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Huge eagle nest

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged , , , , , , on February 3, 2024| 4 Comments »

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge are increasingly spending time in and around existing eagle nests. It probably won’t be long before eggs are laid and the eagles begin to sit on the eggs.

On Thursday I spotted an eagle perched high in a nest while its mate kept watch from a nearby tree, as you can see in the final photo. This eagle nest is huge and is by far the largest one at the wildlife refuge. The nest has been used for many years and each year the eagles seem to add another layer to it. It was very easy to spot this eagle, because its bright white head was sticking prominently out of the nest.

When the eagles begin incubating the eggs, however, they hunker down in the deep nest and it is usually impossible to know for certain when they are present. During that period of time I will sometimes watch and wait, hoping to be there for the “changing of the guard,” when one member of the couple takes over duties from the other, but I have been lucky enough to be there only a few times when that happened. Otherwise I have to wait for the eaglets to get big enough to poke their little heads out of the top edge of the nest.

On another part of the refuge, barriers have now gone up to protect the nesting eagles at that location. That nest is adjacent to one of the trails, whereas the large nest pictured here is far enough away from the trail that the authorities do not seem to think that the eagles require additional protection.

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

 

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