Taken end of day with the fading light.
Winter Colors And A Great Blue
All posts by Ted Jennings - TPJ Photography
Getting A Bath, Spoonbill
Loud, water flying everywhere.
At any one time there were several young Spoonbills splashing around. And of course I got shots of every single one, many times.
I finally just selected some at random here. There were way too many to even look at them all.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery.
Getting A Bath, Spoonbill – click to enlarge
Getting A Bath, Spoonbill – click to enlarge
Getting A Bath, Spoonbill – click to enlarge
Getting A Bath, Spoonbill – click to enlarge
Getting A Bath, Spoonbill – click to enlarge
Poking Around A Marshland
Many times when we enter marshlands the things happening are obvious. Other times, especially mid day, we need to take some time and look around.
This is also where selecting the right lens comes in. I really want to carry minimum ‘stuff’, the rest stays in the pack, in the car.
I could not photograph the swamp edge above with a long wildlife lens. I also would miss anything animals here with a short lens.
From the 2 images above you can see where things are wide open but can have thick trees. The scenes are beautiful, and different. This was only 50 yards (46m) apart.
Pines begin at the end of the dikes. Bald Eagles can be sitting and watching hidden above. The lens here was not so long to catch a closeup of him.
The need to shoot wide is obvious here. Not a single critter yet a nice view of the canals.
Finally on the edge of a marsh something to catch at a mid range. American Alligator floating, as they tend to do 80% of the time.
All the photographs here were taken with a Tamron 18-400mm lens.
A lens that covers a wider range than other lens which makes a great ‘all in one’. That said, the focus is a slow and it needs a good amount of light. It’s an average quality lens that makes up for that short coming by being small, light, and a massive range.
Close Gallinule
This is a Common Gallinule, the is also a ‘purple’ species.
An odd bird that is around every swamp or marsh that has some thick cover. They feed in the open but run screaming for cover when they spot something.
Nice coloring but it’s their bill that is most interesting. Bright red, vivid yellow tip, and shines like cheap vinyl.
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial
Ladies and gentlemen, the answer we have all waited for… how do they do it.
Our thanks to several locals who generously volunteered their time to provide us with ‘A Visual Tutorial Of Walking On Turtles’.
Boy’s and girl’s please do not try this at home.
The first step is to find an old wooden ramp covered in cannon ball sized turtles.
Once the location is discovered the slow, use your whole body technique is best. A simple step and hug method keeps the original turtle in place.
Next gently lift you left foot up and onto the turtle head. Again a slow forward motion. A 3 minute rest between turtle hops is standard procedure.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 as needed until complete control of the prime resting spot is attained.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view gallery and a step by step best practices method.
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial – click to enlarge
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial – click to enlarge
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial – click to enlarge
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial – click to enlarge
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial – click to enlarge
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial – click to enlarge
Walking On Turtles, A Tutorial – click to enlarge
At the end of the journey any comfortable position should be available.
No turtles were eaten during the creation of this tutorial.
Unhappy Green Heron
I heard noise and saw the juvenile Little Blue Heron on the overhang. Might be nice so I took a few shots.
What I had not noticed was what was causing the fuss. A Green Heron must have been in this spot first. And he was not happy with the Little Blue.
Things are not always as they seem.
It’s nice to get a surprise. Better when it is a usable photograph.
Foggy Avocet
Cool nights and warmer mornings play havoc with early photographs. Even with LCD screens and electronic viewfinders it’s difficult to know if you captured anything.
This is where knowing your gear can really help. A little luck doesn’t hurt either.
Click, or double tap, any image below to view the gallery.
Foggy Avocet – click to enlarge
Foggy Avocet – click to enlarge
Foggy Avocet – click to enlarge
Great Egret, Start Of Breeding Plumage
One of the early arrivals.
The warmer weather has thrown the birds off a little so more could arrive any time now.
