Taken in a dry swamp area. With little to no water the hunting was easy. This Egret was one of many that crowded around an old unused rookery.
Portrait, Great Egret
Category Archives: A Watering Hole
Above A Watering Hole, Bald Eagle
Most the photographs lately in a watering hole have been down at my level. There is always a lot happening when all the animals are in a crowd.
While they are all pushing and feeding predators are watching for any opportunity.
If an Eagle is really hungry even the big birds can be targets. Surprising at this time none of the small shore birds panicked while this Eagle circled around.
The Sound Of Bats Hitting, Storks
The sound was like heavy wooden sticks, spindles maybe, hitting each other. Obviously it wasn’t we were in a wildlife management area.
The Wood Storks were snapping and grabbing each other. That’s something you don’t see every day. They were also doing their own version of the ‘squawk’.
These photographs also show how tall the storks are. These are Snowy Egrets all around them.
They also bumped into a Great Egret that kept his cool, he walked by doing his best to ignore the threat.
He pushed right by, but if look you will see him keeping a close eye on these bigger Storks.
Couple A Storks
These two just made me smile. They were walking along like an old couple, not a care in the world. It was a Sunday stroll.
To add a little more interest they kept turning and staring at me. All they needed was a camera.
I didn’t make them nervous, never once did they look to be afraid. I wasn’t in their space either.
Maybe they liked my hat.
What I Saw At The Watering Hole, Alligator
I love these shots. A perfect ‘descriptive’ image of the American Alligator.
I really wish there was a great story to along with these shots.
Unfortunately there isn’t.
However, look at these shots. Many dedicated wildlife photographers don’t ever get to capture these scenes.
I still appreciate how lucky we are to be able to do this.
Oh yeah, he yawned.
Black And White Film Filters, Alligator
I learned photography in the 1960’s (yeah, a long time ago). B&W was really the only option because every shot cost money. I did develop my own, but not often. I really didn’t like it, at all.
That said, it was a great way to learn. No room for error and you had to think. Snap shots were a waste.
Now I can get what I want, and not care about how many are trash. The purist will always say it’s not the same. I agree. It’s better.
Adobe and NIK have filters to very closely duplicate any old B&W 35 mm film. Just as good is the ability to create your own.
I used Agfa film a lot, and still have some originals. This is an Agfa APX Pro 100 filter in NIK. After Lightroom and NIK processing it’s the same thing, no smell, sat with a cup of coffee and worked.
Catching Who Knows What, Yellowlegs
Things, all kinds, live in these marsh waters. Most I see are the usual small fish, insect critters and such.
There are also surprises in the pluff mud.
Crabs are here, in many places but not all. Depending on the dikes brackish water is common.
There are 3 foot (1 meter) long Sirens also. They are eel looking salamanders. Only the big predators mess with them. They fight back, and sometimes win.
And then you have this ‘whatever’. It could be a shrimp.
Maybe even part of a crawfish.
I don’t think it was eaten, just banged around a little. That means whatever it was proved to be very, very, nasty.
Black-necked Stilt Walking By
How do they know when it’s OK? It could be an assumption since 99% of the time nothing happens.
My guess is these birds have a fair idea of a safe distance, and how the Alligator is reacting to their presence.