Something good came of my forced site maintenance. I came across this photograph from probably 2015.
This is the Saybrook Light on the Long Island Sound. It was a Blood Moon. Ellen was the driving force on this. We had to find a location, a safe place for the car, and finally walk the breakers to a good location.
It came out better than I expected, especially given my lack of enthusiasm about breaking my neck in the dark.
This is what happens when a Great Blue pretends he doesn’t see you. It’s actually the reverse of what photographers do to keep a subject calm.
So, here he is pushing past.
At this point I’m not sure if I should continue with his game or chance another shot. Obviously I took the shot. However, I had to change my camera settings, and lens focus switches all while he is slowly pushing by. I really need a much smaller lens for things like this.
The scene this morning;
The trail is narrow here, above you can see water. There is mucky swamp behind my back foot. I’m as far as I can go on my side.
You never want to bother a wild animal when out there. What are the rules about bothering a wild photographer though?
Below is how we finally had to share our small space.
I’m leaning on the tree… he obviously can see me standing here.
It doesn’t seem to matter because he’s here and wants the trail too.
The funny thing was after I let him go by he was going so slow that I finally passed him. I noticed two people on another trail watching the whole thing, and laughing.
Magnolia Plantation Swamp Rookery.
The big herons, with their layers of feathers and wide wings, is one of my favorite wildlife photographs. This Great Blue gave me a great opportunity.
Best viewed large.
He didn’t fly far. It was like a change of position on the marsh bank of maybe 30 feet (9 meters). Enough for him to give a great display though.
I think they just look regal when they pose like this.
Taken where you can look down the cut between the edge of a marsh and woodlands.
When walking out of these marshes end of day I always look this direction. Once in a while when the light is right and a critter cooperates it’s a nice scene.
Best viewed large.
Not quite the silhouette I was looking to catch.
Shot in a salt marsh midday.
Out the other day I was carrying my walk around lens, 18-400 Tamron. It’s like a ‘jack of all trades’ and covers such a wide range I keep it close by. I do try to keep it at 300 or so for wildlife. I find the various short comings above that.
The marsh has many inlets from the ocean that we have seen Dolphin at high tide. A bone yard beach is not far and some days you can start shooting at the shore and finish in marshes.
Botany Bay, South Carolina.
The Hampton plantation houses photographed from the marsh creek. The creek was the ‘entrance road’ off the Santee River and the beginning of the 25 large rice fields.
These are among the oldest original plantation buildings in the south. The main house was built in 1730. Being remote during the civil war the plantation was not burned. Also the construction of the buildings was primarily Black Cypress trees. The wood is resistant to insects and rarely burns. The US Navy still maintains wooded areas with this Cypress since it is the hardest wood known for ship building. The ‘unsinkable’ USS Constitution (old iron sides) is constructed of this type of cypress.
Hampton Plantation, Santee Delta, South Carolina.
A few days ago most of the marsh residents were working the far edges and avoiding the main dike road. This is when I use my monopod. I want to shoot long, wide, and at a slower speed.
A group of White Pelicans moved back and forth along a side dike. This path took them past other birds also working the reeds there.
The first photograph had two mixing with a Great Blue Heron. While the Heron is tall the difference is obvious. The Pelicans are much bigger.
Below Pelicans swam by a young Wood Stork. The stork was a juvenile, still when an adult is the tallest bird out here. Again the size difference is clear.
White Pelicans are huge birds. If they were able to stand straight they are just about the size of a person.
Some interesting comparisons.
ACE Basin.
