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"Parenthood" A female Osprey provides safety and shade to two new chicks during the spring of 2009. Both chicks survived the summer and winter. We spotted them again during the summer or 2010. These chicks belong to two of our favorite Ospreys we call Cleo (Cleopatra) and Mark (Mark Anthony). They have had successful hatches each of the last 3 years. Photographed on Pickwick lake in North Alabama
Osprey in Motion
"Cooling Off" An Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) skims the waters surface dragging its talons to create a spray that splashes onto its body. In Summer this helps keep the bird cool. However when the Osprey is sitting on eggs in the nest, this moisture is important to the well being of the eggs.
"First Flight" This young Bald Eagle leaves the nest for the first time. Born on a farm near Wheeler dam, the progress of this youngster’s life was carefully observed daily. We were fortunate to be there for this exciting event. After an hour or so of the parent calling to the young eaglet, the youngster half-flapped/ half-hopped to a tree a few yard from the nest tree and landed by the parent. The print above is a composite of the first 6 frames of the young Eagles maiden flight.
"Air Show" Julia, a famous Bald Eagle resident of Shiloh, give a display of her agility. She seemed to be stretching her wings after a few hours of nesting duties.
"Restoration" During the early winter of 2010, all of the Osprey nests built on the navigation beacons on the Tennessee River around The Shoals were destroyed while doing maintenance on the equipment. We were worried that this might disrupt the normal mating routine or be detrimental to the timing of the new hatch. The adults and chicks seem to suffer each year as the summer heats up. The chicks depend on the adults for shade while they are very young, and liquids through the fish that the adults bring to the nest. We were afraid that if the nesting season was delayed too much, the chicks would not survive an early hot summer. We instead were treated to a fast and furious nest re-building season. All of the nests were rebuilt and most seemed to be successful.
"Uncertainty" An adult Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) sets off into a cold fog at dawn. Bald Eagles, hawks and duck season are just a few of the dangers that stalk each morning of this little male’s life. As I lost sight of this little guy as he paddled off into the fog, I was mindful of the uncertainty that is ever present in the life of these beautiful creatures... and thankful for the security and comforts present in my own.
"Best Colors" A Male Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) displays his best colors in order to attract a female. Turkeys have excellent eyesight and awareness which makes them extremely challenging to photograph interacting normally with their natural environment. Good camoflage and patience is critical, as is a considerable amount of luck.
"Red Phase Screech Owl" This small owl became somewhat of a project of mine last year. Owls have incredible eyesight and his home was strategicly placed in such a way that sneaking up quietly was never an option. In order to capture images of this special red-phase raptor, I had to set-up a camera in camouflage and then back off and watch him through binaculars. Finally on the second day of waiting patiently for “Red” to reappear from his hideout, he began to peek around to see if I had gone. The next image is the first moment as he had eyes wide open looking for me. I used a radio-remote trigger to fire the camera from a hidden position approximately 70 yards from the nest.
High Rise II The trees below Wilson Dam can get pretty crowed during nesting season.
"Blending In" An American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) sits motionless among the lily pads waiting for a meal to wander within reach.
"Raccoon" (Procyon lotor)
"River Patrol" (Lontra canadensis) Surprising encounter with a river otter at the mouth of a feedercreek on the Tennessee River. While setting up at dawn to phototgraph a family of beavers, this river otter made a brief appearance. There was no time to adjust the exposure or make adjustments. The encounter lasted only a few seconds and then was over. These animals seem to be making a comeback in The Shoals.
These are the two chicks of Cleo and Mark just 3 weeks after the previous photo.
"Cleopatra and Mark Anthony" (Cleo is the larger)
"American Alligator" (Alligator mississippiensis) This small “gator” lives in a swamp to the south of the Shoals. In the dimly lit areas of a swamp, the alligator is very well camoflaged and extremely hard to spot. To the naked eye, this small Alligator looked like part of a fallen log with a knot on it. Photography in these types of areas is typically pretty hard. The temperatures on this particular day were a little over 100° with no air stirring and very high humidity, conditions that are the norm in swampy areas like this. Deep mud and thick brush as well as snakes and mosquitos can really test a photographers resolve. It becomes very taxing to try and remain hidden among the vegetation and remain motionless for any length of time with the constant assault of mosquitos and biting flies. In the end when you return and examine the photos and remember what it took to get them, it can be very rewarding.
"Tactics" This Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) employs a tactic of rushing a group of coots in order to scare one into diving below the surface. Once the coot was below the surface, he looses sight of the eagle but the eagle’s vision is well suited for tracking prey just below the waters surface. When the coot neared the surface the Eagle was waiting and took the coot just before it surfaced. This coot went to feed a new hatch of eaglets.
"Air Brakes" A Bald Eagle brakes before landing in a roost just before sunset.
"Building Materials" An Osprey returns to the nest with some new "lumber" for the reconstruction.
"Young Canadians" A new hatching of Canadian Geese (Branta canadensis) along the banks of the Tennessee River near Colbert Park in Colbert County.
"Young Poults" A mother wild turkey leads her young poults along a grass line toward their evening roost. We watched the group for several minutes as she led them past without noticing us. We were surprised to see them follow her into a group of trees. They seemed much to young to fly but to our surprise, they seemed to have full command of their new wings. We assumed that this was to be their evening roost as this took place just before sunset.
"Eyes Open" This was one of the very few frames of this little owl when he had his eyes open for me.
"Great Blue Heron" (Ardea herodias)
"Green Tree Frog" (Hyla cinerea)
"Armadillo" First noted in Alabama in the 1940s, Armadillos have adapted well to local food sources. They have long been recognized as a nuisance when digging for insects in yards and gardens, However we have just begun to recognize another problem that they pose.Predation of eggs in birds that nest on the ground, including Wild Turkeys and Quail has been noted as significant and is currently under study.
"Copperhead" This Copperhead was photographed in late summer. There were two of the snakes together hidden among the dead leaves. One of the vipers was very cooperative and willing to be photographed, the other was less so and left the area promptly.
Osprey (Padion haliaetus)
"Going Into Hover" Female Osprey hovers while surveying the area for a late-afternoon meal to feed a new family, Ospreys can hunt over a very large range. This makes photographing them while they hunt very difficult. Once they have spotted a potential meal, they go into hover, for a brief second and then dive straight down onto their prey. Approximately 99% of the Osprey’s diet consists of fish. Their eyes are adapted to take into account the diffraction of light into the water so that when they pass through the surface layer of water, their eyes have already adjusted for the apparent change in position to put the Osprey on target.
“Gator” (Alligator mississippiensis)
"Combat Air Patrol"
"A Favorite Perch" A pair of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) return to a favorite perch late in the evening on Jackson Island just below Wilson Dam in Florence.
"Porch Light"
"Redtail Hawk" (Buteo jamaicensis) Adult Redtail hawk stands guard over a nest with new chicks.
A Wild Turkey Hen photographed in the spring of 2010.
"Tough Neighborhood" A pair of Bald Eagles return to a perch in the middle of a Great Blue Heron rookery on Jackson Island below Wilson Dam.
"Great Egret" A Great Egret (Ardea alba) stalks its prey along the shores of the Tennesse River. These wary birds can be extremely hard to approach presenting a real challenge in photographing them.
"CamoFrog" This small frog appeared to be just a stub on a decaying log in a wetland area in Lauderdale County. The frog’s camoflage is nearly perfect.
"Muskrat" A muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) munches on vegetation at the entrance of an abandoned beaver dam. Native Americans revered the Muskrat. Some Native American stories credit the Muskrat with the creation of the world; "In the beginning, all the world was water. One day the Old Man, also called Napi, was curious to find out what might be beneath the water. So he sent animals to dive beneath the surface. First duck then otter, then Badger dived in vain. The Old Man then sent Muskrat diving to the depths. After a long time muskrat rode to the surface holding between his paws, a little ball of mud, and then blew upon it. The mud began to swell, growing larger, and larger, until it became the whole earth. Then the Old Man made the people."
"Ever Watchfull" An Osprey sits on eggs in a nest in Coffee Slough. After a few unsuccessful years on this nest, this pair seems to have abandoned it. Owls, eagles and other predators are a constant threat to osprey chicks. Photographing these birds during the nesting season requires a good amount of restraint. We enjoy watching and photographing Ospreys especially while nesting, however, it’s critically important not to disturb them. If we get too close and she leaves the nest even for a few minutes, the eggs or chicks may be lost to predators or the elements. We believe that nature photographers and observers should strive to leave no footprint. We consider the potential harm done to any animal we set out to capture. If there is a chance that the animals may suffer as a result of our presence, we withdraw and seek a different opportunity elsewhere.
"Widower's Perch" This male Osprey returned to a nest in Coffee Slough this year to find his mate was missing. Osprey usually mate for life. He spent all spring and most of the summer very close to the nest but she never returned...
"Air Supremacy" An adult Bald Eagle patrols its territory during the winter of 2010.
"Mates for Life" A pair of Bald Eagles returns to The Shoals just before mating season.
"Perseverance" Kingfisher surveying the banks of the Tennessee River near Waterloo, on a very cold snowy winter day in 2010. The temperatures had been topping out in the 20s during the day with lows in the single digits during the night. This little fellow sat on an exposed limb in the snow, freezing temps, and stiff breeze desperately needing a small fish to near the surface and expose itself to the watchful eye of the Kingfisher in order to provide the energy needed to keep warm and alive. While observing the small bird I remembered a poem by D.H. Lawrence titled Self-Pity; I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself. D.H. Lawrence As we left our subject just before dark, with the temperatures dropping quickly, the kingfisher remained on watch near the river bank.
In this photo taken about two weeks after the previous photo, the chicks plumage has begun to mature.
"Barred Owl" (Strix varia) This barred owl has just pounced a small prey animal on the ground. While we were photographing a pair of Bald Eagles. This owl flew into the tree line and was so focused on the potential meal that we went unoticed. We were treated to about 20 - 30 minutes of the owl perched on a nearby branch, while he waited for the exact moment to strike. It was not until the owl was on the ground, that he noticed us. When we loaded the files onto the computer and began to review them, we couldn’t help but think that the expression on the owl looked a little bit like surprise.
"High Rise" A male Blue Heron is adorned in his spring colors. He’s sitting on the beginnings of a new nest. Nesting sites in The Shoals may become very crowded. Jackson Island below Wilson Dam is a favorite rookery for several species including the Blue Herons.
"New Opportunities" This Great Egret (Ardea alba), was photographed foraging in a small pool on the driving range at McFarland Park after a flood, common in spring in The Shoals. The rising waters allow fish to move into the newly accessible flooded areas in order to forage on prey that is normally unaccessible. When the waters recede, the fish become easy forage for birds and other predators.
"Spearfishing" This Great Egret speared a bream with its sharp beak. It’s hard to know if it was done intentionally or accidentally. It took several minutes to free the small fish from its beak.
"Mother Nature" An adult female Whitetail Deer nurses her fawn. I thank her for her trust in allowing me to witness this rare scene. We’ve observed and photographed hundreds of deer, but we’ve only been lucky enough to see this once.