 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11  Early morning Great Egret. The sun had not yet come up and the low light forced too slow a shutter speed (1/80 sec). Not a great photo, but perfect for nature journaling. Friday, 7:43 AM - I have so many shots from the shelter ponds posted that it may seem that they are always teeming with wildlife. Yesterday afternoon, in fact on most days, there was nothing to see. Strong winds had come in with the advancing cold front and I assume all the birds had taken refuge someplace.
But this morning, on the same pond, just 15 hours later, there was quite a bit of activity: a Great Egret sat huddled in the cold, knee-deep in the water; a Great Blue Heron took flight as soon as it spied my vehicle, landing on the opposite end of the pond; and a Kingfisher was perched upon one of the duck boxes. All this before sun-up! Don’t write off areas as “there’s nothing there.” I make daily walks up to the ponds and more often find nothing to shoot. But the best way to build a portfolio of wildlife shots is to get outdoors as often as possible, even making repeated visits to the same areas, and always have your camera ready. Walton County, Georgia
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 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Revelation 4:11  Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus, songbird perched singing, passerine bird, Walton County Georgia Tuesday, 3:54 PM – after gorging myself at our office Christmas party, I had to go for a walk. It’s a cool 46°, overcast. The lone female Hooded Merganser is up at the main pond; also a skittish Great Blue Heron. I managed again to peak the curiosity of a wren by playing a recording at the duckweed bog. Not only did he come to investigate, but took a perch and sent out a rival tea-kettle tea-kettle tea-kettle toward the unseen intruder in my MP3 player. Walton County, Georgia  Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus, songbird perched singing, passerine bird, Walton County Georgia  Carolina Wren, Thryothorus ludovicianus, songbird perched singing, passerine bird, Walton County Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- Psalms 104:19-20 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.  Saturday, 5:02 PM - Nearing dusk, I filled my backyard feeders with black oil sunflower seeds and peanut suet. I sat close by to photograph any visitors, but it was a bit too late in the day, and perhaps already a bit too chilly at fifty degrees. Only a Downy Woodpecker flew in for a mouthful of suet, but quickly retreated when he heard my shutter click. Across the street in the trees and snags of the neighborhood green space, several vultures occupy their evening roosts in limbs like some sort of macabre Christmas tree decorations. As the light fades, they leap off one by one, and sometimes in pairs or triplets, and effortlessly soar southward over my house and into the woods beyond the pasture to roost for the night.  Vulture Roost at Dusk. I take advantage of the quiet moment in my own backyard roost to survey my surroundings. All the grass in my yard and the meadow behind have turned a dormant brown; the leaves are all off the Crepe Myrtles, Sweetgums and Black Cherries; the three young Water Oaks hold onto about 15% of their leaves, now a mottled pale green and yellow; the Day Lilies have long since wilted and the lantanas are bare sticks reaching skyward like the roots of an overturned shrub. The pines have all dropped their rusty needles and are now needled out in fresh green cover for the overwintering birds. Small “sweetgumballs” hang silhouetted against the darkening horizon. I love the solitude and peace that can be reached in my own backyard. Although I’d love to be camping, I can still find a refuge even if the activities of life do not allow a getaway. I end the evening with a roaring fire in the backyard fire pit. Our backs feel the chill of the night air, but our faces are bright and warm. Athens, Georgia  Eastern Gray Squirrel  Vulture in a snag at dusk.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- Psalms 72:18-19 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!  Female Hooded Merganser; December 14, 2016. Wednesday, 4:22 PM – After two days of dense fog and low light, the sun has finally returned! It is also a nice, jacketless, 57°. A lone, female Hooded Merganser is up on the main shelter pond. She initially didn't notice my presence and came in close while following the resident Mallards. To my joy, she made about four or five "croak" calls while I observed and shot. Walton County, Georgia  I, too, feel like I croaked in regards to my shooting today! Of over forty shots of this Merganser, all but 2 really stunk: out of focus, over-exposed, motion blurred… not sure what the heck is going on. Of the two decent shots posted here, they aren’t even too sharp.
I have spent some spare time in the last few days reading photography blogs and tutorials. Reading all the f-stop, ISO and shutter speed tweaking tips has got my mind in such a corkscrew that even the simple shots are now too complex. And using my new (self-refurbed) monopod has made me feel like a big, clunky, uncoordinated mess! I've adjusted settings on my camera so many times in the last months I have no idea where I'm at now! I should have never dove into the manuals and tutorials! Sometimes the technical stuff drives the fun away from photography! But, there is always turbulence before you reach the higher altitudes!  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. "Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is His work." Psalms 111:2  Northern Mockingbird, Mimus polyglottos, fluffed up against a chilly breeze. Walton County, Monroe, Georgia. Friday, 3:00 PM - Although quite bright and sunny, it is a bit too breezy and chilly to be going up to the ponds in short sleeves like I am. The shelter ponds have refilled a bit from the recent rains. The resident Mallards are dabbling on the far end of the pond, but all else seems still and quiet. However, in a large tangled knot of dry vines near an old trailer, my eye is caught by the fluttering about of a few birds. They are silent, no chipping or cheeping, but just flitting about. A Towhee popped up for just a few seconds; then a Song Sparrow; followed by a Mockingbird. I could also make out a Brown Trasher in the thicker, lower branches. I’m guessing this mixed group of Passerines utilize the tangle of brambles as shelter from the chilly wind. But what struck me was their silence. None, not even the normally boisterous Mockingbird were making any sounds. Just the sounds of a chilly breeze rustling dry leaves and grasses. The chill cut my observation time and sent me back to my office to await the 5 PM whistle. Walton County, Georgia |
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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