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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  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 
 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  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Male Hooded Merganser on the main pond behind the animal shelter. Photo #201611235. Wednesday, 8:29 AM - I was finally able to purchase some replacement parts for a monopod I scavenged from the trash on the sidelines of Sandford Stadium. I found it after a UGA Football game last year when our church was participating in the stadium cleanup program. It must have been tossed by a sports photographer whose company would readily purchase him another. Brand new, the Manfrotto monopod, ball head, and quick release plate are over $200. I ordered $35 of parts to repair it... and it really does help steady the camera for better shots of wildlife and shelter dogs when using a long lens. One man's trash is another man's treasure!  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Saturday, 8:00 AM – a chilly early morning, I peer out my front door window into the 42 degree air. Our Day Lilies and Vincas must have been hit by the frost last week while we were gone in Texas. The beautiful crimson leaves are now all fallen from the front yard Maples. Quick as a flash, a new visitor pops up and lands on one of the wilted Day Lilies by the front door. I haven’t seen them since last winter: a Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). Juncos signal wintertime all across America as they migrate down from Canada. Allaboutbirds writes, “Juncos are the "snowbirds" of the middle latitudes. Over most of the eastern United States, they appear as winter sets in and then retreat northward each spring.” Athens-Clarke County, Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, 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  Six point Whitetailed Deer Buck crossing road Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for this beautiful creation God has given us to enjoy as an appetizer for the next life. Bright orange sun rising in a totally blue sky; 42 degrees. Around 7:20 AM my wife 'shouts' in a whisper, "Come here! Come here! Fast, fast, fast!" She's looking through the bevelled glass of the front door. "A big one," she says. I open my parents' front door and to the right is a large buck. I wasn't going to go for a deer photo drive this morning, but now I think I may. There are not too many chances in other places to see large bucks concentrated in an area like this. And with my parents soon be moving back to Georgia, these will be my last Texas photographs for some time... perhaps forever. Here closes the chapter on "Trophy Texas Hill Country Whitetailed Deer Bucks". I am saddened.  Texas Hill Country Whitetailed Deer Buck, eight point antlers trophy buck, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin   My final Texas Whitetail photograph. With my parents moving back to Georgia, I do not know when I'll be back to enjoy the Texas Hill Country again. 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  Trophy Whitetailed Deer Buck with branch in Antlers, Driftwood Texas Wednesday, 7:50 AM - on Stable Lane, three bucks were sparring. One had a long branch and leaves stuck in his rack. Not too much else this morning.  Trophy Whitetailed Deer Buck with branch in Antlers, Driftwood Texas  Texas Hill Country Whitetailed Deer Buck, eight point antlers trophy buck, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin  Texas longhorn, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin, Bevo Hook `em Horns  Texas longhorn bull, Driftwood Texas  Texas Longhorn Steer, Driftwood Texas  Texas longhorn, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin, Bevo Hook `em Horns  Texas Longhorn, Driftwood Texas SEE MORE LONGHORNS HERE: William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Texas Hill Country Whitetailed Deer Buck, eight point antlers trophy buck, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin Tuesday 7:30 AM – cloudy and windy; no worry about glare on my lens. Several decent bucks to photograph this morning. Around 3 PM it is still overcast, windy, but warm and humid. I went for a 1 hour bike ride with Amanda. We explored the creek behind the clubhouse and at the front pond. I got a bit better shot of the Kestrel that stays on the wire near the front of the neighborhood. At 4:30 it began raining like a tropical rain forest. Later that night we went for a walk in the dark. Groups of 15 to 20 deer were sitting in the grass in different areas, their eyes lighting up from the beam of our flashlight. It can be a bit eerie walking out in the dark night sky.  Texas Hill Country White-tailed Deer Buck, eight point antlers, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin  Texas Hill Country Whitetailed Deer Buck, eight point antlers trophy buck, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin  American Kestrel  Whitetailed Deer Doe Fawn, Texas Hill Country, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin  Whitetailed Deer Doe hidden camouflaged in lang grass. Texas Hill Country, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin.  Fox Squirrel  Whitetailed Deer Doe Fawn, Texas Hill Country, Driftwood Texas, south of Austin  Williamwisephoto 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  Monday, November 21, 2016; 7:47 AM. Whitetailed Deer Trophy Buck with atypical antlers, contra lateral effect. Texas Hill Country Trail, Austin, Texas. My parents live in a “neighborhood” south of Austin, Texas. Being a gated community surrounded by expanses of hunted ranchlands, the deer really concentrate in this area. It has been a wonderful location for me to shoot (with my camera) some really nice bucks over the years. In addition to some big trophy winners, I’ve seen some bucks with irregularly shaped antlers, and this 2016 trip was no exception.  Seven-point buck. Saturday, November 19, 2016; 5:26 PM. Photo #201611095. Texas Hill Country Whitetailed Deer Trophy Buck, Driftwood Texas south of Austin
Antler shape and size is certainly genetic. But genetic deformities normally occur on both antlers, while defects to only one antler are more likely the result of injury, parasites, disease or malnutrition. Injuries to one side of a buck's body can cause an antler deformity on the opposite side; a phenomenon called a contra lateral effect. Antler breaks and injuries may also occur when the antler is in velvet. When a velvet antler is fractured yet its blood supply is not severed, the broken antler may fuse and continue to grow. Cracked antlers generally heal with a bulge at the fracture site. (Source: Outdoor Life) Driftwood, Texas  Trophy Buck, Texas Hill Country Whitetailed Deer, Driftwood Texas south of Austin  Monday, November 21, 2016; 7:43 AM. Driftwood, Texas. Photo #201611125  Old Time gas station with vintage red pump and antique Texaco star gas sign. Driftwood, Texas. Texaco was founded in Beaumont, Texas in 1902. |
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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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