 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. Isaiah 65:18 -- But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;  Canada Goose; photo #201504075 I love this shot for some reason. During a light rainfall, the Canada Geese on the shelter pond came right up to the back door of our administration building to eat the Bermuda grass. From my office, I heard their raucous honking and got this shot from the back door. I used this shot as the slideshow title page for my Creation Speaks talk on the Canada Goose: “Here Am I. Where are You?”
Walton County, Georgia
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“God, I wake today feeling frustrated. I want to write; I want to give expression to the things I’m thinking; but I want it to matter. I don’t want to just fill journals to be forgotten; nor do I want to publish for my own posterity or to simply entertain. I want to use it for Your glory. You gave me this talent and desire for working with animals. How can it come into the Kingdom? You took my other talents and desires, like playing bass and other instruments, and have used them consistently over 21 years. What about this gift for the outdoors? A creation evangelism website? A “Hiss-ministries” type presentation? Children’s Church? Oh, God, to publish books is my desire – send materials to Answers in Genesis? Others? Can you give me more ideas, God? School presentations?
The other frustration I’m feeling is with so much writing I want to do, and so many little projects I want to do, but can’t get them all done. The latest ‘great idea’ (i.e. website, children’s church lessons) gets the attention, until the urgent (i.e. upcoming Bible Study) requires the time, while the necessary (i.e. working on translating the Greek New Testament) is pushed back. How and when do I fit it all in? The book Write Now (which I just picked back up) talks about how scheduling and journaling will help. Can it? At the very least, my kids will enjoy my journals when I’m gone. It will be a piece of me to hold onto after I die. So God, today what I’m asking for is that this desire to write and publish be worked into a way to benefit the Kingdom, to glorify You; a means of expression in ministry. I’m also asking for help prioritizing and scheduling my nature writings.  Twice now I’ve seen a Mockingbird frolicking and thrashing and causing a real scene trying to eat from the hanging bird feeders. This is my first time seeing one of the many Mockers around our house actually attempt to eat from the feeders… and it looked like his first attempt at trying it! His wings beat as he’d unsuccessfully try to grab a hold on the wire feeder, then fall to the ground and loudly scold other birds, perhaps out of embarrassment, or perhaps out of jealousy at their coordinated and graceful feeding that he could not duplicate.
Athens, 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. -- Isaiah 45:18 -- For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other.  Bird watching a pair of mallard ducks eating grass beside a small retention pond in Monroe, Walton County, Georgia. March 25, 2015. A pair of Canada Geese have returned to the pond at work, no doubt to have more batches of babies again this year. Even the resident Mallards have donned their striking breeding plumage and have begun pairing up. Soon the Mallards will begin their displays and aggressive, territorial chases around the pond. Walton County, Georgia  Canada Geese; Walton County, Georgia. March 6, 2015.  We may have avoided another ‘Snowmageddon’ this year, but the trees are covered in white this week. But it isn’t snow. The Bradford Pears have all put out such glorious blooms, they look snow-blasted from a raging blizzard. The Dogwoods and Daffodils had already been in bloom, but these Bradfords are much more abundant and full. Several large ones in particular grabbed by attention while running past Whit Davis Elementary where the girls go to school.
Athens, Georgia  Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  Red-shouldered Hawk in Okefenokee Swamp Park National Wildlife Refuge Georgia Noises carry in strange ways in the Okefenokee Swamp. A silent solitude lies upon the blackwaters as one paddles through the refuge. But the dead stillness is suddenly broken by the scream of a Red-shouldered Hawk. Its call seems to emanate from over your shoulder, but the echo carries ahead, to the left, and to the right. It may take a few squawks from the raptor to pinpoint its location. For many decades, the Red-shouldered Hawk has been one of the most common raptors in the Okefenokee Swamp. In 1913, Albert Wright and Francis Harper published “A Biological Reconnaissance of Okefinokee Swamp: The Birds” in The Auk, the scientific journal of the American Ornithological Society. Of the Red-shouldered Hawk, they wrote, The call of the Red-shouldered Hawk is still piercing the stillness of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge today.
Albert H. Wright and Francis Harper, The Auk, Vol. 30, No. 4 (Oct., 1913), pp. 477-505; Oxford University Press. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  Mother Alligator with baby alligators on her back in Okefenokee Swamp Park National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Our encounter with a mother alligator and her babies reminded me of the first time I heard that "chirp" in the wild...
It would be eighteen years until I made another visit to the majestic blackwater swamp and heard that chirp again. That trip came in March, 2015 with my daughter Amanda.    Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  Large American Alligator on the Middle Fork of the Suwannee River; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Excerpt from William Bartram (1729-1823), Travels through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida.
William Bartram was a botantist, artist, and nature writer that explored the southeastern United States around the time of the American Revolution (1773-1776). He was a scientist, creationist and Christian that gave glory to the Author for all the wonderful works he observed and documented in his book, Travels Through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida.  Two Okefenokee Swamp Alligators Face Off. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  Brightly black and yellow striped baby American Alligator laying on lily pads, reflection in the swamp water, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 12, 2015. Thursday, 10:21 AM - After a slow paddle a few miles up the Suwannee Middle Fork canoe trail from Billy’s Lake, the overhanging cypress and moss curtains pulled off a bit and the channel opened to blue sky. The waterway became filled with vibrant green lily pads and floating spatterdock “gater taters” tricked our eyes into thinking we were surrounded by alligators. But soon enough, a juvenile gator caught my eye floating on a piece of rotting wood. Sitting up straight in my canoe, my eyes began to scan back and forth in the vegetation. Almost immediately I caught another glimpse of bright black and yellow stripes. An even smaller gator lay nearby. This was a true baby; probably a recent hatchling of less than 12 inches long. I pointed him out to my daughter who shared my excitement. Knowing there had to be more, we searched and to the right, about ten feet away, there were two more… then three… then ten! With joy we began pointing out each and counting. As we pulled in our bark and parked upon the lily pads, we found more than fifteen in various poses on the lily pads and grasses.  Pod of baby American Alligators hiding under yellow bonnet lily pads in the Okefenokee Swamp. Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia USA. March 12, 2015. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  Paddling through Cypress and Spanish Moss in the Okefenokee Swamp. March, 2015. An Okefenokee excerpt from Jack Rudloe’s, The Wilderness Coast: “The sun was just rising, but it was already hot when we launched our canoe just below the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. We were beginning the 217-mile journey through Georgia and Florida to the Gulf of Mexico on the Suwannee River. “We paddled for days, with only the occasional splash of a bowfin or a garfish, or the bellow of an alligator, breaking the silence. Sometimes we ducked beneath the low hanging branches bearing wasps’ nests, watching for snakes among the contorted cypress tree roots. “The Suwannee is one of the few large wild undammed rivers in the Southeast. As it leaves the sloughs and hammocks of the vast Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia it gradually coalesces, flowing through an eerie wilderness of stunted Ogeechee tupelo trees. Scattered cypresses rise above the swamps and give little shade from the blazing sun.” The Wilderness Coast, by Jack Rudloe, 1988, Page 36 Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  American Alligator basking on a burned cypress log on Minnie's Lake; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 12, 2015. ©www.williamwisephoto.com. Excerpt from The Last Remaining Indian in the Okefenokee Swamp, by Tommy Hartley.
In my search for anything Okefenokee, I came across a used copy of The Last Remaining Indian in the Okefenokee Swamp by Tommy Hartley (LAH Publishing Company, 2003). Hartley writes in the inside cover, “Both of my parents were raised as swampers in the late 1800’s... We were swampers and spoke swamper and now I enjoy speaking and writing swamper.” Hartley passes down entertaining swamp stories that were told to him by his mother. It appears the book may be out of print, but I recommend it for reading, especially if you enjoy southern culture and history. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  A large alligator sits at our turn-around spot on the Middle Fork canoe trail; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. As the afternoon wore on, I realized we wouldn’t cover the ten miles we had planned and still make it back before sunset. We turned around in a small pool on the Middle Fork between Minnies Lake and Big Water where sat a particularly large gator on a downed cypress, allowing an impressive photo that filled the viewfinder with his girth. The trip back was surprisingly more rapid as we paddled with the current. Other than a “spider” that fell into Amanda’s lap (which turned out to be a stick), nearly causing her to abandon ship into gator infested waters, the trip back was pretty much without incident. We arrived at the GPS waypoint labeled “baby gators” and spent some time with mom and her chirping brood again, then lazily allowed the wind and current to push us down Billy’s Lake back toward home. Back at camp for the evening, the overcast skies and strong gusts hinted at a storm that never came. Thinking ahead with a bit of sadness, our next morning would be waking early, breaking camp and heading home. To get one last moment of solitary enjoyment, Amanda and I walked the campground together. At one point she placed her hand in mine as we strolled. A great time together, and well worth it. We said goodbye to Sophie and wished to come again next year. But it would be two years before our return… Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  Curtains of Spanish Moss wave on the limbs of Cypress on Billy's Lake; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Thursday, March 12, 2015 – After a breakfast of freeze-dried biscuits and gravy, we loaded the cooler and our packs for a full day of paddling. We were going to press further up the Suwanee River than on our guided tour, perhaps 10 miles up closer to the heart of the swamp. Coming upon Billy’s Lake at the outset of the journey was a serene, moving experience. A hush fell over my daughter and me and we dared only to whisper rather than break the crystalline stillness. The water is a pane of glass, reflecting the tall cypress and gently swaying Spanish Moss; the light breeze, the buoyant lily pads, the echo of swishing oars… we see no other paddlers, hear no motors… we sit and the drift is taking us. A beautiful place; an alien world found nowhere else. Perhaps not the most hospitable, but sure the hand of the Creator is here.
Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  Passing by a large American Alligator in a canoe; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 12, 2015. As one leaves the more open waters of Billy’s or Minnie’s Lakes in the Okefenokee and enters the cypress forests and hammocks, the channels become considerably narrower. While there aren’t as many alligators in these tighter areas, occasionally a large crocodilian might be patrolling the water. This begs the question: how do you safely pass a large gator in a little kayak? On the left, or on the right? The answer: let him choose! While padding up the Middle Fork, my daughter and I encountered a particularly large bull gator swimming in the narrow channel, his tail swishing back and forth as he cut through the water ahead. And although he was headed in the same direction, we were gaining on him. How would we pass him? He spied us from the corner of his eye and slowed a tad as we came alongside. He was more than half the length of the canoe. I took some close up shots and a video as he slowed and allowed us passage. So close. He could easily have been touched with the oar; but we dare not try.  Passing by a large American Alligator in a canoe; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 12, 2015. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "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  A large American Alligator drifting by our canoe in the Okefenokee Swamp; March 12, 2015. An excerpt from E. A. McIlhenny's 1935 book, The Alligator's Life History:
E.A. McIlhenny (1872 – 1949), of the McIlhenny Tabasco Sauce company, was a hunter, explorer and naturalist that established the Avery Island wildlife refuge on his family estate in Louisiana and wrote The Alligator's Life History in 1935. While some of his statements are criticized by modern science, he was one of the most knowledgeable alligator experts in the country at the time. His work contains valuable information and entertaining anecdotes. |
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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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