 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. -- "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  Double-crested Cormorant; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Photographed March 4, 2017 on Billy’s Lake. ©www.williamwisephoto.com I can’t recall a trip to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge when I haven’t seen a Double-crested Cormorant. Although more abundant in some months than others, they seem to be a regular inhabitant of the refuge. They can be seen roosting in trees along the horizon, perched just above the water getting ready for a dive, or swimming through the blackwater with just their neck and head above the surface. I’ve also seen small groups of Cormorants fly over the open skies of the Okefenokee Swamp in a V-shaped pattern, at first mistaking them for Canada Geese.
To me, the cormorants are kind of an odd looking, goofy, web-footed bird somewhere between a duck and an Anhinga. They are a dark colored bird, but have a bit of a sheen if you can get close enough to one when the light is just right. A close look also reveals the striking bright blue eyes that look translucent like a shining gem. I’ve never noticed the “double crests” on a Double-crested Cormorant in the Okefenokee (or any I’ve observed in the southeast). But apparently they have wispy tufts of feathers on either side of the head in breeding season. Individuals in Alaska reportedly have white crests, making it much more visible. Like the Anhinga, their characteristic pose is the spread-eagle stance. Less preening oil, and thereby less buoyancy in water, makes them excellent divers, but they become water-logged while diving for fish, which is their primary food. This brings the cormorants out onto an open perch after a dive to dry out their wings. There are often groups of cormorants in a line with wings spread on some fallen cypress tree in the swamp. With their color, basic shape, habitat and range overlapping with the Anhinga, the two can be easily confused from a distance. The most tell-tale difference can be seen in the bill. The bill of the Double-crested Cormorant is shorter than the Anhinga and hooded downward at the tip. The Anhinga has a much sleeker, spear-like, pointed bill.
0 Comments
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 laying in the swamp surrounded by lily pads. Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Whenever an Okefenokee excursion comes to an end, I am immediately antsy about another trip. Typically I have to wait another year, but sometimes two! During the wait, the anticipation builds. I frequently gaze at the large fold-out National Geographic topographic map I purchased at the Stephen C Foster State Park trading post in 2015 and hung on my office wall. I am astonished by the immensity of the swamp: the seemingly endless road into the refuge is a mere toothpick’s length on the 3’ square map. Much of metro-Atlanta could be swamped waist deep in the Okefenokee’s total acreage.
Of all the vastness in this huge wilderness area, only three main canoe trails, just over 100 miles total, transect the refuge map. Looking at the other areas void of trails and shelters makes me to ponder these less frequented areas. Are they open lakes, prairies or dense swamps? Do the alligators and swamp bears concentrate there more than the frequented areas? How about bobcat and cougars? What scenes do Red Bird Prairie and Hickory Hammock hold? And “Strange Island”: what mysteries lie there? Pockets of Cottonmouths or rattlesnakes? I can’t wait to get back again! 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. -- "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 laying in the swamp surrounded by bonnet lily pads. Billy’s Lake, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com In the early years of our nation, the Okefenokee Swamp was thought to be an uninhabitable wilderness never to be settled, or even explored, because of its many dangers. While the bear, panther and wolf had been extirpated from the “civilized places”, they were thought to remain within the dark interior of the Okefenokee. The giant crocodilian, the American Alligator, still patrolled the waters while venomous snakes hid among the cypress stumps. The image of horror was further bolstered by stories of outlaw fugitives, scalp-hunting Seminoles, and spooks and haunts.
Times have changed and science has dispelled fiction. But the mystery and trepidation still remains. With the exodus of the Swampers, the Okefenokee now remains uninhabited. The Swamp is still the abode of snakes, bobcat, bird and bear. And the formidable crocodilian, the American Alligator, still patrols the waters in great abundance. And but for the adventurous kayakers that cross the refuge’s maintained canoe trails, the Okefenokee is the refuge of beast and bird alone. 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. ©www.williamwisephoto.com  Large bull gator, teeth, American Alligator and lily pads, Billys Lake, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia My daughter and I are back in the Okefenokee for four days of paddling! The timing didn’t quite work out for us to make a return trip to the Okefenokee in 2016, but the postponement was quite beneficial as we were able to better equip the expedition. Since the last trip, we bought our own canoe, which meant no fees and no required return times as with the State Park rental canoe. We had also purchased a trolling motor allowing us to cover more area and explore deeper than before. The Saturday prior to leaving for the Okefenokee, we took the canoe and trolling motor to Lake Rutledge at Hard Labor Creek State Park for a trial run. Amanda quickly became proficient with navigating from the rear while I sat in the bow with a ready camera. I built a small camera shelf to mount to the front of the canoe for shooting. And the most exciting piece of new equipment was for my camera. On the Monday prior to leaving, I opened a box shipped from BH Photo containing a Sigma 150-600mm super-telephoto lens! Much longer than my 300mm than I'd been using up to now.  The photographer relaxing and shooting from the bow of the canoe. A year’s delay also meant more time for planning. By chance, I came across a Falcon Guide, Paddling Okefenokee NWR, for twenty-five cents at a thrift store. I had plenty of time to read and re-read the small book. I also pulled out a Georgia Wildlife Federation book on the swamp I had purchased many years ago. In the weeks leading up to our planned March journey, I called the National Park Service hotline several times for details about canoe trails and overnight permits. I had desired to spend at least one night camped in the swamp, either at the Big Water shelter, Cravens Hammock, or Floyd’s Island, but because of low water levels, none of these options were open. The only overnight shelter open was the platform on Minnie’s Lake, normally a day-use only platform. Since that was only 5 miles from Stephen C Foster State Park, we decided to camp all three nights in the campground and make out-and-back trips each day. I spent a few hours tediously entering GPS coordinates for islands, trail junctions, platforms and other landmarks. By the end of our trip, I maxed out five SD cards with over 5,800 photos. My initial cull of blurred or flawed photos brought it down to about 1,600 photos.
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  Anhinga "Water Turkey";Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com. An excerpt from naturalist Bradford Torrey's 1895 book, A Florida Sketch-Book:
Torrey, Bradford. "Chapter 6: “On the Upper St. John’s”." A Florida Sketch-Book. 1895. 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  Anhinga with wings spread, on Spatterdock hammock, Spanish moss background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. During his travels through Flordida in 1894, naturalist Bradford Torrey described the beautiful Anhinga in his book A Florida Sketch-book:
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 bull American Alligator basking on Spatterdock in Billys Lake, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com. A passage from William Bartram's Travels, published in 1791.
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. 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  Middle Fork Suwannee River red trail, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Middle Fork Suwannee River red trail, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Minnies Lake Canoe Kayak Trail, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Cypress stump on Billys Lake, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia, USA 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 laying along Billy's Lake showing teeth; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com For our 2017 trip I added an electric trolling motor to our canoe, my daughter acting as captain of our vessel. Not only did the motor mean relaxed travels with little rowing, but it allowed hands-free for photography. In addition, our patrols of the shores of Billy’s Lake to spot the large alligators basking were much quicker. Within minutes of hitting the swamp on our 2017 trip, by covering ground so quickly, we found one gloriously large bull gator poised for a photograph on Billy's Lake, unmoved by our close approach. His portrait became one of my favorites of the 2017 trip. What luck to grab a great shot so quickly!  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 On our four day paddling trek in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, the gator were so numerous and photographs so plenteous that they could hardly all fit on my main Okefenokee Journal page.  Large bull gator, teeth, American Alligator and lily pads, Billys Lake, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  American Alligator squinting half submerged, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  American Alligator basking on floating peat mat hammock, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  Large American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, on floating Spatterdock peat bed, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Large American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, on floating Spatterdock peat bed, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Big Male American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on log, Maidencane background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Same individual as the gator above. Big Male American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on log, Maidencane background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Young American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on Spatterdock peat bed, Maidencane background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  American Alligator sunning on log among Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Large American Alligator sunning on a log in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.  American Alligator peering out from Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Big gators basking in sun on Spatterdock Lily Pads, Cypress Tree Knees, Minnies Lake, Okefenokee canoe kayak trail, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia  Young American Alligator basking in sun, Spatterdock Lily pads, Swamp plants, Okefenokee canoe kayak trail, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia  American Alligator sunning on Spatterdock Lily pads, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia  Young alligator laying on log in swamp, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  Large American Alligator with open mouth showing teeth, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on log in spatterdock lily pads yellow flower, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Large American Alligator, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Large gator sunning on black tannin water, Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Gator swamp swimming, Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park 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  Pileated Woodpecker, Hylatomus pileatus, large red black and white pecking hammering rotten tree, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia Billy's Lake - Around 5:00 pm, after getting shots of a beautiful, white, Great Egret, we pulled the canoe onto some spatterdock to observe two Pileated Woodpeckers on the bank. All of the Pileateds I had previously seen stayed fairly high up in the trees. But these two were foraging along the ground; hopping on the many downed trees, ripping and prying apart rotten bark and wood. It was a treat to watch these two large Woodpeckers for about ten minutes.  Pileated Woodpecker, Hylatomus pileatus, large red black and white pecking hammering rotten tree, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, 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. -- "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  Grey Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, Spatterdock, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia. March 4, 2017. One of the most common sounds to break the silence of the Okefenokee Swamp is that of the Gray Catbird. This nasally “meow” is how it gained its name. All About Birds describes it as “a raspy mew that sounds like a cat.” If you listen to an audio clip before heading into the bush, you’ll soon realize that you are surrounded by unseen catbirds by their persistent calling from the tangles and scrub of the Okefenokee.
When you do finally spot one, you’ll notice an all gray bird with a black cap. Less frequently seen is the rich burgundy color beneath its tail. It is about the size of a Mockingbird. In fact, they are in the same family as the Mockingbird – the Mimidae. When the Catbird isn’t busy meowing like a cat, it actually has a pleasant song which can last several minutes. The eBird frequency charts show that the Gray Catbird is more commonly listed from October to May. 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  Anhinga perched in a cypress tree on Billy's Lake; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com. Saturday, 8:41 PM – I’m sitting on a cot in our spacious tent. What a pleasant feeling after several hours out on the water of Billy’s Lake. Although just a half day, the first day was therapeutic. What a joy as I journaled the events of this first day…
 Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, perched over Billy's Lake; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. 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  Anhinga in Pond Cypress, blue sky background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia. An excerpt from William Bartram's Travels describing the Anhinga and its habits, published in 1791:
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. 
|
 All content is ©williamwisephoto.com. Please don't steal images. My images are available at dreamstime.com. Stock sales go into the shelter photography program.
|
In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
|
Donations help support the animal shelter adoption photography equipment and adoption website hosting and domain fees. Thanks for your support!
|