Guess the baby bird
May 2, 2010
Happy May! Saturday I made a short scan of Holmes Run Park in Alexandria. Although I didn’t see anything too crazy, I did find a mystery baby bird.
This little guy was chirping away in a tree and kept it up long enough for me to find him (or her). Read the rest of this entry »
Another walk in the woods
April 30, 2010
This time of year is both a blessing and a curse. With the forest canopy filling in, shooting in the woods becomes a mental exercise of what settings to shoot in the shadows and how to quickly adjust for sunlight streaming through the trees. Read the rest of this entry »
Mourning doves, round two
April 29, 2010
Last year I wrote about some immature mourning doves that I’d observed. I’m happy to report that the site is being used again and a fresh pair of babies is milling about.
They were born around the fifteenth and are still quite small. Though they were born on a porch, they move back and forth between that area and the cover of azaleas. It was in that great setting on Sunday that I caught one getting a little shut eye.
Its sibling was less comfortable with my presence and decided to keep an eye on me. Read the rest of this entry »
Osprey waiting game and the surprise beaver
April 28, 2010
Tuesday the weather was a little chilly, but otherwise great in Alexandria. With sore legs from earlier outings, I decided it would be better to head out anyway and try to strengthen my muscles at Huntley Meadows.
The foot traffic was heavier than last time (easy to beat when that number was zero) but I was still able to have some quality shooting time.
My main shooting emphasis revolved around an Osprey on the hunt and a fearless beaver. Read the rest of this entry »
Waiting for new life
April 3, 2010
Mating toads and turtles, and a newly established goose nest were just a few surprises that I found Friday in a trek through Huntley Meadows.
Things are gearing up for the spring and it won’t be long before we have a lot of new life in this environment. Read the rest of this entry »
Huntley adventure: Naughty turtles?
March 26, 2010
Thursday in Huntley Meadows Park was an interesting mix in terms of weather and wildlife, including a new one – snapping turtles.
When I arrived in the park, the skies were sunny and clear, but as time progressed the clouds began to roll in and a light rain descended on the scene. Both clouds and rain don’t bother me much when I’m shooting. In fact, I kind of prefer it that way. Soft light is great for photographs. Read the rest of this entry »
Life in Huntley
March 17, 2010
With the retreat of winter at hand, life is returning to Virginia. The chirping of insects and the sight of budding plants is just the beginning of things to come. Wednesday I took advantage of the weather to explore Huntley Meadows Park. With temperatures in the upper 60s for the first time in a while, I couldn’t have asked for a better day to be out.
One of the most overwhelming presences in the park right now belongs to frogs. The sheer volume of their calls right now is amazing. As I approached the boardwalk section of the trail, I saw a flurry of activity in the water some distance away as a rolling wave of frogs jumped for their preferred hiding spots. Despite the constant hum of their calls along the trail, I only managed to get close to one, shown above. Read the rest of this entry »
Holmes Run report and photo update
February 20, 2010
Birds, birds, birds! That seems to be all I’m getting these days. Don’t get me wrong – I think they’re great. I just crave a little variety thrown in the mix.
On Thursday I returned to Holmes Run Park, hoping the snow would have cleared to a point where easy navigation would have been possible, but that wasn’t the case. Read the rest of this entry »
Birding in Holmes Run Park
February 11, 2010
Over the past few days several large snowstorms have swept through the area. Although traveling over much distance was difficult, I was able to make some successful birding runs on Holmes Run Park.
House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) in Holmes Run Park
Most of what I observed I’ve seen plenty of times before, but I was able to get some different perspectives. Read the rest of this entry »
Heron FAIL (VIDEO)
February 8, 2010
I considered combining this video with another post, but I wouldn’t want you to miss it after a break, so I’ll just let it stand on its own. Enjoy.
