Wildlife in Photography

Monday was a really calm relaxing outing in Alexandria. Even the usually paranoid ducks mellowed out a bit and went about their business instead of scurrying away.

As an aside, I don’t know why ducks bobbing for food always cracks me up, but it does. Photographically, I was really glad to see some of the nice tonal values on the scene. An overcast day usually helps out in that regard.

I also had an opportunity to explore some new areas where I observed a number of raccoon tracks in snow. I’d like to see a few more raccoons sometime.

Besides the bobbing duck, I was also greeted on land by my semi-friendly beaver.

I was really surprised how far inland it was milling about – so much so that I wondered initially if it was a groundhog. I’m still trying to warm him up to my presence, but it might be a losing cause. After rearing up on its hind legs and sniffing the air, it turned and trotted away at a quick pace.

Some day (when it’s a bit warmer) I may do a stakeout where I remain in the same place and see if the beaver comes around. I’ve never been able to close the distance effectively, so I either need some longer lenses or a little luck to bring it into a better range.

In other news, I’ve begun researching some great locations to shoot in Texas – alligators, cats and snakes, oh my!