Bonus Post, The Pond in B&W

While experimenting with some other black and white images I thought I would try working with a couple from the blog. To me the black and white gives the images a different dimension and enhances some of the details that might get overlooked in the color version.

The color versions of some of these images were used previously in the blog and the others were ones that did not get used in the week they were taken. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think.

To Much of a Good Thing?

Now most people would be happy to have three Great Gray Herons and several different types of ducks hanging out within photo range but believe it or not I started to find myself quite bored with the whole situation. I guess having them around so often has me spoiled.

My first trip this week went pretty much like the last several. The young Great Gray Heron seems to have decided that it is comfortable at the pond and likes to spend a good deal of its morning here. Unlike the older birds it doesn’t seem to hunt here a lot though. Just lots of time grooming, resting and stretching its wings, ho-hum.

I was ready to give it up when as if on cue something new showed up to save the day.

I have never seen a hawk at the pond before this one. The herons definitely kept an eye on him while he was around but they were not nearly as anxious as they are when an eagle is in the area. His visit was brief but it was like that one good golf shot you make on the last hole of a terrible round. It’s just the kind of thing it takes to keep me coming back.

I had decided on my way to the pond for my second visit of the week that it was time to try to find a new spot to shoot from. I got there late and after two hours with absolutely no wildlife at the pond I thought it would be the perfect time to explore.

I did manage to find one location that, with a little work, might be okay. Of course now that I was about as far away from my regular blind as possible the ponds birds all started to show up.

The young heron and one of its parents were the first. They appeared as shadows in the trees above me as they circled their way down towards the water. The older bird took up a perch in the comunity pine tree while the younger bird found a spot near the pond’s inlet stream.

I slowly started making my way back to my blind and managed to make it without scaring off either parent or offspring. Luckily for me the young herons survival instinct seems to be to sit very still rather than to immediately take flight. Since the adults are not yet inclined to leave the youngster this behavior makes it much easier to photograph these normally very temperamental birds.

The young one now seems to have a much greater understanding of the dangers that come from above. It remembers to look up frequently and when large birds soar over it knows to keep an eye on them. The only time it seems to vocalize though is when an eagle is in the area. It appears the lessons learned as a result of the young eagles recent attempts to have him for lunch have sunk in.

Just as it was beginning to look like today wouldn’t be any more interesting than last few the herons suddenly became quite alert. The adult Bald Eagle came over the tops of the trees and gave the pond and the herons a quick once over. Deciding that he wasn’t up to making an attempt at the herons he landed on his favorite perch.

He was only there for about fifteen seconds though before he rolled backwards and flew off in chase of the young eagle who must have been right behind him when he came into the pond. Apparently the young bird hasn’t gotten the message yet that it is time to stretch its wings and strike out on its own.

One thing I did notice was that the mature eagle had several white feathers stuck to its breast. My original thought was that there might be a reason there were only two herons today. It also brought to mind the fact that I haven’t seen a seagull at the pond in a couple of weeks, hmmm.

It turned out that my visits to the pond this week were as interesting and educational as always. I guess I just need to keep being patient and paying attention to the world around me.

Have a great one! Get outside and enjoy!

Kevin

Pretty Quiet at the Fish Pond

Forest fires, boat races and other news events have kept me very busy and I only managed to make one visit to the pond this week.

When I got to the pond there were seven or eight Wood Ducks and Mallards scattered around. They were all very nervous and since I didn't notice any eagles or other large birds around I thought it was because of my less than stealthy approach.

With the lack of rain here in my area the banks of the pond are very, very dry. I got to take the express route part way down the slope to my blind when I hit a spot of dry dirt an slipped. Even though there was no one anywhere near me I will admit that I still popped right up and was quite embarrassed.


After dusting off my backside and my ego I spent a little time making note of the first color changes in the leaves and the late summer flowers that are blooming not only near my blind but all around the pond.

What I didn't see until it was to late to get a photo was the young Bald Eagle that has been hanging around the pond lately. I just caught a glimpse of it when the pine limb it had been perched on shook violently as he lifted off.


The other thing I hadn't noticed was the Great Gray Heron that was huddling in the same tree about twenty feet below where the eagle had been.

Since the heron was very much exposed I take it that the young raptor, while still intrigued with the thought of the heron, has decided it might be to big for him to handle. Intrigued is probably not the heron's opinion of the whole situation though and when the immature eagle drifted over the pond an hour or so later he tilted his head up and voiced his thoughts to the young bird of prey.


After two hours of watching the the heron stretch, groom and rest I was ready to try to sneak out of my blind and head for home. The heron was hungry though and decided to liven things up with a little fishing.


It only took him about thirty seconds to grab a small trout then start looking for another. I was surprised at how fast he spotted his second target and really surprised by how big the fish he brought up was.


I couldn't believe he managed to swallow the thing. I can see how herons have been known choke to death on prey that is too large.

After inhaling the larger part of his lunch he hopped up into the woods and out of my sight. He reappeared a few minutes later when he jumped up onto a branch in the dead Tamarack tree that stands near the ponds inlet stream.


He cleaned his beak, burped up some sort of liquid a couple of times and then left when something on the far end of the pond startled him.

While it wasn't the most exciting trip to the pond it was as always interesting. Always something new to see and hear.

Get outside and explore! Its a wonderful world!

Have a great one.

Kevin

Beginning to Smell Like Fall

At the Fish Pond it seems a little cooler, the sun takes a little longer to make its way over the tree tops in the morning and this years babies have become this years juveniles. All signs that the end of summer will soon be here in northern Michigan.


While I haven’t seen the baby ducks from a few weeks ago other duck families have winged their way back to the pond. A male Wood Duck, less his colorful spring plumage but still very handsome, has also found his way back home.


The major event of note this week was the encounter I got to observe between a young hunter and a family of herons. Unfortunately it happened so fast I didn’t have the opportunity to get any photos of it.


I arrived a little late and had trouble getting set up to shoot. I was happy that I hadn’t spooked the ducks feeding at the far end of the pond and if I was lucky I hoped they would make their way closer to my photo blind. While I was trying to determine what kind and how many waterfowl were visiting that morning the water’s surface filled with large shadows followed immediately by the distressed calls of a Great Gray Heron.

It was actually three herons, what I assume was a juvenile and its parents. The juvenile was circling down into the pond with a young Bald Eagle trying to attack it from above while the older herons tried to drive it away.

The exchange lasted for just a few seconds and ended as fast as it began when one of the adult herons made a determined stab at the eagle with its beak. The young raptor decided right away that it did not wish to tangle with what must have seemed to him to be a very large flying dagger.



What I assumed was an older heron and the one who had been the subject of the attack landed a large branch that overhangs the pond off to my right while the remaining heron chased the young eagle into a pine tree to the left.


After several awkward moments on the branch what I assume was the younger bird sought cover in the trees that hide the ponds inlet stream while the older one took up a perch near the stream about 20 feet above the water.


After the young eagle departed to search for an easier meal the third heron made its way to the far end of the pond. All three of them spent the better part of the next hour or so sitting still moving only to occasionally groom themselves or look upward to watch for predators.


At one point the young one decided to try to perch on the overhanging branch again. This was not something that went over very well with at least one of the older birds who promptly made its way across the pond and drove the young bird back into hiding.

After a little more sitting still one of the older birds decided it was safe to hunt for lunch and the younger bird was allowed to emerge from the safety of trees to practice his perching abilities.


This peace and tranquility didn’t last for long though and when a mature eagle showed up over the pond all three made a hasty retreat for a quieter place to spend their afternoon.

Unlike many I always look forward to the signs of change. Fall is my favorite season and I love the feel in the air as it approaches.

Get outside and enjoy the summer while you can! The world around us will soon be changing and with these changes come lots of new and exciting things to discover.

Have a great one!

Kevin

Changes

There seems to be a lot of changes taking place at the Fish Pond these days.

The adult Kingfishers have not been around at all in the last week and a half but there does appear to be at least one young one hanging around practicing its fishing. It bounces around the edge of the pond exploring different perches and occassionally returning to the area where I believe the older birds had nested.

The three baby ducks that had been here last week appear to have been reduced to one. I don't know if this means that the hen tried to lead them to larger water and one got left behind or if the other two fell victim to one of the hunters that frequent the pond. It could be that the other two have simply not left the safety of their hiding place during my visits.

The Muskrat's that live under the spot where I normally sit have apparently decided that I'm not a great threat. They spent almost an hour the other day venturing out to gather grass and leaves to pack into their den. They seemed to be comfortable enough to swim within three feet of me on several occasions.

I wish I could say that my being allowed to observe them from such a close and personal distance was because I was so stealthy that they didn't realize I was there. That thought quickly disappeared though when the largest one propped himself up onto the tree branch over the den entrance, about six feet from my spot, and looked at me before heading out for one of his trips.

Their sudden bravery may be an indication that life on the pond is shifting from the work of raising young to the work of preparing for the long winter that will inevitably come.

Some things will never change though and I don't know whether to feel sorry for the Seagulls or just roll my eyes because they will never learn.

As has happened on several previous occasions one of the area seagulls successfully managed to grab a fish from the shallow area near the pond's inlet stream. This one still had some life in it though and was not ready to give up easily.

After dragging it up onto the bank then chasing back down to the water a couple of times he "once again" discovered that his eyes were bigger than his stomach. This meant that "once again" all of his hard work would only go to provide an easy meal for someone else. In this case a lucky bald eagle.


While I'm still trying to figure out whether there is more than one Great Blue Heron frequenting the pond one of them showed up for its afternoon meal as well. While they normally hunt along the shoreline this one must have spotted its prey from a high perch or while in flight.


It came in and landed in water that came almost up to its stomach. It then went directly out into even deeper water to grab its lunch. It wandered around the popular shallows, spent a little time cleaning its beak and resting before taking flight.

Regardless of the reason for the changes these new observations are some great examples of what you can discover if you are still, quiet and invest a little time in enjoying the world around you.

Get outside and have a great one.

Kevin