Today, the boys and I headed to Highland County to hopefully find some
magnolia warblers to photograph. Our first stop near the VA/WV line on Rt.
250 did not result in any magnolia warblers, but a chestnut-sided warbler
carrying a green caterpillar posed for some photos, along with a deer. We
traveled on into WV to Rt. 28, then went north to forest service road 57.
We then headed back east until we came to the Highland County line. We soon
located a magnolia warbler and got a few photos of it. As we left, we
stopped by some brushy fields along road 57, and found a common
yellowthroat.
We traveled back to Hightown, VA, then took the road north that heads to
Bluegrass. We turned left on Rt. 642 and headed back into the mountains to
try for more magnolia warblers. We found one by a gorgeous hemlock tree.
When I first saw the bird perched on the hemlock, I tried to get the camera
on him but he was too quick. In my mind, that was still the most artsy
photo of the day, and it got away from me. Oh well, we got a number of
other shots of him and we are glad for those.
When we left that bird, we continued deeper into the forest. Rounding a
curve, we found a grouse hen and juvenile in the roadway. The hen flew
before I could get a photo, but I did manage to get a few shots of the
juvenile before it flew. We were about to continue on, when Marlin spotted
a coon on a limb overhanging the roadway about ten feet up. It appeared to
us that the coon was watching the grouse, and hoping one/they would pass by
under him. After I had taken a few shots of him, he jumped to the ground.
Not just ten feet down to the roadway, but he jumped to a point down the
bank lower than the roadway. It was clear to us that he could have easily
jumped down the ten feet to a grouse dinner had they gotten too close. I
have no idea if a coon hunts this way, I'm just reporting how it appeared to
us, and we have photos..
After turning around and heading back the way we came, we stopped at another
location and found a common yellowthroat. Besides getting some photos of
him, we also found three young. We were able to get a couple photos showing
two of the juveniles, with one being fed by the male.
It had been a good day, so we headed for home. We hadn't gone far, though,
when we rounded a turn in the road and found a barred owl in the ditch right
in front of us. It flew up and landed on a branch not far away. A field
mouse was in his/her foot. After having missed so many bear photos this
spring without having a camera in the front with me (Marlin drives), I've
finally learned to ride with one by me. I turned on the image stabilization
and poked the lens out the window. With a camera/lens combo weighing over
thirteen pounds, I've found it a challenge to hand-hold. This was no
exception. I have a friend that would have asked me had he been there, "are
you in a comfortable strain?"
The owl was so close, I could hardly keep the whole bird in the frame,
thanks to my wobbles. After getting a number of shots without the owl
spooking, I got braver and slipped a heavy shirt over the partially-raised
window so I could rest the lens. The owl would alternate between holding
the mouse in her foot and in her beak, and I was delighting in the moment.
As I photographed this owl on the right side of the road, the boys spotted a
second owl on the left side. It flew in very close to the vehicle. They
shot photos out their window with another camera.
After "my" owl flew a short distance deeper into the woods, I passed the
camera I was using over to Marlin. The 400mm lens w/1.4x converter on it
was so tight on the owl he was shooting, that only the owl's face fit in the
viewfinder. We managed to get the 1.4x converter off, and that helped him
some, but he still could not see all the owl.
After we had gotten a variety of photos, I decided to try stepping out of
the car so I could shoot back across it to photograph this second owl
myself. Long story shorter, the beggar sat there while we pulled out a
tripod, and the boys took turns photographing from a tripod-mounted camera.
Meanwhile a pair of scarlet tanagers made it known they wished the owls
would leave their community-at least that is how I interpreted their
actions.
When we left, both owls and the tanagers were still nearby.
On the way home, we passed a field of round hay bales by a stream. A great
blue heron was perched on top of one of the round hay bales, and another in
the water. I did not get a photo of the one in the water, but I did get a
photo of the one on the hay.
It has been a very memorable day with the boys. All that remains to be done
now is edit the 1400 photos. I'm so glad they are NOT on film.
Kevin Shank
Some photos from today:
Chestnut-sided warbler photos (first 3 are new):
http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=75
Magnolia warblers: http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=105
Great-spangled fritillary:
http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=107
Common yellowthroat (first 9):
http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=79
Juvenile ruffed grouse and raccoon:
http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=106
Barred owl photos (all but last 2), and the annoyed scarlet tanagers:
http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=13
Great Blue Heron: http://www.naturefriendmagazine.com/photos.pl?catid=108
