Let's start with a few words, then our story about a special moment. I know I harp on fieldcraft. The word figures into the title of several of my blogs, and I've used the word or touched on some of the skills involved many times. For example, I recently quoted Melissa Groo, who said that … Continue reading A Special Moment
Category: Birds
Consider The Background
We brought up "best quality photos" in the last blog. I noted there that many had blurred backgrounds and that those backgrounds may have accounted for the higher ratings. I provided Josh Houck's Facebook photo (below) as an example. Folks on Facebook raved about it and responded to it. I responded in this way: "All … Continue reading Consider The Background
Great Blue to Best Quality
I wrapped up "A Close Encounter," a blog I published midday on 10/16, with these words: "Any day now, the [young Green Heron] will make it’s first trip, its maiden voyage, from the breeding grounds where it was born to its wintering grounds. It’ll probably leave during the night. I’ll revisit the lakeshore a few … Continue reading Great Blue to Best Quality
A Close Encounter
Since a number of you enjoyed my recent Green Heron photos and the unusual story I shared on 10/14, I thought I'd throw together an impromptu post to fill you in on the details. I've been tracking a juvenile Green Heron that's spending time along the shore of Gifford Pinchot Lake in York, Pennsylvania. The … Continue reading A Close Encounter
A Few Birds and a Fisherman
I've changed the blog tagline but not the name. "Personal notes and thoughts on bird activity—and human activity, too!—in and around SE Virginia" is now "Personal notes and thoughts on birds, bird photography, and, on occasion, human life." It's interesting. Since leaving the Coastal Plain of Virginia, I've said to myself and others a number … Continue reading A Few Birds and a Fisherman
Capturing Moments
I ended my last blog, "Old Friends," with the following quote: "And when confronted by a seemingly alien place, say a desert or mountain tundra, the birds carry me from confusion to understanding." The idea that birds can carry us from confusion to understanding is an intriguing and powerful one. Human Activity Folks have asked … Continue reading Capturing Moments
Old Friends
My last blog, and final Virginia blog, was "A Tale of Seven Birds." I could have called this one "A Tale of Four." It's a story about 4 birds and my assorted adventures photographing them. It's also a quick read. You'll see why in a moment. I've referred to birds as markers, fellow travelers, nature's … Continue reading Old Friends
A Tale of Seven Birds
The Carolina Wren featured in "Some Elements of a Good Photo" signaled the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency. But, it didn't know about the Delta variant and the return to mask mandates. The Common Yellowthroat never has to give mask mandates a second thought. It's forever attired in a black one. I wrote … Continue reading A Tale of Seven Birds
Self-Care to Spoonbills
My wife and I may be getting closer to moving day, but I still try to find time to bird, to photograph birds, and to learn about photography (and everything else). I also still try to find time to write. Even in the midst of a move, and maybe especially in the midst of a … Continue reading Self-Care to Spoonbills
Some Elements of a Good Photo
Here's a Carolina Wren singing in our backyard. He was signaling the end of the COVID-19 state of emergency in Virginia. And here's a photo of a Great Crested Flycatcher. I posted it on another site with these words: "If you're blue, and you don't know where to go to, spend a few moments looking … Continue reading Some Elements of a Good Photo
Elizabeth River Bird Blog 