Some of you enjoyed my reference to Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning" in "The Birds of Spring." And you also enjoyed the photo of the Ospreys there. I often think about Joni's song when I head out with my camera and it's the kind of morning where the sun is giving everything it touches a butterscotch … Continue reading From Birds to Photo Gear
Category: Elizabeth River
The Birds of Spring
Many of you enjoyed the Carolina Wren sound recordings in the last blog. I love recording birds and listening to the results. But I especially enjoy looking at the spectrograms, where I can "see" the sounds and learn more about them. Birds' songs and calls are a lot more interesting and complex than many people … Continue reading The Birds of Spring
New Beginnings
We ended "A Late Winter's Tale" with a joke book recommendation. BTW, I hope some of you ordered Wayne's book. We'll begin this one with an edited/accessorized version of a photo that appeared at the end of "Finding Humor, Finding Birds." One of the wonderful things about digital photos is that you can alter them. … Continue reading New Beginnings
Whispers of Spring
We're not quite ready for "the day is on the wing, the kite is on the string," but we're getting close. (Those are two lines from the N.M. Bodecker poem I referenced in "The Day is on the Wing.") There have been reports of American Woodcock courtship flights, House Finches, Titmice, and Northern Cardinals singing, … Continue reading Whispers of Spring
The Scuffletown Creek Hunters, Cont’d
Many loved Joanne Howl's touching European Starling story in "A Life Lesson." One reader commented that it wasn't just a story about starlings, it was a "lesson about prejudice." I responded that she'd made a great point. Another reader commented that starlings were "hoodlums." I responded, "WE might be the real hoodlums." I don't think … Continue reading The Scuffletown Creek Hunters, Cont’d
The Scuffletown Creek Hunters
Scuffletown Creek, an Elizabeth River tributary in Chesapeake, VA, was a mess. I wrote about it in "The Same River Twice." Dave and Lindsay, two old-timers who grew up nearby, remember houseboats in the creek, homes with outhouses lining the creek, and sewage and diesel fuel flowing into the creek. They remember tapping the creek … Continue reading The Scuffletown Creek Hunters
Talkin’ More Bird Photography
Happy Independence Day, America! And am I grateful to be living in the "the greatest country on God's green earth." Green Heron Nestling Some of you have seen this bird photo before. I took it on 7/1/20 at what has now become one of my patches: Lakeside Park in Chesapeake, VA. My main patch continues … Continue reading Talkin’ More Bird Photography
A Few Thoughts on Birds and Bird Photography
I paid an early morning visit a few days ago to Lakeside Park in Chesapeake, VA—the park with the litter, the noise, the Canada Goose droppings, the algal bloom, and on and on, yet also the park that was recently host to a thriving community of nesting birds, including many Green Herons. I'm reminded of … Continue reading A Few Thoughts on Birds and Bird Photography
More Midyear Bird Photos and Photo Tips
This is my second blog dedicated to bird photography. As I did in the first, I'll include a sprinkling of people and "other wildlife" photos to help drive points home about how I take pictures of birds. People and some other animals are more accessible than birds and more accommodating, too. Please refer to my … Continue reading More Midyear Bird Photos and Photo Tips
Bird Photos and Photo Tips at Midyear
It's midyear 2019—or thereabouts. And as always, I have a bird photo backlog. So I thought it'd be a good time to trot some of them out and display them. I'll also be highlighting a few photos taken by others and a few "other wildlife" and people photos, too. And I'll include some of my … Continue reading Bird Photos and Photo Tips at Midyear
Elizabeth River Bird Blog 