Mute Swans on the ponds at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
Today’s picture walk took me back to one of my favorite local spots, the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery—not to photograph fish, of course, but birds. There are always birds of some sort or another swimming on the ponds or landing in the nearby trees and bushes—geese, swans, ducks, buffleheads, killdeer and, if I’m lucky, I’ll see a kingfisher or two. I was mostly happy with all the birds I saw—but many of them were too far away for really good pictures (or any pictures at all!) –especially the kingfishers and the buffleheads.
Killdeer on the mudflats at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
I really wanted to get more than just the few pictures I had managed to capture at the fish hatchery, so I decided to head home– thinking I might have better luck ‘shooting’ birds from our back deck. We live along a small creek with a well-established woods and there are always birds flitting back and forth from the trees to our feeders. Occasionally, there is even a great blue heron fishing in the creek.
Belted Kingfisher at the Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery
The bird count today alone, while just standing on my back deck, included chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, red wing blackbirds, woodpeckers and cardinals–all enjoying a free lunch! These birds, while not particularly unusual or exciting, were plentiful and much easier for me to photograph than the elusive kingfishers and the camera-shy buffleheads at the fish hatchery.
I am a 76 year old retired teacher with an avid interest in hiking and photography. I am not a professional photographer, but spend almost every day exploring the natural world, taking pictures and honing my skills. When I review the pictures I have taken, I love researching information about the things I have found-- and then sharing my results with others. The time I have spent walking in the woods (including 4 months on the Appalachian Trail at 68) has always been somewhat therapeutic. When I added photography to the mix a few years ago, it quadrupled the therapeutic effect! Opening pictures on my computer at the end of the day is like opening presents. There are always surprises! It allows me to see so many details that were not visible to my naked eye! I have learned so many new things about birds and bugs, reptiles and mammals that I never knew before--and I have also found, that when I share with others, I invariably learn something new!
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