Tiger Swallowtail

Dramesi Park

Gloucester Township, NJ

One of my favorite photographic spots is the Leonard Dramesi Sr. Memorial Park on Hider Lane in Gloucester Township, NJ. This photo was taken one day when we stopped to see what birds we might find there. I ad my 300mm lens plus a 1.4x teleconverter with me. I once read that you can get decent closeups of flowers using a 300mm lens. This photo has been cropped and the swallowtail still looks pretty good.

Learning to Fly

Gloucester Township, NJ

In July, the goslings are still learning. The stand or strectch in the water and flap their tiny flipper like wings imitating the adults. In this photo Bill captured one gosling doing that as its brothers and sisters gather around the adults.

Mother and Gosling

Gloucester Township, NJ

In 1997 we began following the life of a banded goose at Dramesi Park in Gloucester Township. His band is or was 848-41593 and we discovered he had been banded near Philadelphia, PA. We have followed him and his family since then. He had one female goose who must have died and then he picked another female with distinctive markings. The above image is of the second mate and one of their young goslings. She graciously let me photograph them together. It was 2002 and I spent the entire morning taking their pictures. The banded male has disappeared. The above female has found a new mate and, I feel I lost a good friend.

Red-winged Blackbird

Dramesi Park

Gloucester Township, NJ

This photo was taken with only the 300mm lens. I had just bought it and was taking it out for a "shake down cruise" at our local park. When the slides returned I had my first taste of bird photography. Unfortunately I soon realized that I needed a larger lens. It would take years before I had the 600mm. The red-winged blackbird sings for his mate and fights for his territory.

Bernie

Gloucester Township, NJ

Sometimes when you keep going to the same place you begin to meet the same people over and over. Bernie became just such a friend. Always a smile and a laugh and a story to tell. I heard he's in Florida now.

Spring Dogwood Blossoms

Gloucester Township, NJ

I've been watching the dogwood trees around our property and I see the beginning of buds. Soon they will flower. The weather is still cold. With luck next week will be warmer.

Dogwood Blossoms

Gloucester Township, NJ

During the spring we often spend our time in local nature parks. I've shown photos from Dramesi Park in Gloucester Township, NJ. This one was taken a few springs ago. I've cropped the original image to show these blossoms and I darkened the background. In this picture I really wanted to keep it simple.

End of Winter, Beginning of Spring

Gloucester Township, NJ

This photo was taken at Dramesi Park in Gloucester Township, NJ, several years ago. We've been back many times. Always finding something to photograph. Last weekend there were 7 ring-necked ducks on the park's pond, two males and a female were there yesterday. Today when I have my camera and a long lens, they were gone. I don't always carry my cameras. Some days I want a break and just be outdoors for the sake of being there. Well spring is "around the corner" and maybe later this afternoon the ducks will be back.

Leonard Dramesi Memorial Park, Gloucester Township, NJ

You don't have to travel far to get good pictures. A walk through your neighborhood or a trip to a local pond on a fall day can be just a interesting as photographing some exotic place. Your image is in your mind, created by what you see.