Dogwood and Grosbeak

Pine Hill, NJ

Bird photography is very difficult. Last fall I was upstairs reading and looked out at the neighbor's dogwood tree that hangs just off the roof of our porch and only 10 to 15 feet from the window I was looking out. There were all kinds of birds; robins and starlings and one rose-breasted grosbeak. They were all eating the dogwood berries. I called Bill and he tried to capture the robins but the light was to low. We were late afternoon and the sun was not shining on the berries very well. The next day at about 9am I brought my Canon F1 and teleconverter with my heavy tripod upstairs. Moving the couch I set up and began to watch the light and hope the birds would return. They did. But of all the images this one is I think the best and for a bird photographer not quite where I would have liked it. I cropped out some of the background until I had what I thought best showed the colors of the berries and leaves and the fall day that the grosbeak came to visit.

Great Blue Heron at Hopkins Pond

Haddonfield, NJ

The bustling village of Haddonfield, NJ is home to Hopkins Pond a wonderful place to watch birds a quick walk across the Hopkins Lane and you come out to one of Camden County Parks, Maria Greenwald Memorial Park formerly known as Pennypacker Park. Bill had quietly snuck up on this great blue heron as he waited for lunch to float by.

Bird Walk

Edwin B. Forsythe NWR

New Jersey

We stopped at the Brigantine division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge to take bird photos. While I was trying to fill the frame of my camera with a gorgeous portrait (which I never really got), Bill was further along and captured this bird walking along the boardwalk.

Rock Dove

Philadelphia, PA

There are pigeons all over the world. They invite you to feed them. Cities are always trying to control the population so, it wasn't surprising to find them (the pigeons) hanging around us while we ate our lunch outdoors. We were surpirsed when the police officer from several hundred yards away looks at us and yells "You better not be feeding them". Bill and I plead the 5th.

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.

Gosling

Gloucester Township, NJ

Several weeks ago I put a picture of a Canada goose and her gosling. Today I cropped the image to see what it would look like and this is it. I think this is a much nicer image. I call it "Gosling".

Red Knots

Reed's Beach, NJ

The shorebirds should be arriving. I read that their numbers are still dangerously low. The above image was taken in 1994 and we had stopped at Reed's Beach on the way home from a weekend in Cape May. The beach was swarming with tiny shorebirds and gulls gobbling up the horseshoe crab eggs. I hope our grandchildren will someday see this same sight of thousands and thousands of birds coating the Delaware Bay shorelines.

Eastern Bluebird

New Brooklyn Park

Winslow Township, NJ

Over the years I have taken a lot of bird photographs. I had hoped to become a bird photographer. But that is a tough business and you have to be really good to break in. This photo is one of my best. Bill and I have different approaches to bird photography. He likes action and tries to catch birds in flight. In the archive there is a photo Bill took of the great blue heron flying. I've been more of a portraitist. That's why this image is so special for me.

I set myself up with my Canon F1 and Canon 600mm plus 1.4x teleconverter about 30 feet from the nest box a couple springs ago. We had found which nestbox they were using and sat and watched. I was using Fuji's Sensia 200 and had the sun to my back. I had taken an earlier shot a 1/1000 of a second. I dropped it down to 1/500 at f5.6 and each time one of the bluebirds flew to the box I tried catching the bird flying into the hole. I was sure I had gotten at least one decent shot. This is the result. Since then I have other bluebird shots but none as nice.

I'm not sure we will make it this year. Circumstances have my bird photography taking a back seat. I know there will always be next year. I did get to stop and yes the bluebirds are nesting again.

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.

Dunking

New Brooklyn Park

Winslow Township, NJ

Bill and I love walking around our county parks. Camden County in New Jersey has some really nice ones. The county has become more and more congested over the years. I appreciate it when we can find a nice park to visit. In Gloucester Township its Dramesi Park, Cherry Hill has Maria Greenwald Memorial Park (also called Pennypacker Park), Haddonfield has Hopkins Pond and Winslow has New Brooklyn Park. There are many more. A birder's paradise and a chance to photograph birds. This photo of three mallards dunking was taken as we walked around New Brooklyn Park. Some days I carry only a 300mm and 1.4x teleconverter. On other occasions I use a 600mm and 1.4x teleconverter. I've dubbed the 600mm "Big Bertha". This photo was taken with the 300mm set up. I thought it was cute the way all three dunked at the same time.

Eastern Bluebird On Fence Post

Winslow Township, NJ

Over the next few weeks we hope to go back down to New Brooklyn Park and watch the bluebirds. They will be selecting a nestbox to use now and if we are lucky we may catch more photos of the male and female at the nest. We try not to disturb them. I use a 600mm lense with a 1.4x extender. Bill uses a 400mm lense only. A few years ago he had picked a place to sit and watch the nest box and suddenly only a few feet away landed this male bluebird on a nearby fence post.

Waiting For Take Off

Burlington, NJ

One of Bill's favorite. He and I had a trip to Burlington, NJ on the light rail line. A walk to the park along the Delaware and he saw these 5 gulls waiting in line like jets waiting for take off.

Eating

Cape May Point State Park, NJ

We were walking along the trail at the park. It had changed since we last visited in the mid-nineties. Bill found this female mallard feeding next to the edge of the wooden walkway that passes over the wetlands.

Playing in the surf, Atlantic City, NJ

Footsin along the surf watching gulls playing in the surf. It was after a winter storm, when shells and seaweed, washed onto the sand by the waves that had been crashing against the beach.

Pigeon, Philadelphia, PA

You can find pigeons all over the world. Be lucky enough to find one in the right place at the right time.

Snow Geese Landing, Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, NJ

Snow geese gather in fall to spend the winter in New Jersey.

Male and Female Mallard, Blackwood, NJ

Loving each other and enjoying life.

Great Blue Heron

The Great Blue Heron is common throughout most of the continental United States. Easily disturbed from the edges of ponds and lakes where it feeds, this large bird (46 inches long) seems to struggle to gain flight but once it's wings are fully extended to their 72 inches it quickly disappears.