Happy Hour Bird Photography!

Year 5

I know I often lecture about how I hang out in swamps at sunrise with millions of bugs all around me, or a bemoan the -20F temperatures while I watch a Great Gray Owl hunt in the middle of the northern winter. Well folks, wildlife photography is a tough job, but someone has to do it.

  • The “wild human” sipping Chardonnay photographs were taken by Molly Hoeg.
  • The “wild bird” photographs were taken by Rich Hoeg (i.e. me!)

Wild Human with Chardonnay

Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds

Shortly before sunrise this morning … my garden and yard … two eight point bucks. Unfortunately my drink at 5:45 am was a Diet Coke as I headed out to the swamp.

Canosia State Wildlife Area Sneetches!

Year 5

Over the past few days I have been swamping at sunrise. I have learned many facts:

  1. Standing in a swamp at sunrise is not for the faint of heart
  2. Flies come out 90 minutes after sunup … when the day starts to warm up
  3. Great Blue Heron chicks look like Sneetches!

I was actually amazed to find both the Great Blue Heron and Osprey chicks still on their nests. These two birds return to the Canosia State Wildlife Area about the first week of May. Thus I was surprised to find them still on next on August 1st.

Anyone, here are my Sneetch images. I was only able to spend ten minutes on site at the rookery. The flies drove me away.

Canosia State Wildlife Area Great Blue Heron Chicks (term used loosely … they’re big!)

Thankfully, the two Osprey nests are not as deep in the swamp which means fewer flies. My bug repellent worked well for mosquitoes. The second nest is actually in the bucket of an old steam shovel. Mike Mulligan would be pleased!

Parent Calling Out

Breakfast Time (for one chick only)

Testing Flight Wings

Sunrise on a small pond. Fledged!

Year 5

I returned to my small pond at sunrise this morning. I wanted to visit my Green Heron kids, but also decided to focus upon some other birds. The Belted Kingfisher twins are also now learning to hunt. Although at times they give up and just demand food from Mom and Dad. Sound familiar?!

Belted Kingfisher (the young female first politely asks her parents for breakfast, then demands breakfast, and is ultimately ignored … moved to another tree and starting the process all over again of screaming for food!)

Cedar Waxwing

Green Heron Chicks at Sunrise

Learning to Fish (hang on for dear life … can’t fly or swim!)

Shadow Dancing (Green Heron Adult)

Belted Kingfisher Videos (preening and fishing)