In the very early morning light and rising fog, the great blue heron danced.
photography
Categoryever have a day?
Ever have a day when everything just tilts the wrong way?
This immature osprey had been chased by an eagle that wanted its fish.
The osprey dropped the fish in mid air but the eagle couldn’t retrieve it.
The osprey fledgling went out and caught another fish.
Its sibling chased it, trying to snatch the catch and again the fish was lost in the air.
The despondent osprey fledgling flew in and landed in the tree almost directly above me.
As he looked down at me he seemed to be saying “did you ever have a day…”
heron stare
Mirrored against the still waters of the marsh stalked a subtly yet startling marked tricolored heron.
I had seen a few of these medium sized herons on other trips to Mattamuskeet Refuge
but they had all taken flight before I could take their measure with my camera.
This juvenile bird seemed oblivious to his surroundings and was very heron-like, fixed on the hunt.
velvet
A sure sign that seasons are changing at Mattamuskeet Wildlife Refuge.
This buck has a beautiful antler rack still covered in velvet.
The covering will soon begin to itch and peel –
driving the buck to trash the surrounding shrubs and saplings, rubbing the annoyance away.
startled landing
Usually it is my feet that has startled the mourning dove.
It will burst out of the grasses, wings whirring distinctly –
flying far faster than I can adjust my camera, as they go from very near to me to very far within a wing beat.
This dove was startled not by me but my friend and I caught the bird as he flared for his landing.
darkened sky
The wood stork had flown out of sight.
My friend and I had begun to photograph an assortment of egrets.
The sky darkened and we both looked up.
There above us was the immature wood stork
magnificent with translucent chevrons in his wings.
doc ellen's journey 