photography

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By surprise swimmer

I had been intently watching an immature osprey attempting to fish, toward the middle of the lake.
Something pulled my eye toward the far shore to my left.
I watched as an animal, I thought a large dog, jumped into the lake. Not an unusual sight.
Looking back at the osprey, something at the back of my mind urged me to check on the dog.
It wasn’t a dog at all, but was a large doe, calmly swimming toward me!
She crossed the large cove, got to my side, jumped up on the bank and disappeared.
I just never know what mother nature will send my way! There is a very, very short video below the photo. Enjoy!

swimming deer

By ever 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…”

immature osprey

By 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.

tricolored heron

By 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.

white tail deer

By 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.

mourning dove