I have had a really fun time doing some bird watching and photography at Eldridge Park so far this year.
Osprey
It is always fun to note the return of Osprey to our northern part of the Untied States. One of the best places for that is at one of our local parks right in town in Elmira. I love to go to Eldridge Park this time of year. It is a great place to watch and photograph birds. They really seem to appreciate the environment there.
The lake is big enough to provide space for a variety of birds and a good population of fish below the surface as well. But the lake is small enough that no matter where you are you can at least get a decent look at the birds in the area.
I don’t always get a chance to see these magnificent birds do their thing. But on two consecutive visits to the park I saw Osprey dive and catch fish. I witnessed the birds dive into the lake multiple times .In one image you see a dark Osprey flying with the fish it caught. It isn’t the best image because it was a very cloudy day so both the Osprey itself and the background are gloomy due to the lack of light. The image also occurred just as the Osprey was passing by a tree branch.
But what I really like about the image is that the Osprey only has a grip on the fish with one talon. The fish is squirming and wriggling to get free. And you can see the fully outstretched talons on the other foot of the Osprey where it wasn’t able to grab ahold of the fish.
The other image is an Osprey with its catch as it turns to ply off and enjoy its meal, and it flies buy on of the buildings in the park. But if you look closely they caught to different types of fish.
Double Crested Cormorants
Double Crested Cormorants can often be found at Eldridge Park this time of year as they are also migrating back to our area. Most often I find these cormorants around the larger lakes in our area.
Photographing these birds can be challenging. Cormorants do not always get very close. The Double Crested Cormorants swim in a manner that most of their bodies are under water. And the cormorants are often diving underwater to catch food. So they may dive out of view unexpectedly or emerge from the water unexpectedly.
If you hang around long enough you may get to see the Double crested cormorants take flight. They are good to photograph in flight because they often circle the lake multiple times. They slowly get higher and higher in the air before they eventually fly away.
I really like the lines slicing across the image in the form of the background power lines. And the fact that the Cormorant is flying between the space in the lines is cool. As well as the contrast between the bright green leaves emerging on the tree in the background and the dark bodied Cormorant.
The second image features a trio of Cormorants flying in formation. They are rising up into the sky as they prepare to fly off. The Cormorant at the bottom of the frame is just getting enough height to make it into the frame and keep pace with the other two birds.
Local Birds
While you are waiting for the opportunity to photograph the migratory birds don’t forget about the local birds. While more common these local birds are just as beautiful and we don’t want to take the for granted.
I love the shine and shimmer of the male Mallards plumage. Then there is this Canada Goose peacefully swimming under the branches of a willow tree along the shore.
If you enjoy birds and or photography consider joining me for my upcoming Migratory Bird Photography Workshop on 4/23/22 at the same location where I saw all these fun birds, Eldridge Park.
If you are interested in bird watching you can look for different binoculars and scopes for birdwatching.
