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My wife and I were able to get out for a nice trip up to one of my favorite birding spots, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. We usually expect to see a lot of Osprey and Bald Eagles on our trips there, but they stayed away for the most part. We could see Osprey flying high in the sky off in the distance, but they never came close for good looks or photographs.
Tiny shorebirds like the Solitary Sandpiper can be difficult to photograph. Most obviously they are small. So it can be difficult just to even see them. Just try to be aware of movement in your field of view. Due to how small the Solitary Sandpiper is it can be close enough for a good photo. They move around a fair bit and can be easily spooked. Sometimes the simple facts of the… Read More
Killdeer have always been a challenging shorebird for me to photograph. They are small. Always in motion a Killdeer is. Killdeer run around the shoreline at a pretty good pace compared to other shorebirds. And Killdeer take off and fly frequently. Not always moving far off but just enough movement to make me miss a shot. Killdeer are always alert. There is no sneaking up on a Killdeer. Killdeer also have loud… Read More
Pied-billed Grebes are small duck like birds. They are often found swimming around on ponds or lakes. For me the Pied-billed Grebe is a difficult bird to photograph a lot of the time. I don’t use really long telephoto lenses and the Pied-billed Grebe is small and often stays at a distance. But they are a fun and challenging bird to photograph and it creates a good way to work on my… Read More
Greater Yellow-Legs are medium sized wading birds that can be seen in the area of upstate New York where I live. Watching Greater Yellow-Legs is fun because they are larger than small wading birds like sandpipers. And Greater Yellow-Legs move around more than larger wading birds like great blue heron. Having a medium sized shorebird that moves around regularly is good for wildlife photography. A subject that is relatively easy to see… Read More
The Common Gallinule (Common Moorhen) is a bird often found out on the water. Finding these Common Gallinule at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge has been fun. This photo does a good job showcasing the environment where the Common Gallinule live. On a pond. Behind some foliage. Out on the water with other waterfowl like ducks. I also like the way the Common Gallinule is looking down almost like it is watching its… Read More
The American Bittern is a bird that can often be found wading around the shoreline of bodies of water. For me it often seems like the American Bittern is a more reclusive and more well camouflaged shorebird than most. I only ever see them creeping around in tall foliage. I have never seen them out in the open like many other shorebirds. American Bitterns are a medium sized shorebird. Not tiny like… Read More
The American Coot is such an interesting bird. American Coots are a duck like bird and are often seen with ducks, but they are not ducks. The body of an American Coot is mostly dark gray colored with a black head. Then there is a narow pointy white beak. But the most interesting feature of an American Coot is their feet. It is difficult to describe. Just google it. They are pretty… Read More
Yellow Warbler. Tiny yellow bird. Bright colors. Easy to spot, but difficult to see. Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge has been one of my favorite places in the Finger Lakes region of New York to travel to for birding. Being able to see this Yellow Warbler perched atop some branches singing was so nice. Not something I have seen often. I like this view of it that depicts the Yellow Warbler singing atop… Read More
One photo a day challenge: Day 296. Had a fun day birding at one of my favorite locations, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. It was a great day for birding. Our first lap around the wildlife drive was full of birds. Lots of waterfowl. A surprising number of Bald Eagle sightings. We had at least 6 Bald Eagle sightings. I love all the variety of ducks especially all the Northern Pintails we saw…. Read More