Almost Spring at Sandy Ridge

Social Distancing is happening, but that doesn't mean I can't go to the park and look for signs of spring. 

Getting this guy on camera was a complete accident. I was looking to take a picture of the nest and missed, but when I looked through my lens this is what I saw. 

 I am the chipmunk whisperer.

The Red-winged Blackbirds were out and pretty vocal today.

I never realized the killdeer had such weird eyes, or a weird name. 

 Great Blue Herons look very different in the water than in flight. This one caught a fish flew away with it and then let it go back in the water to catch it again. 

 I think this is a milkweed bug. 

 My brain keeps labeling this a barn swallow but it is actually a tree swallow. 

 There was one lonely sandhill crane 

 Downy woodpecker

Red-bellied woodpecker

 And finally momma eagle on her nest. 

Bird Practice

A quick trip to the park today to try and get in some practice. There were too many people out where the ducks hang around so I went looking for the woodpeckers near the witch's house.

 

 red bellied woodpecker 

 red- bellied woodpecker

 

white-breasted nuthatch

Fowl February

My brother got me a camera strap for christmas, but I haven't had a chance to go out and use it until today. It was a bit overcast and I had my iso set pretty high, but I am still happy with how some of these came out. 

Downy woodpecker eating lunch.

I have had people make comments to me in the past before that they would rather be in the moment than experiencing the world through a camera lens, but I feel like the lens unlocks the world for me. Even with glasses my astigmatism is really strong and I experience a pretty blurry world. It always amazes me to take photos of things I can only partially see and to have the beauty of individual feathers appear. 

Female mallard. Check out that purple stripe. 

Canadian goose. These are all over the park but I find them pretty interesting. 

Mallard. 90% of my photo editing time is hitting the auto button and then trying to decide which exposure I like best. I think the duck eye is clearer in this picture. 

But I like how cool the water looks in the background of this picture.

Another female. 

Birds landing in water might be a new photography goal. I think the movement of the water is visually very interesting. I need more practice. I wasn't fast enough. 

This woodpecker was having a bad feather day. 

Look at the tiny stick! (maybe a bug?)

A more traditional exposure of the woodpecker. 

This would have been an awesome shot if my speeds were just a little faster!

See how cool the water looks? The cloudy skies and my shutter speeds were against me!