In the Right Place at the Right Time — Hooded Merganser Ducklings

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Stephen L Tabone

Hooded-MergansersI have had some highly successful photography trips recently, photographing some of nature’s beautiful and fascinating wildlife, but have not shared much of it on my blog. In fact, it has been about a month since I posted an article. During the month of April, I have been to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Blackwater NWR, Huntley Meadows Park, and on Lake Montclair. At those locations, I saw and photographed various song birds, shorebirds, wading birds, and eagles, hawks, owls, wood ducks, wild horses, and elk, and I am planning to share some of those images over the next couple of weeks on my blog.

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Female-Hooded-Merganser

However, the most exciting photography event happened last weekend at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria, Virginia, when I was in the right place at the right time. I was there primarily to photograph Wood Ducks and found a pair casually feeding in a beaver pond and, while photographing them, a hen Hooded Merganser appeared at the opening of a nesting box in the beaver pond. What was odd was that she maintained a position (below image) of half in and half out of the box, while obviously looking around the area for about 15 minutes.

Hen-Merganser-Looking-Out-from-Nesting-BoxDuring that time, I said to a friend, Ernie Sears, who also was photographing the Wood Ducks, “wouldn’t it be incredible if we happen to be here when her ducklings emerge from the nesting box.” At the time, I did not notice the egg shell attached to her chest (below image). On a previous visit to Huntley Meadows, a park volunteer said that last year a photographer spent an entire week, everyday at the same location, in order to photograph the ducklings as they dropped from the nesting box. I never thought we would be so lucky.

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Shortly after my comment to Ernie, the hen Hooded Merganser flew down to the water, and then a duckling appeared at the nesting box opening (below image). I could not believe my eyes. Our timing was incredible!

Hooded Merganser Ducling

Within a few seconds, the duckling saw its mother on the water below and jumped out of the box. Then, another duckling appeared at the opening and did the same. At times, there were two ducklings peering out and then leaping to the pond about 5 feet below. Below are some of the images I captured as they appeared in the opening and jumped to the pond.

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It was an incredible and exciting sight. On several occasions, it looked like the last duckling had appeared and jumped to the pond, but within a short period of time, another appeared and then another. This happened over and over again. In total there were 16 ducklings that jumped from the nesting box to the pond below. As you can see from the above images, their descent was far from graceful, and they certainly were not flying. Some landed head first, others webbed-feet first, and others belly-flopped.

Hooded-Merganser-and-Two-Ducklings

In the pond, the hen merganser waited for the ducklings to splash down, and then she  quickly paddled to each of them and led them to the group, which was growing larger and larger. She had to react quickly, because whatever direction the ducklings landed in was the direction they start to swim. It was important that she gather them up quickly and keep them together. The small ducklings were defenseless against any predators, but there is some apparent protection when tightly together.

The below images are of the hen merganser swimming around the pole that held up the nesting box as she led the ducklings into the group.

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In the below image, the hen merganser can be seen looking up to the nesting box waiting for the next duckling to jump.

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After the last duckling had landed, the hen merganser kept them tightly together and began to swim toward a creek and into the forest. The ducklings were too obvious out in the open to potential predators, such as hawks. Below are images of the hen merganser and her 16 ducklings as they swam away.

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As you can see by the above images, the drake Hooded Merganser was not around, which is typical. When the hen begins sitting on the nest, after laying her eggs over a couple of weeks, the male departs. Hooded Mergansers nest in tree cavities (and nest boxes), and can lay up to 13 eggs in a clutch. At times, more than one hen merganser will lay eggs in the same nest–this is known as dumping, but only one hen will sit on the eggs until they hatch. A Hooded Merganser nest was once found with 44 eggs in it.

Once the eggs start hatching, they will all hatch in about a 24 hour period, and after they hatch, they all leave the nest at the same time to join the hen either on the ground or water below. Tree cavity nests range in height from 10 – 50 feet above the ground and can be as high as 90 feet. Somehow, the ducklings survive the fall. Some merganser nests have been found over a half mile from water, meaning the hen and her ducklings must walk (or waddle) that distance to reach the water. Comparatively, the ducklings that I photographed had it easy.

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After reading this article, you can see why I titled it, “In the Right Place at the Right Time.” It was most likely a once in a lifetime exciting event to see and photograph.

Posted in Bird Photographs, National and State Parks, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , | 20 Comments

Two Wood Ducks (and Lots of People)

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Stephen L Tabone

Beaver-Pond

With the outside temperature at 27 degrees, it was tempting to stay in bed and not get up before sunrise to photograph Wood Ducks. Making it even more difficult were the poor results of last week’s trip–a quick glimpse of one female Wood Duck and no photographs. Nevertheless, I got up, hoping it would be better.

Beaver-Pond-2I arrived shortly after sunrise, meeting a friend in the parking lot. We mounted cameras and lens on tripods, equipped ourselves with secondary camera bodies and lenses, and headed to a beaver pond. While walking through the hardwood forest to the beaver pond, we searched the upper tree canopy, since we had seen several Wood Ducks in the trees on a previous trip, but we did not see any this time.

Shortly after arriving, a pair of Wood Ducks moved from behind a large clump of reeds and began crossing the beaver pond, weaving between reeds, logs, and fallen trees on the far side of the pond. Fortunately, there was no wind, and the pond’s surface was perfect for capturing the reflections of the ducks as they swam in small sections of open water. The ducks knew we were there and moved quickly, crossing the pond in no more than a minute or two. I tracked them through my camera lens as they swam across the pond, and when they were briefly in the open, I managed to fire off a number of (digital) shots.

Pair-of-Wood-DucksAt one point, before entering an open section of the pond, the pair stopped behind some reeds, where the male watched us closely while the female preened her feathers and rested her eyes for a brief moment, which I captured.

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As the Wood Ducks neared the other side of the pond, they began to disappear behind reeds and trees, and were quickly out of sight. Other than a few brief glimpses of them or other Wood Ducks that flew quickly out of the forest and out of sight, we did not have another opportunity to see or photograph any more. That was most likely because, as the morning progressed, we attracted many other photographers and other people wanting to know what we were photographing.

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At one point, there were about ten photographers, counting ourselves, along the beaver pond, as well as other people. The quiet and solitude of the early morning had ended from the chatter of people and children. Wood Ducks are very skittish and wary of people, and typically, when they see people they very quickly hide or fly away. Therefore, since there were so many people, my friend and I packed up our gear and left about midmorning.

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As you can see from the images in this article, it paid off to get up and out early, before the crowds of people arrived.

More Wood Duck images, as well as other photographs from that location, can be seen on my website at: http://stabone.com/p631850478

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The images in this article were photographed with a Nikon D800, using a Nikkor 600mm f4 VRII lens and TC14 Teleconverter and mounted on a Wimberley gimbal head and Gitzo Mountaineer tripod.

Posted in Bird Photographs, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Wood Ducks at Huntley Meadows

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Stephen L Tabone

Male-Wood-Duck-in-TreeAt sunrise last weekend and again today, I went to Huntley Meadows Park in northern Virginia with the hope of seeing and photographing Wood Ducks. I heard and confirmed on eBird that they were there. If you follow my blog, you know that Wood Ducks are high on my list of photography goals. The reason is simple: the male Wood Duck is one of nature’s most beautiful waterfowl with its iridescent colors and bright red eyes and, although not nearly as colorful, the female is very attractive as well. They are found only in North America and are second, only to the Mallard, as the most hunted duck, which is probably why they seem to be so timid and quick to hide or leave when people approach. That has been my experience, making photographing them very challenging.

Huntley Meadows is located in Fairfax County in northern Virginia within a short drive to Washington, DC. It is a natural oasis in the middle of a very dense suburban area of houses, condos, apartments, strip malls, fast food restaurants, highways, and an airport close enough that the sound of arriving passenger planes is often very loud, partially drowning out the sounds of Nature. The park  consists of 1,500 acres of unspoiled meadows, freshwater marshes and wetlands, and hardwood forests, which is the perfect habitat for Wood Ducks.

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Most wildlife are very active in the early morning. That is when Wood Ducks inspect potential tree cavities for nesting and what the first pair of Wood Ducks that I saw were doing. I later observed the same behavior, and at both times, the tree cavities were far up in the trees, at least 75 feet. Below is a pair of ducks high up a very large tree, and the male can be seen watching me closely, as the female poked her head out of a possible nest. Their nests are typically close to the water. Females lay between 7 – 15 eggs, and Wood Ducks that live in the south often raise two broods per season.

Male-&-Female-Wood-Ducks-1 Male-&-Female-Wood-Ducks-1-cropped

Did you know that Wood Ducks spend a lot of time in trees and nest in trees? They are one of the few ducks that are well adapted for tree dwelling. Their webbed feet are equipped with strong claws that enable them to perch on trees and grip bark. If Wood Ducks use tree cavities high off the ground for nests, do you know how their young ducklings get to the water after hatching? They claw their way to the cavity entrance and jump. Wood Duck ducklings can survive falls of almost 300 feet, uninjured. When they land on, or I should say fall to, the ground, they scramble to the water.  What a way to be welcomed into the world.

(Below image of female Wood Duck at a nesting cavity very high in a tree, and unfortunately, well covered from my view by branches.)

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As you can see from the images in this article, I had some success in photographing Wood Ducks at Huntley Meadows last weekend. However, today was disappointing. The one Wood Duck that I saw was a female, and she flew deep into a heavily wooded area about the same time that I saw her, which was fine, since a photograph of a duck on top of a nesting box was not what I was after.

The following images are of a male and a female Wood Duck, and although thankful to have captured them, they are not perfect, but better than what I got today…nothing. What helps to “make” these images, and those above, is that the trees do not have leaves yet, making the ducks stand out and their coloring more striking. Regardless, it was still very difficult to locate the ducks and get these images, because of the many trees and branches obstructing my view in the heavily wooded forest.

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Female-Wood-Duck-in-Trees

To say I am excited about finding Wood Ducks and getting some decent images of them is an understatement, but what excites me more is the potential to photograph the Huntley Meadows Wood Ducks over the next few months as they continue to nest and raise their young. A perfectly exposed and tack sharp image of a male and female Wood Duck followed by a group of ducklings composed in a natural setting would be the image to achieve my Wood Duck photography goal. When I get that image, it will posted on my blog within hours.

The images in this article were photographed with a Nikon D800, using a Nikkor 600mm f4 VRII lens and TC14 Teleconverter and mounted on a Wimberley gimbal head and Gitzo Mountaineer tripod.

Posted in Bird Photographs, National and State Parks, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Bombay Hook and Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuges

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Stephen L Tabone

Snow-Geese-Lift-Off-at-Sunrise-at-PHNWRHaving received reliable reports of significant numbers of Snow Geese in the marshes and wetlands along the Delaware Bay, I went to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Prime Hook NWR. I went with two friends, who also are passionate, experienced photographers that enjoy being outdoors even on very cold, windy mornings, which is how it was two weeks ago.

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We left Friday afternoon around 3:00 and arrived at Bombay Hook NWR just before sunset, which was early enough for us to scope out the area for wildlife (in particular, Snow Geese) and look for the best location to shoot the sunrise the next morning. Sunset was pretty, but not special (above image). I have seen some awesome sunsets from the same location on other visits (two examples below from last year). Although we saw a lot of Snow Geese in farm fields near the refuge, there were none in Bombay Hook’s tidal pools and marshes. However, we did see some small groups of geese flying nearby; therefore, we hoped more would arrive later and spend the night at the refuge.

Sunset at Bombay Hook NWR 7Sunset at Bombay Hook NWR with DucksMillions of Snow Geese migrate to the mid-Atlantic area from the Canadian tundra, where they breed during the summer. The Snow Geese, safe in tremendous flocks, roost overnight in saltwater tidal pools and marshes to avoid predators, like foxes. They also spend evenings in large groups on the bay along the shoreline. Then at dawn, as the sun rises, the geese take off in small or very large groups and, at times, in tremendous flocks of hundreds of thousands of geese, all usually heading west to feed in nearby farm fields. This incredible sight, when thousands of Snow Geese take off, is known as a “blast off,” because the geese explode out of the water into the sky making a thunderous sound from their flapping wings accompanied by their constant loud squawking. It is an unforgettable sight and sound. (The following link is to my blog article from last year’s Snow Geese experience.  https://stevetabone.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/snow-geese-at-prime-hook-national-wildlife-refuge/)

Twilight-at-Bombay-Hook-NWROn Saturday morning, we started out early, leaving the hotel at 0450. We arrived at the refuge before sunrise, at twilight, when the sun’s light was illuminating the horizon. The colors were spectacular, and the horizon was glowing in brilliant shades of orange and yellow. It turned out to be a beautiful sunrise, cold, but we had the refuge to ourselves, making it even better.

BHNWR-Windy-and-Cold-February-Sunrise-2After photographing the sunrise, we worked our way around the refuge’s nature drive looking for wildlife and attractive, sunlit landscapes. We did not find a lot of wildlife. There were a few Tundra Swans, some Canada Geese and Shoveler Ducks, a few Pintails and Bufflehead Ducks, plenty of Coots, and an occasional Great Blue Heron.

Belted-Kingfisher-2Before heading south to Prime Hook, we stopped to photograph a female Belted Kingfisher. Kingfishers are typically very active, fast, and entertaining. This kingfisher moved within a nearby tree hanging over a creek, staying in sight for over 30 minutes, while we filled our memory cards with her images. It was as though she was posing for us. This does not happen often. The below image of the kingfisher with her beak wide open was the final shot of a series of images when she was stretching and yawning. We must have been boring her.

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It was late afternoon when we arrived at Prime Hook NWR. Again, we hoped to find a lot of Snow Geese, or at a minimum, Snow Geese heading to the refuge for the evening, but they were not around. While there, we met a local resident whose home is on the beach; there is a small strip of land and beach within the refuge with bay front homes. He said he had been seen thousands of Snow Geese, about 4 out of 7 days a week. Unfortunately, it looked like it was going to be one of those days when the geese did not return. Nevertheless, we agreed to return at sunrise with hopes of finding them there. It was the same location where I had seen and photographed over 200,000 geese last year. Therefore, we were hopeful.

Sunrise-at-Prime-Hook-NWRSunday morning was another early day. Starting out from the hotel at 0500, we arrived at Prime Hook before sunrise and could hear Snow Geese, but could not tell how many. As the sun rose and it got brighter, we could see that there were at least 20,000 geese. My excitement rose as we prepared to photograph them. It was very cold, but I was not thinking about the weather; rather, I was thinking about where to be best located to photograph the Snow Geese while they were on the water, as well as when they took off. I left my friends and headed back up a dirt road that paralleled the water until I was as close as I could get to see and photograph the geese.

After arriving at the better location and setting up my camera (Nikon D800 with 600mm lens), it was not too long before the Snow Geese became louder and very restless. Many small groups were beginning to take flight, leaving behind the majority of the geese. However, it was not long before all the remaining Snow Geese, at least 15,000, took flight and blasted out of the water almost in unison. It was exciting to see and hear. One minute, it was very noisy with the loud constant squawking of the geese, but then they were quickly gone, and it was dead silent. We left too, but it was too early to head home.

I also videoed a fairly large group of Snow Geese as they began to stir in the morning light, moving around in and out of the water. Below is the video, followed by a serious of images of the Snow Geese lifting off and beginning their flight inland to feed. (Turn your speakers on to hear the geese.)

Snow-Geese-at-Sunrise-Prime-Hook-NWRFlock-of-Snow-Geese-at-Prime-Hook

Snow-Geese-Lift-Off-at-PHNWRSince it was early, we decided to head to Blackwater NWR to see if there was anything happening there. About two hours later, we arrived and drove through the refuge. It was very quiet, more people than critters, and less activity than I have ever experienced at Blackwater. It was cold and windy— everything must have been huddling out of the wind. It would have been very disappointing, but I was still excited from seeing the Snow Geese blast off just a few hours earlier.

Shortly after entering Blackwater NWR, we stopped and entered a wooded area to locate an eagle’s nest (below image) to see if there was any visible activity, but there was none to be seen. However, I heard from a reliable source that there was an eagle sitting on eggs in that nest. She was probably there, but down low in the nest out of the wind.

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It was a fabulous weekend with friends, photography, and some of Nature’s spectacular beauty.

Posted in National and State Parks, Nature, sunrise, Sunset, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Keel-billed Toucans, Pico Bonito National Park, Honduras

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Stephen L Tabone

Toucan-in-Tree

If you have been following my blog recently, you know that in late January/early February, I was at Pico Bonito National Park, in Honduras. Pico Bonito National Park is a pristine neotropical environment consisting of rainforests and cloud forests. The park encompasses the Cordillera Nombre de Dios mountain range and is the perfect, unspoiled habitat to an extraordinary variety of wildlife and about 400 species of birds.

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Prior to going to Honduras, and having researched Pico Bonito, I noted that it was the home to Keel-billed Toucans. I was hoping to see at least one toucan and excited that I might be able to photograph one. I had seen toucans in captivity many times, but never in their own environment. They were on the top of my list of wildlife to see and photograph.

Keel-billed Toucans are also known as Rainbow-billed Toucans, for obvious reasons. They are large birds ranging between 17 to 22 inches in length, which includes their bill. Their very large bill is about one-third of their length, and although it appears very cumbersome, it is very light, mostly hollow, and covered in keratin–the same protein substance in human hair and fingernails.

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Keel-billed Toucans have blue legs and feet, which compliment their very colorful bodies and bills. Their feet also are unusual because they have two toes facing forward and two facing back, which helps them hold on to and hop from tree branch to tree branch, which is where they spend most of their time.

Keel-billed-Toucan-Feeding

The toucans were most active early in the morning and at dusk, and were located high in the top of trees. They eat mostly fruit and berries, but also eat insects, bird eggs, reptiles, and tree frogs. It was interesting seeing them feed, because they grabbed the fruit in the end of their bill, and tossed it up and swallowed it whole.

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Keel-billed Toucans are very social birds and are rarely seen alone. Most of the toucans that I saw were in pairs, and the males and females were indistinguishable. They nest in tree cavities and raise one to five young. Both the male and female incubate the eggs and take turns feeding them. Unfortunately, when I was in Honduras, the toucans were not nesting. I was told that they lay their eggs and raise their young in late February and March.

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As you can see from the images in this article, I was very fortunate to not only see toucans, but also to photograph them in several locations. I did not see many, but I did see at least one or two pairs everyday, and I was thrilled to see them each time.

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All of the images in this article were photographed with a Nikon D800, 600mm f4 VRII lens and TC14 teleconverter, and using an SB900 Speedlight with a Better Beamer. The toucans may appear close in these images, but they were far up in the tree top canopy and often backlit, shaded, or in the dim light of the early morning or very late afternoon sun.

Posted in Bird Photographs, Honduras, Nature, Wildlife | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments