 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Psalms 103:22 -- Bless the LORD, all His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!  Eastern Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta, pond slider river turtle basking on a log on a cloudy day. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Thursday, 12:19 PM – a gray, cloudy day, but the warm temperature isn’t lost on the turtles. They’ve all climbed out of the mire on the upper pond near the animal shelter. But as I approached… SPLASH! Back into the water. Just to get away for a bit, I sat down upon a log on the bank during lunch break and waited for them to climb back out of the water.  Impressions of coyote and raccoon wildlife tracks left in dirt. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Not far from the pond, several fresh animal prints were tracked through the mud. Coyote, deer, raccoon, and a cat.  Pond slider river turtle basking on a log on a cloudy day. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta, pond slider river turtle basking on a log on a cloudy day. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Forecast: overcast, high 73°
0 Comments
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Colossians 2:2-4 (The Message) "I want you in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ... I don’t want anyone leading you off on some wild-goose chase..."  Canada Goose gander or hen calling on water`s edge of small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks. Wednesday, 2:45 PM – it looks like the last Redhead duck has left at last. The lone male that has remained the last few days was nowhere to be seen this morning or afternoon. However, a pair of Canada Geese have been back on the pond the last few days. I wish I knew if they were the same pair that had goslings on our pond in seasons past. Walton County, Georgia  Canada Goose gander or hen calling on water`s edge of small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks.  Canada Goose gander or hen calling on water`s edge of small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks.  Canada Goose gander or hen calling on water`s edge of small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks.  Canada Goose gander or hen drinking in pond water reflection on small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks.  Canada Goose gander or hen drinking in pond water reflection on small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks.  Canada Goose gander or hen calling on water`s edge of small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks.  Canada Goose gander or hen calling on water`s edge of small lake in rural Walton County, Georgia. The big, black-necked Canada Goose with its signature white chinstrap mark is a familiar and widespread bird of fields and parks.  Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains."  Tuesday, 3:19 PM - "Melaina" was a sweet, medium-sized hound mix that was turned in to the Walton County Animal Control shelter by her owner on February 13, 2018. They said she was left at their house by a previous owner and could no longer look after her. The impounds finally slowing a bit, and other duties out of the way for the afternoon, I was able to take her out by the pond behind the shelter for some shots. I also got her into a small barn that is used by the Public Works department to store their hay bales. It was quite a fitting photo session for this “country girl” pup from rural Georgia! Melaina was surrendered to Walton County Animal Control shelter on February 13, 2018 and was photographed for the shelter’s website, www.waltonpets.net the same day. She finally got her new home when she was adopted by Rosa on February 17, 2018!        Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains."  Wednesday, 2:48 PM - “Jackie” was a pudgy little JRT girl that was turned in to Walton County Animal Control on February 6, 2018. With her stubby little tail, she looked more like a piglet than a pup! She had a nice, quiet, calm demeanor and was happy to be around people. A break in the rain on this cloudy day allowed some afternoon photography. Jackie was photographed for Walton County Animal Control on February 7, 2018 and placed on the shelter's website, www.waltonpets.net. She was adopted on February 9, 2018!!   William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Revelation 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sunshine, shouting loudly to the birds, “Come! Gather together for the supper of the Great God!  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond with marsh grasses eating a dead bream fish. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Friday, 7:45 AM-I made my morning drive around back to count the Redhead Ducks on the shelter pond. On the first pass I only saw eight. But on my way out there were 16! Half we’re underwater on my first drive-by! At the northern point of the main pond, I saw a fast walking “duck” mixed in with the resident Mallards. Something different here… an American Coot! I spent 15 minutes shooting from my truck and filling an SD card. (Filling an SD card is so much better than the high cost days of shooting off several rolls of film!)  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Going back out at 10:30 AM, the Coot was right outside the shelter back door tearing up a dead bream fish. This bird must have come from an area where it was accustomed to seeing people. It allowed me to approach so closely; I scooted up on my but until I was only 25 - 30 feet away. I fired off another several gigabytes of photos and scored some great shots of the dead fish in its mouth.  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond with marsh grasses eating a dead bream fish. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA.  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Coots are goofy looking birds - like a cross between a duck and a chicken. Several of my coworkers, having spotted this strange bird, came into my office saying, “there’s a weird looking duck with the pointy white bill on the back pond.“ I have seen many of these birds on the marshes along coastal Georgia. But it was in November, 2012 that I last saw a Coot visit the shelter pond.  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA.  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA.  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond with marsh grasses eating a dead bream fish. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA.  American Coot, Fulica Americana, a duck like marsh bird fishing on pond. The American Coot is a plump, chickenlike bird with a rounded head and a sloping bill. Common in marshes, reservoirs, lake edges, saltwater inlets or saltmarshes. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Walton County, Georgia 
Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains." 
Tuesday, 9:27 AM - “Ophelia” was a mixed breed girl that was brought into the shelter as a stray on January 26, 2018. She was a very sweet girl, but no owner ever came to look for her. Ophelia posed some of the problems with animal photography using just my 70-200 mm lens. I love the lens; it is very sharp, but it can play visual tricks.
In person, Ophelia looked like just a smallish-medium sized girl; not big at all. But using a focal length greater than about 40mm can make the dogs look bigger in the photographs. I need to stop being a lazy photographer and utilize at least a couple of lenses during photo shoots. The wider angle lenses can make even a big dog look smaller, especially when shooting from overhead.
She was finally rescued on February 5 by Walton Animal Guild. Her rescue was sponsored by pledged donations to WAG by Alice, Lane, Anne and Audrey!
Do you want to help keep www.waltonpets.net on the internet and support the photography work? We are currently but slowly saving up to replace the aging shelter camera. 100% of donations go to support waltonpets.net hosting fees and shelter photography efforts. 
Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains." 
“JoJo” was a happy boy and it showed in his photos! He was brought into Walton County Animal Control on January 26, 2018 as a stray. Sure, he looked mostly like a Lab, but there was definitely something else mixed in there. He was just a knee-high guy.
Black dogs can slow down your shutter speed to get the right exposure. But it worked for JoJo! The motion blur of his tail in several of the photographs further displayed his happiness, even in still life photography! And just for fun I kept the cute photo of his big pink tongue licking his face! He tested heartworm positive, but his treatment was covered with pledged donations from Lane, Alice, Blan and Anne. He was rescued on January 31 by Lab Friends of the South! 
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.  Monday, 4:57 PM - An ebird.org user posted a group of Northern Shovelers (Anas clypeata) on a rural cattle pond. And I decided to search them out! I was able to leave the crazy day behind about 15 minutes early so I could drive by Braswell Church Road in Walton County on my way home from work. Arriving on this quiet country road, two cattle ponds set directly off the road on my right. One pond was tiered a bit above the other and both were surrounded by considerable tilled up mud. On my first pass the waters appeared empty… darn. Feeling I may have wasted my time, I turned the truck around to head back. But coming from the other direction, there they were: a dozen or more Northern Shoveler’s busily swimming back-and-forth over the surface of the muddy pond!  This was my first experience seeing these big-billed ducks shoveling away, skimming the water’s surface; sometimes together as a group, sometimes singly, and at times even dabbling butt-up like a Mallard. Several other birds explored the freshly tilled dirt around the ponds: lots of Killdeer and Mourning Doves. I sat and enjoyed their antics for about 15 minutes. As far as I know, I didn't draw any attention or awkward looks from anyone... except for the cows!  Walton County, Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Exodus 20:11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.  Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura, a graceful, slender-tailed, small-headed dove that’s common across the United States of America. Photographed backyard birding hike in Athens, Georgia, USA. At 1:38 PM, I come out to my covered back patio to sit under the propane heater. Rain, rain, rain and more rain continues to fall from a gray 54° sky. Two Mourning Doves are perched quietly side-by-side in the bare Black Cherry tree as rain droplets hang about them. At 1:42 PM, the typical backyard birds make their repeated forays to the feeder: Cardinals, Titmice, Chickadees... all busy back-and-forth, back-and-forth, back-and-forth as the rain continues to fall. All the while the two doves sit side-by-side on their quiet perch. At 1:50 PM, a loud Blue Jay takes up a perch high in the Sweetgum Tree continuously belting out loud screams echoed back-and-forth by a second Jay nearby; back-and-forth, back-and-forth. Meanwhile the two doves sit quietly side-by-side on their perch. On a sudden, the Titmice put a ground stop on their feeder trips and nervously buzz alarms from the thickets. Something is up: a hawk must be nearby but I can’t see him. The rain continues to fall. And all the while the two doves sit side-by-side on their quiet perch. At 2:18, an airplane roars loudly overhead unseen through the cloudy sky. The rain continues its steady stream. And all the while the two doves maintain their quiet perch. At 2:35 PM, a Downy Woodpecker arrives for some suet. The rain is still falling, and yes, the two doves remain side-by-side on the rain droplet covered perch. 2:42 PM, a Northern Flicker stops momentarily by, high up on the Jay’s previous perch in the Sweetgum Tree. A Red-bellied Woodpecker now rattles off loudly as he takes his tern at the suet. The rain continues to fall; the two doves sit side-by-side on their quiet perch. At 3:15 PM, I wake up with a chill from an unintended doze; the propane heater has gone out. The rain continues to fall and the two Morning Doves sit side-by-side on their quiet perch. At 3:27 PM, a gentle coo rolls across the lawn and the two doves lift off from their quiet perch with squeaking wings. Meanwhile, the rain continues to fall.  Mourning Dove, Zenaida macroura, a graceful, slender-tailed, small-headed dove that’s common across the United States of America. Photographed backyard birding hike in Athens, Georgia, USA. Athens-Clarke County, Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Acts 4:24 -- "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 
  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Revelation 4:11 - Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.  Yellow-rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata, songbird perched in tree. Common winter migrant in the southeast, also known as Butter Butts. Yellow-rumped Warblers winter across much of central and southeastern U.S., and they sometimes come to backyards if food is offered. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Wednesday, 7:42 AM - first light on the shelter pond:
 Canada Goose drake, Branta canadensis , on an open water blue lake. Thousands of honkers migrate north and south each year, filling the sky with long V-formations. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Monroe, Georgia, USA. Lunchtime - I pull on the large black rubber boots that my daughter Amanda bought for me. What used to be a small, usually dry overflow creek from the main pond has now turned into some fairly wide wetlands. Trekking down through the wet, muddy standing water I find several large beaver dams now transect the area. I turn on a GPS iPHone app to try and sketch out a map. There are five impressively long and somewhat high dams. It is amazing how much mud, leaves, sticks and branches are all pressed together to build these levee walls. They are so well constructed that there is no problem holding my weight. It is obvious the beaver have been quite busy here, though I failed to see any on my treck.  Red-shouldered Hawk; Walton County, Georgia.
Later in the afternoon: the first quarter moon that Rose at 12:42 PM is now plainly visible and hanging in the blue sky about 35° from the horizon, to the east. There is no slow down on the work stress today. The controversies surrounding a dog named “Otis” continue. And just after 5 PM, three pit bulls maul a child and attack a woman trying to save the boy. No doubt tomorrow will be another crazy day.  Yellow-rumped Warbler, Setophaga coronata, songbird perched in tree. Common winter migrant in the southeast, also known as Butter Butts. Yellow-rumped Warblers winter across much of central and southeastern U.S., and they sometimes come to backyards if food is offered. Photographed on birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Walton County, Georgia  Redhead Ducks; Walton County, Georgia.  Psalms 68:6 "God makes homes for those who are abandoned; He makes free those who are bound with chains."  Tuesday, 8:35 AM – “Harley” was a stray boy that was picked up by an animal control officer on January 10, 2018. His running buddy, a big fluffy retriever mix, got rescued fairly quickly, but Harley sat longer without attention. I had to put all else aside and get him out for a photo session to give one last effort so his life wouldn’t end in the shelter. The saddest thing is, Harley is the first dog in the entire month of January that I’ve been able to take out for a photo shoot. My time has just been eaten up by high intake, and by another more recent job duty. A new phenomenon has arisen because of that blessed form of communication called social media. It seems that I now spend the first 30 to 60 minutes of each day responding to calls and emails from people whose opening statements begin with “I saw on Facebook…” People that have no direct relationship with the animal involved, but were moved by a social media post. Whether it be photos of animals out in the cold, or the emotions of people that get ramped up over specific cases, I find myself needing to respond to multiple persons throughout the day. I’m not saying that their inquiries are unimportant. In fact, I try to take time to respond to them all. The questions are legitimate; their concerns are well-founded. But the drawback is that I spend so much time responding multiple times to multiple people over the same concern, that I unintentionally neglect the much needed photographing, posting and networking of animals that are in dire straits and facing euthanasia in the shelter. So this morning, all else aside, “Harley” went out for photos. It had to be done. Not that the emails and Facebook posts are unimportant; but that Harley could very well be euthanized if he doesn’t get the attention he deserves. Beside, getting outdoors with a dog and my lens is therapy. As I take those photos, the headache goes away and I’m doing what I’m gifted to do best! "Harley was photographed for the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Monroe, Georgia on January 23, 2018.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. James 1:19 "Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"  Great Blue Heron, Ardea herodias, a long legged water bird fishing in reeds and grasses of a pond. Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Monroe, Georgia, USA. Tuesday, 4:30 PM- Taking a walk up to the main pond behind the shelter underneath a sunny blue sky; 55°. Strong wind gusts are blowing the redheads around the water surface. Half of the ducks have their bills tucked in their feathers, all the others are diving away making quite the splashing and sputtering ruckus in the weedy shallows on the northern end of the pond. The Great Blue Heron, a skittish but regular visitor, is spear fishing on the opposite bank. I was able to sneak up closer behind the large pieces of Public Works equipment. I saw him take a few catches while sitting patiently and watching. Getting in a better position, I began to fire away. But something was wrong: four shots, buffer full; Two shots, buffering again; three shots waiting for the buffer once more. So slow!!!!  Redhead duck, Aythya americana, waterfowl on an open water blue lake. Bills tucked in feathers, sleeping. These sociable ducks molt, migrate, and winter in huge flocks where winter numbers can reach the thousands. Similar appearance to Canvasback duck. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Having filled an SD card yesterday, and not downloading the photos onto my computer, I grabbed a different SD card and pop it in the camera before heading up to the pond. What a difference a brand can make! Although this card showed it was rated class 10, it certainly didn’t have the save time like one. Such annoyingly slow shooting. Lesson learned: not all SD cards are created equal. Know your equipment before you go. I’m glad the lesson was learned on a casual back-door outing and not on a rare find.  Redhead duck, Aythya americana, waterfowl flock on an open water blue lake. These sociable ducks molt, migrate, and winter in huge flocks where winter numbers can reach the thousands. Similar appearance to Canvasback duck. Photographed on wildlife birding hike in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Walton County, Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Numbers 14 “The land we walked through and scouted out is a very good land—very good indeed."  Red-breasted Mergansers at Sandy Creek Park in Athens, Georgia. Saturday, 4:15 PM- Winter’s grip has loosened. Not that it is ever that tight in Georgia. But Wednesday morning I was off work and watching the snowfall, and today I’m hiking without a jacket and it’s 64°! I suppose my level of bird nerdiness has reached a new high. Becoming more acquainted with my new iPhone, I’ve been exploring the sightings posted on ebird. Several people have recently posted a trio of Red-breasted Mergansers at Sandy Creek Park. With persmission from my wonderful wife, I make a short Saturday getaway and head for Lake Chapman.  Lake Chapman in Sandy Creek Park in Athens, Georgia, USA. Arriving at the park I had no idea where these birds would be on the 260 acre lake. So why not start at the main beach and walk the Lakeside trail north from there? Well, I didn’t have to go far. Just off shore from the main beach parking area I could see the three ugly ducklings diving in the water! Obviously they were the Red-breasted Mergansers I came to see: long pointy bills, and topped with rusty, scruffy bad-hair-day! Truly unique looking birds! I spent quite a bit of time observing this new quarry and making sure I would get some good shots.  Red-breasted Mergansers at Sandy Creek Park in Athens, Georgia. Having found my prize so quickly, I went for a short walk. The temporary withdraw of winter produced a good bit of avian activity. There were Robins a-plenty; a busy Downy Woodpecker; a singing Kinglet; and a Sparrow soaking the sunset. Eleven species on my eBird list. https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S42102994  Song Sparrow, Melospiza melodia, songbird perched in tree and briars singing. Sandy Creek Park, Athens, Georgia, USA.  Small Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Regulus calendula, passerine bird singing on brach in golden sunrise sunset. Photographed on birding hike at Sandy Creek Park Nature Center, Lakeside Trail, Athens, Georgia, USA.  Downy Woodpecker hanging upside down and pecking on tree. Sandy Creek Park, Athens, Georgia, USA.  Lake Chapman in Sandy Creek Park in Athens, Georgia, USA.  On the walk back I found the shell of a Common Must Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) on the trail side. Athens, Clarke County, Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation.  Eastern Phoebe bird hiding in shadow of tree branch, Georgia USA. Get me out of here on dove's wings; Friday, 4:30 PM – Nearing the end of yet another stressful week at work. A Pitbull owner finally calls the shelter after 10 days… but her dogs were euthanized about 30 minutes before she called. Not a fun call; but not our fault. Still so many emails from people complaining that animal control doesn’t do enough to help the dogs out in the cold; but we’re doing the best we can with what we have. I’m just ready to go home. I take a quick stress-relieving walk up to the shelter pond before leaving so I don’t take it out on my family when I get home. Twenty-six Redheads on the water and an Eastern Phoebe hiding in the shadows. She looks how I feel. I just want to hide sometimes. Walton County, Georgia |
 All content is ©williamwisephoto.com. Please don't steal images. My images are available at dreamstime.com. Stock sales go into the shelter photography program.
|
In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
|
Donations help support the animal shelter adoption photography equipment and adoption website hosting and domain fees. Thanks for your support!
|