 Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Middle Fork Suwannee River red trail, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Middle Fork Suwannee River red trail, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Minnies Lake Canoe Kayak Trail, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Cypress stump on Billys Lake, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia, USA
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Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Large American Alligator laying along Billy's Lake showing teeth; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com For our 2017 trip I added an electric trolling motor to our canoe, my daughter acting as captain of our vessel. Not only did the motor mean relaxed travels with little rowing, but it allowed hands-free for photography. In addition, our patrols of the shores of Billy’s Lake to spot the large alligators basking were much quicker. Within minutes of hitting the swamp on our 2017 trip, by covering ground so quickly, we found one gloriously large bull gator poised for a photograph on Billy's Lake, unmoved by our close approach. His portrait became one of my favorites of the 2017 trip. What luck to grab a great shot so quickly!  Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message On our four day paddling trek in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, the gator were so numerous and photographs so plenteous that they could hardly all fit on my main Okefenokee Journal page.  Large bull gator, teeth, American Alligator and lily pads, Billys Lake, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  American Alligator squinting half submerged, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  American Alligator basking on floating peat mat hammock, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  Large American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, on floating Spatterdock peat bed, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Large American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, on floating Spatterdock peat bed, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Big Male American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on log, Maidencane background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Same individual as the gator above. Big Male American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on log, Maidencane background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Young American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on Spatterdock peat bed, Maidencane background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  American Alligator sunning on log among Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Large American Alligator sunning on a log in the Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia.  American Alligator peering out from Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Big gators basking in sun on Spatterdock Lily Pads, Cypress Tree Knees, Minnies Lake, Okefenokee canoe kayak trail, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia  Young American Alligator basking in sun, Spatterdock Lily pads, Swamp plants, Okefenokee canoe kayak trail, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia  American Alligator sunning on Spatterdock Lily pads, Okefenokee NWR, Stephen C. Foster State Park, Georgia  Young alligator laying on log in swamp, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia  Large American Alligator with open mouth showing teeth, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis, basking on log in spatterdock lily pads yellow flower, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Large American Alligator, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge  Large gator sunning on black tannin water, Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park  Gator swamp swimming, Spatterdock lily pads, Canoe Kayak Trail in Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster Georgia State Park Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Pileated Woodpecker, Hylatomus pileatus, large red black and white pecking hammering rotten tree, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia Billy's Lake - Around 5:00 pm, after getting shots of a beautiful, white, Great Egret, we pulled the canoe onto some spatterdock to observe two Pileated Woodpeckers on the bank. All of the Pileateds I had previously seen stayed fairly high up in the trees. But these two were foraging along the ground; hopping on the many downed trees, ripping and prying apart rotten bark and wood. It was a treat to watch these two large Woodpeckers for about ten minutes.  Pileated Woodpecker, Hylatomus pileatus, large red black and white pecking hammering rotten tree, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Grey Catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, Spatterdock, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia. March 4, 2017. One of the most common sounds to break the silence of the Okefenokee Swamp is that of the Gray Catbird. This nasally “meow” is how it gained its name. All About Birds describes it as “a raspy mew that sounds like a cat.” If you listen to an audio clip before heading into the bush, you’ll soon realize that you are surrounded by unseen catbirds by their persistent calling from the tangles and scrub of the Okefenokee.
When you do finally spot one, you’ll notice an all gray bird with a black cap. Less frequently seen is the rich burgundy color beneath its tail. It is about the size of a Mockingbird. In fact, they are in the same family as the Mockingbird – the Mimidae. When the Catbird isn’t busy meowing like a cat, it actually has a pleasant song which can last several minutes. The eBird frequency charts show that the Gray Catbird is more commonly listed from October to May. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Anhinga perched in a cypress tree on Billy's Lake; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. ©www.williamwisephoto.com. Saturday, 8:41 PM – I’m sitting on a cot in our spacious tent. What a pleasant feeling after several hours out on the water of Billy’s Lake. Although just a half day, the first day was therapeutic. What a joy as I journaled the events of this first day…
 Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, perched over Billy's Lake; Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. March 4, 2017. Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and Stephen C Foster State Park. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Anhinga in Pond Cypress, blue sky background, Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Stephen C Foster State Park, Georgia. An excerpt from William Bartram's Travels describing the Anhinga and its habits, published in 1791:
William Bartram was a botantist, artist, and nature writer that explored the southeastern United States around the time of the American Revolution (1773-1776). He was a scientist, creationist and Christian that gave glory to the Author for all the wonderful works he observed and documented in his book, Travels Through North and South Carolina, Georgia, East and West Florida. 
 Williamwisephoto Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. "Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them. Full of splendor and majesty is His work." Psalms 111:2  Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, a vocal plover common to lawns, beaches, parking lots. On edge of a pond in Walton County, Georgia, USA. Wednesday, 11:25 AM - Killdeer (Charadrius vociferous) are pigeon-sized plovers that frequent the parking lot and shelter pond. They frequently circle over the pond or run and hop across the gravel lots. Being quick little things, they’ve always been outside of my reach. Not anymore! After quite a bit of saving, I have been able to upgrade and purchase a new wildlife lens: the Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary. Once I get used to handling this much larger, much heavier lens, the quality and closeness of my images should change. I can’t wait to put it to full use in the Okefenokee this weekend! Walton County, Georgia  Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, a vocal plover common to lawns, beaches, parking lots. On edge of a pond in Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Killdeer, Charadrius vociferus, a vocal plover common to lawns, beaches, parking lots. On edge of a pond in Walton County, Georgia, USA.  Williamwisephoto Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- Revelation 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.  Brown Thrasher; Walton County, Georgia. Monday, 12:39 PM - Today is the day! A several-year dream arrives via UPS. I have finally saved enough to purchase a super-telephoto lens! The Sigma 150-600mm is set to arrive. What will be my first shot? Will I be patient and make it something good? Or will I just zoom in on a leaf and fire away? It arrived just before lunch. And, of course, I pull it out of the box, push the manuals to the side, and rotate it onto my Nikon D7000. I grab my monopod and head out behind the shelter. On the pond sit the resident Mallards. Resist the urge; look for something else. I circle further around back near the firing range. Small birds are flitting about the currently defoliated sumac and Trumpet Creeper vines. Can I get one in focus? Will it sit long enough? And my first shot is… a Brown Thrasher! The Georgia state bird! Because of the position of the Thrasher, I actually lifted the monopod off the ground. So not only was I hand holding this much heavier lens, but I was also holding the full weight of the monopod. Yet the optical stabilization worked so well, hardly any camera shake is visible. Can’t wait to really put this beauty into action! Okefenokee this weekend!!!!! Walton County, Georgia 
 Tuesday, 5:25 PM – two Wild Turkey crossed the road right in front of my vehicle on Highway 186. It is labeled a ‘highway’, but is just a two lane country road through Good Hope and into High Shoals; neither very large towns. Sitting on the wire over the High Falls bridge at the county line between Walton and Oconee was a Kingfisher. The skies have grown overcast as the day moved on. Later in the evening, I paused while on a walk to watch a bat flying in the street lights. Sometimes just these little things, these short glimpses of God's creatures, can be uplifting moments.
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message  Slider Turtle basking on a log over Lake Rutledge in Hard Labor Creek State Park, Georgia. Monday, February 20, 2017 - In preparation for our upcoming Okefenokee trip, I wanted Amanda to get used to navigating the canoe using our new electric trolling motor. We went for a quick day trip on the waters of Lake Rutledge at Hard Labor Creek State Park. Amanda took to the controls in the back of the canoe while I sat up front with my camera and monopod. I didn’t want to waste any time in the Okefenokee getting used to camera handling and navigation. Our trip started well. Not far from the boat launch a Great Blue Heron stood near the vacant beach. As we neared, he took flight, allowing me some panning practice with the monopod sitting in the bow of the canoe. I wasn’t completely ready with my manual settings, but still got some fairly sharp shots for 1/400 seconds fully zoomed to 300 mm.  Double-crested Cormorants on Lake Rutledge; Hard Labor Creek State Park, Georgia Being a warm day, there were myriads of turtles basking on the logs and snags in the water. Reluctant to dive back into the cold water, some sat longer than others for photos. Being mid-afternoon and the sun at a high angle, the glare was often too harsh on their shells. A polarizing filter would be good in this situation, but I haven’t yet purchased one for the 28-300mm zoom (it isn’t cheap!). Trolling on, I could see some birds on the water across the lake. Although they were too far away, I could see they were bigger than ducks. My guess was Cormorants… and that guess was confirmed as we rounded a bend. Several sat on a log and were spooked as we came around the corner. As we approached another cove, several ducks took flight with whistling alarm. Wood Ducks! One pair stayed put, seeming to nervously swim back and forth a few seconds before blasting off the water as well. The small group of Cormorants that took off earlier must have joined a larger raft of the funny looking waterbirds. We spotted the group near the middle of the water as we followed the shore heading back in the northward direction. They paddled away from our approaching canoe, casting glances over their shoulders as they swam. Eventually, they all blasted off from the water in a loud cacophony of slaps and splashes. This scene repeated itself several times throughout the afternoon as the Cormorants would blast off the water as fishing boats got too close for comfort. They consistently went from one end of the lake to the other, either by paddling or flying, to stay a comfortable distance from the human invaders looking to enjoy the lake with them. The shores were lined with boulder fields and towering trees, making Hard Labor Creek State Park a pleasant place to hike. The overturned trees made for some interesting, textured, wormy-looking sights along the banks. The snags and stumps along the shore kept Amanda alert and she immediately proved to be an astute navigator. We should have no troubles in the swamp in March. Along the wet banks of one cove, a loud chorus of frogs drifted across the water. And just ahead, two Kingfishers battled in the sky over a prized fishing spot. On the northwestern tip of the lake we pressed back into shallow coves where other fishermen couldn’t bring their larger john boats. It was serene and peaceful back there. Other critters also found it a comfortable spot, as we followed two large Great Blue Herons throughout the coves.
Overall, the somewhat cloudy, hazy glare of mid-afternoon sun didn’t produce any good photography. But the main goal was achieved. Amanda was ready for Okefenokee navigation, and I ready for shooting from the canoe! |
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In December 1993 I came to know the Designer and Creator of this wonderful planet and its creatures: Jesus Christ.
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