 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, 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  The plethora of fresh raccoon scat and tracks up near the ponds lead me to set my trail camera in the now dry Duckweed Bog behind the animal shelter. Walton County, Georgia  Camouflage trail camera set on a tripod in the woods by a hunter. Remote game trail camera is a motion sensor triggered camera trap for scouting wildlife, deer for hunting or study.
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 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- Job 38:4-6 "Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone..."  Birding callback attracting an inquisitive Carolina wren on tree branch in Walton County, Georgia on sunny day.. Support my animal shelter work by downloading this photo at www.dreamstime.com. 100% of funds go back into shelter adoption photography and education programs. Thursday, 8:58 AM - I’ve been reading through an interesting book by Dan Koeppel called To See Every Bird on Earth. The book is mostly about the author’s life and relationship with his father who is a “Big Lister.” I really enjoyed reading about the "sport" of bird listing… it is much deeper and more complex than I had ever realized! In the book, it speaks repeatedly of the tactics of birders in locating hard to find species. One method is by playing back recordings of the target bird. Sibley Guides states, “There is no debate that playback is one of the most powerful tools in a birder’s struggle to see birds in the wild. Birds that might otherwise be too shy to come into the open can be lured into view by the sound of a potential rival. Whether this trickery has any significant impact on the birds is not so clear.” They go on to state that playback is prohibited in many parks and refuges because of the potential disturbance of bird behavior. Just to give it a test, I tried using playback to attract some birds. I went up near the duckweed bog behind the animal shelter with my small reocorder. Twice now, all I’ve managed to conjure up is a Carolina Wren. It seems they are quite the inquisitive little guys and will come check out any call... no matter what species I play. Walton County, Georgia  Inquisitive Carolina Wren responding to recorded bird calls Walton County Georgia
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, 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  Warbler Thursday, 8:59 AM - Georgia being in a drought once again, the ‘Duckweed Bog’ near the animal shelter has now completely run dry. This has given me several chances to explore some patches that are typically knee deep in water and green slime. Each time I’ve walked up the dry stream bed, little birds are busy flitting about, almost in a playful manner. I was always a reptile guy and have never been good at identifying the "little yellow birds". In fact, I failed the bird test section of Vertebrate Natural History at UGA Warnell Forestry School in 1993. I've usually ignored these little yellowish birds, or, if asked, identified them as "some type of warbler." The Audubon website isn't joking when it reads, "Warblers are a daunting group. All those different colors and patterns mean there are a lot of details to keep straight when trying to make an identification. Complicating things, males and females frequently have different plumage. Oh, and also they’re just impossible to get a good look at—they’re small, they move around a lot, and seem to be always either far away at the top of a tree or back in the shadowy understory" (Rule #41: Identify Your First Warbler). If the birders have a hard time, how can a snake-guy keep it straight?!? Walton County, Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, 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  Green Anole Georgia Chameleon Macro Close-up Walton County Georgia Thursday, 9:05 AM Back in my film camera days I owned a "macro lens" for my Minolta SLR camera. I had fun with close-ups of Praying Mantises and other small critters. "Macro photography" is defined as extreme close-up photography of small subjects which, in the final print, appear greater than life size. A "macro lens" allows you to get within inches of your subject and can achieve a very shallow depth of field (a natural background blur). I recently purchased a Nikon AF-S DX Micro-NIKKOR 40mm f/2.8G Lens to use on the kitty close-ups at the shelter. Tucking this small sized lens in the side pocket of my BDU pants, I took a walk break up behind the animal shelter. A small Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) was climbing out of the dew into the rays of the rising sun to gather warmth for the day's activities. Since it was still sluggish and slow from the chilly morning air, I was able to stick my lens within the briers, just inches from the little lizard and get a few good close-ups. The top photo shows the incredible depth of field one can achieve with this lens. The lizard's eye is completely in focus while the back, just centimeters closer to the lens, is blurred, drawing in the viewers attention toward the Anole's eye. I was just inches from the lizard when taking the photograph. Therefore, the subject filled the frame and no cropping of the final image was needed; thus preserving a high resolution photo. Walton County, Georgia  Green Anole Georgia Chameleon Macro Close-up Walton County Georgia   William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- Genesis 1:20 Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.”
 William Wise Photo 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
 William Wise Photo 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  October 7, 2016. Dabbling Mallard Duck drake and hen on a Walton County, Georgia pond. Wildlife and birding photography blog. Friday, 8:50 AM To Dabble – intransitive verb 1 a : to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water 1 b : to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water in order to obtain food 2: to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest (i.e. dabble in the arts) Perhaps one day my dabbling in amateur photography will develop into a means of supporting my hobby. Walton County, Georgia  Dabbling Mallard Duck drake and hen on a Walton County, Georgia pond. Wildlife and birding photography blog.  Dabbling Mallard Ducks; Walton County, Georgia.  Dabbling Mallard Duck Hen Walton County Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Beaver swimming in pond Monroe Georgia dam Tuesday, 7:49 AM - I am grateful to work in the relatively rural environs of Walton County, Georgia. Far better to look out an office window at sunshine mirrored off a pond, than to see the blinding glare of glass on neighboring high-rise buildings. Directly behind the shelter are two retention ponds. As these ponds fill during wetter times, they overflow through a small ephemeral stream to a large pond on a property south of the shelter. But some resident beaver have been busily re-engineering the habitat over the last few years, building an extensive network of stick-and-mud dams, effectively creating two large wetland areas I call the ‘Beaver Bogs’. Although the beaver signs are everywhere – dams, canals, dens, tracks, fallen timber, piles of de-barked sticks – I’ve had yet to see one in the flesh (or rather, ‘in the fur’, I suppose). The night shift animal control officer has seen them; even a coworker’s young daughter had a chance encounter as one crossed her path while walking a puppy behind the shelter! But as for me, deliberately checking twice a day, still no beaver sightings… until today.  Beaver swimming in pond Monroe Georgia I was bringing my trail camera up to the pond to try and capture my elusive Castoridae. As I approached the upper pond, I could see ripples extending out into the water from the bank, and trails of bubbles through the debris floating on the water. My hopes raised, I approached cautiously. There, sitting on the bank, chewing away, sat the big, brown rodent! I got a few photos before he took to the water, uncomfortable with my approach. He swam on the surface about 75 feet, and then dove underwater as he perceived my pursuit. I followed his trail of bubbles and stirred up mud for several minutes until it disappeared along the far bank. What a pleasure to finally get a glimpse of one of the shelter beaver, espying his small, rounded rodent-like ears; his thick brown fur coat; and long thick hairs protruding from his eyebrows and snout. The next morning, he was there again and I was able to capture some even closer photos. He was intent on finishing his leafy breakfast and allowed a closer approach. Walton County, Georgia  Beaver swimming in pond Monroe Georgia  November 2, 2016 - as the pond has lowered, I've been able to explore more. It is amazing how large a tree these industrious mammals can fell. Down tree felled by North American Beaver, Castor canadensis, chewing through the trunk. Trees are cut down using their strong incisor teeth to build dam.
  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, 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 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9
From his perch, he was peering out over all. He briefly cast a glance down at me, but wasn’t overly interested in what I was doing down below. Also down below, the crows were cackling, quarreling and cawing in protest to the hawk’s presence. Every once in a while one would brave a fly-by to harass the hawk and try to draw him into a battle. The hawk remained on his perch, silent and unmoved by their instigating. A few times over the last few weeks I was drawn into some email ‘battles’. Heated Facebook posts drew me into defensive mode and I sharpened my literary tongue and sliced out a cutting email response. Later, when all was past, I wished I could have instead remained above the fray and just kept silent, but it is difficult. I believe in what I do. So when someone makes a comment like, “I’m amazed how a high-kill shelter can be so uncaring…”, it is hard for me not to defend myself and those that work with me. Nevertheless, I wish I could keep my nose clean and not be drawn into the petty arguments. I wish I could be more like my Savior who, in the face of false accusation and a mock trial, “did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). This hawk refused to come down below and kept himself above the others. I wish I could do the same... not in a self-righteousness that is condemning of others, or an elevated sense of self-worth, but an ability to keep from being drawn to base quarrels down below. This hawk did not achieve his high place by putting others down or keeping them oppressed, he merely kept himself high and refused to come down to their level. There was no pride in his position.
The hawk was on his perch for at least twenty minutes while I completed my one mile walk. By refusing to be drawn below, and patiently waiting on his high perch, our hawk was there to experience the warm rays of the rising sun as it peeked over the horizon. He therefore was the first to shake off the cold, damp, darkness of the preceding night. How much better to just keep to the high road, refuse to jump in the fray, and patiently await the refreshing that comes from the breaking of a new day. As my old boss, J. Michael Nealer, used to tell me, “Let’s be the better person.” Not in a condemning, prideful attitude towards others, but welcoming others to come up and join us. The view is great from higher up! Athens, Georgia William Wise Photo 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  Two Turkey Vultures perched on a snag tree basking in the rising sun preening.  Turkey Vultures bask in the rising sun on a Sweetgum snag in Athens Georgia William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Luna moth, Actias luna, is a giant silk moth with lime-green colored wings and a white body. One of the larger moths in North America.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" Job 12:7-9  Mallard Eclipse Molt Preening feathers on pond in Walton county Georgia (Photo #201609076). Support my work by downloading this photo at www.dreamstime.com. 100% of funds go back into shelter adoption photography and education programs. Thursday, 7:48 AM – I sauntered up to the shelter pond with camera in hand before the work day began to see what I might see. The morning air was completely calm, but not quite stuffy. Underneath the cloudless sky, the pond was absolutely still... I would say 'as glass' if it weren’t for the bits of grass and debris cast in the water from yesterday’s mowing of the banks. A bright orange sun rose just above the tree line, bathing the entire pond in a vibrant glow. I pulled my hat down to block the blinding rays and peer across the water. From a spot on the bank, concentric arcs of puffy white feathers slowly floated out into the pond, like little sailboats caught on a calm breeze. The resident Mallards sat in the epicenter of these ripples busily preening their feathers.  Mallard Drake Eclipse Molt (photo #201609080). Support my work by downloading this photo at www.dreamstime.com. 100% of funds go back into shelter adoption photography and education programs. The drakes have begun the slow process of molting back into their colorful breeding plumage. The old, drab brown feathers are mixed with the incoming more brilliant greens, giving them an almost “mangy” appearance. Earlier in the spring, around the time the females were laying eggs, the drakes shed their bright green feathers for drab brown coverings. But now they are again re-growing their signature green feathers, known as their “nuptial” plumage. This molt takes a good bit of time to complete since they exhausted their stored protein reserves on the previous molt. I sat and watched through my lens as their heads turned side to side, rubbing the bottom of their bills against their breast feathers; as webbed feet came forward and scratched faces and under wings; as necks stretched out with mouths full of down. I am curious to observe how long until these drakes regain their handsome green, gray, brown and black characteristic colors of Mallard drakes. Until then, they sit on the banks preening away, sending little white sailboats off across the pond’s surface. Walton County, Georgia   Mallard Hen Molt Preening  Mallard Eclipse Molt Preening feathers on pond in Walton county Georgia  William Wise Photo 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  Thursday, 5:22 PM - I set up my trail camera in the green space near my house for about a week just to see what I could see. I was hoping for a coyote or fox shot, but got the typical neighborhood does and an armadillo. All the deer ticks covering this poor girl make me itchy! Athens, Georgia Camouflage trail camera set on a tripod in the woods by a hunter. Remote game trail camera is a motion sensor triggered camera trap for scouting wildlife, deer for hunting or study.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the beauty, design and wonder of God’s creation. -- "...be ready in season and out of season." 2 Timothy 4:2  Thursday, 5:41 PM - There is an advantage to being ready. On my typical drive home, this beautiful Red-tailed Hawk was perfectly posed on a pasture fence, but only momentarily. Since my camera was lying ready on the passenger seat, all I had to do was slow down, put down the window and fire away. These amazing raptors are always ready. Their lives depend upon being prepared to take every opportunity to seize their prey. To succeed and survive, they have been equipped with keen eyesight to spot even the smallest rodent scurrying in the brush; their strong talons are ever quick to “snatch up” (the linguistic origin of the name raptor) that prey; and their hooked beak ensures the meal does not escape. They are ever at the ready.  Rarely do critters sit and patiently wait for me to get their photo. I have learned to be ready to get the shot before they fly or scurry off. I try to follow a few "Readiness Rules" I’ve set for myself: Readiness Rule #1 - My camera rides shotgun. You can’t take a photograph without a camera; and not only must it be with you, it must be accessible. I learned the hard way by missing an awesome coyote shot because my camera was closed in a bag sitting in the back seat. Readiness Rule #2 – the right lens is on the camera. I swap lenses throughout the day depending upon what I am shooting (35 mm fixed lens for shooting in the kennel; 50 mm fixed lens for dog portrait shots; 40 mm macro lens for cat studio portraits; 18-105 mm lens for general around-the-house family photos). So, when I get in the truck (or go for a hike), I make sure my camera is already fitted with my 70-300 mm zoom lens. Readiness Rule #3 – the lens cap is always off. There is nothing more frustrating than raising my lens to shoot a bird that is actively flying off only to see black through the viewfinder. I’ve found the lens hood and some mindful handling is protection enough and replacing the lens cap after each shot isn’t really necessary. Readiness Rule #4 - the right aperture and shutter speed settings are already selected. Most of the workday my camera is set to capture low-light shots of dogs in their kennels. But these settings won’t work for the outdoor wildlife shots. So when I step outdoors, I double check my settings. What are the settings I prefer for outdoor wildlife shots? At a minimum:
Being ready has its advantages. For a raptor, being ready means survive or starve. For a photographer, it is capturing a shot or dealing with disappointment. Barnett Shoals Road, Athens-Clarke County, Georgia   A beautiful Red-tailed Hawk on the hunt over a meadow in rural Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, 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
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 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.
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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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Donations help support the animal shelter adoption photography equipment and adoption website hosting and domain fees. Thanks for your support!
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