It is exactly one year later and an American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) sits on the power line along Highway 186 on my drive home each day. Since this one doesn’t seem as cautious, I’m not sure if it is the same bird I tried repeatedly, day after day, to photograph last winter. But it is a real coincidence that he sits on the same wire to hunt over the same field if he is not the same bird. 

Walton County, Georgia

​Wednesday, 12:52 PM - I can’t believe my luck! How I managed to sneak up on this beautiful Wood Duck pair and manage a photo is a dream come true. The Wood Ducks are always so cautious and ever on the alert that they blast off out of the water before I’m even within range with a high power zoom lens.  You can see the tensed and nervous body language in the photos. 

​This time, I was walking along the gravel road that skirts the back pond behind the animal shelter and saw these two on the water.  Perhaps because it was a bit windy they didn’t hear my feet crunching in the leaves. I fired a few shots before they got too uncomfortable and took off.  I wish the flight photos were a bit more sharp, but I wasn’t ready with a quick enough shutter speed. But not bad for a first opportunity to photograph the colorful Wood Duck! 

​Walton County, Georgia

2/14/14 We thought the snow that kept us indoors the last few days would cancel our camping trip to High Falls State Park, but the roads cleared. However, just after leaving the house, I rear-ended a car ahead of me. There were so many drivers out after everyone had been cooped up for a few days, and traffic was narrowing due to some construction. After calling the police and insurance, I had to switch all the gear from our Equinox to the Impala (not exactly the best vehicle for camping) and we made the drive down to Jackson, Georgia.  
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High Falls seemed more of a day-use park than the other, larger GA State Parks.  But it wasn’t crowded, as I’m sure it can be in the summer.  We spent two days in a Yurt, which was a real nice experience. (The Yurts have heat!) It wasn’t too notable a camping trip, but was nice to get away for a couple of days. Coupled with the previous snow days, it turned into a very long, relaxing weekend. 

​Another coating of snow blew in yesterday; this one more substantial and icy, giving us a few days off work and a few days to photograph the chilled birds.  The puffed feathers of the Towhee, Chipping Sparrow and Hermit Thrush help accentuate the feeling of the chilly air. 

​Athens, Georgia

11:30 AM, Athens, Georgia - The cold has again returned, this time giving us a thin blanket of snow and my kids a few days off from school. Awakening in the morning, I filled all the bird feeders knowing the birds would appreciate an easy meal on such a cold day when all the grass was covered. Toward lunchtime I bundled up and sat near the feeders waiting for a good snow-shot of the Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) and a few others.

​The Dark-eyed Juncos are often referred to as "Snow Birds." Perhaps it is because they often arrive later in the winter than the other migrants. But others have said it is because their plumage resembles a winter landscape: white snow on the ground and grey skies above. Whatever the reason, they showed up in my yard with the coming of the first snows!

When I review some of my first shots on my camera’s LCD, I quickly realize that snow doesn’t come often enough to the southeast, for I had forgotten to make my adjustments. All that white on the ground tricks your camera’s metering in to darkening everything to an ugly grey. I forgot to give my exposure a little boost. You can keep your snow scenes white by adding one-third or two-thirds exposure compensation.

The other area that snow fools your camera is with white balance. Although it sometimes works to keep that “cold” feeling in the photos, the camera’s auto-white balance can sometimes make the photo too blue. You can try shooting in the “flash” white balance setting, or shoot in RAW to adjust later.
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Of course, shooting in RAW is probably the best option as you can adjust the exposure, white balance and many other aspects of a shot later. Besides, there is snow on the ground and “baby its cold outside”. So you have plenty of time to stay inside with Photoshop and make all those edits!

​On a trip to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and I can’t help but keep my eyes open for wildlife. I can only imagine how many tens of thousands of wildlife photos I would have if I lived in Florida. There are beautiful birds everywhere all year round.  This Ibis and Roseatte Spoonbill were close enough and accustomed to tourists to afford a good photo. 

​Orlando, Florida

On my drive home from work I caught a glimpse of at least five Turkeys in the woods just of Highway 186 near the Hanson Quarry entrance. Turning around in the quarry driveway, I drove back by and got a few shots from the window of my truck. 
​Walton County, Georgia

​Several Redhead ducks began showing up on the shelter pond in late December; a few months ahead of last season. On January 2, I counted 21 male Redhead, 10 females, and 3 male Hooded Mergansers.
 
Then it happened:  COLD!  Friday, January 3rd – low of 20 degrees; Saturday, 24 degrees; Sunday 33 degrees. Then the plunge! Monday, January 6 – low of 10 degrees! Tuesday, 6 degrees! Wednesday 15 degrees! Thursday 28 degrees!  I had never seen every pond I passed totally frozen over before. Even the large pond behind the shelter froze over with a 1 inch thick layer of ice. 
 
The Readheads all scattered; perhaps to ponds further south, perhaps to open and flowing rivers. Our five resident Mallards and three Mergansers were confined to a ten-foot wide opening in the ice right out the back door of the shelter affording me some great close up shots of the Mergansers that I had never been able to manage before.

The Mergansers were obviously nervous and agitated being confined so close to my presence. They normally move to the far end of the pond away from any human activity. But the little ice whole only gave them two choices: fly off to look for other clear water, or sit tight. They nervously paddled back and forth in their little ten foot opening, frequently dipping their heads in the water to vent their nervous frustration. I got some great shots to add to my life list. Within a few more days the ice melted, the Redheads returned, and the Mergansers had the full pond to once again avoid my presence. 
Walton County, Georgia

​Having moved from Illinois to Georgia decades ago, I’m not quite used to this cold. But I can’t stand being locked up indoors either. Not far from my father’s house is a short nature trail that follows a creek. 

Near a small pond in Driftwood, Texas, I came upon this fun series of shots while cruising for deer photos one morning. A group of seven young bucks were sparing. With a chuckle, I was immediately reminded of the games from which Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer might have been excluded!  On the other side of the pond was a doe. But the formidable rack on the buck following her sent a clear warning to these young bucks to not even try. ​

Winter’s chill is settling in. Condensing mists rise from the warmer waters into the cooling air. The sun remains at a low angle late into the morning, casting contrasting warm beams and cool blue shadows across the landscape.  A Great Blue Heron scans the waters in solitude. His searches more and more are in vain compared to the last months as the fish retreat to the warmer depths.

Isolation… winter seems to bring it about. Soft-natured humans retreat to their heated interiors; the gay birds that have brightened our summer have departed to warmer southern climes. We are left to ourselves; often left alone.

But the isolated place need not be lonely. Often, the creatures that prefer remoteness retreat to the isolated area. When we blend in, donning our camouflage or entering our blind, we often find the isolated areas aren’t so desolate. The shy mammals, the reclusive rodents, the timorous avians all come out to feed and play when man, the top of the food chain, is not present.
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So, embrace the solitude; seek it out. Blend in and wait. You never know what will come out of the shadows. 

7:38 AM – a very chilly morning; with the temperature at 28 degrees, the meteorologist said it is about 18 degrees below the average. A single Hooded Merganser sits on the pond behind the shelter this morning. The Mergansers are always so skittish that I’ve never been able to get a good close-up. Perhaps being accustomed to the county vehicles passing by frequently, I drive my truck around back instead of walking. I fire a few shots as the sun barely tops the trees leaving some bright orange reflection on the otherwise bluish-gray, fog-covered pond. Something spooks him and he takes to the air, circles the pond twice, and leaves.  Oh well; once again no close-up shot. Now, change lenses and get to the shelter photography work. “Trevor” needs to be posted, “Butterscotch” and others need better photos. 

On a typical, slow fall day, my daughter and I were just hunting for someplace cool to go; hunting for something cool to see. Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center isn't far. We saw a few cormorants and other birds, but nothing out of the ordinary. We stopped at Dyar Pasture Waterfowl Management Area on the way home. Came across a surprising find: of a Racer on a cool day. 

A brilliant sunrise sets the lake afire in ripples of liquid yellow-gold. A noble, long-legged wader patiently stands as a sentinel waiting for the underwater activity to materialize into a morning repast. What a privilege to be here; a privilege to awake another day and enjoy this wonderful creation gifted to us.