 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- Psalms 72:18-19 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!  Male house finch perched just outside my front door in spring; Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. My first photo of a House Finch. In my early days of beginning to notice birds, this boy with the reddish head really stood out and amazed me. Why now, simply because they are so common, do I notice them with less enthusiasm? Still wonderful creatures!
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 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders 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  A Red-shouldered Hawk hunting rodents in the drainage ditch just out front my office in Walton County, Georgia.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- Psalms 40:5-6 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done...: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.  March 2012; Walton County, Georgia. Most of the ducks disappeared off our pond by the animal shelter around the new year. This Scaup returned in full breeding colors and stayed for only a week or two.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- Psalms 104:10-12 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst. Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches. Sunday, February 5, 2012 - An afternoon hike at our local park, Sandy Creek Nature Center.  Stately Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias in water at Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, Georgia. Whether it is for travel photography or nature photography, there is nothing better than making a free weekend in our busy lives in order to get away and enjoy. But since big trips often require a lot of planning, money and leave from our jobs, they don’t come often enough. That is when local destinations come into play. My busy life with work and church activities, kids’ band concerts and soccer games, doesn’t leave much opportunity to get away for my passion of birding and wildlife photography. That’s why I love my local park: Sandy Creek Park and Nature Center in Athens, Georgia USA. Even if I can’t get out of town for an extended trip, I can drive 15 minutes to the north side of town and be instantly transported into the wild. In this relatively small piece of nature, there are beaver diligently working to keep the wetland ecosystem from drying out. The turtles emerge onto the logs for basking on warmer days. Long-legged wading birds pick frogs and insects from the shallow waters with their spear-like beaks. Lizards scurry about the leaves and thickets. And if you’re lucky, a snake may slither across your path!  Three painted turtles Chrysemys picta sunning on log in blue water at Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, Georgia. Sandy Creek Park is almost 800 acres and a large body of water, Lake Chapman, sits right in the middle. Miles of trails circle the lake and there are plenty of other recreational opportunities. Adjacent the park, and connected by a wildlife corridor, named Cook’s trail, is the Sandy Creek Nature Center. Multiple hiking trails cross the 225 acre forested property and provide all types of nature and wildlife photography opportunities. So perhaps you can’t get away on an extended trip because of work or a busy life. But don’t neglect to look into your local parks and preserves. You may find a veritable wildlife safari tucked away in a small corner of your city that you never knew existed!  Stately Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias in water at Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, Georgia.   Orange lichen on mossy log, beaver bog, Sandy Creek nature Center, Athens, Georgia.  Green Anole at Sandy Creek Nature Center; Athens, Georgia.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- Psalms 134:3 The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee...  Hooded Mergansers on the main retention pond behind my office. Walton County, Georgia.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- Psalms 33:5-6 The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.  Near full moon over Athens, Georgia. January 7, 2012  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- Psalms 86:8-10 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works. For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.  Northern Mockingbird in my backyard. Athens, Georgia.  Northern Mockingbird in my backyard. Athens, Georgia.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. -- Psalms 50:10-11 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine.  A huge flock of blackbirds clouds the air over the main retention pond; Walton County, Georgia. January 4, 2012.  Williamwisephoto Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. "Get me out of here on dove wings; I want some peace and quiet. I want a walk in the country, I want a cabin in the woods. I’m desperate for a change from rage and stormy weather." Psalms 55, The Message  Kingfisher perched in the distance over the Claypit Pond at Sandy Creek Nature Center in Athens, Georgia.
 William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders 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.”  Song Sparrow perched on tree stump at State Botanical Gardens in Athens, Georgia, December 2011. The song sparrow Melospiza melodia is a medium-sized American sparrow. Among the native sparrows in North America, it is easily one of the most abundant, variable and adaptable species.  A Red-headed Woodpecker clings to a tree at the trailhead of the orange trail at the State Botanical Gardens in Athens, Georgia. Judging by the hole at the top right of the photo, he is a regular visitor here.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders 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  Large flock of blackbirds taking off in a blur in Walton County, Georgia. The red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is found in most of North America and much of Central America. Wintering flocks can number in excess of a million birds per flock. It generally prefers wetlands, and inhabits both freshwater and saltwater marshes, particularly if cattail is present.  Song Sparrow; Walton County, Georgia.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders 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  White-tailed Deer are a common sight along the country roads I take too and from work. These does and fawns stood alongside Barnett Shoals Road. Clarke County, Georgia.  Young White-tailed Deer; Clarke County, Georgia.  A White-tailed Deer alerts to my slowing as I drive along Highway 186 near Good Hope, Georgia (Walton County).  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders 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.”  Eastern Screech Owl; Walton County, Georgia. Monday, 10:50 AM – Monroe, GA. “911 to Animal Control” barked the radio. “Complaint of a large bird trapped in a screened patio.” I grabbed my camera and jumped into the passenger seat of an animal control truck. I was hoping it wasn’t like the “large bird” flying around a living room a few weeks earlier that turned out to be just a small Starling. I was hoping it wasn’t a fisherman’s tale or like the “huge” snake calls we get that turn out to be just small Garter Snakes. I was hoping for some excitement; something to add to the life list photos. As we pulled up, the homeowner was out front. “I think it flew in last night and can’t find its way out.” I walked in the sunroom patio through the doorway that was missing its door. Quickly scanning the room, my eyes were drawn to a beautiful bird perched stoically on the blade of the ceiling fan, eyes near closed as if in deep meditation. It was obviously an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio), being way too small to be any other owl species. I fired a few shots. “Excuse me, I was sleeping here”, he seemed to state as his eyes opened to slightly larger slits. But these slits quickly widened to full, bright yellow coins as my partner reached up with elk hide handling gloves. He then began quickly flapping back and forth across the room, again searching for the exit that he had failed to find all morning long. I got a few more shots as he perched around the room before he was safely hand caught and released outdoors where he gracefully glided off, not phased by the encounter. Walton County, Georgia  Eastern Screech Owl; Walton County, Georgia.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders 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 Thursday and Friday birding walks; December 8-9. Walton County, Georgia.  Pied-billed Grebe; Walton County, Georgia.  Northern Flicker; Walton County, Georgia.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, landscape, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation."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." Revelation 4:11  Lake Chapman at Sandy Creek Park in Athens, Georgia. |
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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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