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.
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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  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Psalm 16:8 I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.  Small Killdeer plover on frozen pond in Southeast USA. Walton County, Georgia. A small shorebird often seen inland away from water. Thursday, 8:15 AM - although the snow when ice was mostly gone, the girls were off school another day and the Walton County government was on a delayed, 10 AM start. But I began my drive to work early anyway. Staying off the back roads, I passed the retention pond next to the Walmart Distribution Center on Unisia Drive in Monroe. About 18 Hooded Mergansers were diving in the middle of the pond. Arriving at the animal shelter just after 8 AM, I drove around back to the pond. Out on the water were about 25 redheads. I didn’t get an exact count but the numbers looked a little bit lower than Tuesday. While passing the north point of the pond I spotted a small plover-like bird in the weeds. Will this be a new bird? I raise my glass. For some reason, our typical parking-lot Killdeer were standing huddled up on the semi-frozen surface of the pond. It was a chilly 19° and breezy. Poor birds. But I was nice and warm shooting from the cab of my warm truck. Back in the office, I was puzzled when nearly every shot of the Killdeer was blurry. Why? I was stabilizing it on the truck window while shooting. I’m sure I had a high enough shutter speed. Well, I remembered that nice feeling I had “shooting from the cab of a warm truck.” I forgot to turn off the engine while shooting! Apparently the Vibration Reduction feature on the lens can’t overcome the continuous vibrating of a running motor! Lesson learned.  Small Killdeer plover on frozen pond in Southeast USA. Walton County, Georgia. A small shorebird often seen inland away from water. Walton County, Georgia  Creation Speaks is a Biblical teaching ministry that uses nature writing and photography to glorify our Creator and teach the truth of 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  White snow falling on camping fire pit and canoe in winter. Pine trees and snow flakes. Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. USA. In the Book of Job, God poses a series of rhetorical questions to confront the arrogant knowledge of Job and his counselors. God’s point was to prove man’s inferiority through Job’s inability to answer this inquisition concerning the wonders of nature. Failing an effective riposte, Job admits defeat: “Then Job replied to the LORD, ‘I am nothing-- how could I ever find the answers? I will put my hand over my mouth in silence. I have said too much already. I have nothing more to say.’" (Job 40:3-5) Sure, Job and his similarly ‘primitive’ friends were unable to answer. But what about today? Doesn’t ‘advanced’ man now possess the knowledge to answer God’s inquiry? We have measured the “recesses of the deep” (Job 38:16) - the Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean - at 35,814 feet by direct measurement from submersibles and by sonar bathymetry. We now “perceive the breadth of the earth” (Job 38:18) to be 3,959 miles in equatorial radius, and 3,949 in polar radius. We know light is “electromagnetic radiation within a certain portion of the electromagnetic spectrum” (Job 38:19). We have unlocked the mysteries of dew point and understand the formation of dew and frost (Job 38:28). We have charted the movements of the constellations with pinpoint accuracy down to the fraction of a second (Job 38:31-33). And the Mountain Goat breeds yearly between November and January and has a gestation period of 180 days. Job 38:22 "Have you visited the treasuries of the snow? Have you seen where the hail is made and stored?
Let’s ask an expert for a prediction concerning today’s simple snowfall. “The bottom line is that I still can’t delineate a DEFINITIVE zone of where it will be heaviest or most likely. That will come down to random chance affects of meso-scale forcing like frontogenetic lift that can’t be resolved until we see it on radar and satellite... I hold to what I’ve said earlier about being absolute in amounts or locations so my hand is forced to broad-brush more than I like to or want to, but sometimes its the nature of the beast.” I guess we don’t really snow it all, after all! Athens-Clarke County, Georgia  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  Red-bellied Woodpecker in a snow covered pine tree; Clarke County, Georgia birding. Wednesday, 8:30 AM - Snow still continues to fall as the sky lightens to gray. Fat flakes fall in the cloudy, 24° air. The grass is hidden under a nearly unbroken white blanket, only a few sticks and weeds poking through the falling powder. The sidewalk and road are covered in about a quarter of an inch. 9:00 AM - The snowfall has ceased. I was feeling bad for the birds and went out to fill the feeders. Cold, cold, cold 25°! I left a trail of footprints in the now 1-inch deep layer of snow. At 9:05, the wind began to roll back the cloud layer, blue sky beginning in the west and rolling back toward the east. By 9:15, the sky dome was half blue sky and half grey cloud. After another 30 minutes, strong winds pushed back and only the eastern horizon was veiled by cloud. And by 10:00 AM, our snow “event” was over; bright rays were uncovered and illuminated the fallen snow to a glowing orange. Psalm 74:17 All nature is within your hands; you make the summer and the winter too.  Tufted Titmouse and Carolina Wren at a backyard bird feeder in the snow; Clarke County, Georgia birding. All the while, the Cardinals, Titmice, Chickadees and one Carolina Wren were busy at the freshly filled feeders. They would magically vanish each time I stepped out with camera in hand. I managed enough patience to sit silently in the cold and shoot a bold red Cardinal and Red-bellied Woodpecker before my frozen fingers took me back indoors. Strong blowing winds gusts continued to blow powdery snow off the roof tops and trees throughout the day. It remained deceptively bright and sunny, but still just 29°. Athens-Clarke County, Georgia
 Carolina Wren bird, Thryothorus ludovicianus, on snow covered bird seed feeder in winter. A common bird in southeast America. Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. USA.  Carolina Wren bird, Thryothorus ludovicianus, on snow covered bird seed feeder in winter. A common bird in southeast America. Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. USA.  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Proverbs 21:21 Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind finds life itself—glorious life!  Tuesday, 5:10 PM - The thick gray clouds came rolling in across the sky around 3 PM. Dusk was coming early today. They are promising snow and winter weather tonight! On my drive to and from work every day I’m scanning every countryside pond for ducks. A few minutes away from the shelter on Pannell Road, I stopped at a small pond to catch a closer look at some divers on the water. Noticing several bold, black and white flashes tipped me off to Hooded Mergansers. I was hoping for something new, but these are still a nice sight to see. A few days later, a coworker said her husband saw me pulled over on the side of and thought I might be broke down. When I told her “no”, she asked what I was doing. With a grin, I said, “Duck hunting”! Walton County, Georgia  William Wise Photo Nature Notes is a wildlife, birding and nature photography blog documenting the wonders of God’s creation. Numbers 10:9 “God will hear you and save you from your enemies when you sound the alarm with these trumpets."  Eastern Phoebe bird perched in tree. A common North America bird in the southeast. Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. USA. Monday - Around 5 PM I am sitting next to a campfire in my backyard watching the birds. As I relax, I hear the loud laughing call of a Pileated Woodpecker off across the back meadow. Going up to the fence line I search my iPhone for the call of the Pileated. As the tiny speakers project it across the field, I am almost immediately dive-bombed by two highly agitated male cardinals! Bright red flashes bolt around me as a total of five irritated Cardinals (three males, two females) show up!  Red male Northern Cardinal songbird perched in tree with blue sky in winter. A common North America passerine songbird. Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. USA. Ebird count for the day:
 Red-bellied Woodpecker pecking pine tree. A common North America woodpecker bird in the southeast. Athens, Clarke County, Georgia. USA. Athens-Clarke County, 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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