photoartflightTern
Posted on August 8, 2017
I came upon this Tern as I was going along the Wildlife Drive at the Brigantine Division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. Usually they fly off right away or they are busy diving into the water fishing for a meal. This one was content to just make some noise and flap it’s wings and pose for me. After a few shots I left it alone so it could go back to what it was doing and I could look for other photo subjects.
Great Egret 2 Image Panorama
Posted on August 7, 2017
I photographed this Great Egret along the Wildlife Drive at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge. I was using a 400mm lens when this Egret landed and walked by. I could not get the whole Egret in one shot so as it was walking along the shore I tried a few 2 shot panos and used the 2 shot series that worked the best for assembling into one image. After I assembled my 2 shot pano, I duplicated the white feathers in another layer and pulled more detail out of the white feathers, since the Egret was in bright sunlight.
Sandpiper Walking Along The Beach
Posted on July 3, 2017
We saw this Sandpiper walking in the surf on the beach. There was an opening in the grasses along the Wildlife Drive so we had an opportunity to get a few shots before it walked past the opening. 
Egret Through The Grasses
Posted on June 15, 2017
I photographed this Snowy Egret as it walked by where I was photographing the Osprey nest. There was a batch of grasses in the way, so I waited until the Egret walked into an opening in the row of grasses to get a few shots before it moved along.
Curlews Across The Channel
Posted on June 13, 2017
I saw this group of Curlews across the water channel along the Wildlife Drive. Usually I only see one working an area, but here I saw 3 working an area for a meal. The one on the left caught something, not sure what it was but usually when they peck at the ground or forage in grasses they are going after grasshoppers, beetles or other insects. If you see them going deeper with their long bills they are foraging for earthworms, shrimp, clams, etc. This group was just slowly walking and pecking at the ground. But it was fun to see a small group working an area out in the open.
Shorebirds Walking Along Shore
Posted on June 9, 2017
When we were at the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, we were surprised that a few sections of the Wildlife Drive had open views of the shoreline. Usually along the shoreline is blocked by grasses and other vegetation making difficult to photograph shorebirds on the shore. They recently rebuilt the Wildlife Drive from the hurricane damage a few years ago. You are not permitted to go off the Wildlife Drive, except for a few trails, so it rare to be able to photograph a close shorebird at a little lower angle. I believe these are Dunlins, but I am not an expert on shorebirds. Many times they are very similar to another type. I usually photograph the larger subjects.
Egret Portrait
Posted on June 2, 2017
Usually when you are photographing birds you can not get close enough. In this image I was, sort of, too close. Plus the rest of the Egret was blocked by a concrete spillway. So I could not shoot a bird panorama to get the whole bird. So I settled on a Egret Portrait. Then moved on to the next Osprey nest.
Ospreys On Nest
Posted on June 1, 2017
I saw this pair of Ospreys was working on the nest, rearranging sticks in the nest. As I was photographing them I was surprised that they started to mate. Then the male flew off and landed in the grasses near the nest. It is interesting to see them working on the nest, rearranging sticks and bringing more sticks to the nest. On other nests being built, sometimes you see plastic bags, food wrappers all kinds of garbage they bring to build the nest. This one was very clean looking, but it was early in the building of the nest. These were taken at the Brigantine Division of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Oceanville NJ. This area is great for photographing the nests from the Wildlife Drive. The road is higher, then the sides along the road slopes down gradually to the water or channels, so you are looking almost directly across at the Osprey Platforms, instead of looking up. Most are somewhat close so if you are patient you can get quite a variety of photos of the Ospreys building the nest, flying to & from the nest, flying around the nest, etc. Sometimes they bring a fish and feed the young or just eat it themselves at the nest. Being patient helps, but you can always drive along the Wildlife Drive which is basically a loop, getting other interesting shots and come back to the nests to see if anything is happening. Also often you see them defending the nest from Gulls, hawks or other predators. At Blackwater NWR, in Maryland, you see Bald Eagles going after Ospreys to steal their catch. They also have a few Osprey platforms but are much farther out in the water
Female Osprey arranging sticks in the nest
Ospreys mating
Male Osprey flying off, leaving the nest
Wider view of the nest
Unusual Osprey Nest
Posted on May 31, 2017
This is the 2nd year in a row I noticed an Osprey nest in this old, broken and battered remains of a small tree along the Wildlife Drive. It probably is only 4 feet off the ground, the lowest ever Osprey nest I have seen. They usually seek out a high position to protect the nest. They usually are high in trees, utility poles, towers, streetlights, almost any high structure that has enough space to put a nest. In Florida I remember seeing a street with almost every street light along the street occupied with Osprey nests.
I do not know if this is the returning Osprey from the previous year or just any easy place to put a nest.
Views of the nest
A Series of Horizontal Images to Compose a Vertical View Of The Surrounding Area
Osprey Platforms Along Wildlife Drive – Full Occupancy
Posted on May 30, 2017
There are quite a few Osprey platforms for building nests along the Wildlife Drive in the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, Brigantine Division in Oceanville, NJ. Usually for some reason there are one or two that do not get used each year. But this year they seem to all occupied. There are also other nests throughout the Refuge that you do not see, except for the large amounts of Ospreys flying in the Refuge. The platforms along the Drive are a good place to wait for interesting photos. Everything from the Ospreys defending their nests and young from other Ospreys, hawks & other intruders, to seeing them mating or bringing fish to feed the young Ospreys. Also early in the season you will see them bringing sticks and branches to build the nest. You can get great flight shots as they leave or return to the platforms. You need a long lens, since they are not real close to the road and it is forbidden to go off the road. (But I have seen a few do that which is not a smart thing to do) Quite often there are times of a lot of action you can get photos of right above you on the Drive. Most platforms have a post nearby where the mate waits near the nest, sometimes eating a fish. While you are waiting for action from the Ospreys, there is usually lots of other subjects flying or wading by. Egrets, Herons, Terns, Gulls, Shorebirds, Cormorants, Bald Eagles, Swans, the list is endless. Also while you are waiting the landscapes and Cloudscapes are great there. A usual day there I can easily have 5,000 shots or more to go through especially if you are tracking the flying birds, shooting bursts to get the best wing positions. Or if you come upon a bunch of shorebirds in a feeding frenzy, with hundreds of birds going at it.
photoartflight 