Knowing My Limitations, Not Knowing My Snipes and Common Bonds

I admit that I am not a "birder." I can't rattle off the names of every bird I see or hear like some people I have met over the past few years. But, I do love observing birds and all other kinds of wildlife in their natural habitat. I even manage to capture an image or two. The longest lens I have is a 300mm f/2.8. And, when outfitted with a 1.4x teleconverter, it gives some reach. But, I have found not near enough for serious bird photography. I may get lucky and get close enough from time to time for a nice detailed image but I can't routinely come home with frame-filling images of birds. I'm not complaining. It's not lens envy or lust. Is it frustrating sometimes? Oh sure. But there is no sense in complaining about the limits of your equipment. I still find ways to come home with images that satisfy me, bring joy to others and make for good wall art, cards, etc. In a previous post I talked about adapting to what the moment gives you, in this case you adapt to what your equipment gives you. Aside from knowing the environment and the habits of the particular species in your area, some things I have found that work for me are focusing on birds that are less skittish around people (and therefore are more likely to remain closer to you)

incorporate the scenery in images of birds that you can't "grab" in close,

and panning techniques.

Back to not being a "birder." I have met plenty of "birders" over the past few years and have found that they are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Just like most photographers are willing to share their knowledge of photography to others, birders share their knowledge of birds just as willingly. Through conversations with birders I have learned to recognize by sight and/or sound some of the birds local to my area of Virginia. I find this useful and just plain fun-to-know information.

A couple weekends ago I was out at Huntley Meadows, a watershed that is popular among birders and photographers alike. The park has a boardwalk that stretches through and over the the marsh. It doesn't get you exactly in the middle of things but you are able to get closer than if you were marooned on the shoreline. It's a great experience actually. When the cattails are fully mature, they are so tall it's very similar to walking through a maze until you reach the outer portion of the boardwalk opening up to a full vision of the wetland and all it has to offer.

It wasn't particularly early, around 8AM and a gentleman (a birder no doubt) making his way around the boardwalk noticed me and my camera focused on some birds out in the water. He walked up and mentioned to me that there were four snipes a little distance away and he pointed towards the far end of the boardwalk. His clue was that they were nesting in a green clump of grass that was between two dry clumps of grass. Well, first of all, I wasn't sure what a snipe was other than being pretty sure it was a bird. I wouldn't recognize one. Second, if you have ever been to a wetland at the beginning of spring, then you know they are full of green and dry clumps of grass. Lastly, I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be gathering up my gear and making a beeline over to the "clumps" to capture this, for all I knew, rare, never-captured-on-film (or sensor)-before bird. We ended up talking for a few minutes about the area and how spring is on its way, observed a couple turtles and ducks making their way by in the water. I remained for a few minutes and then decided to make my over to the vicinity of the clumps.

It turns out that this "rumor" about the snipes and the clumps was spreading and there were several birders already looking for them. Someone mentioned that they had seen snipes in the park before so my vision (delusion possibly) of capturing an image and being published in wildlife magazines the world over was pretty much out of the question. We found something in the distance jumping around in the water but none of us had enough lens or binocular to make out exactly what it was. Something was out there but we had no clue. We spent several long minutes thinking "this is it, the snipes!" Another birder, acting on the same information from the same gentleman as us came on the scene with a very sweet spotting scope. We were trying to direct him to the right location of the movement. He couldn't get zeroed in. I used his scope to pinpoint the location and it turned out to be four rather large bullfrogs having fun in the mud. After a few chuckles, we continued looking around and then everyone moved on. No snipes!

I ended up having a conversation with the guy who had the nice spotting scope. He's obviously a dedicated birder. It turns out he's a professional photographer with the Department of Defense. Imagine that, he's out there watching birds with a spotting scope and no camera to speak of. I guess when you shoot professionally all week long the last thing you want to do is shoot all weekend long, too. I've noticed that it seems more important to birders that they document in their log each bird sighting and any other form of documentation (such as images) is mostly irrelevant. This may not be true for all birders, but the great majority that I come in contact with carry nary a point and shoot. This guy also recently spent two weeks of his own time in Arkansas (on his own without a guide or a search group) searching for the elusive, thought to be extinct, Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. There was a report a few years back of a sighting in Arkansas. Bobby Harrison is one of two men who reported this sighting. He's a professor and an award-winning nature photographer. He formed a foundation dedicated to the search and rediscovery of this bird. Unfortunately, the local birder/pro photographer came up empty on his search.

Be it birders or photographers, it's interesting how we will spend an inordinate amount of time chasing light, elusive wildlife, and other subjects, often coming up empty. But, we are back the next day, the next week or the next month eagerly searching. No complaints.

FONZ, Ferrets and Other Furry, Feathery Critters

We've been FONZ (Friends of the National Zoo) members for a few years now. FONZ is a private partner of the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC. It supports the National Zoo in almost every aspect of the Zoo's operation. Before I move on and get to the real focus of this post, I know that there are at least a few out there that "shun" zoos of any kind. Trust me when I say this, I believe that wild animals belong in the wild. Sometimes I get sad when I visit a zoo. Eyes are very telling and sometimes I think I see sadness in the eyes of the animals. Or is it they are feeling sad for me (us)? However, it's important to keep in mind that there isn't a prominent zoo out there worth its salt that is not firmly dedicated to the scientific study and conservation of animals and their natural habitats througout the world. And, zoo staff members are educated professionals (many who are involved in important, ongoing research) dedicated to the care, preservation and sustainability of all species. Probably most importantly, zoos serve to educate the public on the importance of protecting wildlife, natural resources and habitats. In other words, I think that zoos of this prominence and caliber have their place and deserve to be acknowledged for the conservation and preservation efforts being made.

I'm not trying to necessarily convince or persuade someone's opinion. It's really just some insight on where I stand. We got involved with FONZ mainly because of the efforts being made by the National Zoo and the Conservation and Reserach Center Program (CRC) concerning recovery of the Black-Footed Ferret. Specifically, the work being done at the CRC's Front Royal, Virginia campus. The Black-Footed Ferret is the most endangered mammal in the United States. The CRC efforts have been instrumental in the recovery of the Black-Footed Ferret.

In 1985, there were only 18 ferrets remaining on this planet. Just prior to that time, it was believed that they were extinct. There are now around 750 or so Black-Footed Ferrets in the wild (I've read some reports saying up to 1,000) and 250 or so in captivity. It's a fascinating story. There are other facilities and organizations across the U.S. involved in this recovery effort, as well. The CRC is involved with research and the preservation of many animals, but I emphasize the Black-Footed Ferret because that is where our interest and enthusiasm lies.

We were lucky enough to visit the CRC this past fall. They open their gates one weekend each year to those that support the CRC Program. We headed straight to the "ferret" house. Although we were not allowed to actually go inside the ferret living area because of the possibility of introducing disease, it was great to be able to talk with staff members directly involved with the day-to-day care of the ferrets and to see the passion and dedication that the staff has to the preservation of this feisty carnivore. I can't begin to give a lesson on the Black-Footed Ferret here. If this post in some way intrigues you and the information you find from the various links gets you thinking a little, then great. Seek more information and spread the word. It's all about awareness. And thoughtfulness. And caring about something.

I will leave you with a link to a really cool feature that the National Zoo has added to its website. It's the Ferret Cam. You will see Georgia in her nesting box. She will be ready for breeding soon and we will likely see kits in early June. Keep in mind that Black-Footed Ferrets are nocturnal, so you may see her sleeping if you access the Ferret Cam during the day (Eastern time).

The Zoo has other animal cams as well. Be sure to check out the other furry and feathery critters featured there when you get the chance.

Lastly, I'd like to introduce you to our two domestic ferrets. They are in the same family (Mustelids) as the Black-Footed Ferret as well as the polecat, otter, badger, wolverine, mink and other weasels. Mustela is latin for weasel.

Bobby with one of his favorite play toys and Ariel the lion-hearted. They are incredibly happy, playful and curious and bring us hours of fun and joy each day. Both were adopted from a fantastic local ferret shelter.

There's Wildlife and there's Wild Life

Most often, I get out to a shooting location early. Pre-dawn. Good light. It's quiet and it's usually just me, the breeze, and the wildlife. These are usually planned shoots. I like spontaneity as much as the next guy, but wildlife/nature photography does take some planning to maximize time and effort. However, there are times when, on a whim, I take off to one of the local parks, rivers or other similar area closeby. These opportunistic excursions usually take place in the evening. So, the light is nice, the breeze is there and so is the wildlife. Or, the wild life. That is, humans enjoying the same playground as the very creatures I spend so much time trying to capture on, uh, my sensor.

As you can imagine and maybe you have experienced it, the two don't mix too well. People just enjoying being outdoors. Throwing a frisbee. Watercraft of all types making plenty of noise and wake. An off-in-the-distant car radio playing louder than usual to entertain those in the picnic area. These and other loud activities put the wildlife into a hide mode. Most park visitors, I observe, are oblivious to the surroundings that extend beyond their immediate area. They miss the red-shouldered hawk in flight, the muskrat making his way across the lake, the dragonflies along the shoreline, the snake meandering just off the trail. Well, you get the idea.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with recreation and people enjoying themselves. In fact, these parks are designed and usually maintained more for human recreational activities than wildlife habitation. And, I know that I take my chances of not seeing any wildlife in the evening when people are more active in the parks. So, I try to make use of the situation presented to me, as demonstrated by the two images in this post. Both are very usable images, captured one day apart, same time of day and at the very same location. As the title says, "there's wildlife and there's wild life."