chapter 422

3/27/2016

Easter Egg

birders galore

Went on an Easter Egg hunt to the Ballston Creek Preserve and found them, but they were sat upon by this Great Horned Owl. She took over a different nest this year as compared with Chapter 385.

It was easy to sneak up and shoot these birders whilst they were focused on their feathered friends. They have some heavy hardware but they themselves are soft targets. This is how birders celebrate Easter Sunday. You might think I'm poking fun at them, which I am, however, it was fun to be amongst them almost as an insider. A congenial group with mutual interests. There was a little good natured jousting and comparing of equipment and story telling of how they captured such an such. But they readily exchanged good information on nature and camera techniques. 

Among the groupies was Gordon Ellmers. I'm now Facebook Friends as we had some mutual acquaintances. This veterinarian got the wildlife shot of his life recently when he got 2 bob cats in Stillwater. His Canon was firing off like a machine gun on burst mode here. He'll go blurry eyed trying to edit his 3000+  shots.

He has NEVER seen a Fisher. So I was able to one up him on that score. Point for me. There was talk of otters at Vischer Ferry...

Only had my little pocket camera with me so couldn't get great close-ups, but you get the idea. There are mucho Great Blue Herons cavorting around on the tree tops. A little fighting, a little nest building. They are beautiful. Also got an average shot of the Osprey that lives there. Gordon captured him eating a perch with his Canon cannon.

Maybe redundant to include another shot, but they are so fascinating to observe.

Ok, just one more. A Red-tailed Hawk who landed so close to me and stared me down this week.

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