You Can't See Me - I'm Hiding

Maker: RIch Polk

Thompson Park, Monroe Township, NJ

I found this great blue heron along the shore at the west end of Lake Manalapan. He was tolerant as I searched for an angle to capture his eye unobstructed.

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @600mm, 1/1250sec @f/10 ISO 800

Hermit Thrush

Maker: RIch Polk

Smith Mountain Statep Park, Virginia

Thrushes are frequently found deep in the woods, the low light often making them difficult to photograph. When they happen, successes become special.

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @600mm, 1/2000sec @f/7.1 ISO 4000

Great Egret

Maker: RIch Polk

Monroe Township, New Jersey

Herons visiting the ponds in my senior citizen community are quite tolerant. Most residents leave them alone and are not capable of fast advances. Watching this subject move around the pond, he disappeared into a cove surrounded by trees and tall grasses. I approached from a blind direction, surprised to see him pop up just a few feet in front of me.

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @600mm, 1/1250sec @f/13 ISO 1250

Green Heron

Maker: Rich Polk

Monroe Township, New Jersey

I unintentionally flushed this bird from where it was along the shore line, and he flew into a nearby tree. I approached on a sidewalk, and he remained unphased as nearby cars honked horns and a passing firetruck blared its siren.

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @600mm, 1/1250sec @f/7.1 ISO 1250

Fish for Dinner - Again!

Maker: Rich Polk

South Kingston, Rhode Island

This osprey chose to eat his catch atop a telephone pole along the road I was driving. I made this image from the driver's seat. 

Canon EOS 70D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @500mm, 1/1000sec @f/10 ISO 1000

Ovenbird

Maker: Rich Polk

Thompson Park, Monroe Township, New Jersey

I have had little luck finding the reclusive ovenbird. So when one of these wood warblers crossed in front of me along a trail in Thompson Park, and then proceeded to forage right in front of me, my camera was blasting away. In this shot, he has a bit of food he found among the leaf litter.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Tamron 150-600mm lens @600mm, 1/1250sec @f/6.3 ISO 3200

Red-tailed Hawk

Maker: Rich Polk

Turkey Swamp State Park, Freehold Township, New Jersey

My wife and I came upon this hawk perched in a tree less than fifty feet away. Continuing to speak in conversational tones, we saw the bird drop from its perch to catch a vole on the ground below. This is one of a series of photos I made.

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @552 mm, 1/1000sec @f/7.1 ISO 1600

White Ibis in Flight

Maker: Rich Polk

Ocean City, New Jersey

Avian traffic is so heavy around the rookery in Ocean City that an traffic controller is almost required. You can just choose your species and wait for one of that kind to fly your way. Such was the case with this white ibis, and I had enough depth of field to provide some clue as to its environment. 

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @450 mm, 1/1250sec @f/8 ISO 500

Bittern

Maker: Rich Polk

Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, Galloway, New Jersey

During decades of birding, I never had observed the rather common bittern. So when I found one while driving the loop at the Forsythe National Wildlife, I was excited. That it tolerated being photographed only helped. 

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @350 mm, 1/1250sec @f/10 ISO 6400

Egret at Dawn

Maker: Rich Polk

Monroe Township, New Jersey

I had seen this bird settle down to roost the evening before in a tree near a pond in my community. Returning the next morning before dawn, he was beginning to stir. I braced my lens against a tree to make the slow exposure, still stretching the limits of my camera's sensor. 

Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @600 mm, 1/100sec @f/6.3 ISO 6400

Cicada Killer and Victim

Maker: Rich Polk

Monroe Township, New Jersey

Walking along the edge of the golf course in my community, I hear a cicada strumming suddenly fizzle out just as I see a mass fall to earth from a tree. Guessing what it was, I got closer and found a cicada killer dragging his victim through tall grass. It was a struggle, but eventually he made it to the tree trunk where the going was faster. I captured an image of him again as he moved out onto a horizontal branch. Eventually he reached an elevation from where he could drop into the air with his prey so he could fly away with it. There was no way he could become airborne from the ground with that payload. 

Canon EOS 70D, Tamron 150-600mm lens @600 mm, 1/800sec @f/7.1 ISO 6400

Osprey Take-off

Maker: Rich Polk

Monroe Township, New Jersey

The osprey wouldn't stay on that lamp post forever. I planned the shots I had in mind and waited. When he took off, I fired off a burst of exposures. In post-processing I combined the images over an improved sky and replaced the lampost with a tree limb.

Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 18-250mm lens @210 mm, 1/1000sec @f/16 ISO 800

Dunlins in Flight

Maker: Rich Polk

Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, Galloway, New Jersey

A passing marsh hawk would send the dunlins wading in the mudflats aloft. Flying as a united group, their colors changed with the direction of their flight: from the brown backs to the white underbellies.

Canon EOS 60D,  Tamron 150-600 mm lens @600 mm, 1/1250sec @f/7.1 ISO 500

Tree Swallow Feeding Youngster

Maker: Rich Polk

Thompson Park, Monroe Township, New Jersey

We're looking over the shoulder of a young tree swallow sitting on a branch. Its parent is facing us, hovering in front of the bird as it is fed, mouth to mouth. Because landing on the branch to perform this act would just be too simple.

Canon EOS 70D,  Tamron 150-600 mm lens @350 mm, 1/2000sec @f/8 ISO 800

Now What?

Maker: Rich Polk

Abbott Marshlands, Hamilton, New Jersey

This heron flew off with the fish still impaled, so we never learned how he solved this problem.

Canon EOS 60D,  Tamron 150-600 mm lens @150 mm, 1/1250sec @f/8 ISO 1000