Category Archives: Birds

New Year’s Day 2018

New Year’s Day 2018 dawned cold and foggy. My annual NYD walk at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge was quiet and mysterious in the fog.  Not many birds were out; most of them were hunkered down like this Northern Saw-whet Owl. The Saw-whet Owl is tiny and hard to see among the conifer branches that it favors. This one appears to be hanging out near the visitor center entrance and I will try for a better image later in the week.

 

Occasionally there was a blast of sound as the Canadian and Cackling Geese took to the sky, wheeling overhead looking for better forage. After all, the grass is always greener somewhere. Mostly it was a morning for landscapes. I love the ghostly aspect that everything takes on in the fog. I took a fall image of the road to Lower Lewis River Falls and since then have found myself drawn to roads and their surroundings.  This morning was perfect for getting the dike trail. I also tried a picnic table framed by trees.

 

 

 

 

This year my photo goals are to continue working on birds in flight, do at least two of the Olympia Camera Club’s Word of the Week per month and try to create at least one abstract photograph per quarter. What are your goals?

Also posted in Nature Photograhy, Photography

Spring Adventures

Wow! Summer is here and so I would like to reflect a bit on some of my spring adventures. Last spring I was house bound with a broken ankle, so this spring I made a commitment to myself to take pictures at least one day out of the weekend. I was pretty successful and took lots of walks at Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, the Hawks Prairie Reclamation Ponds and McLane Nature trail here in Olympia. I even managed some day and overnight trips to Degoede Bulb Farm, Rowena Crest, and Big Beef Creek.

I had the most fun finding willow thickets and waiting for warblers. This is my favorite warbler shot. This  common yellowthroat warbler had a nest nearby and was going to and fro with a beak stuffed with goodies. This was taken at McLane Nature Trail.

I also started a love affair with dragon and damsel flies. There is a spot right at the beginning of the boardwalk at Nisqually that is consistently good for these critters. I am still working on my techniques and identification skills. I think it is a four-spot skimmer dragonfly.

You can see more in my Spring Walk Gallery at https://rosalindphilipsphotography.com/galleries/spring-adventures/

Also posted in Dragonflies, Flowers, Nature Photograhy, Photography