Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Doe

Deer-7173-.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I saw this white-tailed deer wandering around the cattails on the edge of Lake Marsden at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area tonight. She saw me too.

I also saw a swan chasing a goose, which I always love to see.



And there was a pretty nice sunset too:

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Butterfly

Butterfly on Fence-7150.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

The sun came out briefly today at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area and I saw a red-admiral butterfly.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw an Osprey

Osprey 6927-.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I only made a few photos today at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. This osprey flew over after about an hour and a half of nothing.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Great Egret

Great Egret-6251.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Raccoons in a Tree

Raccoons on Tree-.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I saw a dark blob on this lone tree in the middle of marsh. Once I trained the camera on it, I discovered it was two raccoons climbing around on it. It's super far away, maybe 500 yards, and it was quite dark. Not a fine art quality photo but this site was new to me at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area so I captured it.

Here is a 16 second HD video of their antics.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler-6413.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I've been seeing a number of yellow-rumped warblers at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area lately. Tonight was the first time any of them came close enough to get a decent shot. The shot on the right is cropped a little and my shutter just wasn't high enough to freeze the bird as it reached for a bug.

I also saw an osprey with a fish, a sun pillar, a chipping sparrow, a mourning dove and a great egret.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Chickadees

Chickadee-5583.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Saturday morning in addition to seeing an eagle catch a fish, I saw lots of chickadees at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. Black-capped chickadees are my favorite birds. They are so fun to watch and they make great sounds.

Here are a few of my favorites from the day.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw an Eagle Fishing

Eagle Fishing-5904.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

For the first time ever at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area, I saw a raptor snag a fish from Lake Marsden. I was watching four river otters working their way across the lake for about 20 minutes when this eagle slowed up and briefly hovered. I knew what was going to happen because I have experience watching eagles fish.

It isn't rare that I see eagles in the area. Usually the osprey will chase them off but not today. The osprey were content with the fish they've been pulling out of Turtle Lake. For years, I've watched the osprey fly over to Turtle Lake for fish but never have I seen one pull a fish from Lake Marsden. I had no idea there were fish that big in there.

Here is a slideshow of the sequence of events. I had to crop them quite a bit but I'm more interested in documenting the event than selling fine art of this bird.



I also saw:  two osprey, a juvenile bald eagle, four river otters, a red-tailed hawk, a pair of northern harrier, lots of ducks and geese, chickadees, a northern cardinal, song sparrow, downy woodpecker, two white-tailed deer, an American crow, red-winged blackbirds, a great blue heron and a pair of great egrets.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw an Osprey Landing

Osprey Landing-5236.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

This was the first day this year that I saw two osprey on the nesting pole across the lake at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I'm usually looking east across Lexington Avenue in the afternoon because the light is better when the birds fly over from Turtle Lake. Tonight was no different but I happened to turn around when this raptor was skimming the lake and eventually landed on the dead tree.

I had the camera trained on this bird while hoping to get a nice take-off shot when I heard an osprey squawk behind me. I whirled around, nearly getting tangled in my tripod and managed to get this shot below. Had I noticed it a few seconds early, I would have had much better light.



I didn't get a great take-off shot but I did get one of its pre-flight maintenance.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw No Moon

Thats No Moon-0188.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

That's right this isn't a moon...it's not space station either. It's one of last year's monarda (bee balm) plants. These are really cool when they are bloom.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a New Plant on Bridge

New Plant on Bridge-0195-.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

This plant is growing in a crack in the bridge at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area.

Two loons flew right over me from Turtle Lake but I wasn't quick enough to get the glass on them and focused. They are much bigger than I thought. For a second there, I thought they were Canada geese.

I saw the eastern bluebird pair again. A couple white-tailed deer crossed Lexington Ave and which resulted in a motorist honking their horn. I saw an osprey a couple times, one time it had a pretty nice sized fish. It was too far away for a good shot even with the 500+1.4x TC.

I think I got my best turkey vulture shot tonight. Three of them soared close overhead when I first arrived.

Previously Near the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Swans Landing

Swans Landing-4945.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

These two swans seemed to have claimed lake Marsden this year, but who knows...I can't tell them apart from the others that come and go.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Bridge and Clouds

Bridge and Clouds-.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

It got cold over night and snowed this morning. None of the snow stuck to the ground. At the end of the day, the sun came out.

I worked on this shot in Silver Efex Pro 2. I'm really loving that software.

Here's a robin I found on one of the signs:

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw the Bridge in Monochome

TCAAP WVA in Monochrome-.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Playing with Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw an Osprey Stick Hunting

Osprey Stick Hunting-4111.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Yesterday, I had a brief encounter with an osprey at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. This bird did a slow flyby of one of the dead trees. It attempted to break off a branch but was unsuccessful.

It looks like there are more sticks accumulating on the nesting pole on lake Marsden. I sure hope they nest there again but I'm only cautiously optimistic this year. They lost one of their two young just before it fledged last year. The general consensus among local birders is it was killed by a predator.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Bolt

Bolt-0035.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

This is one of the bolts holding the bridge together at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area.

I saw lots of birds today: northern flicker, yellow-rumped warbler, common loon, Canada geese, trumpeter swans, coots, wood ducks, osprey, bald eagles, turkey vultures, eastern bluebirds, song sparrows, black-capped chickadee, blue jay, brown-headed cowbird, red-winged blackbird, killdeer, turkey, northern cardinal, American goldfinch and American crow.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw an Osprey with Fish

Osprey and Fish DSC_6424, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I made this photo back in June 2011. It's the biggest fish I've seen the osprey with at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area. I've only seen one osprey briefly in the area so far this year. I sure hope they choose to nest on Lake Marsden again this year.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Bluebird on a Pole

Bluebird on Pole-3937.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Mrs. Bluebird decided to hang onto the side of this telephone pole for some hunting tonight. She stayed only a few minutes.

I also saw: a turkey feather, a blackhawk, a pair of loons, a piliated woodpecker, and lots of mallards and Canada geese.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw More Bluebird Nesting

Bluebird Nesting-3657.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

The bluebirds were really working hard on filling their nest can with grass this morning.

I saw a ton of variety in birds this morning: Swans, Chickadees, Northern Harrier, Loon, the first Osprey of the year, mourning dove , song sparrow, gold finch , house finch and a northern flicker.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Swans Doing It

Swans Doing It-3478.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

Another first at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area.

It was super windy with the sun peaking out between fast moving clouds. I saw: sharp-shinned hawk, bald eagle, red-tailed hawk, pair of northern harriers, ducks and geese.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Bluebirds...again

Bluebirds-2595.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

The bluebird couple stopped by the nest can to move some grass around today. I saw a chickadee briefly check out the other can.

I also saw 6 turkey vultures soaring overhead, a male northern harrier, an eastern phoebe, a female hooded merganser and lots of Canada geese.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Mr. Bluebird

Mr Bluebird House Furnishing-2518.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I was at the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area tonight for a few hours. There was almost no bird activity until the light was perfect. The eastern bluebird pair stopped by the nest can closest to the purple martin hotel. This male flew around with grass in it's mouth for a while.

There was also a cool sunset with a number of airplane contrails converging.

Previously at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw Sun behind Bridge

Sun behind Bridge-4526.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

I've posted a ton of sunset photos from the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area over the years. It makes sense since I'm usually there in the afternoon and the sunrise is blocked by close trees and Lexington Avenue.

I waited all day (not entirely at the TCAAP WVA) for the sun to come out on Saturday. It paid off.

Today at the TCAAP WVA, I Saw a Chickadee on Bridge

Chickadee on Bridge-2272.jpg, a photo by Mully410 * Images on Flickr.

A couple groups (or the same one twice) of chickadees stopped by the TCAAP Wildlife Viewing Area this morning. Here is a shot of one of them on the bridge.

I spent the afternoon watching a northern harrier somewhere else.