Spring Runoff

1/30 sec. f/16 ISO 400

Rainy Day Osprey

1/500 sec. f/8 ISO 1000

I was at the lake early yesterday despite the thunderstorms we were having. I'm not sure why I even stopped other than my camera gear was already in the truck and I was close by. The rain let up somewhat after I got there, but the nearby lightning almost made me decide to abandon my idea. I took a few photos on one end of the lake and then the rain started coming down too hard again. I packed up my gear and drove to the other end just to take a look before leaving.

The fickle rain let up by the time I made the drive to the opposite end, so I parked and got my gear back out. I noticed a bird over the lake and at first glance thought it was a gull. As it passed overhead, I realized it was an osprey. It was the first one I had ever seen in my home area and turned out to be the very first one I've ever photographed. It was making passes from one end of the lake to the other sometimes slowing down to hover briefly.

You can't tell from the photos, but the sky was a very dark gray and it was drizzling. The lighting was absolutely terrible for my big lens. I had to overexpose my photos by 1 1/3 stops just to keep the osprey from being a black blob. Even at a high ISO, my shutter speed was slow for flight shots. Sometimes you just have to do the best you can. I wasn't able to photograph the dive bomb because the osprey was too far down the lake, but fortunately it did fly back by me with the fish. Considering it would have been easier just to go home, I was happy with the outcome.

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

A Little Prissy

1/640 sec. f/8 ISO 400

Canada Goose

Blue Ridge Beauty

1/40 sec. f/16 ISO 100

Blue Ridge Mountains

On A Hot Tin Roof

1/320 sec. f/8 ISO 100

Canada Goose

Sticks And Wire

1/80 sec. f/8 ISO 400

Sometimes simple is the way to go.

Linking to Good Fences

On The Border

1/160 sec. f/8 ISO 400

Killdeer

Horned Grebe

1/320 sec. f/10 ISO 1600

Horned Grebe
Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Reaching Skyward

1/100 sec. f/16 ISO 200

Kentucky River Palisades

Her Majesty

1/1250 sec. f/8 ISO 200

Female Bald Eagle

Salato Wildlife Center

Linking to Saturday's Critters and The Bird D'Pot

Trailing Toes

1/320 sec. f/16 ISO 1600

Great Blue Heron

A Fence For The Boys

1/100 sec. f/11 ISO 100

Percheron/Thoroughbred Cross Geldings
Linking to Good Fences

In Bloom

1/250 sec. f/8 ISO 100

Cherry Blossom Tree

Mr. Bob

1/125 sec. f/8 ISO 500

Bobwhite Quail

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Weathered

1/640 sec. f/5.6 ISO 100

Clinging To Vines

1/160 sec. f/8 ISO 800

Northern Mockingbird

Portrait Of Red

1/125 sec. f/8 ISO 1000

Northern Cardinal

Linking to Saturday's Critters

Showing Off

1/320 sec. f/7.1 ISO 1600

Grackle

Deadly Fence

1/160 sec. f/8 ISO 1000

Cooper's Hawk

Linking to Good Fences

A good fence for the hunter, but maybe not so good for the hunted.

Little Buddy

1/250 sec. f/10 ISO 640

Tree Turkey

1/640 sec. f/8 ISO 500

Female Wild Turkey

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

Cruising Mode

1/1000 sec. f/8 ISO 400

Great Blue Heron

Stump Queen

1/200 sec. f/8 ISO 1600

Female Mallard

Portrait Of Boo-Boo

1/80 sec. f/11 ISO 500

Black Bear

Salato Wildlife Center

Linking to Saturday's Critters

Morning Glow

1/640 sec. f/11 ISO 100

Linking to Skywatch Friday

Good Bison

1/320 sec. f/11 ISO 500

American Bison

Linking to Good Fences

If good fences make good neighbors, it stands to reason good bison fences make for good bison. Or at least less cranky bison.

Up Close

1/125 sec. f/7.1 ISO 200

Canada Goose
Linking to Black and White Wednesdays

Caught

1/1250 sec. f/8 ISO 1600

Great Blue Heron
Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday

What I found interesting about this shot are the reflections. There's the direct reflection of the heron and then below that is a second reflection with two eyes.