RTY Photography Blog

I usually make at least one trip out to Philadelphia to photograph Wood Ducks with my friend and talented photographer Harry Collins.  Normally very shy, these “Philly” wood ducks are quite friendly and will swim close enough to allow for some decent photos. Their feathers explode with green and blue iridescent colors, especially in breeding season. I was shooting in the stream with waders on.  Forgetting my sleeves were not waterproof, I spent most of the day pretty wet and cold, fortunately the weather was mild. If you think you might like to photograph these wood ducks, click on Harry’s name above, he runs workshops to this location.

The Female

I’ve been waiting for the Cedar Waxwings to make their annual appearance at Island Beach State Park in NJ. While out looking for Snowy Owls, I ran into hundreds of them. They all were feasting on the berry bushes as usual. Lots of Robins were mixed in with the crowd. These beauties always make me happy.

Just a few shots of a Screech Owl that has taken up residence smack in the middle of a residential neighborhood. This day it was just sitting there sleeping most of the time, but for a brief few seconds, it opened it’s eyes to check out some of the school kids that were passing by. I have been lucky to see three different screech owls over the last few months.

Hooded Mergansers

Cooper’s Hawk

We had some cold days in January at the Jersey Shore. I always love photographing the Barnegat Bay when it is frozen, especially after a snowfall. Here are several photos taken over the past winter.

Seaside Park Yacht Club

Island Beach State Park

The Estuary out back behind our townhouse.

It looks like we are in the midst of another significant Snowy Owl irruption. The first one occurred back during the 2013/2014 winter. This year an incredible number of Snowy Owls have been reported in the northern and eastern states. An irruption usually occurs after a very successful breeding year for the Snowy Owls in the Arctic. The following winter most adults will remain, but the increased number of juveniles are pushed south to find food elsewhere. The terrain along the dunes of the Jersey Shore are similar to the tundra and provide an abundance of food such as rabbits, mice, and shore birds.

These images were taken over the last two months using a 500mm lens. All photos were cropped and taken at a safe distance from the owls. Snowy Owls are definitely my favorite birds to photograph even though most times it’s extremely cold and windy. They are incredible animals. Hopefully they will remain for a few more months before their epic journey back to the Arctic.

While looking for Snowy Owls along the Jersey Shore, I stumbled upon Project Snowstorm in the process of a capture and release of a NJ Snowy. After the capture, they fitted the owl with a solar GPS transmitter to track and study it’s behavior. This Snowy, named “Island Beach” observed the bait pigeon from a distance for about 45 minutes. Finally it launched and came in for the bait. They use a soft net that looks similar to a hockey goal and a bait pigeon fitted with a leather jacket for protection against the talons. Once it was captured they weighed the owl to make sure it was strong enough for a transmitter. It was a healthy juvenile male.  “Island Beach” seemed quite calm through the entire process, but I’m sure he wasn’t thrilled. Shortly after, it was released near the dunes. A second Snowy, “Lenape” was also captured later that same day. You can follow their journey on the Project Snowstorm website by clicking on the “Owls” dropdown tab. Keep an eye out for my next post with several Snowy Owl photos from this year’s irruption.

Just prior to his release.

The Approach

Lightweight Transmitter

I waited a couple of hours for this little guy to make an appearance from it’s all day nap down below.

Working on the prior meal.

Just some random shots from Island Beach State Park at the Jersey Shore. The Sanderlings are always fun to photograph. Snowy Owls have made a return to New Jersey, stay tuned for future posts.

Sanderlings, just before a wave breaks.

Great Egret

Sanderling Ballet

Snowy Egrets

Sanderlings

Great Egret

Bald Eagle stopped by.

Always cool to have a few Piliated Woodpeckers stop by. They love the berry bushes out back and have several favorite dead trees. They always makes a loud entrance.

Downy

Resident Hummingbird

American Goldfinch

There were a few pretty sweet Auroras in Acadia this past season. But, it seems I was always about 30 minutes late or the clouds rolled in. I have an Aurora alert on my iPhone, but for the big one on October 13th, my phone was on silent. Once I saw the alert, I hurried to my spot at Jordan Pond, but only caught a little of the tail end. Some of my friends took some incredible photos that night. Oh well, 2018 is another year. My feeble attempts are below.

Tail End

Behind the Clouds

Over my Condo