I'm officially "Bird Stupid"

[sk66]

Well, I think I have crossed over to the other side... I am no longer an enthusiast. I think I now safely qualify as a lunatic.
Yesterday was a holiday and I decided to go take some pictures....never mind that it's almost winter and I don't have heat in the house yet. I've been working on the house too much, I deserved a break.

I decided I'd go someplace "new", the Edwin B. Forsythe wildlife preserve.....180 miles away! We don't get shore birds where I live.
So I got up at 3:30 am after 4-1/2 house of sleep and drove 3 hrs to get there at sunrise. I spent 7 hours taking pictures (looking for opportunities is more like it) and then drove 5 hrs home (philly sucks!).

All in all I took about 75 pictures...about 25 made it onto the computer....15 hours for 25 pics, maybe 6 of which are pretty good. I think that qualifies!

I saw quite a bit of activity..Peregrines (no good pics), Norther Harriers (no good pics), Bald Eagle (no good pics), Terns (no good pics), Ospreys (maybe 2 good pics), Great Egrets (I have better pics already), Great Blue Herons (I have better pics already), Snowy Egrets, and a bunch of sandpiper type birds (yellow legs etc).

I really don't think it was "worth it"...but I'm already thinking about my next visit!

Yellow Legs

[Hill Country Hack]

Glad you took the "me day". Now get to work on the heat for the house. Nice image.

[mosgood]

IDK, it sure sounds like a nice day to me! At least, until you hit traffic on your way home that is. Glad you had a nice day out shooting.

[Murtasma]

I don't know much about birds but there is an app for the iPhone and Android phones called iBird. It's a really great resource that you can use to help identify birds in the field. From the sounds of it it looks like you know what most of the birds are but it might be worth looking into. I used it pretty often when I was out to identify the types of birds I was seeing. It has their calls also which was pretty neat.

BTW The journey is always the thing I remember most about the photo trips I take.

[inkista]

Oh, dude. You got it baaaaad....

So when are you booking passage to Antarctica for the penguins/skuas?

[sk66]

Originally Posted by Murtasma

I don't know much about birds but there is an app for the iPhone and Android phones called iBird. It's a really great resource that you can use to help identify birds in the field. From the sounds of it it looks like you know what most of the birds are but it might be worth looking into. I used it pretty often when I was out to identify the types of birds I was seeing. It has their calls also which was pretty neat.

BTW The journey is always the thing I remember most about the photo trips I take.

I've had that app for reveal years now.

[sk66]

Originally Posted by inkista

Oh, dude. You got it baaaaad....

So when are you booking passage to Antarctica for the penguins/skuas?

I'd go to Antarctica for the hell of it..penguins would be a bonus...(but not my first choice)
happy feet anyone?

[mshockley]

Steve I like your Yellow Legs picture! Lovely reflection--which i must have a thing about because I notice them all the time in everything!

I think it sounds like a glorious day of messing around, sometimes it's just exactly what you need to do!

[sk66]

Originally Posted by mshockley

Steve I like your Yellow Legs picture! Lovely reflection--which i must have a thing about because I notice them all the time in everything!

I think it sounds like a glorious day of messing around, sometimes it's just exactly what you need to do!

Thanks, I took that picture specifically looking to get the reflection....Bird pictures usually need "something" to make them "better". Just a picture of a bird isn't that hard to take, nor that interesting in most cases.

I don't know about "glorious", but definitely more enjoyable than re-piping the steam system!

[prince]

Steve, probably it was one of those times when you "really want" something but end up not finding it.. other times you just want to wander and you find unexpectedly interesting things..

Savor the journey