We went back to Henderson Slough on Saturday. It was a very grey gloomy misty day, so the photos aren't as good as I would like. However, I finally saw swans for sure! Have no idea what kind....they were in a flooded bean field swimming around with some ducks. Chris had told us there were pintail ducks there and wanted a photo, but if they were there, the day was too gloomy to see them.
There were 6 swans.
Best crop I could do.
The whole area is posted with signs saying no tresspassing from Oct. to March when the wild fowl are there. I would like to have tried to get closer in several cases, but didn't. With hunters surrounding the area, I don't like to scare them into the air. They seem to know the boundaries and circle, but I did hear a few shots in the distance. There is an actual hunting club located just down the road. We saw the usual fields full of decoys....I can tell the difference now :-)
In another area the usual mix of geese and ducks were resting.
I felt like I was looking through a "haze" most of the day with all the grey.
This field had mostly Canadas. I have one shot that I can see a Coot in the field with them.
I only included this photo because the second goose from the left has a neck band. I had never seen a banded goose before. It looks like it would be terribly uncomfortable for them to have that large thing around their necks! There was no way that I can crop it to see the number.
The Snow Geese were more white in this field. Last time we saw more of the dark phase.
New geese came in for landing and I tried some "rapid fire" shots as they landed. Wow...that's fun to do! It was neat on the computer to click through them in a hurry and actually track individual geese as they landed! Sort of like stop action videos :-)
More landings
We thought this was more geese in a field looking at them through trees, but when I got them on the computer I changed my mind. Are these turkeys??? They sure don't look like any of the geese. I wish I had taken a better photo!
There were 6 swans.
Best crop I could do.
The whole area is posted with signs saying no tresspassing from Oct. to March when the wild fowl are there. I would like to have tried to get closer in several cases, but didn't. With hunters surrounding the area, I don't like to scare them into the air. They seem to know the boundaries and circle, but I did hear a few shots in the distance. There is an actual hunting club located just down the road. We saw the usual fields full of decoys....I can tell the difference now :-)
In another area the usual mix of geese and ducks were resting.
I felt like I was looking through a "haze" most of the day with all the grey.
This field had mostly Canadas. I have one shot that I can see a Coot in the field with them.
I only included this photo because the second goose from the left has a neck band. I had never seen a banded goose before. It looks like it would be terribly uncomfortable for them to have that large thing around their necks! There was no way that I can crop it to see the number.
The Snow Geese were more white in this field. Last time we saw more of the dark phase.
New geese came in for landing and I tried some "rapid fire" shots as they landed. Wow...that's fun to do! It was neat on the computer to click through them in a hurry and actually track individual geese as they landed! Sort of like stop action videos :-)
More landings
We thought this was more geese in a field looking at them through trees, but when I got them on the computer I changed my mind. Are these turkeys??? They sure don't look like any of the geese. I wish I had taken a better photo!Well, the sight conditions were not good, but certainly interesting! I loved seeing the swans this time.
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25 comments:
Wow. What a lot of migrating birds you have -- from swans to Canada geese. Really a nice post.
Abe: Thank you! These migrating geese, ducks, swans have been at this slough wildlife reserve area for a couple of months already. It's been cool to watch them.
These are all great Mary. You did a good job! And yes the turkeys at the end are just great!
Mary: what a nice shot of all the geese, swans and turkeys. You really had a bonanza of birds that foggy day.
Even though you didn't have the best weather conditions, you did great. My guess that those swans are Tundra swans. Did you hear them calling?
Your other shots are wonderful. I love seeing all the waterfowl together. We have nothing like that around here.
Have a super day.
B.
Wow Mary... Living near that wildlife preserve must be special. I'd be driving there everyday checking it out. All of the pictures are great. I especially like the fourth one from the bottom. Beautiful!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
Eve: Wish I had known it was turkeys when I saw them. Now I want a better shot!
Fishing Guy: It was a good day, despite the weather conditions. Fewer geese over all, but still lots of them there.
Becky: I was betting on Tundras but since I don't know swans didn't want to say they were.
Betsy: It's a neat area along the Ohio River on the Kentucky side. Basically just a bunch of flooded corn and bean fields, but they have set aside parts to be protected for the birds. I would like to go more often but it is a sort of deserted spot and I don't really like going where hunters are by myself. I don't even own a cell phone, if you can believe that. Wish I had a birding/photography buddy. That's why we usually go on the weekend when Mike is home. I keep wondering if there are less hunters around during the week.
I love the pictures.The grey,overcast,and foggy look is really neat.
Blessings,Ruth
Glad you got to see the swans ... even though it was through the mist! What large flocks of birds. Up here in the north countree only the hardiest remain ... chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers ... oh and the odd raven. Come to think of it, there is the odd flock of Bohemian Waxwings but they don't come to our yard.
All great shots--the grayness in the pictures just makes me feel like I was there with you.
I would've loved to seen the big flock of geese and swan - enjoyed all of these!
Definitely my kind of place.
Ruth: I felt like neither my eyes or the camera were focusing half the time in all that greyness :-)
Cicero: I heard there were 30 swans the next day. Don't know where the other 24 were hiding when I was there!
Rose: I'm getting tired of grey.
Shellmo: I've never seen them before and have added several new birds to my life list. I'll remember this place next year at migration time, that's for sure!
Mike: And you would have taken much better photos! You are used to grey days :-)
Hi Mary, fog is difficult, but also atmospheric I think. Hey, if you blow up your first photo, then the extreme right hand bird is a Northern Pintail! I'm a sad case!
(-:
What a great post. It can be an amazing sight to see all of those geese take off and land. Great photos!
They're everywhere! Beautiful, too.
Jenny: I need you here with me to show me what I miss. Are you making this ID on the basis of the white front? Most seem to have their heads tucked. I looked at some of the other photos I didn't use and in one of them, I think I see the long tails sticking out back. However, I want to see them closer before I claim that I've actually seen one :-)
A Portland Backyard: I'm really hooked on them right now and want to keep looking at them. Hope we get some sun soon for better visibility and I need some good binoculars.
Helen: They really are very pretty in such quantity!
Great variety of birds, geese and the swans are great!
The day may have been foggy, but you sure got some interesting pictures of a wide variety of birds.
JB: Thanks....it has been great seeing this large group of migratory birds. Wish I could go look at them every day.
George: Thanks! I think it bothered my eyes more than anything...had trouble telling when things were in focus.
This must have been an amazing sight to see in person. I've never seen this many before but can imagine how many shots I'd be taking too. Great post and pics!
:-)
Hi Mary, yes that plus I could see the pointed tail too. The second shot shows the butt end (as you would say) of a pintail on the far right too. Wouldn't it be fun for you and Evie and me and others to all get together one day for some nature watching. I guess that is what is soooooo great about blogging, cos I'm not sure when I will next be able to come over to the USA so sharing our interests via the web is the next best thing.
2sweetnsaxy: Thanks! It's pretty neat to see. Not as pretty as your Rose Bowl pics!
I don't know how I missed this one again Mary. Something in the time difference between us I think. My goodness!! I have never seen so many birds together except for in the photographs you have been posting. Fantastic!!
Joan: This place in Henderson is really something else. I'm so glad that Mike's friend told us about it. I've never seen huge groups of migrating water fowl before, either!
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