Water Birds at Blackwater NWR
I shared my captures of the little birds a few posts back from my last two visits to Blackwater NWR. Now on to the bigger birds. There were so many great opportunities, so I’ll split into two posts, water birds and raptors so not bog you down with so many photos at once (again). Seems to be a problem of mine….. 😉
We’ll start with the smaller water birds and work our way up.
Greater Yellowlegs
Ruddy Ducks at sunset
Mallards
Northern Pintail (female)
Northern Pintail (male)
Different angle of the same Northern Pintail (male)
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron on the refuge’s Osprey platform cam
(this looks funny, but I bet was neat-o to those who were watching the cam at the time)
Great Blue Heron scratching an itch
Great Blue Heron soaking up the sun’s afternoon rays
An hour later, the same Great Blue Heron snoozing during the ‘golden hour’
(he never moved!)
Great Blue Heron at sunset
Great Blue Heron – An Autumn Profile
The raptors are next; and, of course, there will be Eagles!
Beautiful photography Donna, I so love seeing the Mallards in flight! ❤️🙏🏻
Thank you John! I can understand, they are a beautiful duck! 🙂
Great photos! I love the Great Blue Heron near the pond with the brown grass as the background! Just beautiful!
Thank you, I love that one too! 🙂
Very nice series
Thank you Ted!
Very artistic compositions Donna. I love the locations they were shot, so beautiful! Thank you! 🙂
Thank you HJ! It is a lovely refuge, full of diversity. One of my happy places! 🙂
Lovely, Donna. You not only captured the birds, but also the beautiful atmosphere of the moment.
Thank you, Tanja! 😊
The fall colours are a knockout and I really like the silhouette in the creek.I definitely enjoy the benefits of your “problem” taking so many pictures and am grateful that I can see the images when I can barely spot them in real life. Luckily, a temporary problem.
Thank you Jane! The silhouette/creek shot will be in my best of the best files, I really like it’s artistic flair. I shoot in RAW and it is amazing what that format captures, just as I seen it. And thank goodness for large hard drives for all my photos! hee hee I hope things will be ever so clearer soon for you, recovery takes time after the cataract surgery. Soon you will be spotting your birds spot-on and sharing with us!
A lovely display of your water birds Donna, all ones we never see here.
Thank you, Ashley, I’m happy to share what we have over here, while also enjoy seeing your birds of Australia! 🙂
Beautiful! I’ve savored each view ❤
This is a wonderful way to start the week. Thank you! 😊
Awwww, thank you, Takami, and you are welcome! I am happy to be included in your beautiful week-start! 😊
Great shots Donna, really like the Heron in the ditch at sunset.
Thank you Brian! I pulled off a little artistic work with that one, and am tickled with the outcome.
What a beautiful sight, the water birds against a palette of fall colors!
Thank you Terry! I’m happy with some of the compositions I worked on, trying to get in the fall and gold colors with the birds. 😊
You captured the light beautifully and then the birds of course!
Thank you Belinda! 😊
Superb captures, Donna. I had to laugh at the ‘scratching an itch’ photo. 🙂
Thank you Sylvia! I took a series of that scratching GBH in perfect profiles but when I went through my shots, I thought how funny he was too, working that itch! So I nixed the pretty profile for that one. 😉
A lovely combination of birds and autumn tints.
Thank you Tom! I had fun trying to combine both in some of the shots.
Great shots (of these evolved dinosaurs), Donna! 🙂
Thank you Tom! 🙂
I hope my comments are coming through, I’m having computer problems at this time. Anyway, I loved the images in this post, especially the great blue heron in the late afternoon sun!
I’m getting them, thank you Jerry! It is so nice that GBHs are so cooperative for the most part when you’re trying to line up the image. 🙂
Great shots, but the last two were outstanding, I thought! The sunset and the reflections was gorgeous and the last one was great the way the heron shines out from the foliage in back. Beautiful (as always)!
Thank you Gunta! I am impressed with the artistic flair of the last two as well. 😊 Can I say that? 😉
Nice Donna! Nice variety of birds and colorful backgrounds!
Thank you Reed! You know how special BNWR is! 🙂
Cormorants. Those emerald eyes never cease to amaze me!
Their eyes are indeed gorgeous!