“Is It Safe To Come Out?”

Remembering the lessons his mom taught him back when he was a little tyke, Mr. A knows to always look both ways before walking out into a roadway. So he carefully ducks his head under a guardrail and takes a quick peek at the conditions before venturing out. Satisfied that all looks to be safe he takes a slow stroll across on his way to the salt marsh where a weekend night of fun awaits. It takes a bit of work to climb over the rocks along the side but once down in the salt mud at low tide it’s all good for our friend!

55 thoughts on ““Is It Safe To Come Out?””

norasphotos4u on June 30, 2013 at 4:24 pm said:

Impressive shots of Mr. A.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:44 am said:
  
  Thanks very much I’m so glad you enjoying seeing our friend Mr. A! 🙂
  
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Molly Argo on June 30, 2013 at 4:35 pm said:

Great shots of this big guy. He doesn’t have to worry about anyone getting in the way.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:45 am said:
  
  He does not seem to worry about much, well maybe where his next meal is coming from but he also appears quite capable in that dept. 🙂
  Thanks Molly
  
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Maggie Davey on June 30, 2013 at 5:34 pm said:

Don’t you just love the determined expression and the smile when he gets where he wants to go?!

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:47 am said:
  
  He is also probably relieved that he no longer has to look at me shoving a camera in his face. Sometimes even top celebrities such as Mr. A have had it with the paparazzi. 🙂
  
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pixelspielerei on June 30, 2013 at 5:40 pm said:

He has a very impressive life! Stunning shots of M. A., dear Phil! 😛

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:48 am said:
  
  I believe he is quite happy with his life as are most of the wildlife I see. I’m happy you like the photos of our friend Mr. A! 🙂
  
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ruthincolorado on June 30, 2013 at 6:19 pm said:

Love Mr. A! Great shots.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:49 am said:
  
  Oh well sure, you gotta love Mr. A! Thanks very much 🙂
  
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lylekrahn on June 30, 2013 at 6:33 pm said:

What a great sequence. It really shows off its jowls!

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:50 am said:
  
  Glad you enjoyed these, and that’s a good reason why I prefer photographing animals rather then people. The alligators don’t complain that I made them look fat, in fact, they prefer that they look as huge as possible. 🙂
  
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Bella Remy Photography on June 30, 2013 at 7:47 pm said:

Still can’t believe how close you get to these guys. Funny, I’d think they’d just bulldoze over the road as they’re king of the hill.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:51 am said:
  
  Well they kind of do just bulldoze by…they just prefer to do it slowly. 🙂
  Thanks for checking these out Emily!
  
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Tanya Kiesha on June 30, 2013 at 7:54 pm said:

Very nice photos! Is he a crocodile?

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:52 am said:
  
  Thank you I’m very happy you enjoyed these photos and that is an American Alligator. 🙂
  
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  - Tanya Kiesha on July 2, 2013 at 12:35 am said:
    
    Oh, cool!
    
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    - Phil Lanoue on July 2, 2013 at 4:20 pm said:
      
      😀
      
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Deb W. Trotter on June 30, 2013 at 8:07 pm said:

It’s a good thing to recognize one’s comfort zone! Thanks for more great photos. I have a question for you: can you actually tell one gator from another?!

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:56 am said:
  
  He is likely a bit less comfy walking exposed on a roadway, he is most safe and effective in the water, but he does not have much to worry about in his life, well other then a bigger alligator.
  Good question Deb, we can sometimes tell it’s the same one due to size, markings, location, and behavior. I have photos of an alligator catching crabs weeks apart. When I compared the photos later, I could tell for sure it was always the same one. But when they are in the water, other then very obvious size differences, it’s hard to tell.
  
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  - Deb W. Trotter on July 1, 2013 at 11:23 am said:
    
    Thanks for your further insight into gators. So interesting!
    
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    - Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 5:37 pm said:
      
      I’m very glad you enjoy hearing about them Deb!
      
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elizz on June 30, 2013 at 8:56 pm said:

stunning.. great capture!

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:56 am said:
  
  Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed these alligator photos!
  
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Gunta on June 30, 2013 at 10:28 pm said:

I still can’t believe you’ve actually got me to like these guys…. 😉

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:57 am said:
  
  Well sure they are just so cute, cuddly, and loveable! 😀
  
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janmasyn on July 1, 2013 at 12:03 am said:

Great shots, excellent work Phil.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:57 am said:
  
  Thanks a lot Jan, good to hear you enjoyed these photos.
  
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meyer23 on July 1, 2013 at 4:39 am said:

Fantastic pics. The second ist absolutely awesome. 🙂

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:58 am said:
  
  I greatly appreciate your kind words, thanks!
  
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zentao on July 1, 2013 at 4:51 am said:

ganz starke Serie
lg zentao

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:39 am said:
  
  Danke Ich bin froh, dass Ihnen diese Fotos
  
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Andrew on July 1, 2013 at 5:46 am said:

Fabulous shots – he is undoubtedly an honorary member of The Tufty Club.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:43 am said:
  
  Thanks Andrew and yes he is careful about looking first before crossing but he would be more likely to eat the squirrel. 😀
  
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Solveig on July 1, 2013 at 7:53 am said:

Clever guy! Our dog never do that.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 8:44 am said:
  
  This guy looks both ways before crossing! Very smart. 🙂
  
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Steve Gingold on July 1, 2013 at 3:52 pm said:

It’s the weekend and Mr. A is steppin’ out, lookin’ fine, doin’ a little truckin’ and ready for some fun. What a dapper dude. 🙂

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 5:35 pm said:
  
  He is quite the dapper dude indeed! And now that I think of it, the way he hurried back into the marsh slogging through all the mud that other alligator I saw may have been the lovely Mrs. A 🙂
  
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The Dancing Rider on July 1, 2013 at 4:05 pm said:

I just love him. Must say, he looks really happy when he hits that water. His body seems to be saying “Ahhhhhh, it was worth the walk.” 🙂

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 5:36 pm said:
  
  I got the exact same impression. Also he no longer has to look at me shoving a camera in his face, that’s got to be a plus! 🙂
  
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adinparadise on July 1, 2013 at 4:18 pm said:

Aaaaw, he’s such a cutie, Phil. So glad he made it safely there, to meet up with his mates. 🙂

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- Phil Lanoue on July 1, 2013 at 5:37 pm said:
  
  Oh he’s plenty cute alright Sylvia, that’s for sure, and I suspect he may have a girlfriend stashed somewhere back in the marsh. 😀
  
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Pride in Photos Photography on July 2, 2013 at 10:46 am said:

Well you know how I feel about this character…but, buddy you have this down to a fine art!

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- Phil Lanoue on July 2, 2013 at 4:18 pm said:
  
  Oh I know how you feel about him, you love him! 😛 😀
  Thanks for checking out these photos!
  
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Fergiemoto on July 2, 2013 at 4:03 pm said:

Brave you are to capture these stunning shots!
LOL – an alligator that looks both ways before crossing. A few days ago, hubby told me he saw a dog look both ways and wait for cars to pass before crossing the road. Smart animals.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 2, 2013 at 4:19 pm said:
  
  The animals are a lot smarter then people often give them credit. The alligator walking into the salt marsh will often only go at low tide. But how does it know when that is? It can not see the area. 🙂
  
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TheForagingPhotographer on July 2, 2013 at 7:40 pm said:

He’s like a grinning armoured tank, Phil! 😀

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- Phil Lanoue on July 2, 2013 at 8:13 pm said:
  
  He sure does and that’s a great description! 🙂
  
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Jim Davies on July 3, 2013 at 12:15 am said:

Phil, I love this series! I do have a question though. It looks like you were at ground level just across the road from Mr. A. That would put you 18 to 20 feet away from him, right? From what I hear these creatures can move fast when they want to, or is that crocs I am thinking about? Isn’t that getting a little too close, or are you farther away than it appears? I keep forgetting you are shooting a 420mm lens, not a 300mm. Still, I think I would prefer my 500mm or 700mm lens which would allow me more distance! [b]GREAT SHOTS AS ALWAYS![/b] Jim

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- Phil Lanoue on July 7, 2013 at 1:24 pm said:
  
  Hey Jim thanks a million for checking these out and I really appreciate your very kind comments!
  I estimate I am more like 8 feet from the alligator in these photos and was using a 70-200 not the 420 and pic #4 was at 85mm so I was close. 😯 And yes they can move quite quickly, I have seen them run. I just hope to remain lucky. 🙂
  
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David on July 6, 2013 at 4:00 pm said:

An impressive series of shots. Has a nice smile when he’s back in the water.

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- Phil Lanoue on July 7, 2013 at 1:18 pm said:
  
  Thanks David and yes he does look happy to be in the salt marsh, maybe he is glad to be out of the widgeon grass that has taken over so much of the pond.
  
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Angela on June 27, 2015 at 7:19 am said:

Love Mr A don’t tell him that though.

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- Phil Lanoue on June 27, 2015 at 7:24 am said:
  
  I might tell him. 😀
  
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jhh1964 on September 4, 2015 at 9:22 am said:

Now I see it….. and how close were you to this fella’s chops???

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