Phil Lanoue Photography
I previously worked as a news and sports photographer. Recently I have been enjoying wildlife photography. My approach toward bird photos is similar to sports photography. I attempt to capture mostly action and hopefully a unique perspective.
Surprise Visitor
Late Sunday evening as we were returning home from the marsh, we drove by one of the ponds behind our house and noticed something unusual. In among some Canada Geese that we see all the time, was this one white bird that stood out from the rest. Even though it was quite dark by then, I still had to jump out of the car and grab a quick photo. Bad light requiring high ISO got this rather grainy image of what turned out to be a Snow Goose hanging at the edge of the water with his Canada buddies. So yesterday afternoon I went back out hoping the Canada Geese and their new friend would still be around. They were, so I got a few pics of this handsome looking Snow Goose which is a rare treat for us!
Dried Flowers
One morning this past week I noticed that a lot of the wildflowers along the side of the marsh had begun to dry up and turn brown…I guess it’s just that time of year…
Happy Bird…Not So Happy Fish
Last week I was watching this great egret fish in the salt marsh. It seemed quite pleased to have plucked out a fish for dinner. The fish, on the other hand, did not look happy at all.
“Watch Your Step Woody…”
Last week we saw this wood stork step gingerly around our pal Mr. Gator who was relaxing in the marsh pond. Although Woody was smart to be cautious, he likely had little to fear from the alligator who was more interested in napping in the sun than looking for a meal!
Morning Alligators
This morning I decided to go over by the swamp to see if anything was going on. I wasn’t there five minutes when I saw this good ole’ boy sneaking his nose out from behind the weeds. After giving me a quick lookover and figuring I was ok, he went lumbering across a paved road that runs along one edge of the swamp and dropped into it. The second photo shows him after he settled down among the swamp muck. A bit further down in the swamp I discovered another alligator attempting to camouflage himself in the duckweed.
Sorry if my video camera work is a bit shaky…three cups of coffee can sometimes do that to me!
Nobody Likes A Muddy Fish
Yesterday morning we were watching a small group of white ibis fishing in the salt marsh at low tide. Normally, the ibis only catch and eat small fish, shrimp or other tiny marine crustaceans. But this one boy caught himself a nice size fish which would make an outstanding meal. However, after he took it out of the water and brought it on land to eat, he unfortunately dropped the fish into the mud. Well this is no good…no one wants to eat a muddy fish! So he brought it back over to the water to give it a quick rinse. Once that was accomplished, he proudly showed off his nice clean, bright, fish to his friends!
Cattle Egrets…and…Spot The Imposter!
Monday morning we were very excited to spot some cattle egrets in the salt marsh among the oyster beds. These egrets are interesting and unusual for this area so it was quite a treat to see them! A bit later we saw a large group of them flying above the marsh pond. But…all may not be as it seems. They may not all be cattle egrets…there may be an imposter who slyly infiltrated the group. Can you pick out the individual who doesn’t belong??
“Oh What A Beautiful Morning…”
Yesterday morning we saw our old pal Mr. Gator come swimming out of his area back in the marsh and settle in on the edge of the pond for a little nap in the sun. I was standing not too far away whe I heard THE distinctive sound that only a bellowing alligator can make. I was more than a little surprised since we normally only hear this sound around the late spring during mating season. At that time of the year it’s fairly common to hear some of the larger alligators making this sound to warn off other gators and also to attract potential mates. I rushed over to where Mr. Gator was laying down (a safe distance anyway!) and grabbed a still shot of him as he bellowed, then switched over to video and managed to capture 10 seconds that recorded the last of his 6 or 7 bellows. Perhaps the sun and the beautiful weather made Mr. Gator feel like singing…Turn the sound up on your speakers and you should be able to hear the end of the concert!
Phil Lanoue Photography 