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.
Little Snowball’s Big Dinner
On a recent evening I was watching this little snowy egret catching dinner for himself in the salt marsh.
Normally I see snowys catch tiny fish such as minnows, but our friend Snowball here apparently had a big appetite because he snagged a good size seafood dinner this time!
One Last Pass
Earlier this week one lone wood stork came gliding in from far back in the salt marsh which was lit by warm setting sunlight.
He took one quick look but didn’t land, guess he was done for the day.
The Jump Off
A cormorant makes a hasty departure from the salt marsh earlier this week.
I was watching this guy fish for a little while. They are super fast swimmers under water and can be tough to track. They go under in one spot and surface seconds later 60 feet away. Plus they are fast eaters, unlike the anhingas who need to flip a caught fish off their bills. Cormorants grab and eat very quickly.
I’m Not Sure What Got Into Him
Late this afternoon I was watching a great blue heron relaxing along the edge of the salt marsh. I never saw him go in to fish, he just seemed to be soaking up the sunshine alligator style.
Suddenly he got this odd look on his face, twisted around, stretched out and squawked loudly. Then he got himself all fluffed up and that was it. Demonstration over. Mr. A was floating around in the water nearby but he was there all day and the heron never seemed to care.
So I’m not at all sure what brought all this on.
Still Hanging In…
Although their season is beginning to wind down, our good buddy Mr. A was out in the salt marsh late this afternoon enjoying some warm setting sunlight.
The Chase Is On
Great Blue Herons seem to get particular enjoyment from chasing each other around.
This pair that flew across the reeds in the salt marsh this afternoon appeared to be having a great time.
The one in the back was the instigator and started the whole thing.
Dropping In On Friends
One day last week we were watching three spoonbills feeding in the salt marsh during low tide.
At one point I happened to glance behind me and saw number four come gliding in from the direction of the swamp.
Our new arrival dropped right in and started feeding immediately while his three friends never broke stride and acted liked the whole thing never happened.
In the second and third photo you can see the antler from a deer skeleton that still remains out in the marsh from last summer.
Some In A Hurry, Others…Not So Much
Many birds such as this white ibis were quite busy this afternoon flying from one end of the marsh to the other.
However…not everyone was nearly as active as the birds. A certain well known individual was perfectly happy to spread out his chubby jowls (don’t tell him I said that) and snooze the day away while the rest of the world went on around him.
Phil Lanoue Photography 