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.
From Dark Water…
On a dark grey and gloomy morning, this great egret emerges out of the dark choppy water of the marsh pond on an unknown flight mission…
The “Tweener”
The little blue heron is one of my favorite birds, and this immature heron is in the most appealing phase of it’s development. Little blue herons start out as all white juveniles. But by the time they’re a year old, they slowly begin to change into the all blue adult they will eventually become. This in between, or “tweener” phase, when they are a patchwork of blue and white, is when the little blue looks the best in my opinion.
“I Want My Mommy!”
Yesterday afternoon I saw this baby alligator pop it’s little head up out of the swamp and take a look around. I believe he was looking for his mom because she was indeed keeping watch nearby tucked back into the reeds where you could barely see her.
There were also a few more little ones that I could see hidden even farther back in the reeds but only this one ventured out into the water. I know mom was keeping an eye on the entire brood and this could get interesting as we get further into Spring and the weather starts to really warm up!
Nice Day For Sitting…And Flying
It was a beautiful warm sunny day today along the South Carolina coast, and our friend the bald eagle was out taking advantage of the Spring like weather.
I spotted him relaxing in a pine tree along side the salt marsh and I’m not sure which of us was enjoying being out in the sunshine more! Soon however, he jumped off and flew across the marsh and I watched as he soared off to his next destination…
Some Things Never Change
Well, once again, we see that two snowy egrets are incapable of fishing together in the same area of the salt marsh. One snowy almost always feels compelled to chase off another. I don’t even think that it’s necessarily anything personal, it’s just what they do…snowys being snowys.
You Could Put An Eye Out With That Thing!
This great blue heron came zipping by me so close and so fast I only had a chance to bang off this one frame. It turned out that I captured just the front half of the bird as it flew across the salt marsh but that was the business end!
I’m glad I did not need to go to the hospital Emergency Room and have to explain to the doctor that my injury was the result of a blue heron smacking me with it’s wing as it jetted by!
Ibis At Sunset
A lone white ibis stands silhouetted in the marsh pond. Although it is winter, the setting sun warms the scene in orange and golden light.
Still Fishing
A while back I was watching this young brown pelican fishing in the salt marsh. I thought I saw something unusual on the bird and when I examined the images later I realized that this pelican had a fishing lure stuck under the front portion of it’s right wing.
Sadly we see this type of thing far too often especially here along the coast. Birds can easily get stuck with hooks and tangled in fishing line. Hopefully this pelican can somehow manage to work the lure free from it’s body. But for now it seems to be able to fly and fish normally which is a good sign…
Phil Lanoue Photography 