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.
Well He Looks Happy…I Think…
This alligator was out sunning himself in the swamp on a cold February morning and at a quick first glance I thought maybe he looked happy. But since I wasn’t sure and also was not about to ask him, I’m going with happy. It’s just better for everyone that way…
“Did I Just See Something?!?”
Yes you did Mr. Great Blue Heron, yes you did.
A while back I was watching this blue heron fishing in the salt marsh when he suddenly whipped his head around and went into full alert stalking mode. Did he see something? Well it turns out that yes indeed he did, because he soon plucked this large fish out of the water. After roughing it up a bit, the heron did eventually manage to get his big meal into place for a head first trip down the gullet.
That fish should fill him up nicely!
Places To Go, People To See…
This brown pelican from last week beat a hasty retreat out of the salt marsh. Clearly he had more important business to attend to…
This Marsh Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us
As best as I can tell, from my observations snowy egrets must spend approximately 60% of their lives fussing and squabbling with one another. Snowys get along just fine with the other wading birds such as ibis and herons, but put more then one snowy in the same location and they are incapable of behaving themselves. Even though there is plenty of room for many snowys to each have their own spot to feed in, they always want the place the other guy is currently fishing.
Such was the case with this pair in the salt marsh recently. One guy has to come in and jump the other guy for no apparent reason other then that’s what they do…that’s what snowy egrets always do.
Winter Flight
Bald Eagle flight across the marsh on a cold clear, blue sky day in January.
I liked how the sunlight from the side, lit only a portion of the eagle’s belly, one wing tip, and his face.
The Oyster Bed Freestyle Event
Here’s the gold medal performance for the White Ibis Oyster Bed Freestyle Event held recently in the salt marsh.
Just the right amount of air with feet in the proper position in photo one. Only a slight touch with that right foot in photo two, but an excellent recovery and superb balance is achieved in photo three. The very impressive wings up position in photo four leads to an absolutely perfect landing with a confident look at which point we could all tell the ibis knew he was due a high score!
“Stop! Don’t Look At Me!”
Recently I was watching this egret fishing in the salt marsh and at one point he struck at the water but came up empty on that attempt.
He must’ve been particularly embarrassed that I witnessed the unfortunate scene because he ducked down his head and used his wing to shield his face from any further humiliating photos.
In A Twist
Yesterday afternoon a brown pelican was floating along in the salt marsh when it suddenly did… this!
I’m not sure if it was simply shaking water off itself or had something caught in it’s throat, but I’ve never seen a pelican twist their head and huge bill in this manner.
Phil Lanoue Photography 