Chehalis Wildlife Refuge

Ok, I've gone over the edge with waterfowl photography. With the abundance of Ducks, Geese, Wren, Herron, Loons, Etc. Etc. Etc. what better time to hone your skills at wildlife photography.
Practicing following a flying duck traveling at upwards of 65 MPH is challenging, frustrating and fun at the same time.  Patents and learning their habits is a definite plus.  I've made several trips out to the refuge at different times of the day to try and observe the different waterfowl habits. ie. which direction do they typically come from in the morning, evening? Do they spend most of the day sitting/swimming around on a pond or river? Or do they consistently fly from spot to spot?

Learning the habits of the different species is a definite plus. Otherwise you're just running from place to place hoping to find something.  Asking locals, hunters, fishermen, rangers is a great way to quickly find information. Most are more than willing to exchange information and talk with you.

Here are some shots from todays trip.  Approximately 4 hours at 2 different ponds in the refuge.
All photos were taken with a Canon 7D Mark II on a Manfoto travel tripod.

3 Ducks coming in for a landing

Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 1/1000, f/7.1, iso 1600 

Same 3 ducks having landed at the end of the pond.

Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 1/1000, f/5.6, iso 1250 

 Hunters scared an owl out of it's resting spot. Caught it gliding above the brush.

Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 1/1000, f/8.0, iso 6400 

Just as I was considering packing up 2 flocks of white swans came flying towards me.

Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 400mm, 1/1000, f/8.0, iso 6400

 Flock of ducks heading for a new place to lay down.

Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 1/1000, f/8.0, iso 2000

  Mud hen looking for some vitals

Canon EF 400mm, 1/2000, f/5.6, iso 2000 

This Alder Flycatcher spent about and hour hopping from limb to limb in 2 trees about 12 feet from me. 

Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 1/2000, f/5.6, iso 2000 

 Same Alder Flycatcher  Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 1/2000, f/5.6, iso 2000 

Him again Canon EF 400mm, 400mm, 1/1250, f/5.6, iso 1250 

 I have to say that to date I feel that this is the best sharp focus of any bird that I've taken since shooting birds in the refuge. Canon EF 400mm f5.6, 400mm, 1/1000, f/7.1, iso 500

Final look at him just before packing up for the evening.

Canon EF400mm f5.6, 400mm, 1/1000, f/7.1, iso 160

It's not all wildlife. Here are a couple of Landscape from my hike between the ponds. Water to the right is the pond that the 3 ducks were landing in. Shot from this location 160° to the right.

Canon EFS10-22mm, 14mm, 1/13, f/25, iso 100 

Stand of Birch trees across the pond from my setup.

Canon 400mm 5.6L, 400mm, 1/1000, f/7.1, iso 800

Lone cattail along the waters edge of pond 2. 

Canon 400mm F/5.6L, 400mm, 1/1000, f/8.0, iso 6400

  I took this as I am amazed that people can come and make use of a beautiful place and leave their trash laying around.  I picked up 5 shotgun shells and 2 beer cans along my walk, but noticed much more.  I will be going back out in the next couple of days with several trash bags to start cleaning up Mother Nature.  Please do your part and pick up your trash and maybe some extra as well. 

All in all a very productive, educational and fun 4 hours this afternoon.  Hope to be back out there again next week.

Have a enjoyable week and don't forget your camera. You never know what will pop up right in front of you.

Aloha,

Aaron

Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge

Checking out the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in Hoquiam Washington on Wednesday, although it was 28°, was a productive trip.  With a walk along the Hoquiam Airport to the Sandpiper Trailhead I was able to get some shots of a Pacific Wren that followed me down the airport driveway to the entrance to the trailhead. I saw mostly ducks along my short walk with one Bald Eagle perched on a stump along the waters edge. Actually didn't see him until I was back in the office and was processing my photos. There he was in the corner of one of my shots of a flying Mallard, I only made it about 1/3 of the way to the trailhead on this walk, was getting to close to sun setting and to dark for handheld shooting. The walkway has several nice viewing areas, with benches along the way.

I set my Canon 6D to Auto ISO, 1/800 to 1/2000 at f/7.1 with EF 400mm USM lens for most of my shots on this trip. Most bird were 75-100 yards away. It was a very gray overcast day.

Here are some of the shots.

This is the Wren that followed me down the road

 Something was really interesting down there!

 Hen coming in for a landing.

 Drake & Hen hanging out together.

 Love the suns glow on the hens face.

 And they finally decided to take their leave.

 Since I had to walk past the airport, couldn't resist taking shot of plane taking off with the golden glow on the runway.

This was a very productive hour of time. Would highly recommend a trip out to see/photograph the waterfowl.  I know that I'll be back out there in the next couple of weeks, definitely with more than an hour to sped.

Have a wonderful weekend. Don't forget Martin Luther King day on Monday.

Don't forget the camera.

Mahalo,

Aaron