Tag: Hey, PhotoFriends!
+ Andrea van Beausichem, Andrea van Beusichem, Birds, Ducks, eagles, egret, Fish, Geese, grebes, heron, Migration, Montezuma, muskrat, osprey, swans, Uncategorized
Spring, Montezuma Style
by Susan
Winter is slowly losing its grip on western New York. Eaglets are hatching, osprey and herons are nesting, and ducks, geese, and swans have found their mates. Although spring arrived meterologically on March 21, it wasn’t really spring for us nature photofolks until April 1st, when the gate to Wildlife Drive swung open. Today was sunny (and warm!), so I packed a lunch and … Read More Spring, Montezuma Style
Feeding the Waterfowl, An Update
by Susan
Well, this blog has definitely been seen, because Ms. van Beusichem has now issued a brochure, Draining the Main Pool, Feeding the Waterfowl, which is available without charge at the MNWR Visitor’s Center. Nice try, but in my opinion it warrants no cigar. She merely repeats the glib arguments that we have already heard, albeit with a bit more cheerfulness. “The Montezuma National Wildlife … Read More Feeding the Waterfowl, An Update
Wildlife Dried
by Susan
Writing on Joseph Karpinksi’s Facebook Page, Birds of Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, MNWR spokesperson Andrea van Beusichem advised visitors that Wildlife Drive will be “challenging” this year. I’m not sure if that is the best way to describe it. . .pathetic is more like it. There just isn’t much to see on the grasslands situated where the marshes used to be. But hey, at … Read More Wildlife Dried
Wildlife Drive Is Open, No Foolin’!
by Susan
Probably the most visited part of the sprawling Montezuma Wetlands Complex is Wildlife Drive, a 3.5 mile loop that allows visitors to take a hike from the comfort of their own cars. And today, April 1st, the gates were opened to welcome birders (and photographers) to the 2020 observation season. Even CoVID-19 could not prevent this long-awaited event — in fact, it’s one of … Read More Wildlife Drive Is Open, No Foolin’!
+ Birds, eagles, heron, Uncategorized
They’re Back!
by Susan
Who’s back? The great blue herons, of course. There are just a few right now. Maybe they are the hardy ones who stayed here over the winter, fishing in any open water they could find, or maybe they are the first to arrive after weeks of travel on the Atlantic Flyway. Who knows, but in any event in a week or so as the … Read More They’re Back!
+ Birds
The Most Disdained Birds in America
by Susan
They really didn’t do anything to deserve it. Nonetheless, they are the birds we love to hate — crows, starlings, and mute swans. Actually, they are kind of pretty. Crows are dark and sleek. Starlings have such cute little polka-dotted tummies (much like a miniature Kate Spade bag). They both make a terribly unpleasant noise, but crows are quite useful to the human population … Read More The Most Disdained Birds in America
Rocky Racoon? or maybe a long-lost cousin.
by Susan
I mean, these aren’t exactly the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota. But this little one didn’t mind at all. The roadside vegetation — and whatever insects hiding therein — was just fine! A brief but enjoyable stop while on my way to Montezuma.
There were ten of them!
by Susan
Saw them near Montezuma today. Such beautiful birds! Could use a little post-processing, maybe, just to correct the color (these are jpgs, so were processed in-camera), but I think their natural beauty shows through without it.
+ squirrel
Photos Gone Wild
by Susan
Wildlife. It’s all around us. All you have to do is look 🙂 Well, yeah, that’s true for the easy ones, like squirrels or chipmunks in the backyard. Hawks are easy, too, sitting atop utility poles, as are turkeys pecking in harvested cornfields, ducks bobbing on the lake, and the occasional deer grazing along the roadside are good practice. Most of them –except maybe … Read More Photos Gone Wild
+ gear
Newbie Alert: How to Buy a Polarizer
by Susan
There are two ways to do this. You could pick one off the shelf. Chances are you would end up with a nice accessory that will even out harsh light and glare to a very acceptable degree. It may even leave you with change in your pocket. Or, You could talk to Vicky at Rowe’s. I highly recommend the Vicky option, and here’s why. … Read More Newbie Alert: How to Buy a Polarizer
+ about me
Here’s Me
by Susan
I’m a short. round, opinionated old lady. You can distinguish me from other short, round, opinionated old ladies because I’m the one dragging my camera and gear around in a polka-dotted Kate Spade bag. When I am not roaming the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge or Sterling Nature Center or the marshes alongside Route 38, I am probably wishing I was. I don’t know why plants … Read More Here’s Me
Seen by Susan: Fun with Flora and Fauna 
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