It’s good to be back!
I’ve been away from the column for a while, traveling the area searching for new adventures, and wildlife opportunities.
It is now the end of July, and most wildlife is settling down, raising young, and trying to beat the heat of the summer.
I haven’t even seen any eagles in the last few weeks, let alone much wildlife activity! I guess this is why they call these the “dog days of summer”!
This time of the year gives me the opportunity to inspect my inventories of photo supplies for the coming months, yes, including the Christmas season.
Selling photos in my business and shows is a never ending supply gathering, and inventory checking business. Believe me, I have often been short of certain supplies when I have really needed them the most. As time goes on, I have gotten better at looking at the long range picture. (Pardon the pun)! This year I seem to be ready to go into next year with everything looking fairly good (including inventory)!
It is now the end of July, and a very hot one to say the least. A lot of wildlife are slow to move during the heat of the day, but will become more active at late evening, and early mornings. The colorful spring birds still have their spring colors and can be seen foraging for food, getting ready for their long trip south for the winter. This activity sometimes will produce some great pictures due to the fact their food hunting brings them lower in the forest canopy. I actually had a warbler follow me on the ground behind my riding lawnmower gathering insects as I cut the grass. It was a very colorful Blackburnian warbler, but I couldn’t stop to get my camera for fear of scaring him off!
Hummingbirds are very active, especially at feeders, probably because of the dry weather. Hummer’s usually will be in the area to around Labor Day, when they will start their long journey south. I have noticed that in the last few weeks that I’m only seeing female hummers at my feeder here in town, but when I go to my camp in the forest, all I see are males. A mystery to me! I guess my advice is to keep those hummingbird feeders full and fresh until well after you see your last hummer of the season. You never know when a few stragglers will show up migrating from the North.
Ospreys are still feeding young at their nests, but at last look, it won’t be long until they take flight, as they are nearly as big as the adults. The low water of the Kinzua Dam might make for some good fishing for the Ospreys, as fish usually gather in shallow pools (especially carp)!
The only thing bad for some of these Osprey nests is the fact the adults have to fly farther to get a meal. This spring I had mentioned a Osprey nest on a telephone pole on Chappel Fork creek. It was located quite a distance from the lake. I was wondering if this was normal. I haven’t been to that nest in quite a while, and don’t know if it was successful.
A quick thought on Ospreys is the fact that when I was young I never saw an Osprey and now they are quite common. To this nature photographer, it is amazing, to say the least. Then, of course, are the Bald Eagles, which have made a fantastic comeback over the years, especially in our area. In this day and age an eagle can be a common sight, and one you don’t forget. I have seen eagles in many places this year, and hope to see many more in the future. The eagle recovery project here in Pennsylvania is an amazing success story. I hope everyone gets to see one of these beautiful birds someday soon. I am looking forward to late summer and fall for more great photo opportunities and stories to go with them.
You never know what you might get into when you have a camera!
Until my next adventure…
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Questions or wildlife sightings, email Rocky atrocky.holland1@verizon.net.
