The Joys of
Wildlife Watching and Photography
By BOB HARRIS
Outdoors and Free
Friday, Feb. 2, 2007
I’m sure that many of our readers enjoy wildlife watching and even taking photos of what they observe. It is a pleasant way to enjoy our natural resources and often times we may see things that we might not normally observe in wildlife. My friend, Nancy Jacques, who is a medical assistant to podiatrist Dr. Steven A. Rothstein, of Manchester, hails from Bradford, New Hampshire and is one such person. Living on Lake Massececum has given Nancy prime opportunities for observing a variety of wildlife. It was about 5 years ago that she became interested in photography, when she took a photo of a flower and thought it would make a unique greeting card.
"From there, my photography and wildlife watching took off
into a beautiful hobby. I often take day trips to find an
unusual picture, riding on back roads and not knowing where I
will end up," Nancy told me. "I have found the hobby
of wildlife watching and photography to be quite relaxing and
rewarding, especially when I find the perfect picture. My most
enjoyable photos are of nature. Most of the time, my best shots
are taken right in our back yard, my flower gardens and the
wildlife that I see there."
How many of our readers are familiar with the Brown Bullhead,
a.k.a. horned pout? Some call it catfish. The chin barbells are
black or grayish. The caudal fin is square-edged and slightly
notched. Sharp teeth or barbs are present on the trailing edges
of the stout spines on the dorsal and pectoral fins. The anal
fin has 21 to 24 rays. And, if great care isn’t exerted in
handling this fish, a person can experience some very painful
and nasty injuries from the spines. Horned pout can grow 6 to 14
inches long and usually weigh less than a pound. However, they
are capable of reaching 18 inches in length and about 4 pounds
in weight. Maturity is usually reached in 3 years. They are
mainly found in small lakes and ponds and the sluggish parts of
streams and rivers. They also inhabit sheltered bays of large
lakes.
How many of our readers are familiar with the great Blue Heron? Briefly, it is our largest common wader and flies with a slow, regular wing beat. It nests in colonies, but often will nest
alone. It is distinct from other herons because of its size - 42 to 50 inches in length. And now,
let’s continue with Nancy Jacques incredible encounter with these two species of wildlife and fish.
Nancy’s house is on the shores of Lake Massesecum. She returned home from shopping on July 14, 2006, when her husband, who was on the back deck of their house overlooking the lake, suddenly motioned for her to grab her camera and come quick. When she did arrive, she saw a beautiful Great Blue Heron standing on the edge of their beach, fishing. "We fish all day, but don’t have the patience of that blue heron," she told me. "The heron stood very still, like a statue. I zoomed in the lens of my camera, using the deck railing as a tripod." |
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As Nancy watched the bird, he kept looking into the water. Then, all of a sudden, he made a plunge and stabbed a fish, a 14 inch horned pout
(photo
#1). He pulled it out of the water and waited a few minutes
(photo
#2). Then the heron dropped it back into the water and
grabbed it again with its beak (photo
#3).
"Then, all of a sudden, I saw him throw his head back and he swallowed that big horned pout whole
(photo
#4). I was totally amazed at this feat and kept my camera zoomed in on him," Nancy told me. "Next, I saw him just standing there as if he was paralyzed for about five minutes. His feathers fluffed out and I could see the fish was down in his throat
(photo
#5). He stood there for a few minutes longer, then took a couple strides into the water, took a couple of drinks of water and then he flew off. Who would ever think that such a large dinner, like a whole 14 inch horned pout, could be devoured in such a short time and the bird was still able to fly away? That fish had to weigh two pounds." And knowing of the horned pout’s very sharp spines, one can’t imagine how that blue heron could possibly survive swallowing one of those fish. Nancy’s series of the five shots was completed in about a 15 to 20 minute time frame.
It is episodes like this that can make wildlife watching so incredible and enjoyable. Nancy’s hobby of photographing nature and wildlife turned into a business where she makes and now sells cards featuring her wonderful photos. Readers can view some of her cards via the internet by going to:
www.stores.ebay.com/cardsbynaja. Thank you Nancy, for sharing your unique experience with us.
Bob Harris can be reached via e-mail
at: outwriter2@aol.com |
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