If Birds Could Talk: The Great Egret November 21, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Louisiana Wildlife, Photography.Tags: ardea alba, egrets, great egret, south louisiana birds
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Back by popular demand. Well, maybe not by demand. And I’m not exactly sure how popular the first two installments in this series were, but I enjoy these so just humor me, alright? Alight.
Back off buddy! That’s my crab.
Ok, ok, you can have it. Holy crap, how did this happen?
Ahhh! Come on. Leave me alone, would ya? I said you could have it.
Rahhhhh! I’m a Ningagret baby!
Dude! This guy has some serious issues.
Whew! I think I lost him. I’ll just go over to the other side of the canal if that will make you happy.
Oh my gosh! Are you kidding me? Fine. I’ll just hang with my friends the pelicans.
What the what? Come on people, can’t we all just get along?
Please don’t bite me. Please don’t bit me. Really, I’m just passing through to somewhere more peaceful. Please don’t bit me.
Ahhhh….that’s more like it. Wide open sky. Smell that beautiful marsh air. Now that’s what I’m talking bout, baby.
Lord have mercy! Am I on fire? Seriously, this is just not my day.
Night Heron Blues November 20, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Louisiana Wildlife, Photography.Tags: herons, night heron, nyctanassa violacea, south louisiana birds, yellow-crowned night-heron
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So a couple of yellow-crowned night-herons (nyctanassa violacea) have been chilling lately in one of my favorite spots out in the marsh. As you know, I really do dig those big birds of south Louisiana. I guess, however, that I’d classify the night heron as more of a medium bird in stature when compared to some of my other larger friends like the pelican or the great blue heron or the great egret or a whole host of other more typical winged creatures down the bayou this time of year. But it’s smaller size certainly doesn’t diminish my fascination with it.
Some locals refer to this magificant bird as gros-bec (pronounced as grow-beck) which basically translates as “big beak” due to it’s shorter, thicker and very powerful bill.
As you might have guessed from it’s name, the night heron is pretty much a nocturnal hunter which makes it a little tougher to photograph. They also seem to be a more rare to see than other herons such as the great blue or the little blue. During my travels, I guess I’d say I see night herons as often as I see green herons, which, well, isn’t super often. So it’s a bit of a treat for me to great up close and personal with these guys.
But, like I said, they tend to feed early in the morning and later in the evening when the light for snapping a great shot is a bit more of a challenge. And I also find myself tending to lower my camera when they’re around to just sort of drink them in with all of their surroundings.
The night heron tends to feed on crustaceans, mollusks, frogs and insects. They usually wait in ambush mode at the water’s edge or stalk their prey when it’s dinner time. And when they’re ready to attack, attack they do.
Their favorite bayou delight is the crawfish, but hey, it isn’t crawfish season so I guess a little crab is a mighty tasty alternative.
And they definitely don’t seem to play around with their food too long.
This guy seemed to swallow his meal whole in twenty seconds flat.
And as the sun began to set quickly as it seems to do down the bayou at this time of year, it was time to bid adieu to my medium-sized bird friend and hope for another chance encounter sometime soon. I just really like this bird. He’s just got this Joe-cool, rebel without a cause look and feel to him…kind of the James Dean of south Louisiana birds…like if he were a person, you’d see him riding down some lonesome highway on a vintage Indian with the wind in his yellow crowned feathers.
What’s in a Number? November 17, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Bayou Life, Louisiana Wildlife, Photography, Ramblings.Tags: mullet
6 comments
So in my last post, I basically let the entire world know (well, maybe not the entire world, maybe more like 5 people) that I just turned 40. And the other night the Momster called to wish me a happy birthday and was like, “I read on that Blue Dog thing (ok, Mom, it’s called a blog) that you are lamenting your age.” And well, that’s not really it at all. It’s really more like, “What? Are we sure about this math? Hold on a sec. 2009 minus 1969 equals…wait, let me try this with a calculator. Ok, then. 2-0-0-9 minus 1-9-6-9. Hmmm…that’s weird. I guess it does equal 40. Or maybe this is just some kind of new fangled math. Yes, yes, that must be it.”
And again, don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’m upset about this or something. I mean, I’m not having a mid-life crisis or anything. It’s just kind of weird, you know? Like…ok, hmmm…strange how that time thing works isn’t it? I mean, when I was a youngster, I pretty much figured I’d never make it past 30 so I think I kind of had my mid-life crisis at 15. And I’m sure the Momster will attest to that. Why I thought I wouldn’t make it past thirty is a tad fuzzy now, but I remember hanging out with my high school friends (who are now 40 or quickly approaching it which totally does not seem right either) trying to get someone to buy us alcohol (ok, Mom, just pretend you didn’t read that) and talking about Y-2-K although no one called it that at the time. It was just like, “oh my gosh, how weird is it going to be on December 31, 1999? Hey, we should all make a pact to get together for that New Year’s in New York City or something. That would be rad! We’ll party like it’s 1999!”
But honestly, I don’t remember exactly where I was or what I did on that New Year’s Eve, but I do remember getting up on January 1, 2000 and being glad that my alarm clock still worked and the TV stations were still on the air and my computer booted up just fine and there wasn’t some kind of “The Day After” landscape out my window. Not that I thought that was going to happen, but hey, no one knew for sure right?
Anyway, I guess I don’t have any new wisdom to share or insights in to the meaning of it all. I’m just thinking it’s time to enjoy another beautiful south Louisiana day and share a few pics of mullet flying through the air in all their majesty. What do you think? Isn’t that what it’s really about? Just enjoying where you are and who you’re with (but don’t take for granted that they’re going to be there tomorrow) and giving yourself a little challenge to be a better person than the day before? Not sure, but it works for me.
So…I’ve challenged myself to learn a little bit about the behavior of the mullet (from the family mugilidae). And let’s just say that they are a strange kind of bird in the world of south Louisiana fish. They seem to be best known for their jumping behavior although, honestly, nobody seems to have any definitive answers as to why they jump so much. Some say they jump to avoid predators. Others to say it’s to get rid of parasites. Who knows? But what I do know is that they jump a lot and they jump quickly and it’s not so easy to catch them in mid-jump with a camera. Most of the time, try as you might, you end up with something like this…
or this…
But with a little practice, you start to learn that mullet are kind of predictable. They typically jump about 3-4 times in a row. But if they flutter a little on that first jump, they probably won’t jump again right away. But if they fly out of the water on that first jump, you can sort of figure out where to aim the camera for the second, third, and if you’re lucky, fourth jumps. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to grab a good shot. Most of time you (well, me) get something like this…
Oh geez, I think that’s a fish. What is that? So, you just sit and wait and tune in your ears and eyes and try your luck again. Jump, click. Damn. Jump, click. Damn. Ok, well at least you can tell it’s a fish that time. Ooh, cool, he’s upside down.
Alright, let’s try again. And again. And again. Yes, definitely got him that time. Well, maybe not. But better.
Ok, come on guys. I’m getting tired and now the mosquitos are descending. Give me a break will ya? Alright, a little better. But could you jump a little straighter next time?
Ok, one more time and I’m outta here. Where is that bug spray?
Alright, my little flying fish friends, that’s gonna have to do it for today. We’ll try this again some other time. If I don’t get out of here soon, I’m going to be one giant mosquito bite. Oh, that’s a beautiful south Louisiana sunset. Click. Ahhh…thank’s buddy.
A Three Hour Tour… November 10, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Bayou Life, Coastal Restoration, Family, Friends, Hurricanes, Louisiana Wildlife.Tags: bayou culture, Captain Wendy Wilson Billiot, Cypress knees, Hurricane Ida, Ibis, land loss, louisiana wetlands, Project Learn, schmoopy's, wetland tours
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So I was worried that the weather was going to start getting rough and our tiny ships would be tossed, but lady luck was on our side over night. Thank goodness cause I absolutely, positively, did not want to have to don my shrimp boots and grab my shovel to start slinging mud. I’d much rather save that kind of activity for planting marsh plants. Anyway, hope Ida didn’t wreak too much havoc to our friends and neighbors to the east.
So as I mentioned in my previous post, I was pretty excited to have had the opportunity to spend a bit of time with my MiddleSis, my favorite brother-in-law Tom (yep, he’s my only bro-in-law, but definitely my favorite even when he wasn’t the only one) and some pretty darn cool friends in New Orleans last week. I was even more excited that a few of these folks made their way over to Terrebonne for a few adventures on Friday.
Our first stop was at one of the local daycare centers that my co-worker John (aka Papa John) works with through our Project Learn program. Papa John works tirelessly to make sure “his kids” have what they need and does an outstanding job of promoting family literacy by providing computers, books, and every kind of educational material he can get his hands on.
The purpose of our trip to the daycare was to see the outstanding work they’re doing in person and to deliver some very special stuffed animals and books. Kids from First Presbyterian of Plymouth, MI and First Presbyterian of Pontiac, MI spent some time this summer making the cutest stuffed turtles with very special messages tucked carefully inside for their friends in the bayous. The kids enjoyed receiving the turtles, but we had way more fun chatting and playing with the little ones. A big thanks to Papa John, Pam and her outstanding staff for the important work you do for our community.
Keeping a careful eye on my watch, it was time to tear my friends away from their new friends and head on down the bayou for a little lunch at Schmoopy’s. YUM is all I got to say bout that! I wasn’t too sure we’d be able to pull Tom away from the kids however and might have to pick him up on the way back, but we enticed him with the promise of a delicious vegetarian grilled cheese sandwich.
After lunch it was time hook up with Captain Wendy, board the Wetlandtours tooner, and head out on the water. And oh what a beautiful day it was for that. Lows 70s, perfectly sunny, and a nice bayou breeze to keep the bugs at bay.
We saw some bad and ugly…
but thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful…
and got a great education about wetland wildlife, plants, history, and culture.
We also learned a lot about land loss, how we got to this point, how the bayou people are affected by it, and what we can do to fix it. We even had time to relax, explore and chat with some amazing scenery as our backdrop.
And before we knew it, it was time to bid adieu, but we’re definitely looking forward to taking in some more sights on their next trip in March. But if you’re thinking about a trip down the bayou, don’t wait and be sure to give Captain Wendy a shout. Whether you’re looking to take in the sights, try your fishing line, or learn about bayou culture, you won’t be sorry.
And unfortunately, this isn’t exactly the scene I wanted to see on my way back to my home on wheels…
but such is the cycle of life in the Louisiana wetlands.
If Birds Could Talk: The Pelican Briefs November 3, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Louisiana Wildlife, Photography.Tags: birds of south louisiana, brown pelican, Pelecanidae, pelicans
6 comments
Hey fellas! Long time no see. How you doing?
Hey baby. Is that a fish in your pouch, or are you just glad to see me?
Oh my gosh! Something just touched my foot! Can’t we just find a nice sit-down buffet someplace?
So Boudreaux and Thibodaux walk in to this bar…Oh man, not this one again.
Rahhhhhhhhhhhh!
Oh no! Tooooo fast! Fore!!!
Whew! I meant to do that the whole time.
Come to papa!
Score!
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ bout, baby!
Come on fellas. Leave some for the rest of us. No one likes a fish hog.
If Birds Could Talk: The Osprey November 2, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Louisiana Wildlife, Photography.Tags: osprey, pandion haliaetus, raptor, sea hawk, south louisiana birds
3 comments
Oh man. Who is that? Great, a Yankee with a camera.
Whoa! That branch is a bit precarious. I need to stop eating those German chocolate brownies every night. Ah, but they’re so good.
Alright, here we go. Click, click, click. Can’t you just leave me alone? I’ve had a busy day and I just want a little me time. Is that too much to much to ask?
OK, time for some intimidation. Look little girl, these talons are razor sharp and I have no qualms about coming down there and gauging your eyes out.
Really, I’m serious. Stop it.
OK little miss I-think-I’m-a-hot-shot-photographer! I have had about e-nough from you. Put that camera away right this second, get back in that truck and head on down the highway.
Do you hear me? That’s it. I am going to count to three. One. Two.
Three. Really, this branch is not safe. How come they don’t make branches down the bayou like they used to?
Fine. Be that way. I’m outta here.
Ha ha ha! You may have gotten skunked, but I did not my sad little Yankee friend!
It Was A Day For the Birds October 31, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Louisiana Wildlife, Photography.Tags: great white egret, immature osprey, pelicans, Photography, south louisiana birds
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Alright, so if you’ve landed here a time or two, it will come as no surprise that I am enthralled with the birds of south Louisiana. I am particularly fond of the big birds (no, not the Sesame Street variety although Big Bird was definitely a childhood hero). But it’s not that I don’t like smaller birds. It’s just that my eyes aren’t what they used to be so I often don’t notice them as easily and I don’t have one of those groovy cool super-duper zoom lenses to make them look like anything other than colored dots when I do see them. While I’m sure that Santa will be leaving a few of those high-powered lenses under some Christmas trees this year, there won’t be one under mine. But that’s ok, cause I still need to figure out how to use the lenses I do have anyway.
I was thinking though that it’s kind of funny that I love taking photographs of all these amazing birds throughout our wetlands, but I can’t really identify most of them by name. It’s not that some very patient folks haven’t tried to teach me, but I think my memory is beginning to follow my eyes. But maybe if I’m a good girl, what Santa might very well leave me under the tree this year is a birding field guide to help me out.
A good friend once told me that they only had regular birds where he grew up in Brooklyn. And I kept thinking during my trek around the bayous yesterday, what would Sandy call these birds? Highly irregular birds?
A Monarch Minute? Or is that a Gulf Fritillary Minute? October 12, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Louisiana Wildlife, Photography, Ramblings.Tags: agraulis vanillae, eagle, gulf fritillary, institute for sustainable communities, louisiana butterflies, osprey, passion butterfly
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So I’ve been pretty busy lately. I spent two wonderful days in the Lower 9th Ward this week at an Institute for Sustainable Communities network meeting, have been preparing for a week of advocacy presentations in Chicago and a funders tour in the 5 Bayous and a possible trek to DC following Chi-town. And on top of all that, I even managed to get a little fishing in yesterday thanks to BW, and although I didn’t manage to get any fish in the boat, I’m happy that BW did.
I also happened to be passing my favorite photog spot, and even though I really needed to be making 12,000 copies and burning 100 DVDs, I decided to stop for a few minutes and see if my friends Mr. Osprey and Mr. Eagle might swing by to say hello. Although they didn’t stop by that day, they did swing by the boat yesterday for a very quick flyby.
Yes, that is an osprey and an eagle. Really, I swear. And this photo reminds me of a recent post I made about the importance of never, ever leaving home without my camera. Well, let’s just say that if you live in south Louisiana, you should never, ever leave home without your camera, but you should also make sure you’ve got the right lens locked in place cause you just never know. Oh well, better luck next time.
So, anyway, back to my quick stop at my favorite photog perch…while Mr. Eagle and Mr. Osprey didn’t stop by that day, another winged creature did. Don’t know much about these kind of winged creatures and originally thought this was a Monarch. But that’s not even close I’ve since learned. Near as I can tell this is actually a Gulf Fritally (agraulis vanillae), also known as the Passion Butterfly. Well, I think.
For more Gulf Fritillary Minute photos, click here.
To view the video I’ve been making copies of, click here.
And to check out the photos from my amazing and inspiring trip to the Lower 9th Ward, click here.
Next stop…the Windy City. Later gators!
Not Smarter Than Your Average… October 5, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Louisiana Wildlife, Photography.Tags: bald eagle, egrets, herons, Louisiana Wildlife, night heron, osprey, Photography, wetlands
6 comments
Wish someone would write me a story, but the chances of that are pretty slim so I guess I’ll just have to write you all one instead. I’ll even make it an illustrated story since I know you’re just here for the pictures anyway.
The old truck rumbled down the crossroad. She hit the seek button on the radio. “Pump up the jam…,” ugh, high school flashback. Click. “Just $19.95 plus shipping and…”. Click. “It’d be easy to add up all the pain and all the dreams you set watch go up in flames…” Geez, that’s a pretty song. She usually doesn’t enjoy Country, but that’s pretty nice. Whoa! What the what? That’s Dave! Holy cow. She’ll need to find that song on iTunes when she gets back to civilization.
“…breathing in and out’s a blessing can’t you see? Today is the first day of the rest of my life….now I’m ali…” What was that? She checks the rear view mirror and pulls the old Ford to the side of the road and starts backing up while reaching in the camera bag. Click. “Is that what I think it is?”
Gosh, not sure. She sure wished that thing was a little closer and her eyes hadn’t starting giving out on her before she even hit puberty. Let me try again, she thinks. Click. Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Hmm…sure does look like one even though it’s pretty darn fuzzy. But, she’d been fooled before. Click. Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Oh yeah, definitely got something here she said to her friend peaking around the corner for a glance.
She opened the door carefully not to scare off the majestic creature and inched closer to the bank. Click. Click.
“Hey, where ya going,” she shouted. Click.
She cranked up the engine and headed in the direction of her prey. Hmmm…that could be it. Not sure. Click. Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Tough to tell. She grabbed the video camera from the front seat and decided to try to wait it out.
La la la. Boy that’s one stubborn bird she said to the buzzard or whatever that scary bird was hanging out in the nearby dead tree.
“Whoa. Kinda got some Dracula thing going on there Mr. Big Scary Bird.”
“Come on possible eagle. Come see.” Oh well, at least there were some other not-so-stubborn birds around to photograph while she waited. Click. Click. Click.
“Alright, I give up my stubborn, possibly-an-eagle-but-possibly-not-friend. I’m tired, hungry and lonely, and now it’s starting to get dark,” she said as she folded up the tripod and hopped down from the tailgate. “Maybe we will meet again some day.”
After unloading the truck, she sat down at the kitchen table and popped the memory card in the slot on the laptop for a closer look.
“Drat. Hello Mr. Osprey. I’m definitely not smarter than your average eagle. Send him my regards when you see him.”
“Nice catch though, Oscar! Wish I were fishing too.”
For Your Viewing Pleasure September 30, 2009
Posted by dianehuhn in Friends, Louisiana Wildlife, Photography.Tags: alligators, bald eagles, blue heron, cypress swamp, herons, Photography, south Louisiana, swamp tours
6 comments
Sorry y’all. Haven’t had much of anything interesting or funny to say lately, but a good friend was nice enough to take me on a swamp tour recently. So how about some pictures and I will save you from having to read my dribble?
