Photo of the Month
Hooded Merganser Pair is the featured photograph for November in my 2010 Lowcountry Calendar. You can view this image and others at my picture galleries online at www.southernlight.biz.
I photographed this pair while shooting at Widgeon Point on Lemon Island. My drive to the island includes a beautiful span of intracoastal water views alongside marshy wetlands, often busy with wading bird action. This could have easily distracted me from my planned destination …a cramped, plastic, photo blind I set up the night before, but these are dues I pay for capturing unencumbered wildlife behavior. I found this couple en route to their fishing grounds. They are known for their expert diving, which enables their feeding on small fish, crayfish and other crustaceans and aquatic insects. This pair exemplifies the dashing plumage of the male and almost drab brown female version. Both sexes have a bushy crest of head feathers that form the distinctive ‘hood,’ which by the way, can be flattened or fanned out depending on their mood. The male’s dense black crest displays a white spot while sporting a yellow eye; the female’s crest is smaller, looser and all brown, even the eye. It is reported that pair bonds will last from winter to incubation, but it is unclear whether the bonds reform the following year or if pairing begins anew. Widgeon Point is owned and managed by Lowcountry Open Land Trust. For more information on them visit www.lolt.org.
Eric Horan
Photo tip: Working in a photo blind can be cold, wet, buggy, lonely and a challenge to access in pitch black as I did this morning. By entering pre-dawn, I can sneak in with the least impact on natural behavior. A photo blind can also be used similarly during daylight of course, but it takes a lot more time sitting in the blind before the wildlife will relax and forget you’re there. Depending on where and when you access your blind, you may want to invest in rubber boots, chest waders or insulated clothing and you will want to dress in layers. A cold, wet morning turns steamy hot once the sun takes hold of your small space. A sturdy tripod is a must when using 200 mm lens or larger. Since it is technically challenging to change lenses on the tripod, my solution is to attach the longest lens to the tripod and bring along a second camera body with a shorter focal length ready for hand-held shooting.
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