Happy New Year!

The American White Pelicans are such gorgeous, graceful looking birds. They are spending the Winter months on Old Hickory Lake again this year.

I thought I would begin the New Year with some images of these beautiful birds. There are about 100 or more Pelicans living right off one of the rookeries that sits in the middle of the lake. At any time of the day you will find groups of Pelicans swimming and feeding around the tiny inlets and coves that make up Old Hickory Lake.

It's interesting to watch them as they feed because they synchronize their diving maneuvers. And as one goes down for a catch, the others follow suit.

This particular image is my favorite shot. I would have loved it if the water wasn't rippled, but it's a huge lake right off the Cumberland River and the chances of that ever happening are slim to none.

I have been battling bronchitis for nearly a week, but am starting to get well. I sleep at odd hours as the coughing keeps me up most of the night. I trust everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year's Eve. I watched the ball drop in New York's Times Square from my living room and then watched the Music Note in Nashville drop from my bedroom. I wish all of you the best wishes for the upcoming year and hope this one proves to be your best. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The Pelican Brief

I know what you're thinking. I used a play on words. Well, you would be right. You see I spent a brief time today photographing the beautiful American White Pelicans that finally made their way back to Old Hickory Lake along the peninsula where I live. There are two peninsulas in Hendersonville where the lake runs up both sides of those peninsulas for several miles.

In this first image, the late day sun was shining right on the Pelicans as they floated along the lake. This is one of the best images I have ever gotten of the American White Pelicans. I wished there had been a little more light but I like the way the sun is shining on the birds.

It's not easy photographing these birds on Old Hickory Lake as most of the background is going to be the back yards and docks from the houses directly across the lake. This image seemed somewhat noise free for the most part. Basically, there were Pelicans up and down the entire lake along this peninsula everywhere. I suppose you could say they have made themselves at home here on the lake.

Leaving the Pelicans, I ran errands, and afterwards before going home, I stopped for a few more minutes to snap photos of the birds. The sun was shining a tad more too. The wind had picked up making the water choppy, but I captured a couple more photos in spite of it.

We started out in Tennessee this week with sub zero temperatures. It was minus 1 degree last Sunday night. Monday brought an ice storm and later in the day snow. We averaged around 2-3 inches total with about an eighth of an inch of ice under it. It made for hazardous driving and tons of school closings. Fast forward one week to today. It is 65 degrees and balmy. The flu is ravaging every state across the U.S. and Canada too. This H1N2 strain is the worst one and apparently that's what most people are getting. I hope wherever you are you are warm and healthy and the sun is shining brightly. I'll be back with a few Duck images in a few days. Have a great week. ENJOY!

Today's Catch!

In my wildest dreams, I never thought I would get close enough to get a decent image of an American White Pelican. They tend to be very, very shy. For several days now, however, these beautiful birds have been roosting on an old dead tree on Old Hickory Lake. There are about eight or ten of them hanging out right across from my place this week and I am loving every minute of it.

These large aquatic soaring birds breed in interior North American and overwinter in Central and South American. They eat fish, carp, chubs, catfish, yellow perch and jack fish. Now if I can just get a nice shot of them flying across the lake, my desire to photograph the American White Pelican would be satiated. Have a great weekend all. ENJOY!

American White Pelicans, Old Hickory Lake

Imagine my surprise today to find American White Pelicans roosting on an old dead tree on Old Hickory Lake. I was about to turn into my complex when I looked off to the left and saw a whole lot of white in the middle of the lake. I knew it wasn't Great White Egrets as it was just too much white. I pulled into the tiny parking lot on the left next to the lake and got out to investigate.

I had read on the Birding News website which you can find at this link, Birding ABA, that the Pelicans were migrating South and had been seen at various wildlife refuges East and West of Nashville, albeit several hundred miles away. Apparently, these guys decided to make a stop over on the lake and roost for the evening. One by one they eventually congregated together, as a few of them were still swimming towards the group as I spotted them. My guess is they had just landed within the last half hour. What a treat. ENJOY!

Pelican Brief

A few more images from my trip to Goose Pond a few Sundays past to photograph the American White Pelicans.

Such huge birds with odd shaped bodies and large noses on their beaks. Also quite interesting to watch them socializing with each other and flying in and out of groupings.

These birds will fly to the upper Midwest and parts in southern Canada to nest and breed.

As the winter takes over, the birds will fly to coastlines along the southern United States as well as Central and Southern American coasts. Earlier this week one naturialist counted one thousand Pelicans still stopped over at Goose Pond. Would love to go back on a warm day and take some images.

A new Nikon D5100 arrived last week. Yippee! I think my future holds a higher end Nikon, but for now I'm sticking with the D5100.

Spring has arrived in the Bluegrass State with a balmy 80 degrees today! Magnolias are blooming in Bernheim and with some luck perhaps I can get some images this weekend. We have three days of rain coming this week. I know Spring hasn't taken a foothold in the mountains out West or here in the Eastern Appalachians. And some folks tell me snow is still an every day occurrence in Canada, so perhaps we should be consulting the weather Gods to help remedy this situation. ENJOY!

American White Pelicans

Dare I drive two hours to see what birds are at Goose Pond FWA in central Indiana. Why, of course. The sky was blue, the sun was shining only occasionally abscurred by fluffy white clouds. Beautiful American White Pelicans were busily cohabitating in one of the many marshlands in Beehunter's Marsh in Goose Pond FWA just south of a tiny town called Linton in central Indiana. They allowed me to only get so close and then they would move away.

Numbering in the hundreds, the pelicans were busily refueling, as they took a much needed break, having traveled far from points in the southern United States. A migration only partially complete. Soon these pelicans will depart, as have many of their counterparts already, to points north, where they will nest and breed.

There was one small flock of pelicans in the southern most marsh at Beehunter's that I was sure were the only ones left. But before departing Goose Pond, I checked one last marsh in northern Beehunter's and there they were. Huddled in large groups and small, hundreds of American White Pelicans. So glad I persevered. To watch these huge birds with their large knotty bills and bright yellow (although I think they are more orange than yellow) gullets and their large black tipped wings was amazing. Amazing. And a Life List Bird for me as well. Yippee.

My various Goose Pond encounters included Whooping Cranes, which I wasn't expecting at all, Sandhill Cranes, Northern Shovelers, American Coots, Tundra Swans and Canadian Geese, of course. But the highlight for me was the American White Pelicans. And they are actually why I made the long drive. So gorgeous. ENJOY!

Postscript: Did I mention I can foretell the future. I see a new Nikon camera body in my future. OK. I dropped my Nikon last night with my 300 lens on it and jammed the shutter release. I'll have it repaired, of course, as it still has lots of life left in it. The lens is OK, I think. But in anticipation of taking a trip later this year, I have decided a second camera body is necessary. Did I mention that I am well known, and I do mean, well known, for being clumsy. I am. I have a long, long history dating back to all of the plates I broke as a young girl while drying the dishes in the evening after dinner. There my clumsiness was first evidenced and well, it still prevails.