00 - 060510 - Choke Canyon State Park

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00 - 060510 - Choke Canyon State Park

The birdies are nesting at Choke Canyon State Park. I was able to find the rookeries west of 75 Acre Pond, they are very visible, but hard to get to. I got close, but almost got into the "swamp", at least part of my tripod did. It was a good hike back there, but it's closed off to regular visitors. I've become a park volunteer, so I'm able to get back there. I was trying to be very "unobtrusive" but the vultures and cara cara at the "fish head" pit were very noisy.....they didn't like my intruding on their lunch. It was a very "mucky" day too, so the photos are not as great as I would have liked. It was hot, I got there at 7am and it was already 80 degrees and muggy....I started hiking back to the nesting area. It's probably about a mile in and then you have to walk thru brush that is about 5 feet high. My snake boots and camo pants were soaked. I was soaked to my thighs from the moisture in the grasses. I felt more than saw the swamp begin, I had to stop about 5 feet before I got into the water. Never know where alligators might be. This would be a good area since it's so close to an "easy" meal with the nesters. You can see in a couple of shots the green algae on top of the water. I spent a bit there, then hiked back out. I saw at least 3 alligators in the coves and one by the peer. That one was "Big Daddy" I'm sure, the one that is about 20-25 feet. He rules the lake. And he is fast. I watched him move from one section of the lake to another....wow!! The photos of the Snowy Egret though, I found just incredible. I see them thru the viewfinder so I don't get to share the beauty of their passing until I pull them up on my computer monitor. I think, what a beautiful example of God's precious gifts in this stunning bird. Grace in motion is evident in the flight. God is sharing His gifts with all of us when I'm able to capture a shot like this. Thanks to everyone that has contributed to the "refinement" of this gift. The heron in the trees that has "patches" of blue and white is a "first year" Little Blue Heron. It was cool to see. The cormorant is a "Neotropic" Cormorant. This bird was also awesome to catch at "take off".....The White Ibis was playing "hide & seek" with me. I'd try to shoot them and they'd take off. I'd find them at my next stop and they'd fly off just as I'd get ready to shoot. Oh well, better luck next time, right??? Folks enjoy the beauty that God shares with us and thank Him daily for all the gifts He blesses us with....sylvia

Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Size: 69 items

060510_Sgs_001 Snowy egret shaking off the water.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_003 Alligator waiting for breakfast.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_005 Another one looking for breakfast.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 1
060510_Sgs_013 Harris Hawk.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_015 Shaking off the dew.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_018 Yawning.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 3
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060510_Sgs_026 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 1	060510_Sgs_030 Cattle egrets at rookery.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_033 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2
060510_Sgs_036 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 3	060510_Sgs_038 First year Little Blue Heron... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 3	060510_Sgs_040 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2
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060510_Sgs_054 The fight is on..... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_055 An interloper??? Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_056 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 1
060510_Sgs_058 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_061 Snowy egret in the swamp.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_065 Little blue heron in flight... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2
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060510_Sgs_080 A rabbit freezes for me.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_082 Snowy egret hunting for breakfast.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_083 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2
060510_Sgs_085 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_087 Another alligator.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_089 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2
060510_Sgs_090 A near miss.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_093 White ibis.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_095 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 3
060510_Sgs_099 Dragonflies in tandem... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 1	060510_Sgs_101 Snowy egret hunting... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 3	060510_Sgs_102 One of my favorites....God's gifts in action.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 3
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060510_Sgs_118 Neotropic Cormorant.... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 1	060510_Sgs_119 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 1	060510_Sgs_120 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2
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060510_Sgs_127 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 1	060510_Sgs_130 Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2	060510_Sgs_132 Great White Egret eating..... Date: 06/06/2010 Owner: Sylvia Garcia-Smith Views: 2

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