My Photography of 

Wildlife on the Huron River in Southeast Michigan

I have loved canoeing since I was very young.  I used to try to go at least once per summer, but haven't been since 2006.  In 2005 and 2006, I was so pressed for free time, I ended up going on the very last day of my summer vacation.  It is such a relaxing time before returning to the hectic life of teaching.  I have always taken disposable cameras with me in the past, but am never satisfied with any of the pictures.  The last two times, I took the risk and brought my digital camera.  I was glad I did because I was able to capture much of my amazing time to share with you.  If you enjoy animals and nature, you might also like my photographs of Insects and Spiders and the Saugatuck Dunes and other Wooded Scenes.

Click here for info about purchasing prints of these photographs.

Click on any photo to see a larger view!

 

Digital photography from my canoe trip on 8-29-06.

Great Blue Herons

One was a very close encounter.  Unfortunately, our canoe couldn't get any closer because the plants were so thick.  The ninth photo below captured a long stream of excrement---it's quite funny.

blue heron from afar 1.jpg (144276 bytes)  blue heron 1a.jpg (154356 bytes)  blue heron from afar 2.jpg (135890 bytes)

blue heron in flight.jpg (168075 bytes)  blue heron ruffled.jpg (178637 bytes)  blue heron flying left.jpg (142286 bytes)

blue heron back view.jpg (149082 bytes)  blue heron facing right neck curved.jpg (156583 bytes)  blue heron facing right perched.jpg (154132 bytes)  blue heron facing right.jpg (154537 bytes)

blue heron facing right wading.jpg (158032 bytes)  blue heron front view 3.jpg (144566 bytes)  blue heron front view 2.jpg (158842 bytes)  blue heron front view.jpg (164466 bytes)

      

Ducks and Other Small Birds

bird in tree.jpg (140498 bytes)  birds in tree 1.jpg (138975 bytes)  birds in tree 2.jpg (135162 bytes)

duck.jpg (134218 bytes)  ducks.jpg (134584 bytes)  duck in leaves.jpg (148068 bytes)  duck in leaves 2.jpg (142110 bytes)

 

Swans

swan adult from farther away.jpg (136605 bytes)  swan with water dripping off bill.jpg (137200 bytes)  swan front view.jpg (142367 bytes)  swan adult.jpg (140811 bytes)

swan pair.jpg (156415 bytes)  swan on shining water head turned away.jpg (143891 bytes)  swan swimming right.jpg (134596 bytes)  swans four 2.jpg (158086 bytes)

swan with water dripping off bill 2.jpg (161696 bytes)  swan with water dripping off open bill.jpg (146054 bytes)  swan with water dripping off open bill 2.jpg (141637 bytes)

swan trio.jpg (128472 bytes)  swan trio 2.jpg (139973 bytes)  swan trio 3.jpg (148683 bytes)  swans four.jpg (136094 bytes)

 

Flowers

flowers in three shades.jpg (160401 bytes)  red flowers.jpg (156262 bytes)  redandpurpleflowers 1.jpg (158113 bytes)

redandpurpleflowers 4.jpg (176822 bytes)  redandpurpleflowers 2.jpg (152644 bytes)  redandpurpleflowers 3.jpg (173316 bytes)

lilypad 1a.jpg (156180 bytes)  lilypad number 1 good focus 2.jpg (131253 bytes)  lilypad number 1 good focus.jpg (146932 bytes)

lilypad number 2 cropped.jpg (112398 bytes)  lilypad number water in focus.jpg (146934 bytes)  lilypad number 2.jpg (119231 bytes)

 

Tree Roots

The first two photos were taken on the way out.  The rest were taken on the way back.

scary roots daytime 2.jpg (143320 bytes)  scary roots daytime.jpg (153147 bytes)  scary roots from a distance 2.jpg (146501 bytes)  scary roots closer 2.jpg (149865 bytes)

scary roots from the inside 2.jpg (137252 bytes)  scary roots closer.jpg (126550 bytes)  scary roots from a distance.jpg (162174 bytes)  scary roots from the inside.jpg (151727 bytes)  scary roots from the inside 3.jpg (151672 bytes)

 

"Wavy Tree" (compare with last year)

wavy tree from last year.jpg (185059 bytes)

 

Chrysemys picta picta (Eastern Painted Turtles) sunning themselves

We saw 51 turtles in 2 hours this year.

turtle and duckweed.jpg (167184 bytes)  turtle baby.jpg (129161 bytes)  turtle hiding.jpg (164074 bytes)  

turtle on log.jpg (142404 bytes)  turtle pair on log.jpg (147216 bytes)  turtle pair one in water.jpg (155244 bytes)  

turtles on lilypad root.jpg (134721 bytes)  turtle pair.jpg (149432 bytes)  turtle on log 2.jpg (160504 bytes)

 

Landscapes and Bridge

landscape even earlier in trip.jpg (123319 bytes)  landscape earlier in trip 3a.jpg (127147 bytes)  landscape dead tree over water.jpg (151010 bytes)

landscape earlier in trip 2.jpg (116307 bytes)  landscape earlier in trip 3b.jpg (127867 bytes)  landscape earlier in trip.jpg (134873 bytes)

landscape early in trip.jpg (139141 bytes)  landscape split off.jpg (133996 bytes)  landscape last part of trip nice reflecting clouds.jpg (134695 bytes)  landscape last part of trip 2.jpg (140188 bytes)

  landscape last part of trip.jpg (143785 bytes)  landscape last two pictures.jpg (152357 bytes)  landscape last two pictures 2.jpg (154966 bytes)  landscape final picture.jpg (125290 bytes)

under bridge with flash.jpg (148960 bytes)  under bridge without flash.jpg (118220 bytes)  under bridge emerging.jpg (149412 bytes)

 

Moths and Orb-Weaving Spider underneath a bridge

moth.jpg (113031 bytes)  moth 2.jpg (131106 bytes)  moth on bridge second time.jpg (141154 bytes)

orb weaver.jpg (134030 bytes)  orb weaver 2.jpg (135642 bytes)

 

 

Digital photography from my canoe trip on 8-24-05.

Great Blue Heron

I had the closest encounter ever with a blue heron and was able to get about 10 feet from this particular bird.  I couldn't believe it.  I took a movie of it walking, but unfortunately it was shot sideways.  Click here to see my movie of a great blue heron wading through water.  

blue heron closeup front view standing looking left.jpg (131526 bytes)  blue heron closeup side view facing left.jpg (134271 bytes)  blue heron closeup side view facing right stalking.jpg (122710 bytes)  blue heron closeup side view facing left vertical.jpg (113922 bytes)

blue heron closeup side view facing right walking blue tint.jpg (138043 bytes)  blue heron curved neck head in light cropped.jpg (122981 bytes)  blue heron curved neck reflection cropped.jpg (144005 bytes)  blue heron curved neck reflection one leg up cropped.jpg (136924 bytes)

blue heron vertical reflection good focus cropped.jpg (134521 bytes)  blue heron horizontal reflection cropped.jpg (141894 bytes)  blue heron ruffled feathers slightly oof cropped.jpg (128721 bytes)  blue heron walking left cropped.jpg (139079 bytes)

 

Flowers and Grasses

grasses 2.jpg (119608 bytes)  purple flowers and bee.jpg (115047 bytes)  grasses.jpg (134682 bytes)

 

"Wavy Tree"

ripply tree cropped.jpg (141100 bytes)

 

Bird flock in a tree (possibly cedar waxwings), Mallard Ducks (one with ducklings), a Swan and an Egret.

I worry about the mother with three ducklings because they are so young and it is late in the season.  They may not be able to fly south for the winter.  The egret was beautiful and I got many shots of it flying.  It was difficult to get close though because it was such a timid bird.  We also encountered three mallards doing something I've never seen before and I got it on video---Click here to see a video of ducks jumping out of the water to get berries.

birds in tree 2.jpg (119433 bytes)  birds in tree cropped.jpg (118372 bytes)    duck with ducklings 1 cropped.jpg (141347 bytes)

duck trio.jpg (133982 bytes)  swan with leg tucked under.jpg (144121 bytes) 

egret in tree cropped.jpg (116260 bytes)  egret flying cropped.jpg (112783 bytes)

egret from afar.jpg (114115 bytes)  egret flying wings down.jpg (108667 bytes)  egret flying wings down 2 cropped.jpg (126119 bytes)  egret flying wings up cropped.jpg (130581 bytes)

 

Two Large Bullfrogs

I was also able to photograph some friendly frogs that did not try to hide when I approached.  They were sitting about 8 feet from one another.

frog 3 cropped.jpg (119270 bytes)  frog cropped.jpg (129145 bytes)  frog.jpg (116752 bytes) 

frog yellow throat front view cropped vertically.jpg (141352 bytes)  frog yellow throat front view cropped.jpg (117328 bytes)  frog yellow throat side view.jpg (118229 bytes)  frog yellow throat side view cropped.jpg (127823 bytes)

 

 

Lily Pad Flower

lilypad flower closeup cropped.jpg (137295 bytes)  lilypad flower closeup.jpg (96718 bytes)  lilypads with flower 2.jpg (97823 bytes)  lilypads with flower cropped.jpg (115037 bytes)

 

Chrysemys picta picta (Eastern Painted Turtles) sunning themselves

The turtles were very difficult to photograph because they dove into the water as soon as I was close enough, but I still included pictures of them, although they may be slightly out of focus.  We saw 21 turtles on a 2-hour one-way trip.  Last year, we counted 47 on the same route.

turtle facing right.jpg (117527 bytes)  turtle pair looking same way cropped.jpg (145414 bytes)  turtle on lump oof.jpg (130197 bytes)

turtle with plant on back cropped.jpg (123571 bytes)  turtles lounging purple flower to left 2.jpg (128164 bytes)  turtles on lump cropped.jpg (113207 bytes)  turtle ready to dive cropped.jpg (123681 bytes)

 

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