Learning to Shoot Birds (With My Camera)

In early November, I took a spill during a trail run resulting in some badly bruised ribs.  Needless to say this little injury threw a huge monkey wrench in my outdoor activities.  No running....no hiking.....what to do?  After a long week of taking it easy, I was already going stir crazy.  Then a chance encounter with my neighbor saved my sanity.

Foggy morning on Sauvie Island

My neighbor Cheri is an amazing wildlife photographer.  Most weekends she's out capturing the local critters, her specialty being birds.  I happened to run into Cheri a week after my mishap, and she invited me to come shooting with her that weekend.  I assumed photographing wildlife we'd spend a lot of time sitting around.  An activity I could do without stressing my injured ribs!

Birds in the air!

Northwest of Portland, where the mighty Willamette and Columbia Rivers meet, is Sauvie Island.  Although agricultural in nature, a large portion of it is a designated wildlife area.  An important stop on the Pacific Flyway, about 300 species of wildlife inhabit the island.  Any time of the year it's a birdwatchers paradise.  And it happened to be Cheri's favorite local haunt.

Snow geese take flight

Early one Sunday morning Cheri picked me up before sunrise and we followed dark, winding roads over the West Hills to the island.  Dawn was breaking as we crossed the bridge onto Sauvie Island.  The rising sun illuminated foggy fields in lovely shades of pink.  It was so breathtaking, Cheri pulled over the car and we both hopped out, cameras in hand to capture the scene.


 

I was thrilled to see bald eagles

 

A frequent visitor to the island, Cheri knew all the best places to find birds.  From many years experience, she also knew what times of the year were best for each species.  Today she was on the hunt for snow geese and sandhill cranes.  We stopped at a couple of viewing areas, but the birds were too far away.  Then passing by an old dead tree, Cheri spotted two bald eagles perched high in its branches.  We got some great shots of the eagles before moving on.

Nice Mt St Helens views from the island

Cheri spotted a huge flock of snow geese near a farmer's field.  Luckily the geese were right next to a large elevated viewing platform.  Cheri loaned me one of her big zoom lenses and armed with a 400 mm maximum range, I zeroed in on the flock.  We waited patiently for the birds to take flight.  Luckily, the birds took to the skies multiple times - which gave me lots of opportunities to practice capturing the geese in the air.

Sandhill cranes in flight

It was way harder than I'd imagined.  Holding a heavy lens in my hands, trying to keep it as steady as possible, and controlling the focus so it tracked on a moving bird was extremely difficult.  My first batch of images were all blurred, as were most of my second.  By the third try I got a couple photos that were half-decent.  But my injured side was beginning to ache from holding up a large camera lens.

More cranes

After spending a good part of an hour at the viewing platform, Cheri decided to move on.  We drove down a muddy country road through more farmer's fields.  All we saw was a large flock of Canadian geese.  About ready to call it a day, Cheri suddenly spotted a bunch of sandhill cranes - and they were really close.  Excited, we grabbed our cameras and waded through a muddy ditch to the edge of a field. 

Legs down for landing

The sandhill cranes were fascinating.  I loved listening to their calls.  When the cranes really got vocal, Cheri said it meant they were getting ready to fly.  Sure enough, the birds flapped their huge wings and soared skyward.  This time, I mounted my camera on a tripod, and although it took some practice, I was able to get a couple of decent images of the cranes in flight.

I liked their red eyes

Cheri said we'd been extremely lucky to see so many birds.  Normally the geese and cranes were not always so close by or plentiful.  And after some initial fog, the skies cleared into a lovely sunny fall day - producing great light to capture our feathered friends.  A perfect introduction to wildlife photography, it left me hungry for more.

Snowy plover at the coast

The following weekend, another opportunity arose.  My hubby wanted to go to the coast and try for crab.  He usually frequented a beach near Astoria, where in the past he'd seen lots of pelicans.  The promise of photographing pelicans was too tempting.  So I asked my hubby if I could tag along, and invited Cheri to join us too.

Ready to take flight

The sun was just beginning to brighten the eastern sky as my hubby eased his truck onto the sand of his favorite crabbing beach.  But high winds were blasting the shore, so much that we stayed huddled inside for several minutes.  Then as the sky began to turn several shades of orange, Cheri and I bundled up and decided to brave the weather.

Funny how they move in a group

The wind was a huge disappointment.  Even worse, we walked up and down the beach and there wasn't a pelican to be found.  But eagle-eyed Cheri spotted a flock of snowy plovers skittering along the waterline.  Yahoo!  Birds to photograph!

Snowy plovers in the air

The little plovers were fun to watch.  They'd all move as a choreographed group to the surf's edge, and then retreat en masse when a wave rolled through.  The birds were fast.  I had to be quick on the shutter to capture their antics.  I got mostly blurry shots for my efforts, with only a few keepers. 

Then a lady with two dogs came walking by.  Her dogs ran straight for the snowy plovers, scaring them into the air (again in unison).  At first I was miffed that the lady's dogs disrupted our photo subjects.  But Cheri wanted to get photos of the birds in flight, so she was quite okay with the canine interruptions.  And, surprise surprise, I even got one good shot of the plovers in the air.

Random wave shot

Sometimes when life hands you lemons, the best thing you can do is make lemonade.  Normally a landscape photographer, being injured forced me to try a new type of photography.  And, now I'm hooked!  I need lots more practice to be able to capture moving animals and keep them in focus (I'm used to mountains and trees that don't move).  But I'm motivated - I'll get there. 

Thanks to Cheri for taking me under her wing (pun intended!).  Check out her website here:  Cheri Kanaan Photography.

A Colorful Morning

"Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon

Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon
We could float among the stars together, you and I
For we can fly, we can fly

Up, up and away

My beautiful, my beautiful

balloon" 

 

All four balloons in the air!

Just outside of Rapid City, South Dakota lies a natural depression called the "Stratobowl."  This tiny valley rimmed with tall rocky cliffs creates the perfect environment for hot air balloon launches.  Beginning in 1934, when a manned high-altitude balloon named The Explorer lifted off from the grassy floor, several record-setting scientific research balloons have begun their flights from this humble canyon.

Beginning to inflate

Every September a local hot air balloon club holds a rally in the Stratobowl to commemorate these historic flights.

Getting bigger....

The last day of my September South Dakota trip, I got the chance to witness one of these balloon launches.  My oldest niece has an ex-college roommate whose entire family pilots hot air balloons.  Since prepping a large balloon for flight takes many hands, my niece often gets asked to help.  She invited me to come along and watch (and of course bring my camera).  I was thrilled to have an opportunity to witness and photograph the event.

Almost there....

Hot air balloonists are early risers.  Balloons are typically launched just after dawn, when winds are most likely to be calm.  That's how I found myself in my niece's car at o-dark-thirty that morning, heading to the Stratobowl.  The valley floor is private property, so this area is typically closed to the public during the balloon rally.  But thanks to my niece's connections, we zipped right down to the bottom where the first two balloons were being spread out, awaiting inflation.

Time for the hot air!

It was damp and chilly that morning, a foggy mist rising from the grassy field (which made the photographer in me very happy).  However, strong winds were blasting the Stratobowl's upper rim.  Although the natural bowl protected balloon participants from the gusts, they were totally exposed once the balloons left this safe haven.  Event organizers were debating whether to allow the day's scheduled launch.

Up and away!

After standing in the cold, wet mist for a half hour the word came down.  No flights today - the wind was too strong to safely launch.  A few of the balloonists immediately packed up and left, heading to another location where the weather was reputed to be calmer.

Give it one final blast

But four balloons decided to stay, inflate anyway, and do tethered flights below the canyon rim.  Hooray!  I'd get to see these colorful airships in action after all!

My niece's friend's balloon

The first two balloons were laid out, and large fans pointed at their openings.  Once the balloons were filled nearly to capacity, hot air burners replaced the fans, finishing the inflation and causing the balloons to right themselves.  It was a fascinating process to watch.

Two balloons inflated

Then crews attached several heavy nylon straps to the balloons - one end was tethered to stationary objects on the ground (mostly bumpers of large trucks).  The pilots climbed inside their baskets, fired up the burners, and the balloons gracefully began to rise.

Balloon number three is almost ready to go

Even though the balloons couldn't ascend very high, seeing these colorful airships floating above me was breathtaking. 

High in the sky

I only wish the skies would've cooperated with blue hues instead of washed-out whites.  Made for challenging photographic conditions.  The bright white skies tricked my camera's light meter and I was constantly underexposing the balloons.  It took many shots for me to figure out the correct adjustments to capture things properly.

Three balloons ready

Then I noticed my niece's friend's balloon was beginning to inflate.  It was a bright red and yellow striped beauty.  I stood off to the side, trying to nab some images without getting in the way.

The foggy ground made for great pics

However, the crew members and the other spectators were all very nice.  No one seemed to mind me taking photographs.  There were other photographers roaming around and we all were mindful of staying out of each other's shots.

Now a fourth balloon begins inflating

My niece's friend's balloon became fully inflated and I watched as it slowly drift off the ground. 

Four balloons ready for flight

Now all four balloons were fully inflated and ready for flight.  Nearby spectators began to climb into their baskets for short rides.

Giving spectators rides

The four balloons alternated between being in the air and on the ground.  I was hoping to get a few photos of all four balloons in the air at once, but didn't happen very often.  I had to keep my eyes peeled and be quick on the shutter.

My turn!

Then my niece motioned me over.  Would I like to ride in her friend's balloon?  Oh boy, would I!  She didn't have to ask twice.

Views from on high

My niece's friend instructed me to climb into the basket.  Then the other passenger scrambled out.  She fired up the burners and we slowly began to rise. 

The tether tied to a pickup truck

We didn't climb very high - only about 100 feet I think.  I was torn between taking lots of photographs and just enjoying the ride.  In the end, I managed to get a few images of my views from the balloon basket.  But it was such an amazing experience - very quiet and peaceful just floating in the air.  I wished we could've flown higher.

The burner in action

This young lady, only in her mid-20s, was already an accomplished balloon pilot.  She definitely know what she was doing and expertly guided the balloon up and back down again.  I was impressed by how professional and skilled she was for such a young age.  I was so busy taking in the scenery and photographing, that my ride was over before I thought to ask her more questions.

My niece takes a ride with her friend

Once back on the ground, my niece jumped in the basket with her friend.

Trying to capture the balloon's underside

I got a few photos of the two young ladies soaring above me, chatting away as good friends do.

My niece and her friend the balloon pilot

It's awesome to see young people involved in such unusual activities.  Hats off to both my niece (who has recently started graduate school) and her friend (who is an engineer for Polaris and flies hot air balloons in her spare time).

Colorful spectacle in the Stratobowl

Although I was a tiny bit disappointed not to be able to witness an actual balloon launch, it was still great fun to photograph these colorful balloons and observe first hand how they are inflated and flown.

My niece admiring the balloon

Huge thanks to my niece for taking her old aunt along for the ride.  It was a fabulous morning I won't soon forget!

In Search of Poet's Table

The Black Hills of South Dakota is a hiker's paradise.  Trails pass under impressive granite spires and wind through Ponderosa pine forests.  On my yearly trips back home, I've managed to cover many woodsy paths, some to high points, others following tiny streams, even some boasting Mt Rushmore views.  But one has eluded me - a hidden path to an alcove tucked behind Custer State Park's granite towers.  Beneath this tiny outcrop a table, chairs, and box full of poetry books are stashed.  One of the Black Hills' best-kept secrets, this place is known as the Poet's Table.

Lovely day for a hike!

Created nearly 50 years ago, this spot was intended as a secluded retreat for contemplation and creative writing.  The founder, a man named John Raeck, who called himself "the Vagabond Poet" placed a heavy wooden table, chairs and cabinet under a group of granite spires off one of the main trails.  Through the years hikers that happened to stumble upon this place often left written records in one of several spiral notebooks kept in the wooden cabinet.  In order to keep this place secret, directions to Poet's Table were purposely kept vague.  Local lore dictated that this special area could only be found if you were guided by someone who had been there before.

Straggler wildflower

Poet's Table existed in relative obscurity for several decades, until the explosion of social media.  Numerous Facebook and Instagram posts brought this local secret into the mainstream, spawning a huge increase in visitors.  And with this rise in popularity came trouble.

Last spring Poet's Table made the news when two young women sawed the table in half and stole the table, chairs and cabinet.  (See the story here)  Locals voiced their outrage on social media and the culprits ended up turning themselves in.  Because the thieves destroyed the original table, chairs, and cabinet, volunteers eventually built new furniture and placed it back in it's old location.

Tall granite towers

My sister learned of Poet's Table from a friend who'd hiked there with her family.  Last spring, determined to find it for herself, my sis and one of her daughters snooped around and eventually located the famous table by following another party.  Her timing was fortunate, as the furniture thefts took place just two weeks later.

Hardy hikers

During my annual early September visit, my sister suggested that my parents and I check out the new Poet's Table.  She recalled that the trail wasn't very far nor too strenuous.  (Although they are both in the "late 70s to early 80s" age range, my folks are in great shape and still enjoy moderate hikes)  So early one warm fall day we set out in search of this secret hideaway.

"Is this the right trail?"

Following a main trail my parents, sister and I admired the tall, granite towers that lined our path.  Autumn leaves were just beginning to turn on some of the trees, and a couple of tiny wilted wildflowers occasionally brightened the grassy forest floor.  The sky was a lovely shade of blue, with hardly a cloud.  It was a great day to be exploring the Black Hills - now if only my sister could remember where the secret path was located!

The beginning of fall colors

We hiked a good half mile before my sister spotted a faint trace parting the grasses up a slope.  Was this it?  Wanting to scout the route first, my sis and I left our parents at the main trail and bushwhacked steeply uphill.  After clambering over large boulders and a few fallen trees the route abruptly ended, and we both decided we'd followed the wrong path.

Rest break

My Dad thought we'd traveled too far.  He advocated for retracing our steps back along the main trail.  My sister agreed, so we headed back towards the parking area.  A few hundred feet later we passed by a well-worn user path that wound up another steep slope.  The trail was pretty defined - could this be it?

Trying to find our way

One way to find out!  My parents, sister and I started climbing the sketchy path.  The going was definitely tough.  We had to climb over fallen trees and around large boulders.  In some places several faint trails branched away.  And the slope was steep.  With the temperatures rising, we made sure to take several rest breaks.

Following a sketchy path

We came to the base of several tall granite spires.  Multiple trails branched out in several directions.  My sister decided to scout ahead and see if we were on the right track.  My parents and I waited below for several minutes.  Just when we were beginning to wonder what happened, my sister reappeared above motioning that she'd found the table.

Fantastic views of the Black Hills

Another steep climb over several large boulders brought us to a tiny shelf tucked beneath a huge granite wall.  A dreamcatcher dangling from a nearby tree alerted me that we'd reached our destination.  Peering behind the tree, I glimpsed a sturdy forest-green table.  This was the famous Poet's Table.  We'd found it!

We find the famous table!

I immediately realized why someone would place a table here.  The views were fantastic!  The dark green forests of the Black Hills spread out below.  In another direction, narrow granite towers rose majestically towards the sky.  It was indeed a lovely, serene place.

Victorious hikers

There was only one chair, so we took turns sitting at the table, gazing out at the blue sky and stunning scenery.  I could see why this spot had been chosen.  It was definitely an inspirational location.  (My nerdy, engineering self even felt like writing some poetry - for a short moment!)

A beautiful place for contemplation

But an unfortunate casualty of increased popularity, the place was covered in graffiti.  I was disappointed to see colorful scribblings etched all over the adjacent granite wall.  And the table, chair, and journal box, although only a couple of months old, were already defaced with hundreds of written names, dates, and anecdotes.  There wasn't a blank space to be had.

Reading the plaque

I can understand someone wanting to leave their mark - but there are many other ways to do this besides defacing natural objects.  Some folks left scraps of paper under rocks, while others placed painted rocks, coins, or other items on top of nearby boulders.  And the wooden cabinet was full of various notebooks, many containing poems, stories, or other deep thoughts.  The journals appeared to have plenty of paper left for anyone wishing to document their visit.

Lots of graffiti

I know posting about Poet's Table on my blog probably isn't helping the cause.  But since the theft of the original furniture this place has been all over the news, and people who hadn't heard of Poet's Table probably know about it by now anyway.  My message is this:  If you visit, enjoy the lovely scenery, take photos, but if you must leave your mark, write in the journals instead of making permanent imprints on the rocks.

Box of journals

My parents, sister and I rested, read some of the journals and graffiti, and marveled at the views.  We all agreed Poet's Table was indeed a special place.

Taking in the sights

But it was approaching noon, and the promise of lunch at our favorite restaurant in nearby Hill City convinced us to leave this peaceful little corner of the Black Hills.

Heading back down

It was a slow scramble back down the rocky trail.  Not wanting our parents to slip and injure themselves, my sister and I kept a watchful eye, ever ready to lend an extra hand.  Luckily my folks did just fine.  My sister later admitted the trail was a bit rougher than she remembered and now that we'd taken our parents there, she probably wouldn't do it again. 

Another fabulous day in the Black Hills

But my family is a hardy bunch.  We survived our quest to find Poet's Table just fine and enjoyed a beautiful day in the Black Hills in the process.  Now - time for some delicious German Food (and desserts) at Hill City's famous Alpine Inn.  We certainly earned it!