Cooper Creek Park, Columbus, GA

I suppose I should feel a little guilty for harassing the heron. I have been enjoying my friend Dawn’s posts of the birds she has been meeting and I got excited when I arrived at this park. Let me backup a little…

It started all the way back in early February when I found the lone goose at Callaway Gardens. During the same visit I was lucky enough to have a very accommodating mockingbird sit in a tree outside the butterfly house. Put all those events together in the jumbled mess of my mind and you get me wanting to find more fowl subjects.

On our drive to Callaway Gardens on Thursday my daughter mentioned she had been invited by her neighbor to go for a walk at Cooper Creek park. I was like, “hey, my friend David at work says I should visit that park.” We tentatively agreed to go to the park in the near future.

I didn’t wait. I know, I’m bad, but she works on the weekends. And I really wanted to go…

I already visited the botanical garden in the morning but hadn’t completely scratched the photography itch. That feeling was partially fueled by more than one photography session occurring at the garden. This limited my opportunities and I know it isn’t exclusively my garden but I didn’t like it… 🙂

The afternoon was beautiful so after I fed the boys their dinner I gathered up my gear and headed out to see what Cooper Creek park had to offer. The front of the park is a tennis center but once you drive through the court area you find a wooded area around the reservoir full of trails.

Did I mention the reservoir? It was a flurry of activity for water fowl. I was so happy!

The macro lens came off the camera and the 70-300mm zoom was quickly attached. I was on the chase.

There were plenty of geese and a few ducks. They obviously were accustomed to being around people. I was able to get quite close allowing for a few great close-ups. And then I found the heron, a Great Blue Heron, I think (or at least that is what Google Lens told me). And that is when the harassment started…

He (I’ll assume) was intent on fishing and finding dinner. I happily clicked away and then decided to explore a little more of the park. As I was returning to the area with the heron, he flew across the trail to try his luck in another section of the reservoir. It worked to my advantage as I needed to pass by his new fishing spot on my way back to the car.

I’m pretty sure he was aware of me but his desire for something to eat won out over his instinct to put some distance between us. As he was stalking his prey I remained as still as possible with the camera focused on mine. It didn’t take him very long to capture dinner.

I attempted a few action images as he gulped down his food in one big motion but I struggled with focus. I was aiming on his head and probably should have used his body. I’ll know better next time. And then, he flew off again. I was ready though… the camera was setup to track my subject and I managed to get a great action image.

He landed at the water’s edge further along the trail but I thought it best to let him relax and not to be pursued by a zealous photographer. I’ll be visiting this park more often and I’m positive I’ll have other opportunities.

Oh, right, I need to make sure I come back with my daughter like we agreed… 😉

Callaway Resort & Gardens

As I left the butterfly house at Callaway Gardens on Sunday I found a friendly bird sitting in a tree. As I mentioned yesterday I didn’t have my zoom lens with me but I gave it a try with the 105mm macro lens. My friend was not in any hurry to escape me and I was able to get closer than I thought possible. These images are still cropped heavily but I’m happy with the results…

Callaway Resort & Gardens

I knew it was a little early in the year to visit Callaway Gardens for floral macros but I told myself I don’t need to spend the whole day on the couch. I can be very good at being lazy and I need to practice resistance to this particular talent. The drive is twenty-five minutes and the excuses really don’t hold up under scrutiny. I headed out around noon (I’m not completely crazy, I waited until it warmed up a little).

I was right, not many opportunities but the scarcity of subjects steeled my resolve to find interesting images. It was a good day to expand my vision beyond the obvious. And, it was a good day for a walk.

As I was returning to the Discovery Center, I found a lone goose enjoying the calm waters of a secluded section of the lake. My zoom lens was back in the car but I did have the 105mm macro lens currently attached to the camera. Time to make the best of this situation. My first few captures ended up being the best, but I spent a little time following the goose as it did it’s best to float away from me.

Callaway Resort & Gardens

Callaway Resort & Gardens

I had been looking forward to the weekend. Although Sunday was supposed to (is) bring rain, Saturday held a lot of promise. I wanted to go back to Callaway Gardens. My previous visit was a little early for the azalea blooms. I was also hoping there would still be some tulips to capture too.

It was a great morning! I arrived as the park opened and immediately noticed the azaleas. This was going to be fun. My first stop was the Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl. It wasn’t the explosion of color I had envisioned in my head but totally worth the stroll through the trails.

I managed to time my exploration so I could attend the Birds of Prey show at the Discovery Amphitheater. The last few visits I missed the first show at 11am and the second show isn’t until 3pm. I brought the long zoom lens for this very reason.

It was a very good show. They not only showcased a few of the birds they are caring for but did a good job educating the audience. For a photographer, there are a lot of opportunities to capture the birds in flight. I didn’t have my camera setup for the action shots but was able to get a few really nice close-ups.

I’ll be going back for the action shots… 🙂