A VERY frustrating outing...

[Dizzy]

Last Sat. afternoon I drove 40 mi. up to an area known as the "County Line
Ponds". These ponds are grouped together in an area just off the Skagit
River in the North Cascades, and once you leave the highway you are instantly
in a wilderness setting complete with all the wild critters you'd prefer never to
meet face-to-face.

The ponds are known locally for being a great spot to take bird pics, as they
are in a heavily wooded area, and as I was hiking in breaking through on a
very overgrown, minimal trail (at best), I could hear bird sounds ahead meaning
there was a chance I *might* get a decent shot of one or two. Hell yes I was
excited!

What made the outing so frustrating? I'm near deaf, and have limited hearing
only in one ear (other is 100% dead), meaning there is no way to "localize"
where a sound is coming from...I can hear 'em, but unless they move (fly) it's
near impossible to find them in the trees. He/she could be singing right over my head,
but to me it sounds as if the bird is 30' away in some other tree. Could hear them
all around me, but never could find one sitting.

"Frustrating" doesn't even come close.

On the hike back out I did hear what sounded like a duck landing on a pond, and
as I turned around I saw this fellow and his mate that had just landed. Got 3
pics before they heard the camera shutter and bailed (in a hurry).

Frustration #2...the shutter speed was set about 3 stops to fast, and it's dark
in forested areas, meaning all 3 shots were badly underexposed.

Two of the shots had the duck looking away, and here's the best I could do with
the third:



I believe this is a Wood Duck drake?

Hoping to go back there again, but not until there's an able bodied person along
to point out the birds locations, and also to keep watch for Black Bears. In
that dense cover one could walk right up behind me and I wouldn't know
it till it was too late, and right now are eating everything they can find after
their winter naps!


Mike

[Bobobird]

To me that one pic was worth the frustration. When one is out in the country getting one good shot instead of many poor shots is still a good return. As I was saying in another post - even if we come back with nothing the long walks are good if it was only exercise that we got out of them.

[jeeperman]

Dark.....yes a little but I agree with Bobo. Mike you did well. The settings you speak of can be difficult to get even one to bring home. A second set of eyes and ears can do wonders.
I will volunteer the extra set of both. Maybe we can double the good shots. Let me know and I'll ride up.

[Dizzy]

Paul, that sounds like an offer I can't refuse...

I did learn that these ponds would be best in the earlier part of the day
(a sunny one!), as once the shadows start to fall it gets pretty dim in
there with all the heavy timer surrounding the ponds.

This area is at the Skagit/Whatcom county line, so we can cover quite a
bit of ground between Concrete and Newhalem, or even beyond now that
the pass is opened up.

Now, we just need it to quit raining!

[jeeperman]

Right on, just drop me a line or text, call.....what have you.