Middle Creek 2018-Part 2

It seemed that most of the Snow Geese were at Willow Point in the mornings and evenings this year. Quite a few people were there on Saturday and Sunday morning in spite of the strong wind and biting cold, but I had no desire to subject myself to that degree of punishment. It was a different story on Monday morning after the wind  mostly died during the night.
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Dawn At Willow Point

A fairly large flock of Snow Geese was there, but they were mostly behind the trees. When they left there were usually trees in the way of getting good photos and as usual I concentrated on taking video so I didn't get many still shots.

Leaving

That afternoon was a different story as a large number of birds gathered to feed in a field near the viewing area at Willow Point while others were on the lake directly in front of it.

Gathering To Feed

Resting On The Lake

Periodically the flock erupted into flight and then settled back down for awhile before taking off again. All the  while smaller sub-flocks were continually arriving and leaving.

Eruption

Leaving

Landing To Feed

Another Take-off

The main attraction of Middle Creek in late winter and early spring may be the awesome sight of the large flocks of Snow Geese, but there are a variety of other subjects to see and photograph as well.The fields along Hopeland Road and a number of smaller ponds are ideal spots to see many  species of waterfowl, birds, and other wildlife.

Whitetail Doe Along Hopeland Road

Mallard Male

It is best to photograph from inside the vehicle if possible as the ducks often shy away if you get out. They usually do not fly, but simply get too far away for good photography.  Even with staying inside it can be hard to get them close enough and powerful lenses and substantial cropping during editing are usually required.

Mallard Female

In addition to the ducks there are usually a few Great Blue Herons hanging around. The shot below is across the big pothole at Stop 1 of the tour route along Hopeland Road.  It was taken with a 150-600mm Sigma Contemporary at 600mm and then cropped to 2 Mega-pixels in Adobe Camera Raw.

Great Blue Heron

Ring-necked Duck-Female

Ring-necked Duck-Male

I also saw other species of ducks in a pothole that is too far from Hopeland Road for close-up still photography so I took video with the GH4 and 500mm Cannon FD lens. Species seen included Northern Pintails, American Wigeon, Green Wing Teal, Gadwall, and Northern Shovelers..

My usual course of action was to check the lake and potholes and then swing through the tour road periodically. I didn't see nearly as much action there as in most years.  I did see an eagle flying once or twice and harriers hovering over the meadows on several occasions,but they were too far to photograph.A Ring-necked Pheasant co-operated one morning and I got several still photos of him.

Ring-necked Pheasant-Male

 There were usually Canad Geese in the fields along the road and I sometimes took a few photos of them.

Canada Geese

It was crystal clear and the wind wasn't blowing On Tuesday morning  when I pulled into the parking lot at Willow Point. I was surprised to see and only one other vehicle was parked there. As I app-roached the viewing area I could hear the chatter of a large number of geese and as it grew light I could see a large flock resting on the lake. To my surprise no one else was at the viewing area.

Dawn At Willow Point On Tuesday

At times the many of the geese lifted-off and circled the area before settling back down, but soon after sunrise many of them left for the morning.

Sunrise Take-off At Willow Point

No One Was There

Leaving To Feed

Canada Geese

I met another person walking to the viewing area as I left, but I never saw anyone from the vehicle that was parked there at dawn. In one way it was good to be alone with nature without people taking and children screaming in excitement, but in another way it made me sad that no one else was there to enjoy the wonderful experience.

I went to Willow Point again that evening. It was so pleasant at the parking lot that I almost didn't put on a heavier sweater, but as I began walking the sun vanished behind the clouds and by the time I got to the viewing area it was overcast and gloomy..  A good number of geese were there, but a strong breeze was gusting off the lake and I was glad I dressed as I did as it was slightly uncomfortable even with the heavier clothing.

Cloudy Evening At Willow Point

Actually you can still see the blue skies to the north, but the sun was gone and even that blue sky soon vanished.  It was snowing next morning. Since the weather forecasters were calling for a major snow storm I did not go to Middle Creek, but the forecast was wrong and there was only light snow with little to no accumulation, so I should have gone that day as well.

With that another trip to Middle Creek was over.  In retrospect it was an enjoyable experience even though I did not film as wide of a variety of wildlife as in the better years.

Thanks so much for reading--I hope you enjoyed the photos and story.

Middle Creek 2018-Part 1

Snow Geese At Willow Point

Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on the Lebanon/Lancaster County line near Kleinfeltersville, Pennsylvania is a premier spot for birding enthusiasts and outdoor photographers during the spring waterfowl migration. Of special interest is the peak of the Snow Geese and Tundra Swan migration as it is a stunning sight to watch a massive flock of Snow Geese lift off.

This year the peak of the migration was sometime in late February. I usually wait until the tour road opens on March 1st before going to Middle Creek so the peak of the migration was over when I got there on Friday afternoon March 2nd, with an estimated 20,000 Snow Geese, 5,000 Tundra Swans, and 2,000 Canada Geese remaining according to the March 1st estimate.

Tour Road Opened From Dawn-Dusk on March 1st

While the website states the road is closed from dusk until dawn it did not open until after 7:30 on the mornings I was there and one morning it was almost 8:00 until it opened .As you enter the tour road there is a sign that tells  you to tune to 1620 AM for a brief history of Middle Creek and what to expect to see at this time of year.

As one continues along the tour road they find signs encouraging you to  respect the small creatures that may be crossing the road and avoid hitting them.

Middle creek seemed empty of people compared to what I was used to in other years. It was amazing that only a few vehicles were on the tour road in mid-afternoon on March 3rd. This may be because the peak of the migration was past, but it also was likely influenced by the brutal winds that were still blowing after a strong front passed through on Thursday night.

Tour Road-Mid-Afternoon Saturday March 3rd

Things changed a bit shortly after 4:00 p.m. when geese began landing in and along a plot of standing corn, but even then most of the flock landed over the brow of the bank where they could not be seen.

Snow Geese Near Road

I continued around the tour road and returned at 5:00. The late evening sun made dramatic lighting  for photography as some geese arrived while others left.

Snow Geese In Late Evening Sun

Snow Geese Landing

The lighting makes it seem the weather would have been pleasant when these photos were taken, but the wind was so cold and brutal that it was hard to remain out of the vehicle for long. The weather improved over the next few days making it easier to photograph the waterfowl.

In the next post we will look at some photos from Willow Point as well as more taken along the tour road and other areas of Middle Creek.

American Coot at Middle Creek WMA: Camera Critters

The American Coot is often mistaken for a duck, but is actually a member or the rail family.  I have seen these birds quite frequently at Meadow Grounds Lake in Fulton County near McConnellsburg, Pa. and at Middle Creek WMA on the Lebanon-Lancaster County line near Kleinfeltersville, Pa.  It is possible to photograph a large variety of waterfowl at Middle Creek during the spring migration although it is often difficult to get close enough to obtain exceptional portraits of the birds--even when using the big prime lenses.  I did get a few photographs of American Coot on my March 7th trip.

American Coot: Canon 7D-500mmF4  ISO 400 1/500sec, f4-

Coots Interacting: Canon 7D-500mmF4  ISO 400 1/500sec, f4-

Even though the ranges are often long and the waterfowl somewhat shy, a morning at Middle Creek during the spring migration is usually time well spent.

For more Camera Critters photographs, click Here!

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Sandhill Crane at Middle Creek WMA

I have read reports of as many as five Sandhill Cranes being seen at Middle Creek WMA this year, but most sources only mention one bird. We sighted one on our first trip of  2012  on March 7th, but it walked out of sight over a hilltop before I could get the camera and tripod set up.

This changed yesterday when my daughter Amy and I went to Middle Creek early Sunday morning and found a Sandhill Crane feeding along the border between a corn field that had been plowed since last Wednesday morning and a grass field.

Sandhill Crane at Middle Creek

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The conditions made it impossible to get the quality of photographs that I was hoping for as the distance was too far and the sun was not at the best angle.  As a result both of the photos shown today are cropped quite a bit and as a result there is not the fine detail that I would like. The photos were taken with the Canon 7D at ISO 200 and the Canon 500mm F4 lens.  I also took a few clips of video with the Canon T3i and the 100-400mm lens, which I hope to post in time.

Sandhill Crane: Photo Severely Cropped

This is not the first year that Sandhill Cranes have been seen at Middle Creek, but it is the first I had heard about it or seen them.  This experience causes me to ponder if this will continue to be a rare event or will the numbers increase each year until eventually there is a significant population of these birds in Pennsylvania.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

Lift-Off: A Morning At Middle Creek WMA

With perfect weather in the forecast and the PGC website reporting that a large number of snow geese were still at Middle Creek WMA, it was not a difficult decision to make the 100+ mile drive on Wednesday morning.  I arrived as the first hint of morning brightened the eastern sky and Middle Creek Lake was alive with the sounds of snow geese, tundra swans, and other waterfowl.  It was still too early for photographs or video when I arrived, but one could see the indistinct, shadowy shapes of vast numbers of waterfowl.

There was enough light by 6:00a.m. to take photographs at high ISO, but the shutter speeds were still very low.

Middle Creek Dawn: Canon 7D-Canon 300mm F2.8  ISO 1250 1/40 F2.8

Shortly after 6:10 a.m. a large number of the snow geese erupted from the lake.  Some left, but most circled several times and then settled back down to the lake surface.  It was still too dark to use as high of a shutter speed as I would have liked, but there was nothing to do other than make the best of the opportunity.

Lift-Off: Canon 7D-Canon 500mm F4 ISO 800 1/80 sec. F4

There was much more light was by 6:28 a.m. when there was another massive eruption of snow geese from the lake and this time all of them left.  I concentrated on video at the start of the action, but then switched to the 7D and still photographs as the birds flew directly toward me.

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Snow Geese Approaching: Canon 7D-Canon 500mm F4 ISO 400 1/400 sec. F4

Snow Geese At Long Range: Canon 7D-Canon 500mm F4 ISO 400 1/1000 sec. F5

Once the lake emptied out, it was time to turn to the pothole just across the road for duck and Canada Geese photography, but that is a story for another day.


Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.

A March Visit To Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area

Snow Geese

 Middle Creek is on the list of places I must visit each year. One of the best times to do so is during the spring waterfowl migration, and if one wants to see the impressive spectacle of thousands upon thousands of snow geese they must plan on going there in late February and early March. According to my information, the tour road around the upper end of the lake does not open until March 1st, however, which means one is not able to access this area in February,which does limit photographic opportunities.

My Brother Coy of Country Captures and I traveled to Middle Creek on Friday March 2nd and the day began with great promise.  I always like to start at the viewing areas along Hopeland Road near the visitor center and when we arrived there in the predawn, the air was filled with the sound of thousands of snow geese, tundra swans, and other waterfowl.  We positioned the cameras and took some scenic shots waiting for the birds to leave the water.

Middle Creek Lake Before Sunrise

As dawn neared the terrific flock of snow geese drifted further and further toward the other shore.  Suddenly most of the birds left the lake far earlier than usual and by the time excellent photographic light arrived there was not a snow goose in sight, but there were several species of ducks and other waterfowl.

I concentrated on video as usual and so do not have a lot of  photographs to post from this trip.  Later in the morning a large flock of snow geese began to form off of willow point and we hiked there, but the light was very harsh and glaring resulting in less than optimal photos and video. We drove around the tour road again and then filmed and photographed the flock at Willow Point from an extreme distance and observed an immature Bald Eagle flying over the lake, and a mature Bald Eagle, which caught a fish and sat on a log near Willow Point while eating it.  At this juncture the large flock took off en masse, which made a spectacular sight.  Coy captured some excellent shots of with his 600mm F4. To see this along with the lift-off at dawn read his post, "A Blizzard of Snows"

Before leaving we made one more pass on the tour road and this time we met with success.  Large numbers of snow geese were coming from the lake and landing in a corn field to the left of the one-way tour road.  Soon the road was lined with birding enthusiasts and the field and skies was filled with the geese. Although the photo below was taken in 2008, it serves to illustrate this situation quite well.

Snow Geese Landing In Corn Field

 A PGC officer arrived on the scene and drove into the field to make sure that no one approached the geese.

PGC Officer On Watch

But even without anyone disturbing the geese, they lifted off and flew in a circle over the area for a time and then settled back down to feeding.

Massive Flock Taking Off From Corn Field

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.