How could I resist? Owing to the fact that the week before I found a small marsh filled with Wood Ducks, Trumpeter Swans, Canada Geese, and Mallards that produced a lot of avian excitement and some sweet fall photos – with a sunny day forecast, how could I ignore the opportunity to return to see if the waterfowl magic was still present in some form. Minnesota birds have created quite an attraction during October, but would Trumpeter Swans and Wood Ducks still be on hand, or would the quiet pond be empty?

It was exciting to photograph Wood Ducks for the first time in some years the previous week, but a return visit to the small marsh provided some improved images of a drake Wood Duck. Will local weather permit a third photo session there among the variety of birds in the area? (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO.)

My first view from the road showed the pond was still populated with big white birds, and after an initial look at the waterfowl I counted 26 swans, 9 Wood Ducks, 48 Mallards, a female Green-winged Teal, and 12 Canada Geese – Hooray! The birds were there and continued to be quite trusting, but didn’t yield many photo options initially. Even so, it was nice to enjoy the quiet and beauty of the little marsh surrounded by trees in fall colors and filled with a variety of waterfowl. Just then a pair of adult Bald Eagles that soared into view, gliding ever higher – what a scene. But after about 20 minutes I decided to break away to see if some Wood Ducks and others would reposition closer to the south side of the marsh in my absence.

That turned out to be a good move, and when I returned 20 minutes later a drake Wood Duck was feeding in the company of a pair of swans very near the south shoreline. As soon as I saw the situation I checked my position with respect to the direction of the sunlight, and stopped short, knowing that if the birds retreated, they would pass before me toward the west shore where other Wood Ducks were feeding near foraging swans. No need to worry though, the majestic swans and colorful duck held their positions and a nice photo session ensued – providing the best photos of one of the most colorful species among all ducks, and all birds.

Although there were 26 Trumpeter Swans present last Wednesday in the marsh, they were intent on feeding or resting. This pair provided a peaceful view that conveyed the essence of the period (550mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/2000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Wood Ducks are usually extra-wary, and often hard to find, especially within photo range, so I made the most of the opportunity as my time was running low. I was on a schedule to spend time with most of my family, and although I wished I could have photographed a female Woodie too, the hens didn’t offer an opportunity this time. I did get a photo of a pair of Mallards displaying, bowing and raising their heads while facing one another. I finally pulled away to head back to Fargo for some family fun; but wait, not so fast said Mother Nature.

To show the dramatic difference in the size between a Trumpeter Swan and a Wood Duck, this photo was taken as the swan lifted its head from below the water with the Woodie swimming out of reach with an acorn in its bill. Wood Ducks and Mallards watched for food items that surfaced as the swans foraged for wild rice or plant tubers under water (600mm zoom lens, f-7 aperture, 1/1600 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

Three miles up the road an adult Bald Eagle was perched above the shore of a lake on a tall wooden pole next to the road, in perfect shadowless sunlight. Of course, I pulled over and focused on the eagle as it calmly looked in every direction, unconcerned about a car parked nearby. I found myself focusing on the brown body of the eagle, only natural, but it made me wonder how my camera’s light meter was exposing the photos. I had a chance to check the LCD viewer on the back of my camera, and sure enough, the eagle was being overexposed in the initial photos. Because I was using the center point light meter setting, the meter was sensing the dark plumage of the body and lightening the image overall as a result, making the head too white, and the sky too bright.

You can’t order a better opportunity to take a portrait of a trusting eagle in shadowless sunlight, but the first photos were overexposed by the light meter setting. By focusing on the eagle’s head instead of its dark body, the following images turned out beautifully (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/3200 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

To respond quickly, I turned my camera from the usual horizontal position to vertical, and placed the center point on the white head of the eagle. After taking a couple photos, I checked the LCD screen again and saw the photos were being exposed in the best possible way – I was so glad I checked the exposure and made the change. The other option would have taken a bit more time – to change the light meter setting to include more points that would have judged the surrounding area, including the white head and tail, brown body plumage, and the surrounding blue sky. As it was, by focusing on the eagle’s head, the white feathers were reproduced in just the right color and shading, and the surrounding plumage and sky was perfect too.

Just as I was about to resume my drive, the eagle took flight, and I watched as it swept over the water, then doubled back to perch on a high pole 150 yards ahead. I drove forward, not intending to stop again, but as I neared the eagle’s new perch, a second adult Bald Eagle swept into view, flying low from the southwest, and I imagined it was about to interact with the first eagle. Accordingly, I got into what I considered the best position quickly as the second eagle made a big turn to approach the first eagle.

I focused on the first eagle to get a frame of reference, then switched to the second eagle as it approached on the wing, taking photos as the eagle’s wings pumped up and down – with the first eagle in the photo frame all the while. As the second eagle passed the first eagle’s perch, it dropped its legs, then reached forward while breaking with its wings stretched broadly as it landed on an adjacent perch, wings still spread. As it folded its wings, the pair of eagles began calling in unison while facing one another – what an exciting episode to witness and photograph!

After photographing the first Bald Eagle, a second adult flew in, providing a chance to try to get a photograph with both eagles in the frame, one perched and the other in the process of landing. The action happened too quickly to increase the area in focus, but the f-8 aperture turned out to be adequate (600mm zoom lens, f-8 aperture, 1/4000 shutter speed, 800 ISO).

With that, I hit the road again to enjoy a fun time with 8 members of my family in Fargo including my baby niece and 3 little nephews – all newly relocated from Tampa, Florida. In a case like this, when you have a promising photo opportunity and you know what, where, and how to make the most of it, it was well worth the effort to enjoy 90 minutes of photographing some of the most attractive birds in the woodland and lakes country of Minnesota. Who knows, I might go back for a third photo session! Then too, I didn’t expect to have a chance to take portraits and action photos of Bald Eagles; sometimes things just fall into place.

In the meantime, I hope you have at least one primo birding location where you can find birds to photograph on a sunny day. With the sun positioned in the southern sky these days, prime photo time is almost any hour the sky is clear, or any minutes when clouds pass by. Enjoy any time you have your camera in hand and a bird in focus, and work toward that goal as often as possible – it’s the ultimate birding experience, time after time!

Article and Photographs by Paul Konrad

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