We have a small pond behind our house which, due to the construction of
other new houses around it is pretty muddy. I had considered it likely
devoid of much life... until the weather started warming up. Peepers
had been peeping for months but when the temperature rose last week, as
the night fell, the little guys were joined by a chorus of bull frogs
from the pond and followed by daytime visits of geese, ducks, herons
large and small and even a stork.
Yesterday I spotted a familiar dark object laying low on the water and
another resting on the bank at the end of the pond. Further
investigation led me to go grab the E-M1 outfitted with the 75-300 and a
monopod.
This is what I finally shot from about 10 feet at 300mm. He wouldn't
let me get any closer than that. He looks large but he's only about 4
feet long. You can tell he's young from the yellowish marks on his skin.
He'll be all black as he get older. His buddy was playing shy
somewhere and I estimate him at about 5 feet.
<http://zone-10.com/tope2/main.php?g2_itemId=16857>
This little guy demonstrated some interesting behavior. At first he
skedaddled when I got about 30 feet away. But he didn't go very far. I
approached him again and got to within about 20 feet. That time he made
himself scarce for a while. I walked to the other end of the pond and
started looking for the other one. Then I got distracted wondering if
there might be any snakes in a large pile of (warm) stones designed as a
spillway should the pond overflow. After a short time I looked up and
saw the little guy swimming directly at me from some distance away and
he then made a 90 degree turn and approached the bank of the pond that's
near my house. I slowly worked my way over there stopping every now and
then to take an ever closer shot. I finally got the one at the link
from about 10 feet away. When I tried to get even closer still he
decided the game was over and dove under and away as fast as his tail
would take him.
I saw him and his buddy both again today but didn't have time to go
check them out. I hope to play the game again soon to see how close
he'll let me approach.
There are also lots of turtles in the 8-12" diameter range. They like
to sun themselves on a small concrete culvert that empties into the
pond. They're much more afraid of me than the gators are. The turtles
skedaddle as soon as they spot me moving toward them. It's been hard to
get a good closeup shot even at 600mm equivalent.
Chuck Norcutt
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