• Great blue herons are stand-and-wait-predators that remain motionless for long periods of time, waiting for prey to venture near.
• Their large size enables them to feed on a variety of prey, including fish, frogs, turtles, young birds and bird eggs, snakes, and insects; also mice, moles, gophers, and other small mammals.
• Herons feed during the day or night (in lighted areas), generally within 3 miles of their colony. They tend to be solitary feeders, but where the food supply is abundant, they can be found feeding together.
• The adult heron rarely flies straight to the young, perching instead a few yards from the nest. After a few minutes, the adult goes to the nest and regurgitates predigested food. The oldest and largest chicks take most of the food share by grasping the adult's bill and catching the food.

A friend just jostled my memory and I dug out this little article I wrote last year about the time I almost stepped on a Copperhead ... It's rather amusing..

This was posted on VIRGINIAOUTDOORS.COM

Click here to read article  

I hope you enjoy!

"Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer

 – and often the supreme disappointment." 

 Ansel Adams

Owl Creek

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

Sunday June 16th I went to spend an hour with my dolphin friends

This one decided to pop up and say HI!

View a larger version by clicking here: Breaching Dolphin 

Sunset over Virginia Beach June 8th 2013

You can purchase a print by clicking HERE

Virginia Beach Fishing Pier

The Virginia Beach fishing pier is a very popular and productive fishing spot. Anglers of all ages, sexes and skill levels congregate to enjoy a fun day on the pier. The pier is located on the boardwalk in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

 The summer season is peak time for visiting the pier, although fishing can be good at other times. The summer fishing includes spot, croaker, pompano, kingfish, pigfish, trout, bluefish, red drum, Spanish mackerel, king mackerel, sharks, rays and other fish.

This Photograph was taken at Sunset on June 8th 2013

 aboard the Rudee Flipper Sunset Dolphin Tour

Honey Bee Golf Course

DUCKLINGS

Two months after hatching, the fledgling period has ended and the duckling is now a juvenile. Between three to four months of age, the juvenile can finally begin flying as its wings are fully developed for flight (which can be confirmed by the sight of purple speculum feathers). Its bill will soon lose its dark grey coloring and its sex can finally be distinguished by three factors. The bill coloring is yellow in males, black and orange for females. The breast feathers are reddish-brown for males, brown for females. The center tail feather is curled for males (called a drake feather), straight for females.

An oldie but goodie Dolphin wake riding. 

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Taken Feb 24th 2013 off Sandbridge in Virginia Beach

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Long-finned baleen whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).

They live along all major ocean coasts, sometimes swimming close inshore or even into harbours and up rivers. 

Humpbacks grow to 40–52 ft (12–16 m) long. They are black above, with some white below, and have large knobs on the head and jaws. 

The humpback migrates between polar waters in summer and tropical or subtropical breeding grounds in winter. It feeds on shrimplike crustaceans, small fish, and plankton. 

It is probably the most vocal of all whales (with “songs” of 5–35 minutes) and one of the most acrobatic (capable of turning a somersault).

 Much reduced in number by overhunting, humpbacks have been protected worldwide since the 1960s, and some populations seem to be increasing.

You can purchase these and other Humpback Whale pictures at  

 Pete Feds Photography

Today was a rather productive day. I visited the 17th annual American Indian Festival which was hosted by
The Nansemond Tribe .

The Nansemond have been recognized as a Native American tribe by the Commonwealth of Virginia, along with ten other Virginia Indian tribes.
They are not Federally recognized but are one of six Virginia tribes without reservations that are included in a bill for Federal recognition under consideration by the United States Congress.

Most members of the tribe live in the Suffolk/Chesapeake, Virginia area.
At the time of European encounter, the historic Nansemond tribe spoke a variety of the Algonquian-language. The Nansemond Wikipedia Page.

You can view this and many other photographs taken at today's event by clicking here.

On my way home I happened to pass Stumpy Lake and was lucky to see this juvenile Bald Eagle riding the thermals!

Today was a good day!

What is life? 

It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. 

It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.

Chief Crowfoot (c. 1821–1830 – 25 April 1890)

The Cape Henry Lighthouse silently guards the entry way into the Chesapeake Bay. Standing near the "First Landing" site of the Jamestown settlers where in 1607, Captain Newport raised a cross to offer thanks for their safe crossing of the Atlantic, the Lighthouse has stood sentinel since it was completed in 1792.

Authorized by George Washington and overseen by Alexander Hamilton, the construction of the Cape Henry Lighthouse was one of the first acts of the newly formed Federal government. The octagonal sandstone lighthouse was designed by New York architect John McComb and was in active use for nearly a century before being replaced by a new cast iron lighthouse still standing nearby. It is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in the United States.

Preservation Virginia acquired the Cape Henry Lighthouse in 1930 when Congress deeded the lighthouse and 1.77 acres of land to the organization in order to preserve it and make it accessible to the public. Over the years it has restored the lighthouse and its surroundings including repairing the lantern after damage from Hurricane Barbara in 1953, repairing the damaged original Aquia sandstone, and restoring the surrounding dunes.

To purchase a copy of CAPE HENRY LIGHTHOUSE click here

I stopped by one of my favorite places today and found my Bald Eagle friend perched high on a dead tree.

Probably standing guard over the nest.

I waited about 15 minutes or so before he/she took off and went behind the tree line where the nest is hidden.

The full sized version of this can be seen on my website in the Eagles gallery

PeteFedsPhotography Eagles

The VisitNorfolk photography contest ended last night.
Although I entered midway in this contest, I finished a strong 3rd place in the popular vote.
Now it is up to the three impartial judges.
Thank you all who voted for my landscape shot of "Peace and Quiet".

Gorgeous day here in "The 757", so many opportunities to shoot today.  I'm not sure what I will come back with, but I'm going to bet that I'll have something nice!

PeteFedsPhotography Peace and Quiet