jlphoto
07-23-2008, 08:07 PM
So I went down to Oregon Inlet Sunday to inquire about a captain that would be willing take people out to Pelican Island. The tide was dropping pretty quick and the menhaden were schooling around the fishing center and all through prop slue (the channel between the marsh and the flats that go all the way out to the small boat channel).
Pulling up to the fishing center I noticed about 20 pelicans of various ages all clustered up on the sand flat in front of the marsh. Laughing gulls were diving bombing the water and white Ibises (3 of them) were working the same spot. There was even a tri-colored sitting on a pilling. But me, I had a mission. I was trying to find a boat to take me out to photograph pelicans.
Inside, I was met with confusion and a very large girl with a sourthern drawl. "Whats Pelican Island?". . . "Never heard of it.". . . The captians weren't much help either. Finially I stopped, looked at them and told them it was the only damn island with the 800 pelicans on it. "OHHHH, yeah. . . I know where that is." But when asked if they could take me there, everyones response was that they didnt "do" that kinda stuff and that they didnt know of anyone who did. Frustrated I walked by outside and set in my truck. I reached back behind the seet to find a RedBull, hoping maybe it would give me wings to just fly myself out to the island.
I sat there drinking my redbull watching the pelicans crash into the emerald green waters. My gaze moved off to the western horizon in search of that dredge spoil that so many pelicans and terns call home. I had really had my hopes high that day to photograph those birds.
4 pelicans crashed into the water directly in front of me. "wow, those pelicans are really going to town out here," I thought to myself. Then it dawned on me. Right smack dab in front of me were pelicans. There were pelicans everywhere. Pelicans were on the pillings, sitting on the flats, floating in the water, soaring through the air. For the last 10 minutes I had been sitting there watching pelicans, thinking about how I could find a boat to take me out to photograph pelicans!
Its funny how we sometimes look right past whats directly in front of us, as we day dream about bigger and better things. I remember I was living in Boone and planning a trip to Cades Cove once so that I could photograph deer. I had built up so much anticipation to go to the cove that it wasnt untill after I had returned from the trip that I realized I had been driving past ridiculously tamed deer for the past couple of weeks on Grandfather Mountain while shooting the fall foilage.
Someone once said that chance favors the prepared mind. I just wasn't prepared to photograph those pelicans or those deer unless I went out to the holly land of photographing those species.
After realizing what I had right in front of me, I ended up spending about 3 hours wading around the flats and prop slue with my 200-400vr and tripod, having one of the best times photographing birds I have ever had. The action was non stop, and I ended up coming home with about 8 gigs of files and a few photographs that I am truly excited about.
Moral to the story.... pay attention to whats right in front of you. You dont need to go on an expedition to have a steller day. Sometimes your own backyard can turn out some killer work!
Pulling up to the fishing center I noticed about 20 pelicans of various ages all clustered up on the sand flat in front of the marsh. Laughing gulls were diving bombing the water and white Ibises (3 of them) were working the same spot. There was even a tri-colored sitting on a pilling. But me, I had a mission. I was trying to find a boat to take me out to photograph pelicans.
Inside, I was met with confusion and a very large girl with a sourthern drawl. "Whats Pelican Island?". . . "Never heard of it.". . . The captians weren't much help either. Finially I stopped, looked at them and told them it was the only damn island with the 800 pelicans on it. "OHHHH, yeah. . . I know where that is." But when asked if they could take me there, everyones response was that they didnt "do" that kinda stuff and that they didnt know of anyone who did. Frustrated I walked by outside and set in my truck. I reached back behind the seet to find a RedBull, hoping maybe it would give me wings to just fly myself out to the island.
I sat there drinking my redbull watching the pelicans crash into the emerald green waters. My gaze moved off to the western horizon in search of that dredge spoil that so many pelicans and terns call home. I had really had my hopes high that day to photograph those birds.
4 pelicans crashed into the water directly in front of me. "wow, those pelicans are really going to town out here," I thought to myself. Then it dawned on me. Right smack dab in front of me were pelicans. There were pelicans everywhere. Pelicans were on the pillings, sitting on the flats, floating in the water, soaring through the air. For the last 10 minutes I had been sitting there watching pelicans, thinking about how I could find a boat to take me out to photograph pelicans!
Its funny how we sometimes look right past whats directly in front of us, as we day dream about bigger and better things. I remember I was living in Boone and planning a trip to Cades Cove once so that I could photograph deer. I had built up so much anticipation to go to the cove that it wasnt untill after I had returned from the trip that I realized I had been driving past ridiculously tamed deer for the past couple of weeks on Grandfather Mountain while shooting the fall foilage.
Someone once said that chance favors the prepared mind. I just wasn't prepared to photograph those pelicans or those deer unless I went out to the holly land of photographing those species.
After realizing what I had right in front of me, I ended up spending about 3 hours wading around the flats and prop slue with my 200-400vr and tripod, having one of the best times photographing birds I have ever had. The action was non stop, and I ended up coming home with about 8 gigs of files and a few photographs that I am truly excited about.
Moral to the story.... pay attention to whats right in front of you. You dont need to go on an expedition to have a steller day. Sometimes your own backyard can turn out some killer work!