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[OM] Our own little gator

Subject: [OM] Our own little gator
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 01 Apr 2015 20:51:07 -0400
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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