Middle Creek Wildlife Refuge

In my classes-or just in general, I am often asked about photographing birds. Then people seem surprised when I say that I really don’t like to photograph birds. That’s mainly because I really don’t even like birds. At all. Little to no interest in them. I know-many of you find that incredulous. I get it (well, not really).

I find it to be a frustrating endeavor that I prefer not to exert my energy on. Tiny creatures moving incredibly fast, usually far away, requiring a lens that I can’t afford nor physically carry, usually in light that is less than ideal…not my cup of tea. I’ll stick to waterfalls. That’s something I can really get excited about!

BUT, everyone and his brother who is a photographer in this neck of the woods knows about our local claim-to-fame, which is the waterfowl migration at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area in Stevens, PA. It’s that time of the year again. Time for the annual snow geese migration! Birders everywhere are getting ready, watching the live feeds and especially the Migration Updates online. Middle Creek is a huge stopover for them, and you can see upwards of 150,000 snow geese, along with Tundra Swans and a variety of other water fowl. In fact, several years ago a peek record of 200,000 snow geese was recorded! That’s in a single day! 

Ok, as a nature photographer, I thought I should check out what all the commotion is about. Obviously, there’s something I’m missing… So, years ago on a Sunday, I found myself taking a drive after church, and ironically ended up at Middle Creek-along with everyone in Lancaster, Lebanon and Berks Counties! Oh my goodness – they were parked everywhere, easily now having to walk at least a half a mile to the most popular viewing point. I was there without camera-no pressure that way:) Didn’t even get out of the car. I just drove around and peaked at the little dots out on the water I could see from the main road. And I was ok with that-for the night. But then I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something.

Monday while scouting for photo locations, I tried to convince my photo buddy to go, but no luck. But Tuesday, we ended up there about an hour before sunset. We took the long walk (about a quarter mile) out to Willow Point, which is the most popular area to view from. This time I had my gear. At that point I was shooting with a Canon 7D Mk2 and Canon 100-400mm lens. Photographers and birders were everywhere. The birdies were still a mass of tiny spots to me, as they floated way out on the lake. There’s no missing them, though, because they are loud! Really loud. And as we watched, the sound suddenly became louder. And louder. And before we knew what was happening-there was a mass lift off! It is the moment everyone is waiting for! Birders begin to gasp and point. Photographers with giant lenses swing into action as now the sound of shutters going off also fills the air. I fired off a bunch of shots, because that’s the thing to do. The snow geese circle around overhead and then settle back down. Then a few minutes later it happens again. And before I knew what was happening, I had goosebumps (pun kindof intended;) all over, and chills running up and down my spine.          

And all I can say, is that it was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced! The sound of the birds, and the scene when then – 60,000 of them suddenly burst into flight… Wow! It was pretty amazing! Words do not do it justice! Since then, I have gone back at least once each year. I watch the migration updates online and when I see it hit 100,000 or more snow geese-I head out! I leave at a ridiculously early time-usually about 2 hours before sunrise. That’s really the best time to see them. It’s dark and cold, and I have a 50 minute drive to get there. And then the walk… I’m less than functional in the early morning, and I hate being cold; and I really still don’t care all that much about birds…but I go. I go because I love to challenge myself in all aspects of photography-and bird photography is a huge challenge! I go, so I can add some value when chatting with all my bird photography buddies-or so they have something else to laugh at me about-jury’s still out🙄 But mostly I go, because it is an amazing testimony to God’s glory- and that I can truly get excited about.

This certainly doesn’t make me a birder now, but it does make me appreciate them a little bit more than before. And, maybe even look forward to the event again next year. And the next. And the next 🙂

By the way, if you’re in the area and this inspired you to check it out for yourself, then keep an eye on the updates that at this point are happening every few days. We are still in the dead of winter. The lake is frozen and the fields are covered, so they stay away. But next week it will head into the 40s, so the time is drawing near. Here is the link: 

https://www.pgc.pa.gov/InformationResources/AboutUs/ContactInformation/Southeast/MiddleCreekWildlifeManagementArea/Pages/MigrationUpdate.aspx

Maybe I’ll see you there! Of course, I’ll be bundled up in so much clothing trying to keep warm that you won’t recognize me-but maybe…

And if you’re looking for a few quick tips, here you go. You want the longest lens you have. The greater the focal length, the more you’ll be able to fill the frame with the birds. You want to use a fast shutter speed when they are in flight. This could be anywhere from 1/500 to 1/2000 sec. You will probably want to shoot with your lens at it’s widest aperture, or close to it. Ex f/2.8, 4, 5.6. So, you will likely need to use a high ISO. And if going early in the morning, it could be REALLY high to get a good exposure-at least until the sun comes up. It’s better to use a high ISO and have a sharp but noisy image, than it is to have a clean file with blurry birds. My birds are usually blurry no matter what-but that’s a whole different story ;-}