Blog on Alex Gilliard Photography

Quick Morning Beach Trip

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It’s always a good day when the white morph reddish egret is out and feeding. The good light was starting to fade, but my patience while waiting in the water paid off as he struck and pulled a small fish from the shallows!

This reddish egret was in full breeding plumage, and I couldn’t resist taking a tight shot to capture those colors!

Mother's Day is For The Birds Too

Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The lighting couldn’t have been more perfect on Saturday morning. As soon as I pulled up, a sandhill crane pair and their two juvenile chicks appeared. I quickly fired away, but was only able to capture a photo of one of the adults. I still like how it turned out! I quickly found a nice spot with the rising sun at my back and began firing away at the 10 or so stilts guarding their nests on an island in a shallow pond.

Just a quick afternoon walk

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I almost didn’t go out yesterday, but it had been a while since I’d done any afternoon shooting, so I made myself go. As I was walking toward a tree, I could have sworn this bird was an owl at first. Its head was turned around and tucked down in just the right way to fool me. Once I got a little closer though, I realized it was actually a juvenile bald eagle.

Shore Bird Saturday

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It’s still a little slow right now, but spring migration should be picking up very soon. It wasn’t completely devoid of activity, though. This Wilson’s plover was hanging out in the grassy dunes as I came in.

This great blue heron was waiting for his morning breakfast to swim by.

Owl Over Here, Owl Over There, Owls Everywhere!

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

My wife and I were walking down the path when I suddenly spotted this owl with a crawfish in its mouth. Almost as soon as I saw him, he launched into the air right at me. I hate that I missed the flight shot because my autofocus just was not up to the task, but things worked out anyway because I ended up getting some really close looks at his breakfast.

Sunrise White-Tailed Buck

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The sun wasn’t up yet, and I had only seen does in the field on Saturday morning. But I figured I’d take my stool and sit out in the middle of the field in hopes that the big guy might show up. Less than five minutes later, he emerged from the tree line, and while there was very little light, this shot was taken at 1/125, f/8, ISO 32,000! He paused just long enough for me to capture this image, and just as the sun started to crest over the trees behind me, he made his exit!

Turtle for Breakfast?

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

🦉⚠️ This post includes an owl feeding scene that some viewers may find upsetting.

I was going through my photos and realized I had not captured an owl at the park since September. Far too long, if you ask me, but this morning finally broke the streak.

A kind person on the boardwalk told me they had spotted one nearby, so I hurried over. When I found him, he was wrapping up breakfast: a baby turtle. A tough sight, but nature does what nature does.

Crested Caracara In The Pasture?

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I had to attend a funeral today in my hometown. Afterward, I drove my mom back to her house and planned to head out shortly after.

But as I was pulling into the driveway, something caught my eye. Out in the pasture, right among the cows as they grazed on fresh hay, was a caracara.

On a whim this morning, I’d grabbed my camera and the 100–400 lens on the way out the door, just in case I spotted something worth photographing. I’m so glad I did.

When the Water Turns to Gold

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The sun was getting ready to dip below the horizon, and I had pretty much settled on ending the day photographing a pair of American coots in some beautiful golden light. Then out of nowhere this anhinga surfaced right in front of me with a rather large bluegill thrashing wildly from his beak.

Peak golden hour light painted the entire scene in rich gold as the bird flailed and twisted, trying to flip the fish into position. Every feather detail was glowing, and the water shimmered around him as he wrestled with his oversized catch. After a brief but dramatic struggle, he retreated to a shadowy corner to finish the job. It took him a bit, but he eventually managed to get it down. Definitely not the quiet ending to the evening I was expecting!

Sunrise Wild Turkeys

Mon, 19 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I got a tip about a spot that might have some wild turkeys, and maybe even a few bucks, so I loaded up the e-bike and decided to check it out. About two miles into the ride, I hadn’t seen much, but then out of nowhere a bobcat darted across the trail a few hundred feet in front of me. Too quick for even a bad photo, but still encouraging!