Eagle Tour Photographer Spotlight: Dave Parrish

Submitted by Capt. Mike on Thu, 12/29/2011 - 01:20
December 28, 2011.  Dave Parrish is a photographer who has many talents, including the talent to make you laugh if you are lucky enough to be hanging around him. He also has another talent, one he probably won’t admit to, but it’s one of his finest. Second to his natural talent for photography, I’d say, Dave is a first class educator when it comes to helping friends and colleagues learn the art of photography. He freely offers advice and lessons on digital photography. He is also a leader in a local photography club, the Richmond Photography Meetup Group … a group with nearly 500 members. 
 
Dave is comfortable with his Pentax digital camera system. He is relaxed and able to dial into the shot quickly. He has a number of lenses ranging from macro, or close up, to super telephoto… and some of his super telephoto shots of bald eagles on the James River has created a buzz over with my Bald Eagle Tour, including one bird in particular. More on this later in the story …
 
Dave’s obsession with photography began over twenty years ago when he felt the need to capture some of the natural beauty he found himself constantly noticing while on outdoor adventures. Although his passion has increased and developed over time, Dave states, “I really only began taking photography seriously about six years ago after taking a few classes from John Tyler Community College.” 
 

Dave has worked tirelessly to make his photos technically perfect as well as artistically pleasing. Delving into most areas of photography from weddings to fashion to modern dance he thrives on challenging shoots, including photographing the bald eagles of the James River on Discover The James’ Bald Eagle Tour. Dave says, “The eagles of the James has been one of my most challenging and rewarding experiences to date.” He continues, “I will never leave behind my desire to convey the stunning beauty that nature presents to us every day.”
 
He considers photography a serious hobby but hopes to one day make it more of a occupation. Dave works fulltime as an electrician, but ALWAYS has his camera close at hand. If it’s not around his neck, it’s in his truck and at the ready. Dave truly is a dedicated photographer and will surely make it in that field if he wants to.
 

Now back to his photography of a particular bird. About two years ago, my wife took a photo of Bandit, the finest bald eagle on the James River. She captured a close, sharp image of the bird’s band, and we were able to get three numbers off the bird’s band.  It took more than a year for someone else to start capturing images of the band where numbers were readable … and Dave was that guy.  He took the band photography to a new level and was able to read seven of the eight total numbers off Bandit’s band.  

The image to the right is one of a series of images taken by Dave that gave us clues to many of the numbers from the band. The key mistake we both made was thinking the number that looks like an obvious '6' in this shot was a '6'.  Once we realized it was an '8' (from another photo), that gave us the last number that was needed to find out all about Banidt.  And we found out a bunch.  

It is with great pleasure that to highlight Dave Parrish’s work on my website. To see more of Dave’s wildlife photography, go to http://daveparrish.zenfolio.com/p1071367295.  

The Photos Stories?  Top Right:  This was a "Photo of the Month" winner for Dave in one of Discover The James' newsletters.  It is such a dramatic image that tells a story of a hunting osprey.  Here it is flying with a fresh cuaght gizzard shad, probably shifting the catch to a head first position in order to maintain a flight pattern into a tree to begin to eat the head off.  --Photo by Dave Parrish

Middle Left:  Another great shot.  Here an immagure bald eagle tries to grab a shad from the river, but upon close review of the photo, you can see it missed.  They get their prey most of the time, but not always.  I love the patterns of an immature eagle.  No wonder they are the subject of so many artists.  --Photo by Dave Parrish

Bottom Right:  This is the image that really got the ball rolling for me in the search for Bandit's band numbers.  For about a year, I had three numbers  6-2-9.  Then Dave started to dial into the band and begin gathering the data needed to find out all about this wonderful bird.  Bandit has an incredible story that is worthy of another post on the site ... coming soon.  Thanks Dave, Lynda Richardson and Steve Baranoff (the photographers who ended up gathering all the numbers via their photos).  --Photo by Dave Parrish

An Amazing Day on the James

Submitted by Capt. Mike on Wed, 12/21/2011 - 17:58
December 20, 2011. Today started like most days on the James, an early arrival to the Richmond Yacht Basin to get the boat ready for the day’s adventure. Today, I readied for a fishing trip … checking lines on rods, checking hook points and leaders, and generally making sure everything was in order and in place. By 6:45am, I was ready to embrace the day, and welcome guests on my pontoon boat, into a clean, workboat-like atmosphere. 
 
Some days, if I am lucky, I get to sit back on the boat and enjoy the Eastern sky for a short while, after everything is done and ready. Today, I had those precious 15 minutes, and while looking at the glow of the predawn sunrise, I thought to myself, “This is going to be a good day.”
 
I was right. Not only did I manage to take this series of wonderful sunrise images from a moving pontoon boat (all in 30 minutes on the James River), but I spent the day with one of my favorite folks, Bill Schieman, an angler from Virginia Beach … AND … fishing was good! On the trip Bill brought his son Bill Jr., and his son’s daughter, Tracy.
 
Bill Schieman is also a hero of mine and here’s why ….
 
About six years ago, I received a phone call and was asked if I was the guy who did flathead fishing trips on the James in Richmond. I said, “Yes” and proceeded to tell the gentleman the details of the trip. When I explained how the flathead fishing trip is a perfect ‘half-day’ adventure, he interrupted and asked, “Don’t you do full-day flathead trips?” “Sure” I responded, “It’s just that this trip makes for a perfect half day, due to the length of the river float, etc. etc.” 
 
So Bill books a full day fishing trip and he travels from Virginia Beach by himself. We are to meet at the Huguenot Flatwater ramp at 7AM. The morning of our trip, I come floating downriver towards Huguenot Flatwater, about 6:40 am in my raft, ready to fish. Like always, I was arriving about 20 minutes early to relax, enjoy the morning sunrise, and watch over the river’s surface for fish activity. As I paddle up to the shore, there is a man sitting about halfway down the steps to the river. He says, “Are you Mike?” and I say, “Are you Bill?” and we both chuckled a bit.
 
That day of fishing was awesome. But more importantly, I got to know this guy from Virginia Beach, who has such an amazing, long history of fishing in Virginia. He’s a master bass fisherman, who has more largemouth bass citations than anyone in the history of freshwater fishing in Virginia. Bill has caught over 500 largemouth bass worthy of being called a “Trophy” by the Commonwealth of VA. Plus, he’s famous for catching huge walleye, yellow perch, crappie and sunfish. In short, the guy is an amazing fisherman and has been for over 70 years. 
 

That first trip Bill booked with me ended with him catching 20 or more flathead catfish, many over 20 pounds along with numerous smallmouth bass, redbreasted sunfish and bluegill. He fished in that hot sun for eight hours, non-stop with a smile on his face from ear to ear. We talked all day about fishing and life, and as I gave Bill a ride back upriver to his car for his journey back to Virginia Beach, I thought to myself, “Wow, this is who I want to be when I am 82 years old.” Bill got in his car at 4:45am, drove two hours to the James River in Richmond, fished all day, had a great time and drove back home all in one day. All for the sake of enjoying a day of fishing and all at the age of 82. Yeah, Bill is one of my hero’s and always will be. 

The Photo's Stories:  Top Left:  Sunrise on the James #1.  December 20, 2011.  Early morning, taken from just downriver of the Richmond Yacht Basin, at the upriver end of Jefferson's Reach.  --Photo by Capt. Mike 

Middle Right:  Sunrise on the James #2.  December 20, 2011.  Minutes after taking the first pic at the top left, while riding dowriver, towards Jones Neck, I paused to take this image from my Canon G-9 digital camera.  I love that little camera.  --Photo by Capt. Mike

Lower Left:  This is from a fishing trip, with Bill, from last fall.  He comes to fish the James River at least twice ayear, and here I am holding the biggest blue catfish of his life, a 64 pounder!  To this day, it is still a club record for the Tidewater Angler's Club, a fishing club Bill has belonged to since the 1960's.  --Photo by Sheldon Aery

Bottom Left:  Sunrise on the James #3.  December 20, 2011.  This is one of my favorite sunrise images in a while. Something about it grabs me, perhaps it's that first moment of direct sunlight, or the pallette of colors in the sky with the rays shooting through the clouds, or maybe it's the total lack of wind, creating a near perfect reflection of a magnificent sky.  Maybe it's all that, and more, of which I just can't explain.  Maybe it was just being there.  --Photo by Capt. Mike   

 

Eagle Tour Photographer Spotlight: Steve Baranoff

Submitted by Capt. Mike on Tue, 12/06/2011 - 19:10
December 6, 2011.  I find myself writing about the James River in ‘clumps’.  When I get enough time … I write.  With that said, after my recent ‘Fall Fishing Report’, I am following up with another blog post about some wonderful photography taken on my Bald Eagle Tour this fall.  The images in this post are the work of a photographer who has been booking Bald Eagle Tours on a regular basis.  Over the next month or two I plan to highlight the work of a few more photographers who have taken my Bald Eagle Tours.
Steve Baranoff is a nature photographer who lives in Richmond, Virginia and Austin, Texas.  He takes his talents and the lessons he’s learned throughout his life and channels it into his current work. 
And his work is very good. 
Steve worked as an electrical engineer and has perfectly combined his ‘engineering brain’ with an ‘art seed’ planted by his father, who worked as a painter, print maker and university art professor.  He is a member of many nature-based associations, including the Richmond Audubon Society, which promote stewardship and awareness of natural things.  And he freely shares his knowledge of photography and birds with his associates. 
His vision takes him into his subject’s natural surroundings, where he can capture images of birds in their habitat.  From there, he transforms his digital captures into artistic prints, shown as Bird Art.  Steve produces his own prints with archival inks and paper.  The images in this post, along with many others are available for sale through his website … BirdsInPhotos.com. 
What does Steve say about Discover The James' Bald Eagle Tours?  He states, "Capt. Mike's Bald Eagle tour is one of Richmond's hidden secrets."  
 
His love of photography, birding and boating makes the Bald Eagle Tour a natural way for him to capture incredible images of bald eagles (along with a few osprey, great blue heron, and even a songbird or two).  I can’t wait for him to get back from Texas so he can take some more wonderful images of the wildlife along the James River… Come on back soon Steve!      --Capt. Mike
 
The Photos Stories?: Top Right:  This is one of my favorite images Steve has taken, although I have to admit, there are many.  Here, one of the resident bald eagles of Jefferson's Reach is caught at the perfect moment of grabbing a meal from the James River.  Based on the ripples on the water, there may have been a good headwind (eagles usually fly into the wind when they either land, or fly in to snatch a meal on the water) and this bird may have slowed down it's process of snatching the fish.  Either way, this shot is awesome!  --Photo by Steve Baranoff
 
Middle Left:  Bandit, up close!  What can be said about this bird that hasn't been said (alot actually, more to come soon).  You can even see a scale in the beak.  During a fairly close up experience with Bandit this day, Steve broke out his long lens and captured this wonderful moment with this bird.  --Photo by Steve Baranoff
 
Lower Right:  I don't place enough immature eagle shots on my posts.  That's going to change though soon, as many wonderful shots were taken this year.  Here is a great shot of an immature flying with it's mature partent.  I believe this is Varina and her 2011 offspring, Liberty.  To read more about this immature bird, Liberty, click here (great story actually!).  
--Photo by Steve Baranoff
 
Lower Left: This very well could be Liberty, Varina & Enon's only 2011 offspring.  I love this image, as it shows off the inspirational markings on the underside of the wings.  It's no wonder our ancestors loved these birds so much.  Also, note the beak color.  The end of the beak is dark, meaning this immature bald eagle is a very young bird, less than two years of age.  --Photo by Steve Baranoff

  

Fall Blue Catfishing on the James River Update

Submitted by Capt. Mike on Mon, 12/05/2011 - 11:56
December 5, 2011. Fishing has been outstanding on the James recently. Throughout November, and into the first week of December huge blue catfish have been bowing up my fishing poles one after the other. Wow, fantastic catfishing in December. It’s funny how my perspective of catfishing has changed over my lifetime. 
 
From the humble beginnings of fishing for bluegill on Russles Pond, a neighborhood pond, my angling adventures have slowly turned into a passion and now has become a lifetime’s journey of ‘Discovery on the James River’. 
 
When I was in my teens I thought catfish only bit at night and in the heat of the summer and spent many nights fishing the Occoquan River and the outflow of the Possum Point power plant on a tributary of the Potomac River.  Baiting a hook under the light of a lantern, if I caught a 10-pound catfish, that was a monster. Most were channel cats, but there were a few blue catfish mixed in, and even a flathead or two. Before ‘Discovering the James’, my biggest catfish was a 25 pound flathead catfish caught from the Occoquan when I was 25. 
 
Today, on the James, fishing for catfish is much different … I fish with bigger fishing rods, from a boat, and I get the opportunity to fish with lots of different people, both young and older alike. One of the highlights for me is seeing someone reel in a big fish for the first time, or better yet, to see a kid reel in a big fish.  In the image at the top, two youngsters are holding fish they caught at nearly the same moment. The biggest fish, caught by Nic weighted 51 pounds, while Daniel holds a 38-pound blue cat … caught at the end of November.
 
The other images are of two recent catches. The middle image is of a fellow who caught a 70-pound blue catfish last week. Funny how big fish like this can lurk in areas you never thought would hold such big fish. I am not going to divulge this secret spot, but it’s only the second time I ever fishing it, and believe me, I’ll be out there again soon. The last image, the bottom photo, is of 80-something year old Bill Schieman. Bill has been fishing with me for five or six years now and is one of the finest fishermen in the history of freshwater fishing in Virginia. He has to his credit over 500 largemouth bass citations (over 22” or 8 pounds!). He loves to catch big yellow perch, crappie, walleye and of course, big blue cats on the James. This fish weighed in around 35 pounds. His personal best with me is a 64 pounder caught last November.
 

Yes, catfishing is much different now than it was when I was younger. 

--Capt. Mike

A Day on the James with Sturgeon

Submitted by Capt. Mike on Tue, 10/25/2011 - 13:44
October 2011.  Today was the third in a series of trips on the James River with science teachers from Prince George High School. Through a grant at VCU Life Sciences, Anne Wright, has developed a series of teacher workshops that highlight the migration patterns for certain species of anadromous fish that annually inhabit the James River. These fish include the mighty Atlantic sturgeon, blueback herring, American shad and hickory shad. 
 
What is an anadromous fish? They are fish that live in the ocean, or in saltwater, and migrate up rivers along the coast, into freshwater in order to spawn. 
 
Over the past two years, the same group of teachers has been ‘Discovering the James’ with me on the Discovery Barge II through Anne’s workshops. Last fall, we took a trip downriver and studied the history of the river while learning about the migration patterns of herring and shad. This past spring we enjoyed a day with bald eagles, blueback herring and were introduced to the odd looking, anadromous sea lamprey. 
 
This recent trip, in early October was a very special one, as we ventured downriver from the Richmond Yacht Basin to Presquile Island … the home base for serious Atlantic sturgeon research. Our goal was to watch the best team of Atlantic Sturgeon researchers on the James River lead by VCU doctoral candidate, Matt Balazik. His team included brother Martin Balazik and fellow sturgeon researcher, Bree Langford.
 
 
We were to meet Matt’s team at Presquile Island around 9:30AM. When we arrived they already had two nets in the river, soaking for about 40 minutes. The 600 foot-long nets were set near the edge of the river channel, just off a very large flat. The gillnets had different mesh sizes, or size of the square holes in the net. The smaller net had 10 ½” mesh, while the other was 13”. These were very big nets, but we were after very big fish. 
 
Atlantic sturgeon grow to over 300 pounds on the James River. Historically they could exceed 800 pounds. The search for this prehistoric fish kept us all at the edge of our pontoon seats. Matt and his team positioned the boat and began to pull the first net. On that first pull of the smaller mesh net, about half way into it, Martin yelled, “Fish On!” Sure enough a 5-foot sturgeon was entangled in the net. They quickly pulled it onboard, untangled the sturgeon, and placed it into a large holding tank onboard his research vessel.
 
The second, larger mesh net yielded no sturgeon. As the nets were checked, they were placed back into the river for another set. While they soaked in the river, waiting for another sturgeon to swim by, Matt’s team and our team headed to Presquile Island. Matt had his equipment already set up. All the electronics and medical tools were ready to perform. After securing the boats, Matt carefully carried the sturgeon onto the shore and placed it into a large, shallow tank. Once in the tank he ran a small amount of electricity into the water, and the great fish instantly turned upside down. This process off adding a small amount of electrical current calmed the male sturgeon. 
 
Everything was ready for Matt to start the procedure of medically inserting a radio beacon tag in the sturgeon. He made a small incision on the bottom of the fish, slid the radio beacon tag into him, and sewed the incision perfectly with a series of stitches. Matt worked with the steady hands of an ichthyologist surgeon. Matt was, for the moment … the “Sturgeon General”. Once the fish was stitched, the electricity was turned off and it immediately turned upright and was ready for release. A moment later the feisty Atlantic sturgeon was again swimming in the James River preparing for a return to the sea.
 
The radio tag will track the migration of this fish for years to come, offering valuable information to Matt’s team, but also Anne’s team of science teachers. They will also study the tracking information provided by this fish and many others that Matt has already captured, tagged and released. The teachers will present the information they gain back in the classroom. 

This valuable work will not only prove to be instrumental for the Atlantic sturgeon, but also inspire future generations of ichthyologist, fishing guides, science teachers, outreach specialists and environmental researchers they present this information to the students at Prince George High School.
 
--Capt. Mike
 
The Photos Stories?  Upper Right:  The Prince George High School science teachers are watching Matt's team work the sturgeon nets just below Presquile Island on the James River.
 
Upper Left:  Matt carries the Atlantic sturgeon from the holding tank on the VCU research vessel to the holding tank on Presquile Island.  This tank is where the radio tag will be surgically implanted.  
 
Lower Right:  The PGHS team looks on as Matt locates the point of incision.  Martin Balazik, one of Matt's team members, is in the far background.
 
Middle Left:  The steady hands of the 'Sturgeon General' (Matt Balazik) sew up the incision after the raido tag had been implanted into the body cavity of the Atlantic sturgeon.  Here he is midway through tying a series of stitches.
 
Lower Left:  The happy Atlantic sturgeon is inches away from the river's surface.  Matt explained that tossing them back into the river, is the easiest way to release them.  In fact, that is how they usually hit the water when the breach.  With a little photoshop action, perhaps I can claim that I captured a sturgeon breaching and this is the fish just before it hit the water.  Hmmmmm .... looks like Matt and I may have a project for next August when these prehistoric fish return to the James River once again.