On-water Photography / Videography with a Huge Success Rate
A recent trip on August 21, 2022 to West Shirley Bog in Moose Junction Township, Shirley, Maine, was to finally test out the motorized kayak / photography / videography rig to see what kind of results could be achieved. I was the only one on the water right at sunrise, making the 2AM wakeup call and long drive vanish into ancient history. Now, if I get lucky, maybe I'll see a moose after paying those kinds of dues.
I guessed that if there were any moose to be found, that they'd be at least halfway into the bog which was about 4 miles long.
I was thankful that the bog wasn't too choked with vegetation. I was also thankful to be under power with my hands free. It gave me a chance to get the photo/video gear in order and get everything set to go while also making progress to the intended destination! Mostly, having hands free provides the freedom to scan the full surroundings with binoculars while under way - you really don't miss a thing. Also, time was precious because it wouldn't be long before the moose (if any) would trot back into the deep woods after breakfast in the bog.
There were photo opportunities everywhere around me, but no time to stop and admire the view. When a Great Blue Heron appeared in flight, I didn't even stop but photographed an in-flight sequence while under power. You can see just one of the nice results below - crisp, and in high resolution.
A Great Blue Heron immediately welcomed me with a nice flyby. This is from 100+ yards with our super telephoto short-lens photography option.
Getting deeper into the bog, I "turned a corner" and came upon a calf feeding in the middle of the bog. I was about 70 yards away, with maybe 30 yards of clear water before the vegetation was dense. I didn't dare lift the motor and paddle, though this was about as close as I wanted to get anyway. I settled in at around 60 yards and auto-anchored the kayak using the remote. It held me in a stationary position against a light current that was flowing away from the Moose.
A stunning cow in the middle of the bog, from 50-70 yards with our super telephoto short-lens video option.
Below is video of the same event, so that you can experience the bog for yourself. It's only 1080p at 30fps. Next time it will be 4K 60fps with ALL-I compression. If you want to see what they look like in the GoPro video above, see 46:45 in the video.
First, the Cow Moose.
Cow leaving the bog and heading to a comfortable vantage point, captured with our super telephoto short-lens video option.
And next, the calf. The calf stayed in the bog for another 30 minutes feeding and floating around, before following after momma.
Calf feeding in the West Shirley Bog, captured with our super telephoto short-lens video option. I think I love this little one, the way s/he flaps the ears like a horse, and redirects them like a Cottontail.
Both the Cow and the Calf were in what appeared to be remarkable shape. They had clean coats, little or no abrasions or obvious wounds, and a consistent covering of fur - unlike some of the pictures of tick-covered and battle-weary moose that I've been seeing in newscasts for the past several years.
Around 8:15 AM they fully exited the bog and had retreated into the woods. For me, I was short on time but ventured just a little further into the bog. A late-summer Wood Duck family was there, with the ducklings still scuttling over the water as they impatiently waited to earn their wings. They leave a trail of bubbles in an arc of parallel tracks behind them.
A family of Wood Ducks were having a wonderful time, captured with our super telephoto short-lens photography option.
One of the ducklings was irresistibly cute, captured with our super telephoto short-lens photography option.
Inspiration
This post references Trip 70: West Shirley Bog, Moose Junction Township, Shirley, Maine