The upper Delaware River is a treasure trove of wild animals and abundant fish species. I do not go out to pursue wildlife photography on purpose but I do happen upon some of our beautiful creatures when I wander the river areas. This week I'm featuring my collection of animals that swim. 

A bird's eye view of fish in the Delaware River. The sunfish nest on the shallow warm waters on the banks. Those areas will serve as fish nurseries to protect from the larger predatory fish. The big carp was just passing through.  

A crayfish and some fish fry enjoy a sunny day. 

Beavers, turtles, and toads all live at least part of their lives in the water.  Wildlife photography tips:

• Beavers are generally pretty territorial if you get to close to their home. If they are splashing at you, you are to close and need to move. 
• Turtles are smarter and stealthier than you think. They don't look real smart but they know their environment and can spot differences (as in a photographer trying to hide behind a tree) in it.
• Toads call to each other pretty predictably so they tend to be easy to locate. The video is a toad calling to the other toads on the bank.
• ​Their eggs don't last long along the banks so don't hesitate to photograph them when you see them. ​

Animal Photography isn't something I have a tremendous amount of patience for so I rarely go out to photograph animals on purpose. 

​Generally I go on a photo adventure to a specific area to explore nature photography in that area. If there happens to be animals there (alive or dead) I'll photograph them. If not, so be it. 

​I never realized that I had amassed so many animal photos until I started looking to put things together for this blog post. There are hundreds!  

​So this will be Animal Photography Blog Part 1 about Animals That Fly. Featuring: birds, ducks, eagles, butterflies, dragonflies, and a variety of insects from the Kingdom Animalia​.

The subsequent blogs will feature other animal related themes. I hope you enjoy them!