Note: The USFWS Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge has granted me a Special Use Permit to photograph Nature and Wildlife for each of it's Refuge Units. All images are property of Tom Kachelmeyer and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Detroit River.
My photographs all are taken with the best interest as not to disturb the wildlife but to capture them in their nature habitat doing what they do naturally. In some cases I sit and wait up to 3-4 hrs to get these photographs.
March 2018 I've started volunteering my services to photograph wildlife on the different Detroit River Refuge Units. My work will help document all the different types of wildlife throughout the year that either use the different Refuge Units as a home or are just stoping by as they migrate through.
This is an honor for me to volunteer my photography services for such a great cause. My photo’s have been featured in the following publications:
Fall 2018 Wildside News Letter
Summer 2019 Wildside News Letter
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge 2019 Annual Report
Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Website Header Page Picture
Scroll down further to see some of my activities and gallery of different wildlife experiences that I have captured. Select a picture to a larger size and to scroll through them.
USFWS Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge 2019 Certificate Volunteer Hours
Activities & Experiences
Early Fall 2019
As transition from summer to fall starts I wanted to go out and document nature activities within one of the refuge wetlands. Here is an overview of several days of just sitting and experiencing these activities.
Starting my day with a wonderful sunrise as I head out into the refuge.
Here is a wonderful moment of two nice bucks.
And before I knew it there were four!
Sandpiper hunting for insects on the lily pads.
As I was sitting in the wetland just off to my right was this huge spider with another one in the background.
Before I knew it a grasshopper was caught in the web. I was amazing how fast that spider hand incased the grasshopper with a fine silk.
When you sit long enough an opportunity comes along that was truly amazing!
Sitting under camouflage the buck comes within 20 yards of me. He could hear the clicking of my camera shutter but never was disturb by my presence.
Bald Eagle Banding May 2019
Wildlife Research Biologist from the US Fish & Wildlife Service along with Michigan State College of Veterinary Medicine faculty members assess the health of the eaglets along the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge corridor every spring. Understanding the health of eaglets gives USF&WS biologist the overall environmental status of the aquatic ecosystem. On this day the team had identified a specific nest which was just located off Lake Erie. The nest was somewhat easy to get to as the foliage was just beginning to erupt. The whole process took about 90 minutes to complete.
Overall, it was a great experience for me to photograph as the team did a great job of not only taken the upmost caution in the care of the eaglet through this process but to also be a part of this important research program.
A professional climber who has experience in eaglet banding climbs the tree and retrieves an eaglet.
The eaglet is lowered to the ground with the team will retrieve it from the nylon sack. The talons are measured.
Photo on the right, Eaglet talons can be up to 1.5 inches giving a span from talon tip to tip of almost 8 to 8.5
A United States Fish and Wildlife Service band is riveted on to an eaglet's leg so the bird cannot remove it.
A United States Fish and Wildlife Service band is riveted on to an eaglet's leg so the bird cannot remove it.
The process is completed and the eaglet is inserted back into the nylon sack. Once raised back to the climber the eaglet is carefully put back into the nest.
Gallery of photos I’ve have taken throughout my time on different refuge properties.
