Fall is one of the best times to take nature photos.  Many new species of birds head south and are more active in the cooler weather.  There are two places that I love to go to take nature photography.  The first place is Huntington Beach State Park.  This park is located in Murrell's Inlet South Carolina.  For a small fee, you can drive out to the marshes and walk on the nature trails and the causeway.  There is a nature center that has bird feeders and if you are lucky you can capture the famous Blue Bunting.  I have yet to get a good picture of this elusive bird!  My husband and I recently went on a trip here and captured some really neat birds.  Along the causeway we saw the Great Egret and the Gray Egret.  

We took a nature walk near Atalaya (the summer home of the Huntington's) and found a wood stork and some more gray egrets.  This walk went through the woods and ended up on the boardwalk over the marshes.  It was very quiet out here so we could watch the birds fishing.  We even saw a fish jumping out of the water.

On another nature walk we found a beautiful orange monarch butterfly!

The second place I love to go to in the fall is Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge.  It is is located on the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula in Hyde County, North Carolina.  There are always a wide variety of birds here.  November is the best time to go and see the swans.  On one of my trips there, the entire lake was covered in the white swans.  

Ducks are pleniful here and if you look carefully, you might see an eagle flying overhead!

On one trip, we even found a bear on the side of the road!

Spend the night in the area and get up for a spectacular sunrise in the middle of the causeway!

There is even an old pumping station that is painted like a lighthouse. We are fortunate to live in an area that is filled with great nature to photograph.

The best times of the day to photograph nature are early in the morning and late afternoon.  The wildlife is more active at those times.  Always take bug spray and wear closed toed shoes.  

When composing nature shots, try to have a foreground, middleground and background.  This gives your photo more depth and interest.  If you are shooting scenics, watch how the sun is hitting the background.  The scene will look different at different times of the day.  Get out and enjoy some nature this fall!