Today’s photo is a bit different from what I normally share here on my blog. The image shows a small group of fish that I happened upon while walking a service road located at Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
This particular service road runs behind Tuff Pond and is only open to pedestrians – no public vehicles allowed. As I was strolling along, another photographer who was in the area pointed these fish out to me. Looking closely, you can see there are two catfish and what appears to be some type of sunfish (or is that a crappie?) in the trio.
I noticed several catfish surfacing in this spot, likely searching for food. I crept as close as I could without disturbing them and captured this scene. The water was surprisingly clear, allowing the sun to illuminate the fish. The catfish almost seem to be looking right at me!
I always enjoy little surprises like this when I’m out in nature with my camera. You never know what interesting wildlife encounters you may have if you explore less-traveled areas and keep your eyes open. Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge has proven to be full of photographic gems waiting to be discovered.
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into an unexpected wildlife find I had the pleasure of photographing. Let me know in the comments if you have any ID suggestions on the type of sunfish in the photo or if its a crappie. And stick around for more images from my explorations around this beautiful refuge!
Steve Creek, Wildlife Photographer
Equipment Used:
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: Canon RF 100-500 mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
Technical Details:
- Location: Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge (Oklahoma)
- Date and Time Taken: August 10, 2023 (08:50 A. M.)
- Program: Manual
- Aperture: f8
- Shutter speed: 1/400
- ISO: 6400 (Auto)
- Exp. Comp.: +0.7
- Focal Length: 500 mm