Honk Honk Honk

Two ducks in a sea of geese.

I had the chance to head to one of my favorite places in the state for viewing wildlife: Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge north of Kansas City. I got there at the tail end of the snow goose migration, and it was a sight to behold.

Liftoff.

A gaggle of 250,000 geese were on their way through to warmer climes. I watched for hours as they milled about and took off in small bunches to fly around get the blood pumping before landing for a rest again.

Migration.

In the evening just before sunset, they took off in huge flocks over the course of about 45 minutes. I figured they were just getting the blood flowing before settling in for a night of single-digit temperatures. I was wrong.

Fallen.

When I got back the next morning, there were maybe 5,000 geese left. The eagles feasted on the carcasses of the ones that didn't make it. I can't believe that many birds just hauled out at one time. The sound was impressive. I'll try to post a video in a few days.

D.

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Colorado-Crested Butte and Curecanti

Clouds, Curecanti Recreation Area, Co.

A few more photos of my summer trip to Colorado.

Wildflowers, Mt. Crested Butte, Co.

Gothic, Co.

Aspens, Gothic, Co.

Aspens, Mt. Crested Butte, Co.

D.

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Autumn Deer

This time of year is great for photographing wildlife, deer in particular. The main reasons: animals are more focused on fattening up for the winter and mating. Most other concerns like "safety" and "security" go by the wayside. Normally skittish deer that would slink into the shadows at the first sight of a camera wielding human will hang around and stare with curiosity. That is, until the first day of firearms deer hunting season (which begins at sunrise on November 13th this year in Missouri).

Some thoughts on photographing autumn deer:

• Use the longest lens you have: 200mm is good, 300mm is better, 400mm is great
• If you don't have a long lens, use whatever you have. Make a landscape photograph with the deer as an element of interest. Use a medium focal length lens to make an environment photograph of the deer. Not all photos need to be tight "portraits."
• Go where the deer congregate: watering holes, oak trees with lots of acorns, meadows
• Does and yearling fawns will usually be less defensive than bucks. You can approach much closer.
• Approach quietly, but don't try to sneak up on the deer or they might get spooked. I find that if I move slowly, don't make too much eye contact and act like I am just out for a stroll the deer don't get antsy.
• Urban wildlife areas are great for photographing deer since they are accustomed to humans and don't see much (if any) hunting pressure. They are still wild animals, just used to having the occasional human around.

More to come as autumn progresses,

D.


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The interesting things I run across...

I was out last weekend for a trip around the Ozarks and decided to stop at Elephant Rocks State Park to scramble around on the granite dome and perhaps take a few photos. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the clanking and clashing I could hear all the way down in the parking lot turned out to be a group of a dozen fencers from the St. Louis area for an open air sparring session. Interesting. Definitely unexpected, yet interesting. I sat with my dad and watched a few bouts (am I using the correct terminology here?). I must admit the setting was pretty spectacular for a fencing contest; quite a bit more dramatic than a typical city gymnasium. Since it was a warm October Sunday, the crowds at the park were worse than usual and the mid-day light was bad, so we didn't bother with any photos other than a quick cell phone video to share.

D.
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Colorado-Fairplay and Buena Vista

Fairplay, Co.

Just a sprinkling of a few more photos from my Colorado trip this summer.
__________

Rain, the theme of the trip. Fairplay, Co.

>

Surise after a stormy night, Fairplay, Co.

Where we were supposed to camp until the lightning drove us down the mountain. Fairply, Co.

Buena Vista, Co.

D.

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Fall is finally here

Footprints and maple leaves, Millstream Gardens, near Fredericktown, MO

I spent a nice weekend motorcycling around the Ozarks in search of the first signs of fall. This photograph sums up the trip. Looking at this photo gives me a very strong urge to break out the backpack and sleeping bag and hit the trail (any trail) for a few days. It was a whirlwind trip through some favorite places to see how the color was progressing. I'll probably head back to some of these spots again in the next week or two as the chlorophyll continues to dissipate.

I visited Millstream Gardens, Pickle Spring, Johnson's Shut-ins and Elephant Rocks. The problem with trying to cram so many places into basically an evening and the following morning is that you can't get the best light for everything (or even decent light for anything in my case). I was treating this as a scouting run, so I'll give the area the time it deserves on my next trip.

Some nice places to visit for fall color in Missouri:

• Pickle Spring Natural Area (near Farmington)
  
• Millstream Gardens Conservation Area (near Fredericktown)
  
• Johnson's Shut-ins State Park (near Ironton)
  
• Hickory Canyon Natural Area (near Farmington)
• Maple Woods Natural Area (in Gladstone)
  
• Current River (near Eminence)
  
• Wildcat Glades Natural Area (near Joplin)
  

More to come in the following days.

Johnson's Shut-ins, Black River, Reynolds Co. MO

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Colorado-Sand Dunes Part II

My dad and I arrived to a setting sun at the sand dunes after crossing a vast plain of farmland on our motorcycles. We could see the dunes in the distance after descending from a mountain pass, but it seemed to take an inordinate amount of time to reach our destination. They loomed large on the horizon yet were deceptively far away. Speeds topped 100mph at times as we raced along deserted farm roads, passing seemingly endless fields of beets, potatoes and barley.



Our haste was rewarded by a nice sunset over the dunes. It is something that was hard to capture in a camera. The way the sun warmed the rim of the dunes for just a moment before slipping into night was beautiful. As mesmerizing as watching the famed green flash over the Florida Keys.



The campground at the park was full, so we were regrettably forced to stay at a private campground called "The Oasis." It was anything but. The roads to this pit of hell were so rough that a small passenger car got stuck. Everyone with the option had their transfer cases firmly locked in 4x4. And my dad and I were on fully-loaded street bikes. We have no business being in a gravel parking lot, and here we were doing some fairly gnarly off-roading on these "roads." The view from the tent in the morning turned out to be worth all the cursing, wailing and gnashing of teeth from the previous night.



Mule deer graze along the road to the dunes. One large male bounded along with me keeping a steady 35mph before suddenly cutting to the right, crossing my lane, skittering on slick hooves over asphalt, and disappearing into the brush. It would have made a beautiful video, panning along with him if I hadn't been so startled by it all. That is why I am not a wildlife photographer.



The sun just peeked over Sangre de Cristo mountains, skimming the dunes in clear morning light. It lasted for all of ninety seconds before being obscured by clouds and the morning's photography was done. We had a nice breakfast at the foot of the dunes along the pretty Medano Creek and watched as kids rode down the hills on snow sleds.

D.


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Castor River Panorama

As the Castor River passes through rural southeast Missouri, it carves a series of very small canyons known as "shut-ins". The shut-ins near tiny Fredericktown is a nice place to photograph. Clear cold rushing water, polished granite and towering pine trees give a nature photographer a lot to work with. The shut-ins here have a very cozy feel. Things are on a large scale, but being in the small canyon gives a sense of intimacy. Rather than searching for a grand vista, you are looking at smaller compositions. Panoramas are not the first thing that may come to mind when thinking "small and intimate" however it can be a good technique for fitting more into the frame than your lens will allow.

The top photo was a stitch of 7 images, but it does not have the super-wide panorama feel. I wanted to use the perspective effect of a 50mm lens, but couldn't fit the whole scene in one frame. So I tried digitally stitching 7 vertical frames together to get both the lens perspective that I wanted as well as the broadness of the scene. I could have backed up several yards, but then I would have had to deal with distracting elements in the foreground and background. Panos do not always have to be the grand sweeping vista.





Here is the attempt at the grand sweeping vista. A 180-degree pano. It really distorts the heck out of the river (which runs straight in this section), but I wanted to play around with how much a 16mm lens would distort at the edges as it was panned across a landscape. In photographs without straight lines, it can be tough to detect the distortion. Throw in a road or river or downed log and it becomes pretty apparent.


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Colorado-Great Sand Dunes

I had the chance to escape it all for a week of motorcycling in Colorado with my dad this summer. We made a loop from Colorado Springs to Fairplay, Gunnison, Montrose, Telluride, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, and back to Colorado Springs. Riding was definitely the focus of the trip while making photos was a distant second. We just wanted to have a good time riding the mountain roads, enjoying good food and each others company. Of course, we couldn't leave the cameras packed up forever. This is one of my favorite shots from the Dunes. We camped nearby and awoke as the first rays were beginning to lighten the sky. Packing up camp quickly, we hopped on our motorcycles and zipped down the road just as the sun raked across the dunes providing a stark contrast between the bright sand and deep shadows. The light only lasted a few moments until a cloud shifted and the rays were gone. The moment was over as quickly as it began. Why black and white? The photo looked OK in color, but taking away that distraction helped present the photo in a different dimension and brought out the lines and curves of the sand to the forefront. We spent more time photographing, but nothing really captured the feeling and sense of place as this first photo of the day.


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Least Bittern Nest

 I had the pleasure of exploring Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge by airboat earlier this summer. Our goal was to find a few Least Bittern nests and see what wetland wildlife was active. These interesting little birds stalk wetlands and marshes and have a very cool method of camouflaging themselves among the reeds. They can point their long beaks skyward while rotating their eyes to see what is in front of them. The coloration of the mature birds blends extremely well with aquatic plants and they can be very hard to see. Least Bitterns are an amazing example of adaptation to an environment.

I was out with a biologist and he was doing a bird count to see what species and how many were in the wetland. This lends a sense of scale for how small the nests are. He picked up a baby to examine it briefly.



We found three nests that morning. The biologist said that often the adult birds will be aggressive in defending the nests and will refuse to move. This was later in the season and the adults flew away as soon as we approached.



This is a pretty poor photo of an adult Least Bittern, but it is all I have and was taken while buzzing through the reeds at 20 miles per hour. This is the only adult bird I was able to photograph that day. They were very skittish.



I only include this photo to show what an adult bird looks like, since the photo itself is pretty embarrassing.

D.

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Hercules Beetle

One of the artists in the office brought in a Hercules beetle he found in his front yard. These little creatures are very interesting once you get past the initial ick factor. This one didn't move around a whole lot. I tried not to pester him too long and only photographed him for a few minutes before letting him outside to do his thing.



Once he latched on to the tree branch in the studio, he was nearly impossible to pick up and move. All the little claws and hairs gripped the tree bark with surprising strength. I was worried I was going to break his shell, so I let him walk around at his own pace and moved the camera and lighting to accommodate him.



A closeup of his face reveals the texture of the darker shell around the horn that previously looked smooth. The male beetles use their horns to battle for mates, and I'd guess by the scratches on this guy's head that he has done some fighting.



A closer look at the back of the shell shows rows of tiny holes that were very hard to see with the naked eye. I don't know what function they serve, perhaps breathing?


D.


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Baby Hawks Update

I just wanted to share an update on the baby hawks from a previous post. These little things grow fast. I first photographed this family on May 20, 2010. The "before" photo is from that first day, the "after" photo is only 12 days later on June 1, 2010. And the biggest one had already left the nest! I went back two days later to see what sort of development had taken place and only one young bird remained. I think this was the runt of the nest because it was constantly being pushed down and food taken by the two other siblings. I feel I was very lucky because I actually got to see this one leave the nest and take flight.



The bird looked a little unsteady and hopped/flew from branch to branch to a clear spot before taking off.


























...pause for silhouette...



Take a breath, gather some nerve...and gone. So long little hawks!

I've been back a couple more times, but haven't seen the family since. It was a very rewarding experience just to watch and enjoy. I learned quite a bit about their habits, and I am in awe at just how fast they matured. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this nest gets used in the future!


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White Tails

I was out for a walk at the Parkville Nature Sanctuary north of Kansas City when I ran across a strutting tom turkey and hen in the middle of the trail. Of course I didn't have my camera ready. We were both surprised. We stared at each other for a long moment and they were gone into the brush before I could remember that there was this thing on my shoulder called a camera and I should probably use it to take a photo of them. Welcome to wildlife shooting with Dave. I resolved to be more attentive and heads-up for the rest of the walk. A half-mile further, I spotted four deer just off the trail. I got my gear ready and walked toward them as unassumingly as possible...no eye contact, no creeping, just like I was a regular visitor to the area hiking down the trail.

They didn't run as I approached, or flinch when I gently opened my tripod, and I photographed them for a few minutes before they moved off. The light was low and dropping, it was raining, and I had a slow lens (100-400 f/4.5-5.6), so the conditions were tough: 1/10th of a second at 400mm and I already had the camera (EOS 1Ds MkII) cranked up to ISO 1600. I photographed for a few minutes before the light was too low to focus.

It was a nice evening and I enjoyed the location very much. The Parkville Nature Sanctuary is a gem, and I plan on visiting more in the future. The trail system is a few miles in length and connects to a nearby Conservation area: White Alloe. There is a tranquil waterfall and creek and many birds to view from a boardwalk. It isn't a destination in itself, but if you are in the north Kansas City area it is definitely worth checking out.


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Ozark Sunrise

I stayed out all night making photographs and slept under the stars. Didn't even need a sleeping bag it was so pleasant. I woke as the first rays of steel gray predawn light pushed away the stars in the clear indigo sky. Slipping on my boots, I grabbed by camera bag which had been used as a pillow. Quickly hiking down the trail, I made my way to a wildfire watchtower and looked in the direction of the Current River, hidden nestled in the misty hills. The edge of the sun broke the horizon and I listened to pines sway gently beneath me.


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Baby Hawks

I got a call yesterday from a woman who said she had a hawk nest in her backyard and that it looked like the babies were going to fly at any moment. Always skeptical of phone calls promising a great photo opportunity (I've been burned too many times), I decided to check it out since it was only a few blocks from my house. I was not disappointed. Walking up to the house to investigate before unloading my gear, I was greeted by three downy heads poking out of a nest right by the house. It was pretty nice because I could tell that the hawks were somewhat used to being around humans and didn't seem too bothered by people walking by and talking.



The mother hawk soon brought a morsel to share.



There's nothing quite like the taste of mole to pique some interest.



Making sure the little one is doing the job correctly.











A family resemblance.






Setting out for another hunting expedition.





The more dominant of the young ones imitating mom.



Getting right up the edge of the nest and making a show, but having second thoughts.


It was very interesting to see after only a short time that the birds followed a very predictable schedule. The babies would call, a few minutes later the mother would show up with a mole or squirrel or snake, everyone would eat, mother would leave, much rough housing and playing was involved, some wing flapping and shedding of the downy feathers, babies would settle in and sleep for 30-45 minutes (I'm assuming since I couldn't actually see them, but they made no movement or sound) and the whole process would repeat itself.

My goal is to get some photos of the little ones leaving the nest for the first time. We'll see if I can time it right. I'll post more if I can manage to catch them again before they leave.


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