August 2009 Archives

Red Fox Kit, Bryce Canyon National Park (click image to view larger)

Last summer word got out from one of our law enforcement rangers that there were some foxes being seen frequently near the junction of Sunrise Point Road and the Lodge Loop Road. This meant of course, since I'd never photographed a fox, I would have to spend some time there and see what I could do. Things turned out pretty well and I was able to make some images of the kits on multiple days. The adults had set up their den in a culvert right at the junction and this is one of the kits, up close and personal, just outside the den's entrance.

One of the neat aspects of this is that, prior to last year, breeding Red Foxes were unknown at Bryce Canyon. Though not the "discoverer," my images became the first "official documentation" that the species was breeding in the park. They didn't return to the same location this year, which was probably for the better, since they lost half of the litter because of the high amount of traffic in that location.

Now if I could just find one of the Gray Foxes that are found here . . . 

One of many cascades that can be found along Paradise River as it snakes its way from the summit of Mount Rainier. The river's primary source is from Paradise Glacier on the southwest flank of this massive dormant volcano in Washington's Mount Rainier National Park.

To capture the soft look of flowing water requires a slow exposure. In this image I used a 1/4 second exposure, my 17-40mm Canon lens set at an aperture of f/22, and, because of the  bright skies, used an ISO setting of 50 in order to obtain the desired "look."

Last week's mystery bird was pretty non-descript without a lot of clear identifying features. From bill shape we can determine it is a warbler, the real key however was the little orange patch showing at the top of our bird's head: Orange-crowned Warbler.

Across North America migration is really beginning to kick into high gear, and one of the tougher families to identify in basic (non-breeding) plumage is the one to which this bird belongs. Take a turn at it and let me what you come up with.

As always, good luck and great birding!

Sandhill Crane, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge (click image to view larger)

Just this week my friend Ric and I settled on dates for a return trip in January to New Mexico's amazing Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Over 10,000 Sandhill Cranes and 20,000+ white geese (Greater Snow Geese, Ross's Geese) await us, along with tens of thousands of ducks, more than likely a few other bird species as well, and maybe a coyote or two just for fun.

The Sandhill Crane pictured here had just taken off from the partially frozen marsh where it had spent the night, and was probably on its way to the corn fields at the northern end of the refuge for a day of feeding and hanging out with friends. Not that it was alone during the night, as you can see a couple of dozen or so blurry cranes still hanging out in the marsh in the background . . . 

Rocky Mountain Elk, Jasper National Park (click image to view larger)

Early Fall (late September/early October) is a wonderful time to be in the Canadian Rockies for the elk rut. There are four recognized living subspecies of Elk (Cervus canadensis), also known as Wapiti, and the Rocky Mountain subspecies (C. canadensis nelsonii) is the most widespread. Their range extends from New Mexico to the Canadian Rockies and as far west as the mountains of Nevada. Tule Elk are found in California, Roosevelt Elk in rain forests of the Pacific Northwest, and the Manitoban Elk in Canada's Prairies and the upper U.S. Midwest.

This particular bull was the largest I saw while in Jasper and, to go along with that, appeared to have also amassed the largest harem with over 10 females. This image was made shortly after he had let a younger bull know that the upstart was not welcome in the neighborhood. After sending the other one away, he bugled loud and long to let everyone within earshot know who was in charge.

Western Pygmy-Blue, Arizona (click image to view larger)

Photographed at Agua Fria National Monument, north of Phoenix, AZ, the Western Pygmy-Blue (Brephidium exile) is found throughout much of the lower portion of western North America (in the far west they can also be found as far north as eastern Oregon). This species preferred habitat is in alkaline areas such as deserts and, along the coast, salt marshes. With an average wingspan of just 1/2"/1.3 cm, it is one of the world's smallest butterflies and is generally considered to be the smallest butterfly in North America (very close in size to its cousin, the Eastern Pygmy-Blue). At that size, not only are they tricky to photograph, they're actually kind of hard to even find!

In last week's quiz we had two female members of their respective species to identify. The key field marks to look for from this angle on these finches are the bill shape and streaking on the breast. The bird on the right has a short bill that has a little bit of curvature on the upper part of the bill (the "culmen"). In addition, the streaking on the breast is blurry and grayish, these field marks pointing us to the very widespread House Finch. The bird on the left has a longer bill with a straighter culmen and more distinct streaking on the breast; she's a Cassin's Finch. The female Purple Finch is similar, but has a shorter bill like the House Finch and, typically, a little more and darker streaking on the breast down to the belly.

For this week another tricky one, but the fact it had been playing around in some water has helped to reveal a very significant field mark. Good luck and great birding!

Red-necked Grebe at Nest, Minnesota (click image to view larger)

This Red-necked Grebe is just settling down on its floating nest on a small lake near Bemidji, Minnesota. A hot summer afternoon, the parent had been out on the lake foraging and just finished uncovering the eggs, which had been covered with moist grasses from the nest.

This species is found in Europe, eastern Siberia, and in North America, where they are one of three members of the genus Podiceps (the others are Horned and Eared Grebes). The genus name comes from the Latin words podicis, for "vent," and peds, "foot," and refers to the positioning of the legs at the rear of their body, clearly visible in the photo. While this positioning is great for swimming, it also makes walking difficult, so these birds are rarely seen out of the water, except when in flight or, as in this case, tending a nest.  

Yellow-bellied Marmot - Big Horn Mountains, Wyoming (click image to view larger)

In the summer 2006 I was exploring the beautiful Big Horn Mountains in north central Wyoming when I encountered this Yellow-bellied Marmot peering over one of the many outcrops of large boulders.

There are two species of North American marmots, Yellow-bellied and Hoary, and they are large members of the ground-squirrel family. Yellow-bellied Marmots prefer to live in rocky places, typically above 6,500 ft/2,000 m elevation. They can weigh up to 11 lbs./4.6 kg and reach lengths of up to 28"/700 mm.

If you are ever in the area - about 2 hours from the east entrance of Yellowstone National Park - it is worth spending a few days exploring the region, either on Scenic Byways U.S. 14, U.S. 14A or, if time permits, both. Even better, obtain a Forest Service map of the area and explore some of the many forest roads, too (but bring a high-clearance, preferably 4WD vehicle).  

First Light: Mount Edith Cavell

For this first edition of Serendipity Saturday I've chosen one my all time favorite scenic photos. Mount Edith Cavell is in Canada's Jasper National Park and is named for a British nurse executed by the Germans in World War I. I finally made this image on the fourth attempt, rising early each time only to be thwarted by clouds and rain. On this morning it all came together with the Sun's rays shining on the top of this 11,033 ft/3,363 meter peak in the Canadian Rockies at sunrise, the entire scene reflected in the still waters of Cavell Lake.

(click image to view larger) 

Last week our subject species was a bird of the desert southwest, Phainopepla, a great name that just rolls right off your tongue. They are a member of a small family, Silky-flycatchers, that are actually more closely related to waxwings than they are to the tyrant flycatchers. Of the family's four members, only the Phainopepla occurs in North America.

For this week I present you a slightly different challenge by giving you two species to identify. The trick is to name the species (should have given them numbers, but we'll have to settle for left and right) and state 2 different field marks (I can name 3) that you used to make the identification.

Good luck and I hope the coming week brings you some great birds!

Yesterday I had go pick up some of Roxy's new food and, the only place in the state you can get it is in St. George, southwest Utah's largest city. Being late in the summer and all I didn't expect any great things, but was hoping to pick up one or two new birds I hadn't seen before. In a little over an hour I managed 12 species at Tonaquint Nature Center & Park. Managed a couple of brief glimpses of a Crissal Thrasher, which becomes life bird #389, but that would be the day's only new species for me. Of the dozen total species I saw, three are additions to my Utah list: Gambel's Quail, Abert's Towhee, and Blue Grosbeak.

Washington County is in Utah's extreme southwest corner, and elevations range from 2,350 ft.(the lowest elev. in the state) to over 10,000 ft. Over 370 species have been recorded there and much of that is due to the varied habitats from desert to alpine forests. Pretty impressive and I just might have to go back and spend some time when things are peaking during migration (for comparison the Bryce Canyon checklist is 210 species).



 

Final Approach - Roseate Spoonbill at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

(click image to view larger)

We'll see how things go and if I can stay on top of things, but I hope to make this the first of a recurring series I'll post three times weekly. Look for Mammals on Monday, Wings on Wednesday, and Serendipity Saturday (where I'll post from other categories in my catalog - insects, wildflowers, scenery, etc).

This initial offering is from my 2006 trip to Hallo Bay in Katmai National Park and features a pair of Alaskan Brown Bear cubs who'd had their fill of salmon. Mom, who needs a lot more salmon, is continuing to fish while one cub is taking a little nap and the other seems to be intently watching the group of photographers snapping away on the other side of the creek. I made this image on the final full day at the camp before heading back to "civilization." Truly a great experience, too.

(click on the image to see a larger version) 

This morning I spent a couple of hours in my blind (or hide) doing a little photography at my drip. I didn't really notice the incredible differences in plumage of the Red Crossbills that were coming around until much later when I was going through the photos. Sure I noticed some differences but, other than the one that was clearly in full juvenile plumage (which, when it first flew in, I thought was "just another" Cassin's Finch until I saw the bill), the rest seemed subtle through the tiny viewfinder. I knew, of course, that there were males and females, and that some were probably immatures. But it is clear to me now that, in a matter of 2 hours, I photographed 9 different Red Crossbills in various plumages: male and female, juvenile to adult and, in that mix, some obviously different stages of transition from juvenile to immature to adult.

Working left to right, top to bottom, my best guesses are: 1.) immature male, 2.) immature female, 3.) adult (sub-adult?) male, 4.) adult male, 5.) sub-adult male, 6.) juvenile, 7.) immature male, 8.) immature female, 9.) adult female.

All in all, I find it kind of amazing. I would never have guessed I'd get this all in one session of shooting, if even in a lifetime!

(clicking on a thumbnail will open a larger version of each image in a pop-up window) 

The day almost got away without posting this week's quiz - oops!

We were all hot & humid in discovering last week's bird, Mottled Duck. This week things will be much drier and, probably, a bit warmer when looking for this species.

Good luck and great birding!

Don't know what it is about summer that saps my energy for writing blog posts, but it seems to be a recurring phenomenon. It's not like there's nothing going on, just don't have the frame of mind to write much. One thing that has been going on are the semi-regular visits to my drip by this Northern Goshawk. Certainly clears out the little birds when it shows up, and it is - lucky for me - somewhat tolerant of my presence, allowing the opportunity for close-up photos. On the downside, it always shows up when there isn't a lot of light to work with, and although this photo looks pretty nice, I see a lot of "digital noise" due to shooting with a high ISO setting when I zoom into the high resolution version of the image.

This particular session with the goshawk went on for quite some time, remaining perched on the edge of the drip watching what was going on around it. It would follow the hummingbirds as they zipped around, then became very interested in a juvenile Dark-eyed Junco that apparently, being young and not too wise, didn't know who was over at the drip. While I'm sure that a nice, fat ground-squirrel or a Steller's Jay would make more of a meal for a big ol' Accipiter, the junco might have made due as an appetizer (inset in the photo is a quick pic I took of the unwary little junco).

Speaking of Steller's Jays, one flew into a Ponderosa Pine directly behind the drip and got the goshawk's attention. The jay started making a lot of noise - something they're very good at - probably to let all its buddies know that there was a predator around. The hawk's been around at least 4 times that I'm aware of and hope that one day I'll catch in nice morning or afternoon light . . . .