Camera Critters #272

I live in the middle of town…almost.  I think I’m a couple of blocks from the geographic center, but I am close enough to say I live in the middle of town.

Last night (Thursday night, Friday morning), I woke to a strange sound…one I hadn’t heard since I moved from outside of town to where I live now.

It was the howl of Coyotes.

I can only guess the critters were in the dry canyon, which is a couple of blocks north of where I live.

Although the photo below is of a coyote, it probably isn’t one I heard howling.  This image was taken a number of years ago while I was walking the grounds of the old golf course just west of town.



Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #241

Well, the time has come to sit back and look forward to coming spring (assuming of course, that we survive the Mayan Calendar end of the world prophecy) in the northern parts of the world. 

The insects we all enjoy, such as butterflies and dragonflies are hard to find if they are still around.  Other insects are also waiting for the coming spring weather in order to make their “buggy” appearance again. 

But the memories of the smaller critters remain in the form of photographs taken throughout the year.



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Camera Critters #228

Earlier this summer, my landlord put out several hummingbird feeders…and then she waited…and waited…and waited.

No hummingbirds were visiting the feeders.

The the Hollyhocks and Gladiolas started blooming, along with other flowers, and one morning, the wait ended.

Not only were the hummingbirds visiting the flowers, but they were also visiting the feeders.





This female Rufous Hummingbird stayed for several days, fighting off other visiting hummingbirds.  In the end, she left also…and the waiting begins again.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #206

By this time of the year in the past, I have been able to photograph lizards sunning on the heat retaining lava rocks of the area.

But for the last couple of years, March weather hasn’t been that good and the lizards, along with most non-mammalian critters, haven’t appeared until late April, and in some cases, early May. And this March is looking to be similar to the Marches of the last couple of years, with bad weather predicted to the end of the month.

This image of a Great Basin Fence Lizard was taken four years ago. It is possible this lizard is a Western Fence Lizard. However, range maps show the subspecies Great Basin Fence Lizard in this area, which is a fatter, and darker lizard. This individual was found along the walls of the dry canyon in town. In an area where there is a lot of rock from the slowly eroding basaltic columns, three species of lizards live.

One can also find Side-blotched Lizards and Sagebrush Lizards living among the rocks of the canyon.

I really had no interest in photographing lizard when I imaged my first one. However, after taking a couple photographs and seeing what great subjects they are, I can not pass by and ignore one.

Considering the weather I will have for a couple of weeks, I’ll dig into my archives of past images and hopefully show everyone a lizard shot they haven’t seen before.

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Camera Critters #202

Lucky for me, I have a lot of critter photos I haven’t used here yet, so when the weather is bad and I can’t shoot, or my lens is being repaired, I have something I can use.

The day after I arrived in San Antonio, I was on my brother’s deck enjoying a cup of coffee.  At some point, I noticed a hummingbird land in a tree on the other side of the deck.  I lifted my camera and before I could get the little critter in the frame, it disappeared. 

I lowered the camera, glanced around and in a tree right near where I was sitting, the bird landed on the perfect branch for a photo.

This Black-chinned Hummingbird wasn’t the first one I had seen (they are found in my area), but it was the best look I have ever had of one.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #201

About five years ago, I visited my brother in Texas. The visit was a good one, as I met an old friend, got lots of photos of cool critters, and found a great place to carry a camera.

However, one dingy, gray morning, I was sitting on my brother’s back deck, camera at my side, when a caught a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye.

Scanning the area I thought was the place the movement ended, I saw the head of a bird peek around the trunk of a tree. I made sure my camera settings were set for the light conditions, lifted it and snapped off a few images of the head of the bird.

The bird then flew to a nearby branch giving me a nice view of it before it flew off to parts unknown.

I didn’t know what the bird was at the time, but I found out it was a female Golden-fronted Woodpecker…the first I had ever seen.

A close look at the area just above the base of the bill will give you a clue as to why it is called what it is called. The male of the species has a bright red cap. I wish I had seen one of them also.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #199

A little more than a year ago, I walked out my door to take Lacy for a walk.  As I did, I noticed some movement in the tree next door.

Grabbing my camera, I followed this Downy Woodpecker as he moved up and down the tree.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #197

I always like to see new birds in my yard…or my neighbor’s yard.  Last winter was a good year for new birds.  We had numerous Varied Thrushes and at one point, you could see seven different birds in varied places around the house.

One day while attempting to get images of the thrushes, I noticed a non-thrush in the tree next door.  Looking through my camera, I saw a new yard bird…an Evening Grosbeak.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #196

Several years ago, I was walking off trail, along the east wall of the dry canyon near me.  My eyes caught sight of a Sara Orangetip butterfly.  I had been chasing them for two years, and was hoping this was my opportunity to get an image of one.

But as I approached the Lepidoptera, my attention was drawn to a butterfly I had never seen.  I immediately switched gears and turned my attention to this new bug.

Later, I was able to identify the critter as a Zephyr Anglewing.  And so began a quest which continues to this day…photographing as many anglewings as possible.

In the photos below, the first image shows the butterfly with wings closed, the second partially opened and the rest full open.  Note the variations of markings in the critters.

 

For those who have followed my posts from the beginning, you might have seen these images before.  But the butterfly is beautiful, it deserves to be seen again.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #195

After I added butterflies to “shoot list,” I began seeing all sorts of Lepidoptera, some I never knew existed.

One day in the Juniper badlands east of town, I came across one I had not seen before. It was white, with golden yellow veins. So I headed over to image it…but it flew before I could get in position. At that point the chase began.

The chase didn’t last long, as I found out the butterfly can fly a bit faster than I can run, and easily disappears when it wants.

Several weeks later, the opportunity presented itself again when I spotted a golden-veined, white butterfly off in the distance. Once again, the chase didn’t last long.

However, this time it was a successful chase. I got the photo I wanted of the white butterfly with golden veins. That butterfly is the Becker’s White.

As you can see, since then I have photographed a number of Becker’s Whites. I have even learned to recognize them from a distance just by their flying characteristics. Knowing nature sure is fun.

Have a wonderful new year everyone!

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #194

As a kid, there were two kinds of butterflies I remember.  The Monarch Butterfly and the Eastern Swallowtail Butterfly. 

For the longest time, those were the only ones I knew.  Then along came white butterflies and yellow butterflies.  However, I still wasn’t paying much attention to the Lepidoptera around me.

Then, a number of years ago, I began photographing the little flying creatures.  It didn’t take me long to realize there were a lot more colorful butterflies than I had previous thought.

One of my favorites these days are the blues.

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Camera Critters #192

I may get a lot of flak by saying this, but the Mud Hen is one ugly bird.

Also known as the American Coot, this blackish bird with a white bill is easy to identify when seen.  Although primarily a waterfowl, it isn’t in the duck family.  It's closest relatives are rails, which are marsh birds.

I see Coots all the time.  In the water, they appear rather graceful (although still ugly), but on land…well, I think the phrase “Duck out of water” was coined after first seeing this bird waddle around.

Enough of their story…8v)  It’s time to show off my better images of the old coots.

Coot feeding young

Coot feeding on pond-weed

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #191

Several years ago, when I was visiting my brother in Texas, I had a list of things I wanted to see and image while there.  Though I only crossed a few off my list, I did come across a few things which weren’t on my list.

On one of my early trips out and about, I came across a blue bird playing in a bush.  I could see flashes of blue, but had no idea what it was.  A week or so later, during one of my final ‘out and abouts',

This time I was thrilled to see it, as it was the first time I had seen that species of bird.

If you don’t recognize the birds…they are male (top) and female Blue Grosbeaks.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #190

A little more than 10 years, I moved from Prineville to Redmond, Oregon.  The house we moved into was a nice place.  Close to my sister, which made my mom happy, and best of all, it was buried deep into the Juniper forest area just west of town.

Because of our location, we had a lot of critters hanging around.  After a couple of months, my mom and I had named at least a dozen deer who frequent visitors to our house area.  It didn’t take me long to start putting out feed for them.  The deer became so accustomed to us, that when we walked the 500 feet or so to the mailbox, they’d wouldn’t even move even though we walked within five feet of them.

I realize the images above aren’t up to my quality standard, but in my defense, I had just gotten one of those Sony cameras which saved the images to a floppy disk.  I was state-of-the-art at the time.  8v)

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Camera Critter #189

Mountain Bluebirds are the most common bluebird we have on the High Desert.  Although Western Bluebirds are also seen.

I’ve tried to get good photos of the Mountain Bluebird, but they are very shy birds.  I can never get close enough to get a good shot.  But I have gotten some shots.

First Summer Male

Female Flyby

Juveniles

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critters #188

Last week, I showed you photos of purple wildflowers with critters on them.

This week, it the most common wildflower color in the high desert, and of course, with critters on them – yellow.

I had a few more photos of yellow wildflowers with critters, but the critters just weren’t all that interesting.  I do hope you enjoyed this smaller sampling.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.

Camera Critter #187

Being in a desert style climate, the major color I see here during my photo safaris is brown.  Weeds dry out quickly under the intense sun we get here.

But I also see other colors.  Yellow is very common.  And so is the color these eight critters are checking out.

Misty Dawn’s Camera Critter Meme is a great way see critters the world over. Go to the homepage here to see more. Then join the fun and add your own.