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 #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 Critter #126

A little more than three years ago, I spent some time in San Antonio visiting my brother and friends.

I had lived in San Antonio for four years or so during my Air Force career and one of the things I remember most from those days were the lizards. Not knowing what they were, I called them chameleons.

However, on my last trip there, I knew they were actually called Green Anoles. One of the reasons I called them chameleons, was they had color-changing abilities. I only remember two colors and those two colors are shown below.

Both critters are Green Anoles, but they are also known as the Carolina Anole, American Anole and Red-throated Anole…though I wasn’t able to photograph the critter flashing its red throat.

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

Camera Critters #51

Years ago, I was a Staff Writer for the newspaper at the Air Force base I was assigned to. One of the first jobs I was given was to do a story on the Dive School at the base. To illustrate the article, I wanted a photo which showed what they did.

So told one of the instructors to get in the training pool with his gear on and to swim around. I shot a number of photos looking into the pool and through the viewfinder, but wasn't pleased with what I saw. So I borrowed a dive mask from one of the other instructors, put it in the water, had the instructor in pool start from the bottom and swim up towards me. Using the glass front of the mask as a window, I got on my belly and put the camera on the glass plate and began shooting. One of those photos was used to illustrate the article.

It was the first time I photographed something underwater...but not the last time.

While walking the edge of Fireman's Pond in Redmond, Oregon several years ago, I was surprised to see this huge tadpole sunning itself in a rocky area. I had never seen a tadpole this large. This big boy was at least seven inches long.

Then last year, family from Illinois came to Oregon for a visit. One of the places I took them was to Cline Falls State Park along the Deschutes River west of Redmond. While others were off checking something elsewhere in the park, I was sitting with my aunt and cousin telling them of some of the geology of the area. My aunt suddenly got a puzzled look on her face and asked what something in the water was.

We were a good 30 feet from the river, on a slight rise and had a good view of the shallow shoreline. I looked towards the river and found I was unsure what I was looking at. At first I thought it was a rock in the river. However, I could see it was moving at a slow pace. I walked to the edge and there I found the largest crayfish I have ever seen.

This big guy was at least eight inches in length.

Well, both critters above were under the water when I took their photo. However, the critter below was seen and photographed at the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center south of San Antonio, Texas several years ago.

I was walking along the shore of Bird Pond and would stop once in a while to check trees and bushes near me. When I stopped at one spot, I was scanning the weeds at the shoreline when I caught out of the corner of my eye, something moving between my legs. Looking down, I immediately thought, "Water Moccasin!" and then watched as the creature slithered down into the water in front of me. I quickly fired off a couple of shots and then got this image as it turned and moved parallel to shoreline.

When I got back to the lake headquarters, I showed one of the volunteers the image in the small LCD screen on the back of my camera and he said he couldn't be sure, but thought I might be correct. However, once I returned home and had time to research the snake, I found out it was actually a harmless Diamondback Water Snake.

Although he wasn't under the water, he was in it. Overall, this guy was probably a little more than three feet long.

I hope you enjoyed my post this week. If you would like to see more Camera Critters, just drop by the website here run by Misty Dawn and then join in the fun with an entry of your own.

Camera Critters #43

I have a love-hate relationship with this week's featured critter.

It's spiders!

Yes, those eight-legged freaks also known as arachnids.

You see, I love it when I come across one outside.  But hate it when I come across one inside...especially in my house.  I do everything I can to remove the critters presence from my dwelling.

This desire to remove any and all from my home, comes from waking several times with a spider walking across my body.  One time, even, the spider was tickling my lips as I slept, and this was in Honduras.  I have no idea what kind it was, or whether it was poisonous or not.  I didn't like where I found it and flicked it somewhere else in my room with my finger.  

Several weeks after that incident, I was participating in an training exercise crawling around under hootches where the nastiest of Honduran spiders resided and they weren't bothering me at all.

So, several years ago when I was visiting my sister, I noticed an Orb Weaver web high in a Juniper tree and added the creatures to my list of photo subjects.  If you look closely on the right hand side of this photo, you can see the web owner sitting in wait for its next victim.  

Also at my sister's, I came across another Orb Weaver spinning a home in the eaves of their garage.  I guess this little fella didn't like me getting as close as I did and took off for its hidey-hole moments after the image below was taken.

However, the best place for me to find an arachnid of any type is on the High Desert.  I don't often come across them, but when I do, I find their variety, size and look very interesting as the next two Orb Weavers show.

I was actually looking for a flying insect which landed somewhere on the spider side of the plant, when I noticed this large creature.  I thought the markings on it were fantastic and fired off a couple of shots.

On another trip into the desert areas around town, I came across the Orb Weaver below.  It was extremely busy at the time building its web and I watched it for several minutes as I snapped shot after shot of it.  The differences between the critter below and the one above is easily seen.  There are more than 2,800 different species of Orb Weavers worldwide and approximately 180 species in North America.

During a trip to San Antonio a couple of years ago, I was wandering around the Mitchell Lake area when I noticed a Jumping Spider scurrying down the stalk of a nearby weed.  This one being different from most of the spiders I had previously seen, I couldn't help but get a photo.  And "a" photo is all I got, as it leaped into the low weeds and disappeared as quick as it appeared.

Finally, one of the more interesting arachnid species is the Daddy-long-legs spiders, also known as Cellar Spiders.  I crossed paths with the one below at a wildlife refuge near Braidwood, Illinois.  I was surprised to see one in the middle of a marshy area, as I had always thought of this species being the type which hide in dark areas such as basements and attics.  But I learned something new that day.

Whether or not any of the above arachnids have more specific common names, I don't know.  My reference material on spiders is limited, and it is slow searching the net for additional information.  Similar looking spiders can be two different species based on the number of bands on the legs, or the number of eyes in clusters, or the design of the critter's mouth.  But I am always doing what I can to improve my knowledge of what I see and shoot in what I like to call, Ashrunner's World.

If you enjoyed (really...I enjoyed bringing it to you) my installment of Misty Dawn's Camera Critters Meme this week, go to her page located here.  There you'll find other players.  And, if you're inspired, join in the fun.

Camera Critter Meme #25

For Camera Critters this week, I'm gonna take everyone back to April 2007, and the Lost Maples State Natural Area northwest of San Antonio, Texas.

The park was the second place I visited on that road-trip photo safari. We were there looking for a certain bird which I can't remember the species right now, but it turned into a wonderful place for a nature photographer.

At one point, the path we were following crossed a boulder field and I could have spent the entire day there. Dragonflies and damselflies were everywhere and not just one or two species. At one spot I could see five different species sitting on boulders, enjoying the sunlight. However, in my excitement, I got a little too eager and scared them off before I could get in position for a photo.

But that wasn't my only chance to shoot. I spied a beautiful damselfly flying around and followed it with my eyes until it landed. I then carefully moved into position and made the shot. During the shoot, another damselfly landed near the first one I was shooting and I was treated to a two in one shot.


The larger damselfly is commonly known as an American Rubyspot. Scientifically, it's known as Hetaerina americana. It is easy to identify whatwith the striking colors of the body and wings. Also seen in the photo is a Variable Dancer, or Argia fumipennis, a much smaller damselfly.

My trip to Texas was the highlight of my nature photography career (so far) and I enjoyed everywhere I went on that trip.

Nothing can beat south Texas in the springtime and I hope to someday again, be able to shoot to my heart's content in some fantastic country.

If you enjoy photos of critters, please stop by Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme check out the posts. Better yet...join in the fun.

Camera Critter Meme #22

In the spring of 07, I left Oregon for another state I have enjoyed...Texas.

I spent a number of years living in the San Antonio area, but I wasn't a critter photographer then. So when I went back this time, I had two goals...visit with my brother and his family, and get nature photos I couldn't get here.

Both goals were accomplished and I was able to collect a nice variety of Texas critters.

Two areas were my favorite. The first was the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center south of San Antonio. I visited this area twice and came back each time with a nice variety of photos.

The second area I enjoyed was the Lost Maples State Natural Area northwest of the city. Trails led throughout the park and at every turn, something new would appear, whether it was bird or bug. But one particular sighting really got my "trigger finger" itching.

We were on the east trail at the park, approaching a quiet area of the Can Creek Ponds. In the distance I could see something moving quickly around a small field of wildflowers. As we got closer, I lost sight of the critter and started scanning other areas for more wildlife. Suddenly, my nephew tugged my arm and said, "Uncle Lauren...it's back."

I looked back to the wildflower patch and sure enough, there was the same critter flying around I had seen minutes earlier. I quickened my pace and as I neared the patch, I realized what it was I had seen at distance.

Known as the White-lined Sphinx Moth, this large, and quick lepidoptera is also called as a Hummingbird Moth because of the way it hovers at flower, obtaining nectar. The moth's wings even sound like a hummingbird's wings. Everything about the creature gives it the appearance of a hummingbird...except the way it looks.

I hope you enjoy one of the few 'in focus' images of this marvelous critter. And yes...there was a reason this one was selected. 8v)

If you enjoy photos of critters, please stop by Misty Dawn's Camera Critter Meme during the weekends and check out the posts. Better yet...join in the fun.