Camera Critters #58

I love shooting the local reptile population. I'd probably love shooting these critters anywhere I was, but at least on the high desert, I know I can find them and I know they love having their photo taken...most of the time. 8v)

Moments after this photo was taken, this Great Basin Fence Lizard dove for the cover of a hole somewhere...which happens often after I a get a shot or two. I didn't notice it at the time, but he actually waved bye to me before disappearing.


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 #57

One of the most popular spots in central Oregon, is Smith Rock State Park, located about 10 miles north of Redmond. It's a favored spot for hikers and rock climbers, along with wildlife watchers.

I've gone to the park more times than I can remember. During the Spring, I have a special reason for going to there. I go to the park for what is on Monument Rock.

If you click on the image below (it may take a while to load on some connections) and look close, you'll see a Golden Eagle's nest on the wall. Draw a line to the right, from the spot where the sky meets the land on the left side. Near the center part of the rocks, you'll see the nest.

The best view of the nest is on the rimrock along the opposite side of the canyon from the nest. The nest is about a quarter mile away. When I visited the nest area Tuesday, I found a single adult on the nest. I waited around for the other to show, but it didn't while I was there.

Then Friday, I stopped by the area again, and this time I found an empty nest. Knowing the adults would not leave the nest for too long, I sat down on a basalt rock pillar and waited. Every once in a while, a Turkey Vulture or two would drift by and give me hopes of the eagles showing until I recognized what species I was looking at. Then, about 15 minutes after I sat down, I was opening my snack when from low below the nest, one of the adults swooped up and landed on the left side. I grabbed my camera and was in time to catch the second adult heading to the nest.

The eagle approaches the edge of the nest.

And lands with stretched wings.

Then both eagles stood on the nest. By this time, I had lowered my camera and was watching the nest with binoculars in an attempt to see what was going on. As I watched, the eagle on the left dropped into the nest and at the same time, the other dropped off the side of the nest and flew along the canyon walls for a short distance before gaining altitude and disappearing over the top on the opposite side.

I've been to the park many times to see the eagles coming and going. This was the first time I was actually able to see both birds go to the nest.

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 #56

Last August, I came home from a long safari in the dry canyon and was looking forward to a cold drink and hot shower. As I unlocked the door to my place, a voice in my head yelled, "Look!" I swiveled my head from side-to-side, wondering where the voice came from.

Then I heard the voice again. "To your right, look" This time I backed up and looked to my right. There, 30 feet away in flowers of a hanging plant was a large, fluttering white object. I switched my camera back on and walked over to the object.

It was an Oregon Old World Swallowtail, also known scientifically as, Papilio machaon oregonius. It was the first I had seen in such a way I could photograph it. And even though its wings were a bit worn, it was still a beautiful critter to shoot.

I hope you agree.




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 #55

When I was a kid growing up in a southside of Chicago suburb, myself and friends of mine would go to nearby open fields and catch insects. A special treat for us was a caterpillar. We would put them in a jar, watch them spin a cocoon then later, turn into a butterfly.

We basically knew which caterpillars turned into which butterfly and traded them like baseball cards. You could get two Monarch caterpillars for one Tiger Swallowtail caterpillar. But the real fun was watching them change.

I have since forgotten everything I knew from youth about caterpillars, but I still photograph then when I come across one. Below are some of the caterpillar photos I have taken in the past couple of years. I don't have good reference on them, some day I hope to find a good reference. But for now, I'll let you imagine what they eventually turned into. In my opinion, most of these are probably moth caterpillars.









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 #54

I have a vague memory from when I was a young kid of being really afraid of a Ladybug Beetle. Don't ask me why, I just remember being afraid of them.

However, these days, I can't pass by a Ladybug Beetle without lowering my camera and snapping away. And, I have come to learn there are many different types of Ladybug Beetles. There are Seven-spotted Ladybugs, Asian Multi-colored Ladybugs, Two-spotted Ladybugs, Convergent Ladybugs and Brown Ladybug Beetles.

There are many more of these small colorful creatures and I have only photographed a small number of them. They come in a variety of colors and shapes. Some are circular, some are elongated. Some are red, others orange and spotted. I have even seen white with rose colored patch ladybugs. No matter what they look like, they are worth my time to photograph.

Below are images I have shot of ladybugs in Oregon and Texas. The one problem I have with Ladybug Beetles, is they are just as afraid of my approach as anything else is...they either start running down the plant they are on, or take to the wing before I can raise my camera. But I still manage to get shots now and then.

Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle

Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle

Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle

Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle

Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle

Seven-spotted Ladybug Beetle

Spotless Ladybug Beetle

Asian Multi-colored Ladybug Beetle

Asian Multi-colored Ladybug Beetle

I can't say all my IDs are correct with these small insects, but I do know calling them Ladybug Beetles will work...unless of course, you have gotten to know these bugs as Ladybird Beetles.

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 #53

My area of the Pacific Northwest finally hit the 70 degree mark this past week. It made for a couple of days of good safaris.

Some of the nicer things I came across during the safaris were sure-fire signs of Spring.

The first was a Western Meadowlark singing away at the top of a Juniper Tree along the Dry Canyon Trail in Redmond, Oregon. Note the gorgeous blue sky of the High Desert. It reminds me of something, somewhere, but I can't put a finger on it.

Not far from the meadowlark, I watched a Side-blotched Lizard. For some reason, I only see them during the Spring. We have a couple of other lizards which take over their territory during the Summers.

Finally, and not really a sign of Spring to me, I came across a couple of Crows. One stuck around and watched me try to climb the sandy hillside I where from the top, I would be able to get a good shot of his partner. But I no more than got reached the top, when the target Crow flew off...so I turned around and took a picture of the one left behind. I swear I could hear him laughing at me every time I slipped on the way up the hillside.

Well, at least Spring sprung for a couple of days on the High Desert.

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.

An Outstanding Year of Camera Critters!

A little more than 52 weeks ago, a good friend of mine asked me a question.

"I'm thinking of starting a photo meme called Camera Critters Sunday. What do you think of the idea?"

I said, "I love it."

Well, 52 weeks ago, the first Camera Critter page opened. My first post(located here) was that of a lizard. So with this being the first anniversary of Misty Dawn's Camera Critters, I thought I would reverse the calendar and go back one year from the first appearance of the meme and present the photos shot on the day closest to the beginning one year before the start.

So...here are the photos I shot two years ago.


The California Tortiseshell is fairly common on the high desert. And 2007, was bumper year for the butterfly as thousands were seen throughout the area.

I had seen Mourning Cloaks before on the high desert, but had never been able to get a good photo of one. As I wandered along the Dry Canyon Trail in Redmond, I noticed the above butterfly in the distance and took off after it. It remained long enough for me to get this shot, then flew.

Another common Spring butterfly on the high desert and along the Dry Canyon Trail, is the Zephyr Anglewing. In 2007, I became very fond of this lepidoptera and was able to photo a nice variety before they disappeared for the year.

As I began my return trip home, I sat on a large chunk of basaltic lava to eat a snack. While I was munching on some cheese cubes, another Mourning Cloak landed right in front of me. He was even nice enough to open his wings for this portrait.

Finally, as I was nearing the stairs to leave the canyon, I found this mound of busy ants. They were too busy doing what they do best to worry about me, so I watched them for a few moments, took a few photos of their activities and headed home.

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.